A Seal for a SEAL

Lisa wasn't certain how Clay would react when she presented her gift of a stuffed seal … because well Clay was a full-grown, adult, badass, male, sailor who like the rest of Bravo and all other sailors and soldiers she had ever met didn't do touchy-feely and a plush animal was so not something any of them would ever consider as an appropriate gift. A six-pack … a non-alcoholic brand, of course, would be more along the lines of something Clay might appreciate, but when she saw the seal she couldn't help herself.

He didn't react, which concerned her as she walked out. Damn if he didn't make her realize she was being stupid. She actually said DOR to him … that's when he reacted. She sat there and complained how tough things were at OCS … how insensitive she had been. His words were her wake up call.

The man whose only dream was to be a team guy might be prevented from returning due to a physical injury … not crap thoughts knocking around in his head … like her. Lisa shook her head as she recalled her soft, "Sorry." God, she meant it … she was sorry, for dumping on him, for essentially allowing the chaos in her mind to get the better of her, and yeah, for bringing him the stupid seal … he could've used an actual beer and would've probably appreciated it more than a childish plush toy.

His parting words rang in her head all the way back to Rhode Island. She decided to buckle down, and do all in her power to make Clay proud of her, to achieve her dream. It would be a way to atone for her stupid gift and for well, not being sensitive to what Clay was surely dealing with.

Clay stared at the gray toy sitting on his table. He hoped Lisa got her head right. He meant what he said, the Navy couldn't afford to lose the good ones. And Davis would make a damned fine officer … one he wouldn't mind serving under. That is if he could surmount the physical obstacles in his path to return to Bravo. Self-pity and doubt plagued him, especially when the doctors kept harping on him to accept what they said was a 'very real possibility' that he would never operate again.

He glanced around his room … sick of being alone. Yeah, Swanny came by every day to check in on him, but he really didn't know the guy since he only met him right before the Gucci deployment. Though a team guy, Swann wasn't one of his brothers … one of the five men who share one heartbeat with him. He missed them, but understood they couldn't be here.

Bored by the TV baseball game … something else he may never be able to do, cause if he couldn't walk, there was no way he could participate in the annual Tier One baseball game either. Depression weighing heavy on him, Clay closed his eyes and allowed himself to nod off.

Naima quietly entered Clay's room. She came by when she could to check on him, but with kids and a full-time job, it didn't leave much time. And today was no different. She could only stay a few moments, but since it had been several days since her last visit, she wanted to drop off a new set of magazines.

Her soft shoes made no noise as she ambled to his bed. He appeared so much younger and vulnerable while sleeping. If they made him shave the beard, he would look like a kid … which is probably why Ray and the guys always called him Kid.

Her gaze moved around the room, taking stock of his magazines, and set the new ones on top of the stack. As she did so, her eyes landed on a new addition. A grin formed and she wondered who visited him and brought him a stuffed animal. Her daughter would go gaga over the cute stuffed gray seal.

Not wanting to wake him, but unable to resist, Naima picked up the seal and tucked it in next to Clay. She whispered, "A seal for a SEAL. Sweet dreams, I'll stop by later, Kid."

At the door, she stopped and turned back to peer at him once more. She wished Ray, Jason, and the others could be here for Clay. It made her sad that his emergency contact was a man he only met a week or so before they deployed. And it made her angry that his father had never once come to visit him. If anyone knew what devastation his injury would bring … the thought of not being able to be a team guy anymore, it would be Ash Spenser because for better or worse he had lived the life too. He should be here … any real father would be.

Naima sighed and accepted that Ash was a selfish, narcissistic man who didn't give a damn about his son. But a smile came to her face as she walked out. Clay didn't need Ash … he had Bravo, and once they returned, the kid would have all the support he needed to make it back to them.

Brett Swann stood in the hospital elevator, peering down at his post-it note … without them he would be lost … and well, truthfully he was even with them. Being here for Clay gave him purpose again. The young pipehitter reminded him of himself as a much younger man. He hoped like hell Clay would make it back to Bravo, and he would do all in his power to make it happen.

Clay had been kind to him … offered him a place to stay … and so when he received the call from Jason to check on Clay he didn't hesitate once before racing to the hospital. When Clay arrived, Brett sat in the waiting room for three days straight, checking on him every three hours when a nurse would allow him five minutes in the ICU. When Clay was finally moved to a private room, he slept in the chair for two weeks, not wanting the kid to wake up alone.

The elevator pinged and the doors opened. He strode out, making his now daily trek to Clay's room. More often than not, Spenser was sleeping when he arrived. PT wore him out and increased his depression, but Brett did the best he could to keep the kid's spirits up. He wanted to smash a fist in the doctor's mouth when he kept harping on Clay to accept that he might not heal enough to return to his beloved Bravo team. The kid didn't that shit … he needed to remain focused on getting well.

As normal, he stopped in the doorway to make sure he didn't interrupt an exam, or cause Clay embarrassment if he was being helped back from the bathroom. A grin grew on the Scotsman's face as he took in the sight before him. A soft chuckle came out, which he quickly silenced, as he pulled his phone from his pocket. This was too good to pass up.

Bravo team sat around the bar table, each lost in thoughts as they downed a beer. Clay was never far from their thoughts. The kid never returned a single one of their calls or texts, and although Naima and Swanny provided them occasional updates, none of them would be able to get the image of Clay bleeding out in the streets of Manila.

Everyone's phones buzzed, and each pulled it out, expecting it to be a page from Blackburn to come to TOC for some mission or another chewing out because of something Shaw didn't like about Bravo. So it was a surprise as they opened a group text from Swanny.

A burst of laughter filled the bar, causing all the patrons to stare at five men who stared at their phones.

Sonny spoke first, "I'm never deleting this one … gonna blow it up to poster size and hang it in the cages."

Brock's grin grew. "Cerb's gonna be jealous."

"My daughter will want one if she sees this." Ray wiped at the tears of laughter that inexplicitly filled his eyes.

"No better medicine for him," Trent said as he gazed at the image.

Jason's first real smile since the night they found Clay lying on the grimy road, blown out of his shoes with shrapnel sticking out of his legs, graced his face. The photo of Clay with a gray stuffed seal snuggled in his arms did his heart good. He wished they could be there for him now, and they would be as soon as possible, but it appeared the kid had something to hold onto until they returned. "A seal for a SEAL. We gotta find out who gave him the stuffed animal and send a thank you."

Clay woke slowly, blinking his eyes open and finding his room darkened. He had slept the day away again … which happened more often than not. He let out a sigh, finding himself alone in the room and realizing Swanny probably came and went while he napped. The guy never woke him if he did, which Clay appreciated.

Shifting a little, something heavier than his blanket pulled his attention to his arm. "What the hell?" Clay gaped at the seal snuggled to his chest. "How did that get here?" For one brief moment, he considered chucking it across the room, but he stared at the plastic black eyes and the little smile on the seal and for the first time since getting blown to hell the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

The animal reminded him of one he carried around as a child. Sammy the SEAL went everywhere with him until he was about seven, but he clung to Sammy every night until he was nearing ten, then his seal was relegated to the shelf over his desk until he was twelve. Turning thirteen, he decided he needed to put childish toys away, so Sammy got shoved into the closet, forgotten, and never to be seen again.

A sense of nostalgia and security grew within Clay, helping to blot out some of the gloom and doom. "Well, Sammy, looks like it's just you and me tonight." A noise in the hall had him shoving the seal under his covers, not wanting to be caught holding a child's toy.

Tim entered and grinned. "Nice nap?"

"Yeah, I guess." Clay's cheeks pinked up, realizing his nurse probably saw him sleeping with the stuffed animal, but thankfully he didn't bring it up as he took his vitals and asked him if he wanted something to eat since he slept through dinner.

"No, not hungry. Still tired."

"Okay. Let me know if you want something later." Tim turned and headed out, closing Clay's door to give him privacy. The doctors would be happy with the lowered blood pressure and the fact Clay slept soundly for five hours straight. He predicted with the help of the cuddly seal Clay would likely sleep through the night without waking with a nightmare. Amazing what a little piece of fabric and fluff can do for a person.

Clay uncovered his seal and stared at the face again. He spoke to his toy, "Lisa, brought me the perfect gift." He tucked Sammy into the crook of his arm, pulled the covers over both of them, and closed his eyes. I will prove the doctors wrong … this SEAL will not fade away. He slipped into a healing sleep with dreams of his triumphant return to Bravo team.

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AN: Hope you enjoyed this little piece of fluff.