As always, this is a story of fiction. Any resemblance to any person alive or dead is purely coincidental. Also I do not own GI Joe or rights to their characters. I'm just writing a story involving their characters. Thank you.

Dear Mom,

Well, we made it back. Right now I'm in the infirmary recouping from the last mission. Don't get to worried Mom, all my body parts are still here. I was shot in the arm and received a couple pieces of shrapnel in the leg but I'll survive. Lifeline was here checking up on my dressings. He couldn't stay long, because he & Stretcher (another Joe Medic) are so busy directing nurses and medical staff to handle other patients. Right now the have an infirmary is full of Joes. Our last mission was real screw up. One of our own is in the Emergency OR right now. Please say a prayer for Beach Head. I know Cover Girl has come in at least 3 times already. She says she's checking up on me and a few others, but I know better. She's real worried about Beach. Army nurses keep telling her the doctor is doing the best he can. All we can do is wait and pray. If it wasn't for Beach, one of our green shirts would be going home in a box instead of facing the wraith of General Hawk. Our unit was coming out of a tree line, when this kid absent mindedly set off a claymore. Beach heard the click of the detonator and tackled the kid to safety while taking part of the blast to the back. Wild Bill medi-vac'd Beach back to base where doctors have been working on him since. Were all hoping Beach will pull through.

Shipwreck is in the bed next to me, recouping as well. His unit was ambushed in the swamps while doing an amphibious assault. He was attacked by some of Croc-Master's pets and was lucky enough to survive. Shipwreck is alright guy. Sometimes a horn dog right up there with Clutch when it comes to women. But in a fight, he'll stand his ground. Specially in knife fights. Right now, he's spinning some tale to a pretty nurse about a scar he got in a knife fight years ago in the Philippians with thirty men. It's not that I don't doubt the event occurred, it's just I doubt the amount of people involved.

Lady Jaye also has stopped by to brighten our spirits. She told me how Flint, her, Duke and Scarlet are all planning to go out for New Years Eve. Cover Girl is still here pacing about. I suggested to Lady Jaye, that she take Courtney out with them tonight. God knows how she needs a night out. Lady Jaye said she'd think about it. I know what your thinking Mom. But I'm still confined to the infirmary. Plus it wouldn't be good for one woman to go out with a wounded man when it's reminding her of another one. If she doesn't stop pacing, I'll have Snake Eyes knock her out or something. Lifeline finally got smart and had Law & his dog Order escort her back to the motor pool. Foolish girl. Doesn't she know that worrying over Beach, ain't going to make him heal faster. Yet try telling her that.

Leatherneck and Wet Suit are in a few beds over, playing cards. Both keep yelling at each other about whose cheating who. Those two; if you separate them they complain, if you keep them together they complain. They are a regular odd couple. In my opinion Mom, they are the two Joe's I'd least like to be paired with again. In past missions with both of them, and I wasn't sure who I was fighting more. Cobra, or those two numbskulls.

It seems that this current argument almost turned into an all out brawl, if General Hawk didn't order them to pipe down. He came in to check on the wounded and found the two knuckle heads acting up, again. In tail with General Hawk is Stalker. I doubt you've ever meet him, Mom. Stalker served with Snake-Eyes in Vietnam. After that he bounced around from military post to military post training special forces troops and young recruits. Out of uniform, he's an alright Joe who likes to party, but when he's on the job, he's all business. A few years ago, Stalker and I were giving demonstrations to new recruits on desert survival. One of the cherries, as we call them, started cutting up during lecture. Stalker simply walked over, grabbed him by the shirt collar and drug him out away from the group. Next time I saw the kid, he was very respectful to me and apologized for disrupting my course. Later I found out that Stalker ran the kid all day and all night in full gear. When the kid would fall down, Stalker was there kicking his ass all the way. And he didn't lighten up, Mom, that's the type of guy Stalker is. He does what he does not only to be a real hard ass, but also to keep others alive.

General Hawk just asked Lifeline how soon Wet Suit and Leatherneck can return to active duty. Lifeline said their wounds were not too bad, possibly tomorrow they could be released. General Hawk turned to Wet Suit and Leatherneck said, "Listen up you two. Once your cleared from here, report to Stalker for special training." I'm sorry Mom, but I couldn't help but smirk at the General's order. As he was leaving, General Hawk looked at me and Shipwreck. "Same goes for you two as well. Once your healed, report to Stalker." And with that, they both left. Shipwreck and I gave each other that look of "What in the hell did we do?" Needless to say, we will be reporting to Stalker in a few days, if not more, depending on how soon Lifeline releases us. Well got to wrap this up. I'll write again Mom and let you know how Beach Head is doing.

Love,

Ronnie

PS: I almost forgot. Happy New Year to you. Try not to have too much fun on the Strip.