A response of solidarity and a promise of rewards

"Wait, so you actually knew too?" Sergeant Garcia asked, blinking rapidly.

Sergeant Foreman rolled her eyes. "Please, you two have many talents, but skilled deception about your love life is not one of them. And I am sure Lieutenant Mills and Sergeant Zhang are not the only ones that figured it out either."

Garcia blushed slightly, looking a bit abashed as she glanced at a chuckling but nodding Lieutenant Mills at the side. "But then why did you...?" You saw her pause as she trailed off.

"Said nothing?" Foreman finished. "What, did you WANT me to ruin the perfectly good careers of a couple of teammates who have had our back through thick and thin for years? There is loyalty, and THEN there is loyalty, my friend." She declared. "Never forget that our bond was forged in blood and camaraderie or the fact we have your back as much as possible."

Garcia actually got a bit teary-eyed for a moment there, which made you grin. "And besides," You finally chimed in. "Now that you are all loyal to me as your new master, I am not interested in keeping that restrictive rule. So, really, don't worry about it anymore."

"Thank you, Supreme Commander," Garcia said, her eyes sparkling. "You truly are a benevolent leader."

You decided to simply smile and roll with the heartfelt compliment before turning to Foreman once more. "Our new resident doctors are treating her," You said, repeating her words in a more subdued tone. "How serious is it?"

"Well," She said slowly, "after I used the drone I was controlling to chart a safe route for them before you needed my help against the gang, sir, I took some time to ask the doctors more about that as they were setting Kristen in a bedroom on the first floor. By the way, the Patel family is the one that volunteered to give her a spare bed, if you are wondering, and as their apartment was closest, I agreed." The Communication Staff Sergeant remarked. "Anyway, according to them, they rescued her after she took out a whole pack of zombies with precision headshots, but they didn't bit her or anything, thank God. Still, she appeared to have been hit by lightning, and this knocked her out."

Your eyes widened as Garcia blanched in alarm. "Oh, of all the freak accidents of nature to get hit by in the middle of this chaos...!" You swore, your voice rising.

"Agreed, sir," Foreman said with a sigh. "But thankfully, it appears the lightning didn't hit her directly but rather a nearby cactus, so she was spared the full brunt of the electric charge. She did get some of her skin prickled with the flying thorns after the cactus exploded, but the doctors removed them all and treated those wounds before they even met Team 2. Hopefully, she will recover soon. At least now that she is in a safer location and we have more medicines to spare due to Zhang's success at looting that pharmacy."

You nodded while Garcia bit her bottom lip in worry. So, you held her hand. "Our odds to save her are much better now," You said in the most soothing tone you could manage. "And if we need to get something else to treat her, I will be sure to add it to our list of priorities to take care of. But time is of the essence, and we are potentially **** while we are here in the open focused on moving everything we scavenged," You acknowledged. "So, for now, let's finish helping the rest unpack our valuable finds, and I will accompany you to see your girlfriend myself as soon as that's done."

She smiled at you slightly with a bit of sadness and understanding in the mix. "Of course, sir. Thank you, sir," Garcia said before going to help with the cargo.

You turned back to soldier you trusted to hold the fort while most your most capable fighters went away on missions with an earnest look. "You have done absolutely invaluable service for all of us today, Sergeant Foreman," You said with grateful conviction. "Guiding Team 2 and your lost teammate back to us after immediately noticing the sheer tactical value of those solar-powered drones, helping me reunite Laurel with her now-no-longer-ex-girlfriend before helping us with crucial intelligence ahead that allowed us to finish those disgusting gang members and thereby rescuing their victimized prisoners too," You said, listing off her feats of the day with an impressed tone. "More, you also distracted and redirected a nearby horde of zombies so that we could return home on safe streets without incident. On behalf of the whole group, you have my gratitude, Sergeant."

Foreman struck you as a woman that liked to keep her expression professional overall when she was on duty, but she gave you a beaming smile for a moment there, seemingly very pleased to have impressed you. That, in turn, made you smile.

"It was my duty, sir," She said modestly. "But I appreciate the praise."

"True, but that level of effort and initiative for the benefit of our group in these dangerous times deserves to be rewarded," You remarked with a smirk. "So, after our little dinner feast, please report to my room once I return. There, we will discuss the rewards I have in mind."

Foreman swallowed hard as she gave you a heated look of desire, her imagination likely going wild at your comments for a moment there. "O-of course, sir...thank you, sir. It would be my pleasure, sir." She said with a mild blush extending across her cheeks

You chuckled at that. "Oh, believe me, I will make sure it is very much YOUR pleasure, Sergeant. Now, let's get back to work so we can move into the next bit of business more quickly."

And with that, you went back to helping with moving the boxes and valuables they all recovered, eager to try out your new ideas to make Foreman's first night with you an absolute pleasure for her indeed.