He was running as fast a he could. The burning sensation on his left cheek that the shell of a bomb has left kept getting worse. He knew he was loosing blood fast and he needed to find shelter. There was absolutely nothing in sight, just a forest full of trees. He kept on getting snagged on branches and roots, he fell a couple of times, but right now that did not matter. What mattered is that he had to get help and get his friends out of that hell.
In his head he was thinking that he was back at boot camp, back at training, back at war. He was wrong but at the moment his head was clouded with rushed memories of horrible things people have had done to him. A mother who was turning into an alcoholic as his father passed away, cruel brothers whose pranks worsened with every day, and finally a disrespectful girlfriend who was there just for the money. Army was his only escape at least he thought so. With new territory comes new responsibility and for once in his life he was beaten for his wrong doings, he was punished for a reason, and he was given orders from a person who respected him. Army changed his whole life and he was grateful for what he has learned there and for the friends he made.
Right now his friends were in trouble and he has to use his knowledge to find a base and ask for backup. He had every intention to go back out there and being side by side with his friends fighting against the enemy. As he kept on running, what hurt him more than the deep cut on his face was her voice. It was so soothing but so weak and full of pain. The voice recited the poem that he read at his father’s funeral:
“When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.”
He could not bear hearing it again, not now, not while he did not have help yet. At that moment he knew he would not make it back to his friends, but he was determined to get help. Her voice sounded again in his ears like tiny bells on a Christmas morning: “Jared, I am glad I got to know you, there is no one else like you!” Those words encouraged him to run even faster, beside the pain of twisted ankle, or the burning of half ripped cheek, or pain on the left side of his torso…”Pain on the left side of my torso?”, he thought as his hand automatically flew up to investigate the damage. There was blood, a lot of it has leaked out, which means he left a trail. As his mind was racing on how to cover up his tracks he realized that she was saying good-bye. Jared could not let her go, he had to help her.
As that thought visited and left his mind, his head was clear again and he saw a whole row of houses, one big and four smaller ones. As he was getting closer he was thinking which house he should go into; the smaller ones have less people, so he can handle them and then use their phone to call for help. As he tiptoed around the house that was located all the way to the east side of the perimeter, Jared had a chance to look into the windows and scan the situation inside. The house was empty and he was able to quickly locate the phone in the kitchen above the cabinet with drawers full of pens and little pieces of paper. He knew the number by heart and it did not take long for him to go through as he was telling officer Jones on the other end to send back up to the east side of the river.
As soon as that was done, he grabbed his M4 and ran back out. He heard her voice say his name and it numbed down the pain. Jared knew he had to get to her as soon as possible and say what he wanted to say for so long before he died. As if the nature felt his pain, the rain started falling as he heard her sobbing. It was tearing him apart; he did not want to leave her in this cruel world. Nature was one with him, helping him erase the trail and ease his pain as summer rain washed the blood away.
He knew he was close when he heard people crying in pain. The battle was over. The trees cleared out of his way and Jared started searching for her with his eyes. He saw Mitchels kneeling over McRover who was bleeding out of his throat. He saw many other officers trying to save one another. Then he saw her, lying on the bleeding ground with her head propped against the base of the tree. At that moment he understood that the reason she was saying good-bye is not because he was dying, it was she who was about to take her last breaths. In an instant she was in his arms and he was babbling something about first aid trying to see what her injuries are as tears mashed together with rain and he was blinded with fear and regret.
“I love you, Jared.”, were four simple words that Sergeant Talia Smith said before her eyes lost their vigorous shine, and her body went limp in his lap. “Noooo…..”, he cried out with all the might he had left in his body as suddenly he was not in the rainy forest anymore, he was in a bright white room. His eyes were fluttering turning his head away from the light, gasping for breaths as if he has not breathed on his own for a while. The next thing he saw were 5 or 6 doctors buzzing with low murmurs around him as about 3 nurses were shining a tiny flashlight in his eyes and checking his blood pressure and monitors. Jared was so disoriented that he could not answer the questions that doctors were asking him. As his eye sight stabilized in the corner of the room he saw Talia in a purple flowery dress. He thought he died and went to heaven because he never saw Talia wear a dress.
“Jared..”, she said as tears started rolling down her cheeks. As Talia was about to take a step forward, the door swung open as the chief of the local police station walked in with Officer Walker. “Sergeant Jared Smith, there will be a ceremony held after your recovery in an honor of remembrance those who died fighting for this country six months ago and honors will be distributed to those who showed excellent service during that horrible hour. For your loyalty, bravery and courage you are to be nominated an officer. For now we will let you rest and wish you fast recovery.” As the men of high positions walked out of the room, all Jared could think about is the six months that they have mentioned. What caught his attention surprised him even more, big bulging belly on Talia’s torso was not there before.
“Jared, welcome back.”, Talia Smith, no more a sergeant, said as Jared Smith realized what has happened.
