We Are Still Here

by Jimmy Bird

  I was getting suspicious, “Shrapnel? I guess that would explain my injury. So, what is it that you want from me?”

  “I just need to verify your story.”

  I tried to match his emotionless tone, “It sounds like you already know what happened. Why do you need my version?”

  He ignored me attempt, “I just need to verify certain aspects of the story to make sure that was how it happened.”

  I shrugged, “Well, I’m not sure how much I can tell you. I…. I don’t remember much of what happened.”

  He leaned forward in his chair, “You don’t remember anything?”

  I made a face as though I was trying hard to remember, “No. Wait……. Maybe....... Nope. Sorry.”

  He leaned back, “That’s okay. The doctor said that you were bleeding internally and that the medication they gave you, could cause memory loss.”

  I perked up, “So, my memories will come back?

  In his emotionless tone, he simply said, “Perhaps.”

  I watched as he slowly stood up and reached his right hand into a front pocket.

  He pulled out a card and handed it to me, “Here’s my card. Please contact me if you remember anything.”

  I took the card, “Okay. Will do.”

  “Captain, I wish you speedy recovery.”

  I watched as he turned around and walked away. He was met at the doorway by another shadowy figure. They exchanged a few hushed words, causing Agent Johnson to glance back towards me before turning back around. After a brief exchange, they both began walking away from the door.

  I sat there, not knowing what to do. What could I do? They had me attached to a heart monitor machine. I was working on what to do next when Justin, Mike, and Rick walked in the door. They walked in and got in a file at the end of my bed, saluted and stood at attention.

  Justin was at the end of the line, “Captain, how are you feeling?’

  “What’s going on guys? You’re not normally this formal.”

  Mike spoke up, “Well, we figured that since we’re in a military hospital and with all these government people running around that we would do everything by the books.”

  Good thinking on their part, “I see. Rick, will you please shut the door?”

  He nodded, “Yes, ma’am.”

  We watched as Rick took the steps towards the door, peeped his head out to see if anyone was watching, and softly shut the door. He slowly walked back towards the end of the bed. They all relaxed.

  I was the first to speak, “So, what happened?”

  Justin replied, “To be honest, we don’t really remember. I remember there being a confrontation and losing a lot of our squadron. We’re all that’s left. I kind of have images, like pictures from a horror movie but nothing makes any sense.”

  Mike and Rick stated that they were having the same type of images.

  I spoke up, “I’m not sure why, but it seems that I remember fighting runaway test subjects. We almost lost.”

  Mike shook his head, “I remember Bob and his son.”

  Rick agreed, “I remember that after Bob’s son attacked him then Bob attacked others.

  Justin stated, “I remember seeing dead parts moving.”

  We all shook our heads. There were images that we were hoping were dreams but felt so strongly that they weren’t.

  I asked, “Did any of you tell anyone?”

  Justin replied, “I tried telling one of those agents. He stated that it was all in my head and told me the other story. He stated that the fighting must have given me PTSD and was recommending that I be medically discharged. Guess, I’m going home.”

  Rick chimed in, “They told me that also.”

  Mike added, “Same here.”

  I frowned, “Curious, I wasn’t told that.”

  Justin replied, “It’s probably because you just woke up. We’ve been up for days.”

  I nodded, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  Rick motioned for everyone to get in closer and started whispering, “I’m not sure about these guys, but if you’re being medically discharged Captain Steph then I’m with you. Something’s going on and the best place to be is with you Captain. So, no matter where you go, I’ll go.”

  Mike agreed, “I’m in.”

  When Justin didn’t respond, Rick and Mike looked at him.

  Justin finally talked, “I’m in, but I want to spend time with my family first. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen them, and we don’t even know what’s going on yet.”

  I beamed with pride. My team respected me that much. So much, that they were willing to uproot their families to follow me. But, follow me to where? That was something that I was going to have to think about.

  After a few days of being cooped up in the hospital, I was ready to get out of there. I was ready to get back to work, to find out what my next assignment was going to be. I wasn’t sure what was going on. No one from the military had come by to visit. In fact, it had been at least a day since I had seen Justin, Rick, or Mike.

  I was told that I was getting released soon and decided to get dressed. I was just finishing my last button when I heard a knocked on the door.

  Startled, I yelled, “Come in!”

  To my surprise, in walked a Four Star General and his assistant. The General took off his hat and placed it under his left arm.

  I immediately stood at attention and saluted, “General.”

  He returned my salute, “At ease, Captain.”

  I nodded, “Thank you, sir.”

  He shook his head, “No Captain. It’s I, who should be thanking you.”

  Confused, I asked, “Sir?”

  He stated, “Without you and your men stopping the rogue group, we might not be here right now. Intelligence suggested that they were on their way to the base to steal advanced weapons and if they would have succeeded, no telling what kind of damage they would have done.”

  I tried to contain my emotions, “Permission to speak freely.”

  He nodded, “Granted.”

  I took a deep breath, “Sir. That’s not how I remember it happening. I remember being called in to stop some escaped test subject. Some subject that was rumored to be newly created super soldier. When we confronted the subject, he wasn’t alone. He had somehow recruited or turned more people into super soldiers. They were damn near impossible to kill. All but three of my squadron were killed. I barely made it out alive!”

  I lifted his right hand to his chin, “Interesting.”

  “What’s interesting, sir?”

  He looked at me, “They told my that the medication they had given you could cause some hallucinations, but I never thought it would mess with you to this extent.”

  I was so confused, “What do you mean, sir?”

  He took a deep breath, “I’m sorry, Captain. You’re being medically discharged. There’s nothing I can do.”

  I kept my cool. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, “What do you mean that I’m being medically discharged, sir?”

  “It’s just like I told you Captain. You’re being medically discharged.”

  My heart began to pound, “Why is that sir?”

  He took a deep breath, “Because Captain, your mind is so far gone, that you’re seeing things. The military can’t afford to let you back into action. What if you turned on your squad or worse, civilians?”

  I was confused. Was I being blamed?

  Out loud, I asked, “What are you talking about sir?”

  “Captain, I don’t know how to tell you this, but your squad attacked civilians.”

  My mouth dropped, “WHAT?”

  With a sad expression that looked a little rehearsed, he stated, “The rogue group had used civilians as a shield to try to get past you. We’re not sure, but it looked like the civilians had gotten caught in the crossfire.”

  I shook my head, “No! That can’t be right! I plainly remember the escaped test subject and his recruits attacking us.”

  “I’m sorry Captain, but
it’s true. You killed innocent civilians.”

  My knees felt weak. I felt sick to my stomach as I began to question everything that I thought I remembered.

  The General continued, “Though in light of your excellent service record, you’re being medically discharged instead of being court marshaled. We’re hoping that being away from the military will help you recover, not only from your serious wound, but also from your health issue. I’m sorry Captain.”

  He reached his hand out to shake my hand, but I was too shaken to respond.

  “Take your time to soak in what I’ve told you. Go home. Properly recover and who knows. If you can heal, maybe, you can reapply later.”

  I looked at him, “Are you serious, sir?”

  He smirked, “I am, but I’ll tell you what. In six months, I’ll personally fly you back here to take both, a mental and physical exam. If you pass, I’ll reinstate you, same rank and position. Deal?”

  I felt pressured, “I..... I....”

  “Captain, is it a deal?”

  I let out a long-defeated breath, “Deal.”

  He smiled, “Good. Now Captain, if you’ll excuse me, I have other duties to perform.”

  I saluted him, he returned my gesture and turned around to face the door. His assistant, who had been silent the whole time, opened the door for him. The General began to walk through the doorway, but immediately stopped. I couldn’t see who he was talking to, but he began talking in hushed tones.

  I couldn’t quit make out what they were saying and too be honest, I really didn’t even care. It wasn’t the subject of their discussion that peaked my interest. It was the person that the General was talking to. The voice sounded strangely familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. Without thinking about what I was doing, I began to take a step towards the General.

  His assistant immediately stepped in my way, “Can I help you Captain?”

  Taken back, I responded, “No. I was just.... um, trying to see who the General was talking to.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, this is going to sound strange, but the person kind of sounds like the medical guy who saved me and I..... I wanted to thank him.”

  The assistant shook his head, “I’m sorry Captain, but you can’t leave.”

  I immediately got defensive, “Why not? It’s not like I’m under house arrest or anything!”

  The General must have heard us because he turned around, “Captain. I’m sorry, but you can’t leave until they discharge you from the hospital.”

  My anger began to boil, “Why’s that?”

  I forgot who I was talking to for a second before adding, “Sir.”

  I could tell that he was starting to lose his patience with me, “Because I said so! Because it’s their policy! I don’t care, just pick one!”

  I saluted, “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again. General, can I ask you something?”

  He calmed down, “Very well. What is it, Captain?”

  I took a deep breath, “Was the man you were talking to, the medical person who saved my life?”

  “Why would you ask that, Captain?”

  I felt nervous, “It’s just that, he sounded just like the medical person I heard before passing out.”

  “To be honest with you, I’m not sure. He did ask me how you were doing and if you remembered anything from your accident.”

  Curious, I asked, “Why would he ask that, sir?”

  He shook his head, “I don’t know. But I told him that you remembered bits and pieces of things, but that it sounded more like hallucinations.”

  “Sir, is the guy still here?”

  He continued to shake his head, “No, Captain. He said that he had other things to do, but he did say that he would be back to check in on you.”

  I nodded, “Thank you, sir.”

  He had a sympathetic look, “You’re welcome Captain and I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for what sir?”

  He looked sternly at me, “I’m sorry about everything that has happened to you and I meant what I said. If in six months, you pass both, a mental and physical exam, I’ll reinstate your rank.”

  I tried to seem excited, “Thank you, sir.”

  “I know that things seem crazy right now but keep your head up. You’ll be back here before you know it.”

  He turned around and began walking. His assistant looked at me one more time before following the General out of my room. The door quickly shut behind them.

  It was a few days later before I really saw anyone else. I mean, the nurses would bring me my food but that was it. No visitors, no doctors, no nothing. It felt like I was being quarantined and I didn’t know what to do about it. I thought I was going to lose my mind.

  I spent my days exercising as best I could and watching the news. There was no word about the escaped test subjects or ex-military group. No nothing. The government must have put a lock down on what had happened.

  The days dragged on. I must have been in the room for a week or so before the doctors showed up to release me. The oddest part was that no one showed up to see me, except for maybe, my parents.

  To my surprise, my parents arrived to pick me up. They each had concern in their eyes as they stepped forward to embrace me.

  My father asked, “Serina? Are you okay?”

  Before I could answer, my mom answered for me, “Of course she’s not okay. Look at the fear and surprise in her face.”

  It was like I was in grade school all over again.

  I stepped back, “What? What are you doing here?”

  My dad opened his mouth to speak, but my mom cut him off, “The military called and said that you were in an accident. They wouldn’t tell us any details on how you had gotten hurt, but they did tell us that they would fly us up here to escort you home. They said that you were being medically discharged and needed to go home to heal. They told us that you were showing signs of PTSD and that the medication you were on was causing hallucinations.”

  I stood there shocked. I.... I didn’t know what to say.

  My mom continued, “Serina? Did you understand me? Serina?”

  “I understand you mom. Why would anyone tell you that? I thought that it was supposed to be a covert mission?”

  With a worried look on her face, my mom spoke, “The doctors were right, your hallucinating. Don’t you worry baby. We’ll take you home, so you can get better.”

  I began to protest, but my dad angrily cut me off, “Serina, the doctors and the military told us to take you home and that’s exactly what we’re going to do!”

  I was taken back. I had only heard my dad yell at me one time and that was when I was a young teenager, a mere child. I had a sleepover with two of my best friends. My parents had gone out on a date that night, leaving us home alone. We had decided to break into my dad’s liquor cabinet and stole some alcohol. By the time they returned, we had consumed a couple of bottles and trashed most the house. I don’t know what had gotten into us, but we broke my dad’s prized collection of signed sports memorabilia. To top it all off, we had gotten sick all over the living room floor. Let’s just say that those friends were not allowed over to my house for a very long time.

  I knew not to challenge my father. Especially, when he was like this and that wasn’t often.

  “What about my apartment?”

  My mom responded, “The military had already packed your stuff for you. We were told that someone should be driving it to our house as we speak. They should be there by the time we get home. They had left yesterday. We were told that they needed your military apartment for someone else.”

  “What?”

  In all my years in the military, I had never heard of anything like that. Even in the most extreme conditions, like death, they had given the family time to come in and go through things.

  My mind raced, what was going on? Did the others have this same issue? Others? That’s right. I haven’t seen them in a long time, not since before the General showed up to talk t
o me. I thought that I would ask about it.

  “Why didn’t anyone call me?”

  My mom and dad looked at one another. I’m not sure if they knew that I noticed or not, but I asked anyway.

  “What?”

  My mom answered, “Honey, we tried. As soon as we had gotten the call about your accident, we tried to call your cell number and the hospital. As a matter of fact, we contacted other family members and they tried. Somehow, word had spread and some of your old friends called us to ask how you were. Some of them had even tried calling. When I finally got a response from the hospital, I was told that you were being quarantined for your own safety. They wouldn’t give us any other information over the phone. They told us to contact your superior. We didn’t even learn about your hallucinations until we got here and that was only after we proved that we were your parents.”

  I looked over at my dad, “It’s true honey. I’m sorry, but we tried to call you numerous times.”

  I took a deep breath. This wasn’t the military I loved. What happened?

  My mom must have sensed my inner turmoil, “Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll be home before you know it. Family has been coming in from all over to see you when you get home.”

  I frowned at my mom, “What? Are you kidding me? We need to prepare. Something’s happening, and we need to prepare.”

  With a worried look on his face, my dad glanced over at me, “Prepared for what?”

  I’m not sure what came over me, but I quickly became hysterical, “Prepare for what? We need to prepare for the ones who won’t die! For the ones the government’s been experimenting on!”

  My mom tried to calm me down by placing her arm over arm over my shoulder, “Honey. It’s okay, you’re safe. It’s just one of those hallucinations the doctors told us about.”

  I began to pull away from my mom whenever I felt two even stronger arms wrap around me that turned into a massive, warm hug. I tried to pull away, but the arms engulfed me. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in many years. A feeling of security that only my father had ever given me.

  Tears began to run down my face as my dad softly spoke, “Serina. It’s okay, honey. You’re safe. You had a traumatic experience, causing these hallucinations. They’re not real. When we get home, you can rest and heal. Take as much time as you need to get better. We’ll be here for you. All your family and friends will be here for you. We love you.”