by Dave Hazel
3.
Within twenty minutes one of the troop transport vehicles that had been used on the other side of the world skidded to a stop. Staff Sergeant Barry and his three man team rushed out of the vehicle and ran to Mykal. They assisted him from the horse and helped him into the vehicle.
“Mykal, you’re alive!” Staff Sergeant Barry declared as if shocked.
“Barely,” Mykal joked and laughed as the four men and Towbar helped him down from the horse. “I’m doing fine though. Seriously, I’m doing good, I’m doing good,” he added when a couple of Barry’s men looked at him as if he wasn’t real.
“No Mykal, everyone is saying that you died. Everyone thinks you’re dead,” Barry explained.
“Well you can see that I’m not. Take me to Major Chick’s tent or where he might be.”
“You don’t want us to take you to medical?” Sergeant Barry asked before he got behind the wheel to drive.
“No, I gotta go find Major Chick.”
Sergeant Barry looked to Towbar. The giant nodded for him to follow Mykal’s directions.
“Alright Mykal, but you really look like you should go to medical,” Barry advised and quickly got behind the wheel. “I hope this doesn’t come out wrong, but how are you alive? I saw you when we left. I drove you in my vehicle and it didn’t look like there was any way you could have survived those hits you took.”
“I guess I just gotta be eating right,” Mykal joked and the four men looked at Mykal with incredulity. “Honestly, I don’t think I was as hurt as everyone thought I was.”
“You lost a great deal of blood,” Barry argued and nodded to two of his team members. “Nelson and Wilde cleaned up the blood you left in our vehicle and that didn’t even take into account how much you must have left on the ground where you were attacked at. Even if the wounds weren’t bad enough to kill you, the blood you lost should have stopped you and then when you two wouldn’t let me take you over to the medical personnel,” he said and looked back to both Mykal and Towbar. “I knew for sure you were going to die. Correction, well, I thought for sure you were going to die. Please don’t take me wrong Mykal. I am so glad to see you and to see you looking like this versus what I saw a day and a half ago.”
“No problem. I just don’t think I was as bad off as everyone must have thought I was,” Mykal said to move the argument from how bad his wounds were so they wouldn’t have to talk about his extraordinary healing ability. Because then he would have to explain it was passed on from Towbar’s blood which would create more inquiries.
“My friend is much stronger than most think he is,” Towbar said.
“May I say, that in your present state you have that oscitant appearance which would lend to the fact you do need to get your rest,” Corporal Nelson said and all heads turned to him.
“What the hell does that mean?” Mykal scoffed and looked at Nelson.
“Oscitant,” he repeated the word. “Oscitant means drowsy, yawning, listless, inattentive and such,” Nelson answered with a smirk and looked down.
“If that word means drowsy, yawning and listless, then why they hell wouldn’t you just say ‘you look drowsy and listless’ and whatever else that word means?” Mykal asked with a scoff and a laugh. “Now I must look completely bamboozled,” Mykal added with another laugh as if he just used a word to compare with ‘oscitant’.
“It’s a new word I learned,” Nelson said and had to laugh. “A friend of mine name Samantha, she is one of the cooks in the chow hall, she gave it to me and I promised her I would use it today and now I’m going to find a new word to give to Samantha so Samantha can use my word today. It’s a little word game we play back and forth to help sharpen our minds,” he added and started to feel embarrassed as they all stared at him.
“Barry, do you have any vehicles he can wash?” Mykal asked Sergeant Barry and started to laugh as if joking to punish Nelson. “I never heard that word before.” Mykal realized Nelson had the same name as Kim Nelson who was the first of his squad to die during the first couple of days in Towbar’s world seven months prior. This Nelson seemed to be just as ‘nerdy’ and annoying as Kim Nelson was. Mykal chuckled in thought as he compared the two Nelsons. He wished Kim Nelson would have never been killed back in June of 1983.
“And I’ll bet we’ll never hear that word again,” Barry laughed and playfully glared at Nelson with a raised eyebrow. They gently helped Mykal get seated inside the transport vehicle.
“I won’t use that word again. I promise,” Nelson said and raised his right hand. “Seriously though,” he added to change the subject. “Is it true that you are the only person to ever survive a Soso death arrow?”
“A Shay-lonk,” Towbar replied. “That is the proper name of the death arrow. And yes, Mykal is the only person known to have survived a Shay-lonk, a death arrow.”
“Does anyone know how he survived it?” Nelson persisted. “Is there a way to create an antidote to that poison?”
“As Mykal and myself were speaking a short time ago,” Towbar replied to push the answer away from his magical abilities. “Mykal has the stubborn will that would not allow death angels to carry him beyond the wall of sleep.”
“I guess I was just lucky,” Mykal said and the four men of the fire team all looked at him as if he was being flippant. “Honestly, the religious guy I know, Ski, Staff Sergeant Winczewski said him and his religious friends were praying for me. So I have to believe it was a miracle of God. If you believe in that sort of stuff, which I do. I mean don’t take me wrong, I’m not a church going man or a Bible thumper like Ski is or anything like that, but they said they prayed for a miracle and a miracle took place. So I guess I have to say I believe in that sort of stuff,” he chuckled at their strange looks. “Cuz from what everyone says, I should be dead from that Soso death arrow, Shay-lonk. Now there’s a word to give your friend Samantha,” Mykal added with an exaggerated wink.
“That is a terrible word. Shay-lonk always means death,” Towbar said.
“But Nelson brings up a couple of good questions,” Sergeant Simmons repeated. “Is there a way to create an antidote to that poison? And does anyone know how he survived it?” He asked to reject both answers.
“With the medical personnel you have here I would hope that it is possible to create an antidote,” Towbar replied. “However, in answer to how Mykal survived the poison, I tend to believe Mykal’s inner strength played a very important role in his survival. The poison of the Shay-lonk is deadly. Mykal had the will to fight death and he explained to me the only thing he was living his life for was for the chance to return back to his home to be with his wife and two children. After I was trapped in your world and lived with his family I grew to understand the love that he had for his wife, Pam, and his two sons. I believe his inner strength and determination helped to defeat the death that tried to take him beyond the wall of sleep,” Towbar said convincingly while omitting his part in using magic and his special blood transfusion.
“Wall of sleep?” Private E2 Wilde asked.
“Death,” Mykal answered for Towbar. “When Towbar talks about going beyond the wall of sleep, he’s talking about death. But the bottom line guys, is I’m here,” he declared. “I’m alive and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” Mykal tittered and tried not to show how uncomfortable he was.
“I will agree,” Staff Sergeant Barry said. “Things would definitely change if you weren’t here Mykal. That’s all I’m going to say because I don’t want to talk about the things I heard in passing about the changes that Colonel Fisher has started to implement now that you are out of the picture.”
“There better not be any changes. Cuz I’m not outta the picture,” Mykal snarled angrily. He closed and opened his fists a couple of times. “What kinda things changed since I’m supposedly ‘outta the picture’?” He growled between clenched teeth with exaggerated air quotes.
“Please Mykal, don’t ask me to tell you what I heard because it’s only ‘talk’ that I hea
rd passed around. I surely don’t want to tell you anything I heard just in case it was all wrong. I don’t know for sure and I don’t want to be blamed for telling you things that may not be true that may make you angry.”
“Not a problem,” Mykal replied though inside he was seething at the thoughts that flooded his mind. “I will set the record straight if there have been any changes. That you can take to the bank. We have a mission to accomplish and I have a deadline to complete that mission.”
“The end of the month, right?” Staff Sergeant Barry quickly replied.
“I thought the 7th of February was the deadline,” Sergeant Simmons corrected him.
“You’re right Simmy,” Barry snickered to his closest friend. “That’s the High Holy Day deadline the Sosos set. But Mykal wants to complete his mission by the end of the month so that, in the words of Mykal Graves, ‘we’re not trying to win the game with only seconds on the clock,’ right Mykal?”
“Exactly! You remembered,” Mykal laughed out loud and remembered he told that to Sergeant Barry as they prepared to use the vehicles to take to the other side of the world for the first time. “Exactly right,” Mykal continued to laugh and was happy that Barry remembered his words of declaration in his approach to the mission.
“I do not understand my friend.”
“I’ll explain it later Towbar,” Mykal said with a laugh and waved for Towbar to wait. “So Sergeant Barry, are we gonna be able to use you guys to continue where we left off?”
Barry hesitated because he didn’t want to be the one to start trouble. “Well, we have to get the okay from higher ups because I heard there was a freeze, and an actual stop, to the mission since you had been pronounced deceased.”
“Pronounced deceased? Who the hell pronounced me dead?” Mykal scoffed with unbelief.
“I don’t know who did,” Barry replied quickly. “But I’m all ready to go though I have to tell you Mykal, I lost two men. Private First Class Howe was killed and Sergeant Miner was injured pretty badly. He will survive but he will not be returning. Getting replacements won’t be a problem as long as you can get Colonel Fisher to change his mind. I will gladly go and all my men will go also.”
“Yes Mykal,” Sergeant Simmons picked up where Barry stopped. “When we were told there would not be any more trips to the other side of the world, all of our transport personnel were highly disappointed. We have many Army personnel who are pissed off to high heaven and they want to get revenge for what happened to our fellow Army brothers.”
“That will change. I guarantee you that shit will change,” Mykal said between clenched teeth while brushing off Simmons words. ‘I’ll shoot that friggin bastard in the head if it comes down to it,’ Mykal thought as a new, fresh, wave of hostility washed over him. The idea of Colonel Fisher changing his plans because he thought Mykal was out of the picture caused a rage to start. “As a matter of fact, before we go to Major Chick’s tent, I want you to take me to where my weapons are.”
4.
“Thanks for letting me get my weapons,” Mykal said to Staff Sergeant Barry as he entered the transport vehicle. “Now if you would, could you take me over to Major Chick’s tent?”
“I don’t want to be the one to start any trouble Mykal,” Barry said when he started to drive off. “I shouldn’t have opened my mouth until you had all the facts. I don’t want to have Colonel Fisher come down on me for saying stuff that might not be true. But if it is true, do you think there is going to be any trouble?” He asked and his three man team looked to him with the same concern he seemed to have.
“Don’t worry about Fisher. I won’t say where I heard anything. But trouble with what?”
“Well, I guess since everyone thinks that you passed away, Colonel Fisher said there will be no more trips to the other side of the world to rescue Doninka. So since, thankfully of course, that you haven’t passed away, do you think that will create problems with Colonel Fisher?”
The four man fire team looked at Mykal to see his response. He was glad he didn’t just blurt out his thoughts. His angry words would have constituted a threat and if something were to happen to Colonel Fisher Mykal knew it would come back on him as something premeditated. “There’s not gonna be any trouble,” Mykal laughed though inside he was raging like a lunatic which meant the magic pull of the ring was stirring hostile trouble with his emotions. “The fact is,” he paused so as to be careful not to say the wrong thing. “I’m not dead. So nothing has changed. Period,” he said with a finality that made the four man fire team look back and forth to each other.
“Great. My team and all my people are ready to assist you in any way that you deem will be helpful,” Sergeant Barry said and turned to look at Towbar. “We truly want to help your people Towbar.”
“I greatly appreciate that,” the giant said with a friendly smile.
“I mean that Towbar. I know all the people here as a part of Towbar One want to help you. I say that so if there are a few higher ranking officers who don’t share the same sentiments, I want you to know that we, the lower ranking personnel are here to help you and we don’t want you to think negatively of all of us because of one or two who have louder voices.”
“Hear hear,” Corporal Nelson shouted. “It means I agree wholeheartedly,” he explained to Towbar who seemed to give him a strange look.
“Right on, right on,” Private E2 Wilde shouted and raised a fist.
“Our people are behind you all the way Towbar,” Sergeant Simmons said to join in.
“I am greatly appreciative to all the people of your world for your help in this time of great need for the people of my land. I wish there was a way that I could repay each and every one of you,” the giant said and humbly lowered his head.
“To be honest Towbar, knowing that we are helping to keep your people safe from the Sosos and all their allies, and knowing we are playing a part to keep your women and children safe is reward in itself,” Staff Sergeant Barry said.
“To be clear,” Mykal said and stopped the cheering of the fire team. “It doesn’t matter what has been said because someone or some group of people may have believed I died. I’m not dead so nothing has changed. After I talk with Major Chick and then talk with Colonel Fisher the situation will get back to normal and I want to leave today. I wanna head out today because time is starting to be one of my enemies that I have to contend with.”
“My friend, I still believe you need to get rest to complete your recovery,” Towbar said.
“I’ll rest while we’re driving.”
“Are you still hurting Mykal?” Barry asked while they slowed to maneuver through the larger crowds of the military camp they neared.
“Not really. Well, if I’m being honest if the situation with Princess Doninka wasn’t so desperate I would probably take a couple of days to get some more rest to help in my recovery.”
“Mykal please, I’m not trying to pry, but how bad were you hurt?” Staff Sergeant Barry asked. “From all the blood I saw when we loaded you into the vehicle I honestly thought there was no chance of you coming back. I honestly thought Towbar took you away to have you laid to rest.”
“I was hurt, but not as bad as everyone thinks I was. It just looked far worse than I was actually injured,” he lied.
“Well, I’ll tell you what we can do Mykal,” Sergeant Simmons said as if he had just been enlightened. “We can take a couple of the seats out and put like a little bed down so you can really rest while we are driving.”
“Yes. I will gladly do that,” Staff Sergeant Barry agreed. “I’m surprised I didn’t think of that. Great idea Simmy,” Barry turned to Sergeant Simmons. Simmy was his nickname among the transportation personnel. We are here at Major Chick’s tent Mykal. Would you like us to stand by to take you wherever you need to go after you speak to the major?”
“Yeah. Sit tight for a few minutes. Towbar, come with me.”
“I planned to do so my friend,” Towbar said with a large smile. “Major Chick
will be glad to see you my friend. When Major Chick was told that you died he was truly saddened and heartbroken. When I spoke to him late yesterday I did not tell him one way or the other of what your condition was. He just assumed you had passed beyond the wall of sleep. He told me he would do everything in his power to help me but his hands were somewhat tied since Colonel Fisher was his superior.”
“He will definitely be glad to see you Mykal,” Barry said. “I do not want to make something sound like more than it is but that man was near tears when he learned that you died. Look Mykal, Major Chick, Major Innes and Captain Taylor all just stepped out of Major Chick’s quarters and look to be heading to the chow hall.”
“Great,” Mykal said with a smile as he and Towbar stepped out of the vehicle. He quietly walked up behind the three senior officers. “What the hell is going on here?” Mykal barked loudly to take them by surprise. He was laughing before they turned to the interruption.
The three senior officers turned with looks of correcting anger should the rude voice not know who he spoke to. Suddenly their faces changed to a joyful surprise. Major Chick was clearly the one most affected by the sight of Mykal standing there.
“Mykal, you’re alive!” Major Chick gasped with joyful excitement and his facial expression matched his vocal glee.
“What, you think I’m gonna be taken out by a couple of soldiers of Zizmon-Tarl?” He laughed with them. “They’re just a step up from Sosos,” he continued to laugh as Major Chick rushed to clamp on to Mykal to hug him.
Major Chick pulled back and studied the dried blood that seemed to cover the entirety of Mykal’s uniform. “Are you really okay? You look--”
“I just look worse than it is,” Mykal scoffed and laughed it off. “It’s nothing,” he exaggerated and scoffed at their concerned expressions as if to brush off their fears. “Look, I’m here,” he laughed and patted his hands on his own chest to show that he wasn’t a figment of their collected imaginations. “And I’m doing fine,” he fibbed. “This was from a paper cut,” he joked and fanned his hand over the blood stains when he noticed they stared at his bloody uniform.