Corpsman and the Nerd

by Grady, D. R.

  *****

  Max downloaded his mail and listened for any rustlings from Ryan’s room. He only just got the little guy to bed and hoped he stayed there. Ryan hadn’t wanted to sleep ever since the snow started falling so heavily outside. Max couldn’t fault his son for his enthusiasm. He had been just like Ryan at five.

  His mother had threatened, bribed, coerced, and sweet-talked him as a kid too. Snow was the most important thing in a boy’s life. Well, Spuds was pretty important too, but right now, all Ryan cared about was the snow on the ground he couldn’t play in.

  Max had finally resorted to distracting him with a story, and he finally fell asleep. Now, holding his breath, Max hoped his kid would stay asleep. Ideally – the entire night. Since he had no burning desire to be outside building a snowman or engaging in a snowball fight at any time of the night.

  He saw an email from KC and became easily distracted, himself. Must be a male trait.

  To: maxmorrison@gilmoreproducts.net

  From: kcgilmore@gilmoreproducts.net

  Subject: A new video

  Hello Max and Ryan,

  Did you know the two of you walk alike? My newest video from Lainy certainly showed as much. Like father, like son comes to mind.  I was most amused.

  Max stared at the first paragraph. No matter how often she reminded him of her thoughts on Ryan being his son, he still loved her reassurance. KC seemed to have no doubts, no qualms, no problems with this. Ryan was hers, but he was also his, Max Morrison’s too. Amazing. He returned to her email.

  We continue to be busy. More and more wounded are coming in. Plus, our lab is fairly reliable, so I’m racing to keep up with the ensuing work. We’ve lost a few more men, and I hate when they die.

  I suppose somewhere in my mind I realized we’d see death before I came. I didn’t deal with those thoughts then, which could explain why I’m having such difficulty with them now. Of course, death is never easy. Nor should it be. But the Grim Reaper has seen some victories.

  Janine, even through the excitement of finding Ben, is a top notch doctor. She’s amazing to watch. I’ve yet to see her flustered on the job. She’s so ladylike and together. (Most of us are quite envious of her.) We can have bombs exploding around us and she only raises her voice slightly so everyone can hear her rapping out orders. Then keeps working, as though we’re in some fancy hospital.

  He wished he could understand what she was going through, yet Max really had no basis. Watching it on a TV show wasn’t the same as experiencing it. But he did feel her pain. Seeing these men die would take a toll on anyone, much less a nurturing, giving woman. Wishing he could help, he kept reading.

  I on the other hand, tend to spaz. (No comments from you, Max Michael Morrison!)

  Max laughed out loud. Yes, KC did tend to spaz when things went awry. And inevitably, they did. She usually ran to him, and he worked to calm her down.

  A privilege.

  But she was too far away for that arrangement now. Who was taking care of her? Ah, her friend, Janine. Max didn’t know if he felt good or bad about KC’s roommate being the friend to whom she ran. He wanted sole running rights. He continued reading.

  To be fair, my fatality rate is decent too. Fortunately, the veteran doctors talk to us and share their secrets. Janine has worked in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has given her excellent combat wound knowledge. She finally admitted this the other day, so we know why she’s so good. Apparently, the streets there are still pretty tough, and the patients coming in for treatment appear to have been in a combative situation, rather than normal living conditions. Very sad.

  Looks like I should be home at the very end of April. Only three and a half months more! We’re at Jan. 20th now, so really, a little more than three months. I can handle that! Mitch did warn me in a recent email that I’ll probably feel colder than the rest of you when I get home.

  Why? You ask. Well, evidently, since our bodies have acclimated to the extreme heat here, they’ll likewise have to adjust to the less extreme weather at home. He mentioned a man who left for a funeral and wore a sweatshirt for a few days because although it was 80 degrees at home, he left 127 degrees in Kuwait.

  There goes the signal that we’ve got more wounded coming in. I need to end this.

  Miss you!

  Love you,

  KC

  P.S. Any news on the Bent Rock Foundation? We haven’t heard anything lately, and thought General Emma intended to auction off the puppies after the holidays?

  Max stared at the end of her email and wished for more. He wanted to keep reading, because then they shared a connection. Rereading her note helped, minimally.

  When he finished for the second time, he pushed away from the desk after shutting his computer down. Ryan had stayed asleep so far, but who knew when or if he’d awaken with snow on his mind.

  Wearily, Max rolled his shoulders. He needed the next three months to hurry past. Sleep might help. At this point, he would take anything to speed up the remaining months. Three months.

  How in the world would he manage?

  Chapter 35

  To: kcgilmore@gilmoreproducts.net

  From: lainy_monahan@gmail.com

  Subject:re: General Emma and Admiral O’Riley

  Hello KC!

  I miss you so much too. You’d think we’d not have to tell each other every time, but it’s so true and real. Whenever I go to Max’s house, I can barely stand the thought of you not being there. Your absence somehow seems wrong, even though you were only there for two weeks!

  In answer to your question, I’ve definitely noticed General Emma has something for your admiral. She doesn’t say much, but she radiates this intensity I’ve rarely seen in her before when someone mentions his name. It’s amazing, really!

  I’d say she’s pretty vulnerable when it comes to him too. From what I can gather, they email regularly. So, they’re keeping in touch. I think I heard he’s due back a month before you leave. I’m wondering what will happen after that?

  Should be interesting. Thinking about the situation, they have to meet, because she’s got Rocky, and I’m sure he’ll want her back. Rocky is his dog. Of course, Emma’s going to miss her so much. I wonder if they’ll share custody? 

  From what I can gather he doesn’t live in the Hershey area, but actually near D.C. Which makes sense. He was up visiting some friends, and liked the area and the people so he left Rocky with them. Only they were called up too. So they took her to the shelter. I think part of the paperwork mix-up was their names and his were both on her papers. Which must have confused things. (Thank goodness, or he might have lost Rocky!)

  I’ll keep an eye on the situation on my end, since you’re doing so on yours. (I want reports!)  Certainly I’ll keep you in the loop. This is actually pretty exciting. I’ve never seen Emma act like this around a man. It’s very intriguing.

  We miss you!

  Love,

  Lainy and Mitch

  *****

  KC tugged on the DVD case, trying to pry it from the drawer where it somehow managed to jamb between the back and side. Gritting her teeth seemed to help, so she gritted them extra hard and heaved. And went flying, to land ignominiously at the foot of her cot. With a sigh, she stood and automatically dusted off the sand.

  Plucking the laptop from the desk, she carried it to her bed and plopped down. KC arranged the computer on her lap and placed the holiday DVD into the slot. Leaning back on her pillow, she thought cool thoughts. It was so hot she was surprised she hadn’t melted.

  It was January. Almost February. This was winter time. Normal winter conditions were snow and ice. Not searing temperatures greater than one hundred degrees. Weather this hot wasn’t right.

  The DVD loaded and KC stopped thinking about the heat. Instead, she concentrated on the images playing across the screen. Selecting a cookie at random she identified Max’s parent’s house. The place was hopping, as usual.

  People spread acr
oss all available surfaces, and judging by the fight she could hear in the background, a few unavailable ones too. Wishful thoughts crept in as she watched the familiar, beloved faces of people she would have normally spent Christmas with. Those thoughts grew as the camera focused on Ryan’s face. Her son. Her baby. Without her at Christmas for the first time.

  Of course, he didn’t appear to be worried by her absence. He seemed perfectly content cavorting with the herd. Cousins. KC had never considered that before, but essentially, that’s who they were. Since Ryan was as much Max’s son as hers, Ryan would therefore be related to the myriad Morrison offspring.

  As Max had said in a previous email, one of his sisters was always pregnant. That meant many, many cousins for Ryan to play with. KC spent a few moments trying to put names to the children wreaking havoc with Ryan. She was impressed she could identify nearly all of them.

  She was distracted from her study when the camera concentrated on Max. He sat with a bevy of other men, many of whom she could also attach names to. She was delighted to see that although he engaged easily in conversation, he kept an eye on something off the screen. And Lainy didn’t need to show her that something was Ryan. She just knew.

  As she contemplated how much she missed them, a cry of alarm pealed across the video. KC’s heart skipped several beats. Even as she recognized Ryan’s distress signal, Max was on his feet and clearing the expanse of the room.

  “Max, that’s your kid!” one of the men bellowed, but Max had already left the room.

  The screen blanked for a moment and KC found herself gnawing on her fingernails. Images flashed across the screen again and blinking, she saw Tom scoop Ryan into his arms.

  Ryan wailed in protest. “I want my dad!” He squirmed and frantically scanned the area. “Want my daddy!” he shrieked.

  Max reached out his arms and Ryan launched into them. Her throat constricted as she watched Ryan’s little arms trustingly encircle Max’s neck. And Max’s arms clenched protectively around him. Max soothed Ryan with easy strokes up and down his spine. He made all the necessary inane parental noises and rocked Ryan, who eventually calmed under Max’s ministrations.

  She felt wet heat on her cheeks, and reached up to touch them. Tears streaked unheeded down her face. When had she started crying? She swallowed against the tightness in her throat and fluttered a hand to her heart. Viewing her males together like this and not being there to help was hard. Not the hardest thing she’d seen on this tour, but difficult nonetheless. She should have been there. The ache inside grew to unbearable proportions as the heat, despair, and loneliness overcame her.

  KC paused the video as sobs wrenched her soul.

  *****

  A gentle hand on her shoulder finally roused her, and KC looked up into gentle amber eyes. Janine brushed a strand of hair from KC’s tear stained cheeks and KC tried sending her friend a watery smile.

  “I wondered how long you’d last.” Janine’s soft, accented voice calmed her.

  “Last?”

  “I’ve begun to feel as you are, and I don’t have a son and a man I left behind.” Janine settled onto her own cot.

  KC breathed in the desert heat and wondered about that comment. She wanted Max. To feel his strong, safe arms around her. Nothing bad would happen to her if she could only nestle into his arms.

  “I miss them so much. Max...” and just saying his name choked her up.

  “You need him right now,” Janine answered.

  “Yes.” KC struggled to keep the tears in check. She’d been doing so for too long and now that the dam had burst, it seemed there was no stopping them now.

  “We can’t always be strong, you know.” Janine smoothed another strand. “This place gets to you, regardless of how strong we are.”

  “Not you.”

  She shook her head, and KC stared at her in doubt. “I’ve never seen you break down, even after finding Ben.”

  “You don’t shower with me.” The amusement in Janine’s voice lifted a corner of KC’s mouth.

  “Well, no, I guess I don’t. That’d open us up for even more teasing.”

  “Or comments we’d rather avoid.” Janine’s voice was as dry as the terrain.

  KC did laugh then. So what if her effort was weak?

  “Come on,” Janine commanded as she stood and thrust a hand out to KC

  She stared blankly at that familiar, capable hand before taking it. “Where are we going?”

  Janine didn’t answer, but she did snag KC’s cell phone from Lainy off the end of her cot. With an inkling of where they headed, KC trailed in Janine’s wake, not so curious as to their destination. And not surprised when Janine secured a Humvee.

  KC crawled in without comment. Even if she couldn’t feel Max’s arms around her, hearing his voice would go a long way toward soothing her.

  After bumping along the path for several miles, Janine pulled to a stop and stretched out her legs. She eased back in the seat and closed her eyes.

  KC appreciated the surge of affection that washed over her. She reached out and squeezed Janine’s hand. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Janine’s lips lifted, but she didn’t open her eyes. “You’re welcome. Now go call your man,” she ordered, and KC obeyed.

  *****

  “Hello?” Max sounded distracted.

  “Max?” she asked tentatively.

  “KC? Is that you?”

  “Yes.” Hearing his voice brought back the tears. She missed him so much.

  “Oh, baby. I’ve been wondering how you’re doing.” His familiar, dearly beloved voice soothed her and she swallowed.

  “Not so well today.”

  “What happened?” His voice sounded sharp with worry.

  “I guess you could say I lost it.”

  “Why?”

  “I saw the Christmas video Lainy sent. Well, the beginning, it’s still paused, I suppose. Ryan had some trouble and wanted you. I just missed you guys so much, and I should have been there. But I wasn’t. It got to me.” KC thought her voice sounded like a wail.

  “And you cried?” Max always seemed to know her moods.

  “Yeah. Sobbed, actually. I miss you two so much. And I suppose not feeling safe, not sleeping or eating regularly, and losing patients, on top of the heat... All those things are taking a toll.”

  “Not feeling safe?” She detected definite worry in his voice again.

  “I want to be in your arms. I’m always safe there. But I can’t be in them right now, I’m here, and I will be for three more months. So, I don’t feel safe. I’m at war, Max.” She wanted to be anywhere but here.

  “I know. I hate that we’re apart too. I’m glad you’re helping to make a difference, but I hate why you’re gone.” His voice had grown soft, and intense, and she could hear his unhappiness too. For some reason, that comforted her. “We can do three more months, KC.” She needed his quiet reassurance. “You’re more than halfway through your time.”

  “I know. I just had a little meltdown, and all I could think of was you.”

  “How were you able to call me?”

  “Oh.” She gave an embarrassed little laugh. Did she really want to tell him this? “Janine came into the quarters and found me. She hauled me out into the desert with my phone to call you.”

  “I’m thankful for Janine.”

  “Me too. I needed you, but didn’t know what to do. I forgot all about the phones.”

  “Are you as busy right now?”

  “Definitely. I doubt that will end. We have few down days. Like today, but there’s no guarantee we’ll not get wounded in. This could easily be a temporary lull.”

  “Ah. Is that part of the problem, Miss I-Must-Always-Be-In-Control?” She heard the amusement in his voice, the bratty grin, and rolled her eyes.

  “You know, Max Michael Morrison, I don’t like you.”

  “I know. That’s why you always come running to me when you have a problem.” He sounded smug, but still she worried.

&n
bsp; “Is that a problem?” Even she could hear how small her voice sounded.

  “KC, if you went running to someone else—” he began firmly and she grinned in relief at his possessiveness, so she cut him off.

  “Well, since I’m not about to do that, me going to someone else for comfort is a moot point.”

  “Remember that,” he growled. KC felt almost normal. Why could Max do this for her? One moment she was wallowing in the worst of despair, but a simple conversation with him brought her out of those depths to feel the warmth of the sunshine again. To enjoy the healing rays of light on her face.

  “Max, thank you.”

  “For what?” He sounded confused.

  “For bringing me out of whatever funk I was in. I truly had gone about as low as I ever remember.”

  “But you feel better now?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. I’m happy I could help, although I can’t think what I did.” He sounded happy, but baffled.

  KC smiled. “You made me smile and laugh. And you make me feel safe, even though I’m not, exactly.”

  “All I ask is that you come home. I don’t care about the condition you’re in, so long as you’re alive. We can deal with anything else.” Max’s voice held that firm tone again. That’s why he soothed her. He was firm when she was gelatin. He took control when she couldn’t. He complimented her perfectly.

  Startled by that thought, KC missed his comment. “What?”

  “I said, Eliza’s crying, so I need to go. We’re babysitting.” She heard the regret.

  “Tell Ryan I love him. I hear Eliza, so yes, you need to go. Thanks, Max.”

  “Anytime, baby. Anytime you need me, call. I’ll answer.”

  “Okay.”

  They said goodbye then disconnected. KC stared at the phone before she squeezed her hand around it. A precious link to Max. She’d needed to hear his voice. Needed to know she still mattered. And he reassured her as easily as he usually did.