A Fallen Hero

by Sharon Kimbra Walsh

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  As he waited in the searing sunlight for the giant steel gates of the FOB to open just wide enough to allow himself and his men to file through, Joe had never felt so tired.

  The rucksack on his back felt like it was loaded with cement, the webbing straps tugging on the aching muscles of his neck and shoulders. His feet were blistered and sore inside his dusty combat boots, his T-shirt and combat shirt soaked with sweat. The bullet graze on the upper part of his left arm throbbed like a rotten tooth. Dust and sand clung to his sweat-dampened face, the stubble along his jaw itched and he stank.

  He was relieved to be back at the FOB—the last five days had been hell—and he knew that Katie would be frantic. Desperate though he was to see her, he needed to shower first before reporting to the medical tent, primarily to see her but also to get his wound tended to.

  He turned to his weary squad, watching as they halted in ragged formation before him—shoulders sagging and exhaustion evident on their haggard and dirty faces.

  “Okay, guys,” he said. “Debriefing is at 1700 hours. That gives you enough time to get some chow inside you and have some downtime. You did a good job out there. I know it was tough but we came out on top. Take advantage of the next few hours. Dismissed.”

  With murmurs of relief, the men moved off, some to the mess area for food while others went slowly toward their accommodation tent.

  Joe began to head toward his own tent, ready to dump his equipment and head for a shower. He had only gone a few paces, head bowed beneath the weight of his helmet, when a female voice hailed him. Looking up and squinting, his eyes half shut to shield them from the sunlight, he saw Dana Edwards hurrying toward him, a bright welcoming smile on her beautiful face.

  “Hey, Joe,” she greeted happily. “Glad you’re back safely.”

  Stopping in his tracks, Joe grimaced inwardly. He knew a confrontation was inevitable between himself and the sergeant. Although feeling exhausted at the moment, he realized that this was an ideal opportunity for him and Dana to talk and for him to explain to her where she stood in relation to him.

  “Dana,” he greeted politely. “It’s good to be back.”

  Dana reached his side. “I hear you had a tough time out there.”

  “Yeah, you could say that,” Joe answered coolly. “What do you want, Dana? I am shit-canned tired. I stink like a skunk and I need to report to the medical center.” He folded his arms.

  Dana hesitated. “I’ve been worried about you, Joe, and…I missed you.”

  Joe glanced down at his boots then back at her. As he did so, she reached out a hand and placed it on his arm.

  He shrugged it off, feeling embarrassed at what he perceived as the woman’s forwardness, particularly as Katie could come walking out of the medical tent at any moment and also because they were standing in the center of the FOB—very conspicuous—exposed to any onlookers who might be taking an interest in them.

  “Look, Dana,” he began but she interrupted him.

  “I had to discipline your medic while you were away,” she announced.

  Joe felt his body stiffen and a surge of annoyance rise up inside him.

  “You did what?” he queried, glaring at her.

  “She was playing around with some of your squad. I told her twice to get back to her duties but she was pretty damned insubordinate so I gave her some extra duties,” Dana explained.

  “Really?” Joe’s voice was now dangerously quiet. “What extra duties were those?”

  “Guard duty in one of the towers,” Dana answered, failing to see the warning signs of impending anger in Joe’s voice.

  Joe tried to control his temper. “Corporal Anderson is a fucking medic, Dana, not an infantry grunt. You had no fucking right to discipline one of my squad. When I’m out in the field and if there’s trouble, you make a note and let me know when I return. You don’t take it into your own hands to eke out punishment off your own back.”

  At his words, Joe saw a shocked expression cross Dana’s face.

  “I didn’t expect that reaction from you, Joe. You really surprise me.”

  “Yeah? Well, there you go,” Joe replied, “and while we’re on the subject, let’s get one thing straight between us. I’m sorry you feel as you do about me, Dana, but it’s over between us and has been for a long time. There’s no chance in hell that there can be anything between us again so get over it.”

  He paused then took the plunge. “I’m in love with someone else and have been for a long time. It’s over between us. I’m sorry.”

  With that parting shot, he started to walk away from her.

  Dana hurried after him and grasped his arm, stopping him.

  “Are you sure it’s over between us?” she asked softly.

  Joe took a step back from her. “Leave it, Dana,” he snapped, gritting his teeth. “You’re making a fool of yourself. What we had was nice but it was no fireworks display. As I said, I love someone else.”

  Dana folded her arms.

  “Who’s the lucky lady?” she asked.

  “That’s my business,” Joe answered. “Butt out, Dana!”

  Dana’s eyes narrowed. “Really? It wouldn’t happen to be the little medic, would it? What’s her name—Anderson? You do realize that you’d be breaking every marine code going, if it is?”

  Joe straightened up at her words. “Are you threatening me, Dana?” he asked, ice coating his words. “If you are, you’d be making a big mistake.”

  With that last remark, he turned and strode off in the direction of his tent.

  Once inside his accommodation, Joe angrily threw his rucksack on the floor, kicked it for good measure and began to shed his body armor and combat clothing. Naked, he began to relax, trying to dismiss the uncomfortable confrontation with Dana.

  Damn her. Well, if she goes to the CO and blows her mouth off, I’ll deal with it. Until then…

  Joe stretched, relishing the cool air blowing on his hot skin from the fan on his desk. He grabbed for a towel, wrapped it about his waist, slid his feet into flip-flops and grabbed his toilet bag. Hastily, he exited the tent and made his way behind it to a row of four wooden makeshift showers, three already occupied by members of his squad.

  He let himself into the fourth one, threw off his towel, and turned on the shower. He cringed as icy water poured down onto his hot skin but started to enjoy the way it quickly cooled him. As it warmed up, he vigorously soaped himself, now eager to see his wife. He peeled the bandage and dressing from his arm and winced as the water pounded the long, deep bullet graze. He definitely needed it looked at.

  Ten minutes later, Joe was back in his tent toweling the rest of the moisture from his tanned body and dressing himself quickly in clean combat trousers and a fresh T-shirt. Some of the tiredness had left him and as he laced himself back into his worn combat boots, he felt better than he had on his arrival back at the FOB.

  Joe quickly left his tent and with his gaze focused on the medical center, almost jogged toward it, his mind full of the tantalizing images of the woman inside.

  Lifting the mosquito netting at the entrance, he went quietly in, glancing around as he did. He saw Katie almost instantly, standing halfway down the tent by an empty bed making a notation on a clipboard.

  Joe stood watching her in silence, drinking in the way she looked and realizing that he had missed her more than he could ever explain in words.

  Sensing movement in the tent, Katie glanced up to see Joe standing at the end of the row of beds watching her, a grin playing about his mouth. For a moment, she stared at him in disbelief, then her beautiful smile greeted him and she threw the clipboard on the bed and hurried toward him.

  “Joe!” she exclaimed, joy profoundly evident in her tone. She almost flung herself into his arms and felt him clasp her body close, pulling her in tight against him as she rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Where have you been? You said two days.”

  “God. It’s so good t
o hold you,” Joe said. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  Tilting her head back, Katie gazed into his face. “What happened? I couldn’t get any information out of anyone.”

  “Before I answer your questions, I need to give you this,” Joe announced and he proceeded to kiss her mouth then her face and hair before returning to her mouth and kissing her with a deep and passionate hunger.

  Katie relished the sensations coursing through her body at her husband’s kisses and the strength of his arms around her. She pressed herself as close as she could and her own kisses were just as hot and intense.

  Joe drew back from her. Studying her face then her body he asked, “So, how have you been?”

  “Good,” Katie replied. “Tired. I missed you. I was worried sick. Are you going to tell me what happened or do I need to beat an answer out of you?”

  Joe laughed then grew serious. “It was tough. We walked right into a hot spot and a two-day patrol turned into a five-day firefight. The terries were waiting for us. How they knew we were gonna be there I have no idea. Dickers must have seen us leave the FOB and followed us all the way to Check Point Eleven, then the fuckers ambushed us. If it hadn’t been for some British infantry guys nearby, we’d have had our asses kicked.”

  “Oh, Joe,” breathed Katie, powerful images of him caught in a firefight infiltrating her mind. “Are you okay?”

  “Well,” Joe began, “I got shot a little bit.”

  Katie abruptly stepped back from him. “Shot?” she echoed, horrified “Where?”

  “Hey, it’s okay. It’s just a bullet graze but it needs looking at.”

  Joe pushed up the sleeve of his T-shirt and flinched when she saw the long, livid wound across the upper muscle of his arm.

  “Ouch,” she exclaimed and took the limb gently in her hands. She studied it closely, looking for signs of infection. It was weeping clear fluid and the area around the wound was red but there was no sign that the redness was spreading outward.

  “How long ago did it happen?” she asked, delicately pressing the muscle around the area of the wound.

  Joe hissed slightly at the pain as she manipulated it.

  “Coupla days ago,” he finally answered.

  Katie’s bent over him as she continued to probe the wound. “Well, you’ve been lucky,” she eventually responded. “You’ve escaped infection but your eagle tattoo has lost some of its feathers—poor thing. I’ll bathe it, dress it and give you a couple of antibiotic pills to take. It should be okay if we keep an eye on it.”

  She glanced back at Joe to see that he was staring at her.

  “What?” she asked, her attention captured by his gaze.

  “What would I do without you?” he asked softly, lifting his hand and gently cupping her chin.

  Katie smiled. “Oh, I think you’d survive,” she answered teasingly. “You’re a big boy. Now, are you going to let me get on with this? Behave yourself, Staff Sergeant. I’m in charge in here. This is my territory.”

  Joe laughed aloud. “Yes, ma’am,” he responded.

  She walked away to collect a bowl of antiseptic liquid, scissors, gauze and dressings. As she turned to come back, she ordered, “Sit up on the examination table.”

  Shaking his head, Joe hopped up onto the table and Katie placed the liquid-filled bowl down beside him and laid the rest of what she needed alongside it.

  Firstly soaking the gauze in the warm solution, Katie glanced sideways at Joe and said, “This might sting a little.”

  She proceeded to wipe the moist material across the bullet graze, cleaning the wound competently but gently. Joe winced at her touch and Katie laughed.

  “You big baby,” she teased tenderly.

  She dried the edges of the wound with more gauze, then laid a dressing across it and swiftly fastened the edges down with surgical tape then bandaged it to keep the dressing in place.

  “There you go. You’re done.”

  She walked to a small locked cabinet situated on the metal table, produced a small key and unlocked it. Opening the door, she extracted a small bottle of tetracycline, unscrewed the lid then tipped two tablets into the palm of her hand. She filled a small plastic cup with water from the water cooler beside the cabinet then walked back to join Joe.

  “Here,” she said. “Take these.”

  She watched as Joe threw the two antibiotic tablets into his mouth, chasing them down with the water.

  “Thanks, honey.”

  He gazed at her then parting his knees, he put his hands on her hips and pulled her in between them.

  Katie put her arms around his neck and leaned in against him.

  “I wish I could spend more time with you,” he said, “but I need to go talk to the CO and get some shut eye.”

  Leaning forward, Katie rested her forehead against his. “Me too,” she replied softly.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Joe asked. “You look more than tired.”

  “I’m fine,” Katie answered, “now that you’re back.”

  “What happened between you and Dana?” Joe asked.

  Katie jerked away from him slightly, raised her head and frowned. “How did you find that out?” she asked.

  “She stopped me as soon as I walked through the gates,” Joe went on. “She couldn’t wait to tell me. She said something about you mucking around with the squad members that stayed behind.”

  Brief anger showed on Katie’s face. “Not exactly the truth. I went over to the mess area for lunch. The lads were horsing around. They made me laugh and she pulled me up about it. I suppose there must be some rule in Standing Orders that says, thou shalt not laugh or joke when Sergeant Edwards is around.”

  “Meow, hiss, scratch,” Joe teased, grinning. “It sounds like there might be a feline or two on this here FOB.”

  Katie studied his face, smiling only slightly. “You do know that she’s keen on you, don’t you, Joe?”

  “Honey, I’ve put her straight about that,” Joe responded. “I told her in no uncertain terms that I loved someone else and that there was no chance.”

  “Joe!” Katie exclaimed. “That was a risky thing to do. Do you think she suspects anything?”

  “I don’t give a damn if she does,” Joe replied. “Anyway, what if she does? What the hell can she do about it?”

  Kate hesitated. “It won’t look good on our records,” she finally responded. She took Joe’s hand in hers, smoothing her thumb over the palm.

  “No, I guess it won’t.” Joe agreed. “Then again—I don’t think it much matters anymore.”

  Katie glanced at her husband’s face and cocked her head to one side.

  “You know something?” she said. “You’ve changed. A few months ago, you would never have allowed this sort of thing to happen. I think you’ve always been an ‘everything by the book’ man.”

  Joe pulled his hand from hers and put his arms around her, pulling her body close to his.

  “That’s down to you, honey. My priorities have changed. My career is no longer top of my list. I never thought I’d hear myself say it, so you’re right on that score. I have changed.” He lowered his head and gently kissed her then drew back.

  Katie saw an expression of regret on his face. “I really have to go,” he announced. “I’ll come back tonight if you want me to.”

  Katie put her arms up about his neck, fingers playing with his hair, feeling him shiver at her touch.

  “I want,” she agreed softly. “Just make sure you do turn up. And if I’m asleep, you’d better wake me up otherwise I’ll come and hunt you down.”

  Joe smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

  There was a teasing note in his voice and he kissed her again before lowering himself from the examination table. He took her hand again and raised it to his mouth to kiss it, all the while with his eyes on hers.

  “I hate to leave you all the time,” he said, “You take care, all right?”

  “You’re not that far away—the next tent over,” Katie said soft
ly, “If I need…seeing to, I’ll give you a call.”

  She pressed herself against him—making her meaning clear—feeling his tongue against the knuckles of her hand, the touch of it sending shivers through her body.

  Joe raised an eyebrow, showing he understood her meaning clearly.

  “You’re a tease, ma’am.”

  He released her hand and placed the palm of his against her swelling abdomen. “Look after the little one.”

  To Katie’s puzzlement, he suddenly crouched and, putting his face close to her stomach, said, “Hey, kid. This is your dad. Take care of your mom for me.”

  As he straightened, Katie burst out laughing. “You’re nuts,” she said, but her heart swelled with love for him.

  Joe stood and stared at her for a long moment then sighed. “I need to be gone. Love you.” With this last statement, he turned then walked away.

  Katie watched him go and as he reached the tent entrance and turned, she smiled at him and called softly, “Love you. See you later.”

  “You will,” and Joe swept aside the mosquito netting and was gone, leaving Katie alone, wishing that they could spend more time together.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Katie glanced at her watch for what must have been the umpteenth time and sighed. It was after midnight and there was still no sign of Joe. Her spirits sank as she wondered whether he was going to turn up at all, then she berated herself for being selfish. He had so much to do and she had seen him much more then she was really entitled to.

  The FOB was silent. Katie couldn’t believe how quiet it was. She could even hear faint bursts of static from the PRRs belonging to the guards on duty in the towers. Sound carried much farther in the desert and she smiled as she realized that if she and Joe made love that night, they would have to wear gags.

  She tried to relax on her camp bed. She was tired but refused to close her eyes. Knowing Joe, if he found her asleep, he wouldn’t wake her up.

  The chemlamp stood on her bedside locker, its dim glow pushing back the shadows and making the atmosphere a little less lonely, and she gazed around at her small sleeping quarters.