This is something of a reader-requested one-shot. I really enjoyed writing Pieces of My Heart, and saw some future scenes in my head. When a review asked me if I would consider writing one, I just had to comply!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Night Shift
Karen Dartmouth smiled widely at her second grade class as the bell rang and they all made a rush to settle into their seats.
"All right guys, quiet down!" she called out, and the few kids who had been talking stopped.
Once she had their attention, Karen began the lesson. As it was Wednesday, they began with US History, like always.
She had the kids take out their workbooks and begin the exercises for the morning.
Everyone was quiet at first, simply working on the assignments in the book. It was about ten minutes into the lesson that Karen's attention was drawn to the twins.
Kayla and Mattie were both a joy and a trial to teach at times. They were dedicated, smart, and studious, but they were also rambunctious and had a rebellious streak a mile wide. She often caught them plotting with Lydia and Laura Zia, who were in Ms. Austin's third grade class. They loved to play practical jokes together, and many teachers often despaired over the trail of laughter and tears those four left behind. Karen knew that their parents were best friends, and they had grown up more like siblings, so they had had ample time to plot together.
Quickly moving from her desk, Karen made her way over to the table on the far right and kneeled down next to Mattie. "Is everything all right?" she asked in a loud whisper, raising an eyebrow in expectation as she stared at the twins.
Mattie and Kayla looked up, startled, before Mattie held out his workbook for her to look at. "Ms. Dartmouth, what's this?" he pointed to the top of the page, where several pictures of Army medals were laid out.
Karen frowned slightly, taking in the specific medal Mattie was pointing to. "That's called a Medal of Honor," she informed him, smiling slightly. "It's the highest award for valor that the Armed Forces gives out. Why?"
Mattie and Kayla shared a look, before turning back to the teacher. "Daddy has a medal like that on display in the office," Kayla said.
Karen leaned back slightly, startled. "Are you sure?" she asked curiously.
Mattie nodded. "It's in a case with a bunch of other medals. Daddy and Mommy talk about it sometimes. Mommy wants to put it on a wall in the living room so that people can see it, but Daddy says that it's his decision. He let her put it in the office, but he doesn't want other people to see it."
"It's gold, on a blue ribbon just like that," Kayla pointed at the picture in the book.
Karen pursed her lips, thinking. "Have you asked your parents about it?"
Mattie and Kayla nodded in sync. "Daddy says he'll tell us about it when we're older," Mattie said.
"But that usually just means he's hoping we'll forget to ask later," Kayla finished.
Karen almost smiled, but held herself in check and used the table to pull herself to her feet. "Well, you should get back to work right now," she implored. "Your parents have their reasons."
The twins nodded, though they didn't look too happy about it, and returned to their workbooks as Karen made her way back to her desk.
She was proud of herself for waiting until the kids had gone off to recess before she pulled out her phone and typed in a Google search.
Pulling up a list of Medal of Honor recipients, she quickly flicked her thumb down the page, trying to get to the end of the list.
At the very bottom, she saw it, the last and most recent entry on the list.
Theodore Callahan, Army Captain, Ranger, 3rd Battalion, 75th Regiment. For recognizing an impending attack and leading his fellow soldiers to safety. Saved two soldiers from a burning vehicle, and pulled a third out of the line of fire, critically injuring himself in the process.
The date listed was eight years ago.
Karen quickly set her phone down, looking up, eyes wide with shock. Holy shit.
She had met both Doctors Callahan several times, to talk about their children's propensity for mischief, as well as to discuss their academic achievements. The doctors seemed like loving parents who did their best to make sure their kids had everything they ever needed. They always came to school events, like the second grade play they had put on a couple months ago, and the talent show last week. Usually bringing along a whole lot of extended family, people she knew that they worked with at the hospital.
Their father didn't strike her as the military type, but she would readily admit to not delving too deeply into her students' private lives. She wasn't a stalker or anything.
A bell rang, and Karen quickly put her phone away. It wasn't any of her business, and the school had a strict no phone policy for their students; as a teacher, she was responsible for setting a good example.
XXX
Karen was on pick up duty that afternoon, and was able to recognize Kayla and Mattie's mother when she drove up. Hurrying over with a quick wave, she got the doctor's attention.
Jordan gestured for the twins to stay in the car, and stepped out, meeting their teacher halfway. "Is everything all right?" she asked worriedly, hoping the kids hadn't done anything again. They had had a good long talk the last time they had pulled a practical joke, and she thought Kayla and Mattie were starting to understand the difference between harmless fun and going too far.
Karen nodded quickly, smiling to reassure the woman. "Yes," she promised, "they're not in trouble. I just wanted to give you a heads up before you left."
Jordan furrowed her brow, confused. "What happened?"
Karen bit her lip nervously. "In US History this morning, the workbook we use went over some medals awarded in the Armed Forces. They saw a picture of a Medal of Honor, and recognized it as one that your husband has."
Jordan winced, glancing back at the car, where the twins were currently not even trying to hide their attempt to listen in on the conversation their mother was having with their teacher. "I knew we'd have to talk to them about it someday, but TC was always saying 'later,'" she said with a sigh, turning back to Karen. "Thanks for the warning."
Karen nodded, and determinedly didn't ask any more questions, not wanting to pry. She was very curious, but she didn't want to be disrespectful.
Jordan gave the teacher an aborted wave, before getting back in the car. She glanced into the back seat, smiling at the kids. "Who wants ice cream?" she asked brightly.
Kayla and Mattie shared a look. "Is that a bribe?" Kayla asked curiously.
Jordan shook her head exasperatedly, and turned to face forward again, putting the car in drive and pulling away from the curb. "Yeah, definitely need ice cream," she muttered to herself.
"Where's daddy?" Mattie leaned forward in his seat. "I thought he was supposed to pick us up?"
Jordan looked at the kids in the rear view mirror. "Uncle Drew called right before he was going to leave. Aiden was running a fever, so dad went to pick her up."
"Is she OK?" Kayla asked, worried about her four year old sister.
Jordan nodded quickly, smiling reassuringly. "It's just a small fever, but she was getting fussy, so Uncle Drew thought it would be best for her to go home."
The plan had been for Aiden to spend the day and night with Drew and Rick's four year old daughter Hanna, and Kenny and Gwen's five year old son Malcolm, with Rick watching the trio while the other adults were all at work. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be possible anymore; too bad, since all three kids had really been looking forward to the sleepover. They would just have to reschedule.
Jordan passed the short trip to the ice cream shop asking the kids about their day, but wasn't sure if she was surprised or not that they didn't bring up US History. They were probably waiting to ask their father. Either that, or they actually sensed that she didn't want to talk about it right now.
They got the ice cream to go, since it was only a few blocks from their house, and Jordan made sure to get a cup for TC as well, before quickly corralling the kids back into the car to go home.
XXX
"T?" Jordan called out softly, not wanting to wake Aiden if she was asleep. It was a trait all the kids had gotten from her; whenever they got sick, they tended to get very tired, normally passing out for hours to let the illness run its course.
TC met them in the living room, taking the ice cream Jordan passed him thankfully. She handed him a plastic spoon as well, and he dug in with relish as Kayla and Mattie followed their father's lead, taking seats on the couch as they dropped their backpacks on the floor.
"How's Aiden?" Jordan asked, glancing at the stairs that led to the second floor.
TC shrugged, continuing to eat his ice cream. "I think Drew overreacted a little, but Aiden does get pretty fussy when she's sick. I just checked her temperature; it's at 99.3, so we'll keep an eye on it, but I think she's fine. She's asleep right now."
Jordan sighed softly, relieved, before she jerked her head slightly, indicating her need to talk to her husband privately. She glanced back at the twins. "We'll be right back, you two. Just stay put, all right?"
Kayla and Mattie nodded, continuing to eat their ice cream in silence.
Jordan led TC to the kitchen, turning around to face him as she leaned against the counter.
"What's wrong?" TC asked worriedly. "Did the twins pull another prank?"
Jordan shook her head, sighing as she took a small bite of her ice cream, mixing it up a little with the spoon as she tried to figure out how TC would take this. "They're probably going to have a few questions for you," she informed him bluntly.
TC frowned. "What do you mean?"
Jordan took a deep breath. "Their teacher said they saw a picture of a certain medal in their workbook during US History this morning. They recognized it, T, they're going to want to know what it means."
TC grimaced, leaning back against the kitchen island. "Can't we just say we'll tell them when they're older? It's worked before."
Jordan rolled her eyes. "T, they're eight. They're not stupid, and they're old enough to know what their father did for his country." TC still didn't look convinced, so Jordan moved closer, resting a hand on his arm lightly. "T, I know you don't like to talk about it, but they deserve to know. Sooner or later, someone is going to put it together. They'll see your name on a webpage, or someone will talk about it and they'll overhear. It's better if we tell them now, than have them figure it out on their own later. We owe them the truth."
TC wilted slightly, his expression showing his acceptance, though it was clear he wasn't happy about it. "Fine," he grumbled. "Let's get this over with."
The couple headed back into the living room, rejoining the twins. Jordan sat down next to Mattie, while TC took a seat on the coffee table, facing them.
Mattie and Kayla looked between their parents, nervousness showing. "Are we in trouble?" Kayla asked worriedly, lowering her hands so that the nearly empty ice cream bowl was resting on her legs.
TC shook his head quickly, smiling reassuringly. "Mom told me that you two saw something in your US History book this morning, so we thought we should talk about it."
Mattie glanced at his sister, before he looked at his mother. "It looked the same," he said quietly, wanting answers but not liking the way his parents seemed to be ganging up on him and Kayla right now. "You never said we shouldn't mention it. Ms. Dartmouth looked really surprised though."
TC reached out and rested a hand on his son's knee. When Mattie looked at him, he hurried to assure them that they hadn't done anything wrong. "We're not mad at you," he promised.
Kayla sniffed softly. "Really?"
Jordan reached over and squeezed her shoulder lightly, pulling both kids into a one-armed hug at the same time. "Really."
"So what does that medal mean?" Mattie asked curiously. "Ms. Dartmouth thought it was a really high award or something."
TC took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He met Jordan's understanding gaze briefly, before nodding resignedly, and turning back to the kids. "OK, we've told you that I was in the Army for a while, remember?"
Mattie nodded quickly. "You went to the Middle East, like Uncle Drew did a couple years ago, right?"
TC inclined his head, remembering how Drew had spent six months in Afghanistan two years ago.
"You served with Uncle Topher," Kayla added, almost bouncing in her seat at the idea of learning more about her father's past. She had always been a daddy's girl, and finding out that he had been a soldier was like learning that her father was a real life superhero.
"And Uncle Rick and Uncle Drew met because they served together," Mattie offered.
"Did you ever serve with Uncle Rick or Uncle Drew?" Kayla asked curiously.
TC chuckled lightly and shook his head. "No," he informed them. "I didn't meet them until after I got back from my third tour. During my second tour, we were actually stationed at the same base for a few weeks, but we didn't cross paths." He took a breath and let it out slowly, trying to focus his thoughts on the conversation they were supposed to be having.
"What did Ms. Dartmouth tell you about that medal?" he asked, wanting to get an idea of where to start.
Kayla bit her lip. "She said it was the highest award for valor the Armed Forces gives out," she recited. "What does valor mean?"
Jordan made a concerted effort not to show her amusement. "Valor means bravery or courage," she informed the kids.
They nodded in understanding and turned back to their father.
TC sighed slightly. "It's a medal I received for something I did during my last tour, about eight years ago." The twins looked entirely captivated by the story their father was telling them. "I had been in Afghanistan for about seven months, when the camp I was staying at was attacked."
Kayla gasped, and Mattie's eyes widened almost comically. "Were you hurt?" he asked, scared. His father had always seemed indestructible. He didn't want to imagine that he had been in danger.
TC grimaced. "… Not immediately," he admitted quietly. "You see, the enemy set off a series of explosions as a distraction. I recognized the tactic, and we were able to evacuate. However, they were waiting for us, and they attacked us on the road. I did get a little hurt while we fought our way through, but as you can see, I am fine now."
Jordan almost rolled her eyes at the way TC was downplaying nearly being paralyzed. But she understood that he didn't want to scare the kids.
The twins looked relieved, reassured that their father was all right.
"So the Army gave you a medal?" Kayla asked.
TC nodded. "Yeah. The Army felt that the actions I took during the attack warranted a Medal of Honor."
"Your father doesn't like to brag about himself," Jordan interrupted, shaking her head exasperatedly as she shifted in her seat to face the twins head-on. "He was responsible for getting nearly three hundred soldiers to safety." TC slumped down in his seat, resigned to the fact that Jordan wouldn't let the bullet points version stand. Kayla and Mattie were staring wide-eyed at their father now. "He saved several soldiers personally by pulling them out of a burning car. And do you remember meeting Doug and Arnold a couple years ago? The two goofballs who gave you those stuffed lions you never went anywhere without for over a year?"
The twins nodded slowly, vaguely recalling the two men who their dad had introduced as guys he had served with in the Army.
Jordan smiled softly, glancing up at her husband and shaking her head slightly at his uncomfortable expression. "Dad saved Doug's life during that attack." She took a deep breath, her mind unwillingly being pulled back to those few days after the attack, when she had had no idea where TC was or if he was even alive. "You know that serving during a war can be dangerous. We don't want to say or do anything to scare you, especially since this happened years ago and everything turned out fine. But your father was shot during that battle."
Kayla and Mattie gasped, wide eyes seeking out comfort from their father sitting across from them.
TC immediately reached out and grasped their hands gently. "Like your mom said, everything is fine. I was hurt for a while, but I healed."
"When we went on vacation last year mom kept telling you to rest," Mattie recalled. "She said you needed to sit down or you wouldn't be able to go all day."
TC and Jordan shared a look, wincing at Mattie's confession that he had overheard that conversation.
Jordan let out a sigh. "The injury your dad received was pretty bad for a while. Sometimes it hurts when he stands up for a long time, or when he's very active. That's why I wanted him to pace himself, so that he could join us on all that sightseeing."
The twins had become fascinated with ancestry after doing a unit on immigration last year. As a reward for getting straight A's, TC and Jordan had taken them on a family trip to Ireland, so that they could see the country their father's family had come from, just a couple generations earlier – TC's father had been sixteen when his family had moved to the US.
"Do a lot of people know about the medal?" Kayla asked curiously.
TC took a deep breath as Jordan pulled out her phone and typed in a search. "People do know," he replied. "The presentation is a pretty big deal. You won't remember, but you were eight months old when they gave it to me. You got to go to the White House, and shake hands with the president."
"Really?" Mattie gasped, amazed.
Jordan chuckled lightly as she moved her phone over and shoed the twins the Wikipedia page she had pulled up. "This is a list of all Medal of Honor recipients. Your father is right there at the end. So anyone who looks at this page will see his name."
The kids grasped the phone, reading eagerly.
"This is so cool!" Mattie said loudly, before being shushed by his mother and remembering that his younger sister was still asleep upstairs. "Sorry," he whispered. "But you're like, famous!"
TC grimaced and shook his head. "I wouldn't go that far," he protested. "In military circles, yes, I would say that more people know who I am, but as far as most of the world is concerned, it's not that big a deal."
"It is a big deal," Jordan countered. "But most people don't memorize recipients of this medal."
"Do you get any kinds of privileges or anything?" Kayla wondered curiously. "If it's big like you say, do you get anything other than a medal? Not that that's not cool too," she amended, hoping she didn't sound greedy or anything.
"I do," TC confirmed, smiling slightly. "You remember the plane we took to Ireland last year?" The twins nodded quickly. "One of the benefits is that I am able to request private travel from the Army base." Kayla and Mattie were gaping at their father now, and TC chuckled softly. "I receive invitations to Presidential inaugurations and inaugural balls, though I haven't been to any yet." He shared a look with Jordan, who rolled her eyes, knowing that TC didn't want to draw attention to his accomplishments, but she would love to go to one of those balls sometime. "I receive a monthly stipend that we've been mostly putting into a college fund for you kids," TC informed them. "There are a few other benefits, like how all Armed Forces members are encouraged to salute me, and I have a special license plate for my car that signifies the status. I have a special identification card, and you guys get one too, to carry around when you're old enough. If you decide you want to pursue a career in the Armed Forces, you could be accepted to a military academy without having to go through the regular enrollment process."
Kayla frowned. "Do you want us to join the Army?" she asked quietly. She had actually considered it, but wasn't sure if she really wanted to follow her father in that way.
TC quickly leaned forward and grasped each of their hands in his. "I want you to do whatever you want to do," he assured her. "If you want to join the Army, or the Navy, or the Coast Guard, or any other branch, I fully support that. If you want to pursue a career as a mime, I don't care." Kayla and Mattie giggled, and TC smiled gently. "Your mom and I will love you no matter what. We don't expect you to follow us in any way. Make your own path. If you decide to join the Army, or become a doctor, we will be thrilled, but only do it if it's what you want. It's your life, guys. You're the ones who have to live it."
Jordan subtly wiped the tears away. It wasn't often that she saw TC in this role. He was usually the fun parent, the hero, the guy who could do no wrong. Even when he was disciplining them, they always seemed to revere him. It got kind of annoying sometimes, but she couldn't begrudge him that. But TC was very rarely this serious with the twins. She loved the way he could connect to them, and allay all of their fears and worries in just a few words.
Kayla and Mattie sprung up from the couch and hugged their father tightly. TC responded in kind, and a minute later, they all pulled apart, the twins sitting back down.
"Do you guys have any more questions?" TC asked, hoping this conversation was over, but not wanting to leave it half-finished if the twins were still curious.
Kayla and Mattie looked at each other, having one of those telepathic conversations that so many twins seemed to share, before they both turned back to their father and shook their heads.
TC smiled slightly. "OK then. If you think of anything later, feel free to ask. Now, why don't you go start your homework?"
The twins jumped off the couch and grabbed their backpacks before running upstairs.
Once they were gone, TC let out a weary sigh and moved from the coffee table to the couch, sitting next to Jordan and lifting his arm so that she could lean into his side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm comfortingly.
"I thought we'd have longer before they asked," he admitted ruefully. "You don't think we scared them too much with the truth?"
Jordan shook her head, the movement rubbing against TC's shoulder. "They wanted to know. I think it's a little scary for them to realize that their father isn't actually invincible, but they idolize you, T."
TC circled his other arm around her, giving her a tight hug. "They think you're pretty awesome too, you know," he said humorously. "I think we lucked out in the kid department."
"No arguments here," Jordan replied, smiling slightly.
After a minute of silence, Jordan sighed and sat up straighter. "They'll be fine. If they have any more questions, we'll answer them, but I think you handled that pretty well. You worry too much, T."
TC rolled his eyes, but didn't protest as Jordan stood up and headed to the kitchen to get started on dinner. After another minute, he let out a soft sigh and stood up as well, heading to the office he and Jordan shared, hoping to complete the paperwork he needed to get done before his shift that evening.
XXX
The next time Karen Dartmouth saw the Doctors Callahan, it was at the school wide career fair, a few weeks later. Woodridge Elementary School had begun the practice last year, with grades two and up attending the afternoon event. It gave the kids a chance to see more career opportunities than if they limited it to classes the way they had done in the past. Parents and community members set up tables in the gym, and classes would go through in groups. Second and third grade classes were paired up, as were fourth and fifth grade.
When Karen saw the two doctors she realized she had been unintentionally looking for, they weren't actually together as she had expected.
There was a long table set up for doctors and nurses, and Mrs. Callahan was with them; there was a pretty big group there – apparently, a lot of kids had parents who worked at one of the hospitals in the area. Karen recognized Doctor Zia, and a man she thought was one of the nurses who worked at San Antonio Memorial – Kenny, maybe? She recognized him, along with his wife, a paramedic, because they always showed up with the doctors Callahan for the twins' events. There was another man there, and she was pretty sure his name was Scott. She thought she recognized him from when Mrs. Callahan introduced him at the beginning of the year – he had come to the fall talent show.
Glancing around the gym, Karen's eyes lit on Mr. Callahan leaning against a table a short distance away. Based on the uniforms she saw others at the table sporting, she guessed that this was for military members. Mr. Callahan appeared to be dressed similarly, but he wasn't wearing a jacket so it wasn't immediately obvious that he was wearing a military uniform.
She recognized the two men Mr. Callahan was speaking with, because they too had often accompanied the doctors to Kayla and Mattie's events. Drew and Rick, if she remembered correctly. She definitely remembered the sports banquet at the end of last year, where they handed out individual and group awards for all the sports teams, and the whole extended family had shown up to support the MVP award Kayla was getting for the soccer team, and the most improved award Mattie was getting for baseball. She had ended up sitting next to Drew and Rick while everyone mingled, waiting for the event to start; they had told her all about how they had gotten married as soon as the Supreme Court had legalized same sex marriage across the country back in 2015. They had been among the first same sex couples to get married in Texas.
She wasn't ashamed to admit to tearing up when they showed her a few pictures; the Callahans were all there, the twins being less than a year old at that point, and Mr. Callahan leaning heavily on a pair of crutches. Karen hadn't asked about the injury back then, but as she did the math right now, standing in the school gym, she realized that the date of that wedding would have only been a few months after Mr. Callahan's last tour of service in the Army.
Karen shook herself out of her thoughts, and decided to make a round; the kids were all mingling, flocking to various tables – it was easy to see which professions were more interesting: there were large groups surrounding the two firefighters at the far end of the gym, the woman a few booths down who worked for NASA (a fourth grader's mother, if Karen was remembering correctly), the police officers' table next to the firefighters, and the group of military officers. The doctors and nurses had a few kids clustered around, but the waste management table was sadly devoid of youngsters.
Karen made a few stops as she worked her way through the gym, listening to a few parents talk about what they did to eager kids, speaking with a few adults who weren't busy, thanking them for taking the time to attend the fair.
By the time she reached the military table, there were many more kids clustered around, all listening with rapt attention as the soldiers appeared to be in the middle of what must have been a captivating tale. From what Karen could glean, the man speaking – she thought it was Drew – was telling the kids about a harrowing experience from his time in Afghanistan.
It wasn't just kids clustered around anymore – several other parents had wandered over, including Mrs. Callahan. She was leaning into her husband's side, listening to Drew with either exasperation or amusement; Karen wasn't completely sure.
After a few minutes, Drew wrapped up, and the kids all started asking questions on top of each other.
Karen cleared her throat loudly, and was rewarded when the kids stopped trying to yell over each other. "I'm sure we can do this without bursting any ear drums," she reprimanded. "Why don't we use our ears and listen first, while these men tell us a little about their job, and then at the end, if you still have questions, you can ask them?"
A few kids nodded, and Karen turned back to the military officers, gesturing for them to continue.
TC smiled slightly, and inclined his head gratefully. "Well, I know Captain Alister had you all captivated with that story, but it's not always like that. Do you guys know about different specialties in the Army?" A few kids nodded, but several others looked confused. "There's the regular Army, of course, but some people specialize in different areas, like Special Forces or Intelligence. Captain Alister and I are both Rangers. Army Rangers are an elite force, with advanced training to handle more specialized situations. A comparison could be made to the Navy SEALs." He glanced at Drew, who had rolled his eyes at the association. It was a longstanding friendly feud, between Army and Navy, and none of them liked to be compared to the other. But more people were aware of what SEALs did, so TC thought it was a decent link to draw.
"As Rangers, we have dealt with all kinds of situations, from hostage rescue, to protection details, and everything in between. Being a soldier is hard work. You spend months away from your family, sometimes living in very dangerous situations. But it can also be very rewarding, knowing that you're making a difference in the world, protecting people that might not be able to protect themselves. It's not something to decide to do on a whim. It's a real job, full time, and it requires a lot of sacrifice, from you and any family you have."
Jordan nodded quickly, leaning into TC's shoulder comfortingly. People never really talked about the sacrifice family members made when they discussed the Armed Forces. As hard as it was for the men and women going overseas, their loved ones back home had to fight a whole different kind of battle.
TC didn't know what else he could add, but before he had the chance to say anything else, Mattie raised his hand, speaking before he could be called on. "Uncle Topher says that your job is to give him gray hair. Can you have two jobs?"
Jordan, Drew, and Rick chuckled, while TC pushed himself off the table and took a few steps forward until he could kneel down in front of his son. "I thought we agreed not to listen to anything Uncle Topher said," he admonished lightly. "Remember?"
Mattie nodded quickly as a couple kids laughed, and TC grinned, messing up the kid's hair as he stood up and took a step back.
"So, does anybody have any questions?" Drew asked curiously, looking at the large group of kids.
Several of them raised their hands, and Drew pointed to a boy near the front.
The boy lowered his hand. "Are you all still serving?" he asked curiously.
Rick and TC shook their heads, but Drew nodded. "I served two tours," Rick spoke first. "I was on my way home from my second tour when the bus I was on was in an accident. Unfortunately, I sustained a serious injury that required me to be medically discharged from the Army."
Drew reached over and grasped his husband's hand, squeezing reassuringly. "I've served three full tours, and I'm still in the Reserves. One of the great things about the Army is that if you make a commitment to them, they will return it tenfold. I enlisted with the intention of studying medicine. The Army put me through school, and in return, I owed them ten years; however, I love it, and I have no intention of leaving."
TC nodded slightly, and then almost sighed when all the kids looked at him. "The Army put me through school as well," he informed them. "I didn't enlist with that intention, but I had a talent, and they recognized that. I served four tours in the Middle East, and I was honorably discharged about eight and a half years ago."
"Did you all serve together?" another kid asked.
TC and Drew shook their heads. "Captain Lincoln and I met in basic training," Drew informed them. "We served in the same unit, but we didn't meet Captain Callahan until later. I actually met him after my second tour, his third, because I started working at San Antonio Memorial Hospital, where he was already a doctor. He ended up teaching me a lot on the job, since I had only ever worked as a medic in the Army before. It's a very different profession on the battlefield, as opposed to in an actual hospital." He leaned forward slightly and gave the group a conspiratorial smirk. "This guy's kind of like a real-life superhero," he stage-whispered.
TC almost blushed, but managed to overcome the feeling by rolling his eyes exasperatedly.
"Dad, tell them about how you met the president!" Mattie called out.
Several kids made astonished noises, while some of the adults crowded around raised eyebrows.
TC just gave his son a look that the eight-year-old knew meant he would be hearing about this later. He gulped softly, as TC turned to the rest of the group, grimacing slightly.
"It's not quite as exciting as you're probably all thinking," he tried to deflect. When no one seemed to be willing to let it go, he rolled his eyes. "There was an incident during my fourth tour where I was injured; I was awarded a commendation from the president for my actions."
Drew brought a hand to his mouth to hide a grin. "Medal of Honor," he muttered, coughing out the words.
TC turned slightly to glare at him, but Drew just kept smiling.
With an exasperated sigh, TC turned back to the kids. "Does anyone have any questions about serving in the military?" he asked archly, hoping that would make it clear he didn't want to field any questions about meeting the president, or the medal he had received.
When no one raised their hand, Karen decided to step forward gesturing for the kids to take the time they had left to visit some other tables.
The group broke up, following the teacher's suggestion, and soon enough, TC, Jordan, Drew, and Rick were alone.
"Well I think it's safe to say you guys were a hit," Jordan commented. "Kids really flock to the exciting jobs, don't they."
"You think being a doctor isn't exciting?" TC asked rhetorically.
Jordan slapped his chest lightly, but she was smiling, so he knew she wasn't mad. "Seriously," she admonished, "they were hanging onto your every word. You've got all those great war stories, kids love that."
"They like the fantasized version," TC muttered, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist.
Jordan looked slightly worried, but Rick and Drew nodded in agreement.
After a moment of silence, Jordan finally let out a sigh. "There's another group coming through in a few minutes, I should probably get back."
TC nodded quickly and gave her a kiss, before she headed back to rejoin Topher, Scott, Kenny, and Gwen.
TC almost wished he could be there, talking to the kids about the job he actually held, rather than the one he had worked, once upon a time, but Drew and Jordan had talked him into spending the day at the military table. He was proud of the service he had given to his country, but it just felt like he was living in the past. He hadn't been a soldier in over eight years.
He watched Kayla and Mattie with their friends a few tables away; it was pretty obvious to see that the twins were telling the group about their father's medal. Several of the kids were glancing back at him with awe-filled expressions.
In the last few weeks since TC and Jordan had told them about it, the kids had been asking questions and doing their own research. Kayla had apparently decided that she definitely wanted to join the Army when she grew up, and was researching all kinds of Academies and camps that might prepare her. Mattie wasn't quite as eager, but TC and Jordan were already pretty certain he was going to become a doctor – he was a science whiz, and had always loved talking to his parents about their work.
TC hoped things would settle down soon, and he and Jordan were spending far more time than they had ever imagined trying to reassure the twins that they really didn't expect them to know what they wanted to do with their lives right now. They were eight years old, for Christ's sake. They didn't have to figure it out right now, and there was plenty of time for them to change their minds.
TC hoped that they knew that it didn't matter to him or Jordan what they wanted to do. He thought they had gotten through, but he was still a little wary. Hopefully, with time and a few more years, the twins would either solidify their current goals, or move on. They had their whole lives ahead of them, and TC was looking forward to watching what they would do with it.
I definitely suck at endings. Hopefully that wasn't too abrupt.
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