The Colonel Vs. the Deep Waters
The plot bunnies took over and I must write this before I finish The Colonel Vs. The Angel of Death. This particular event takes place early in the Colonel and Pastor Annie courtship, after "The Colonel Vs. the Parson, and before "The Colonel Vs. The Right Motivation." Enjoy reading, dear friends.
It had been a dangerous week for the three spies. The mission had quickly disintegrated into a bloody mess. Sarah was left with a right broken arm, Chuck was dealing with 2 cracked ribs, and Casey had a concussion that left him dealing with a profound migraine and vision problems for several days. Though the objective has been successfully met, General Beckman ordered all three to take time off to mend and to unwind. Sarah and Chuck disappeared to a small island in Hawaii, after informing the General and Casey as to their whereabouts. Casey was edgy and he knew he needed to get away and regain some perspective. Whether or not the concussion was the reason for his depression did not matter to the Colonel. He only knew he was "off" his game and Burbank was not the place to recharge his calm.
"Dad, when was the last time you saw Pastor Annie?" Alex, Casey's daughter, has brought a batch of homemade chicken soup and crackers for her father, and as she pulled up a TV Tray near his recliner, she questioned him softly.
He grunted in answer, but began thinking as he slowly sipped on the delicious concoction."Hmm, very good, daughter." He growled but stopped eating as the pain from the headache began again in the back of his neck. Alex took the bowl from him, pulled a chair near his recliner, and then gently took his calloused hand into her petite one.
"Dad, you are evading the question! When was the last time you saw Annie?"
"She called before this cussed mission, but I have not called her back. I..." Casey tried to open his eyes, and look at his daughter, but again he put his head back on the chair. He sighed and continued, "Alex, I am beginning to care for her...more than I should."
"Dad, I know I have only known you for a year now, but every time you speak of her, or talk to her, you light up. Something is there between you two, and I think it is good. Time is so short, dad. Why don't you call her tonight, and just see what happens?" Alex offered her dad more of the soup, and he took it gratefully and slurped it all down. When he handed it back to her, she grinned widely at the satisfied and proud look on his face.
"When did you get to be such a good cook and when did you get to be so wise?" He asked, as she stood up to put the bowl back in the kitchen.
"Just learning from my father, you know. I got to go. I promised Morgan I would stop by and bring him some soup too. I love you, dad." She knew her father was in pain when he did not make a snide comment about her relationship with the "gnome." As she passed him, she kissed his forehead, and then grabbed her jacket. Before she opened the door, she turned once more to her dad, and spoke softly, "give Annie a call, dad."
"Mmm." He grunted but very slowly, gave one nod of his aching head, and picked up his cell phone off the small table near his chair.
It was three days to the special worship service at the church Parson Annie Coburn pastored in the Pacific Northwest. There were three people getting baptized; two adults and a 10 year old little girl. Annie had met with them and made sure they understood their decisions about being baptized, and she was very excited for all three. Her only concern was the physics of what she was about to do. One of the candidates was 6 foot 2 inches tall, and Annie was only 5 foot 3 inches. She had never baptized anyone before and she was a little worried about immersing a man twice her size. The other adult candidate was a woman who had joyfully given her heart to the Lord, and she was well over 300 pounds. The youngster would be no trouble but the worrying about the other two was keeping Annie restless and fretful that night. She was about to get out of bed and fix a cup of hot cocoa when her cell phone rang. She rolled over in her bed, and grabbed the phone, delighted that the photo I.D. was of John Casey.
"John? Is that you?" Annie grinned and settled back down under her comforter to talk with this delightful new friend.
"Parson." The familiar growl made Annie's heart flutter, but she instantly picked up on something not quite right.
"John, are you all right?" Annie knew that Casey had missions he was ordered to go on, but she did not yet know the extent of the danger and importance he was often involved in.
"Annie," Casey sighed, and tried to gather his thoughts. "I needed to hear your voice, Parson. It's been so long, I am sorry." He sighed again, and the slight groan of pain left his lips before he could stop it.
Annie sat up quickly, and tried to listen to the sound more intently. "John, you're hurt. What happened?"
"Pastor confidentiality?" He asked softly.
"Of Course, Colonel. What we say together is always, only for you, me and the Lord."
"Thank you, Annie. We had a mission and it all went to hell. We all three got hurt."
"Is Sarah and Chuck OK?" Annie interrupted as she hugged the soft plush bear the Colonel had won for her at last summer's county fair.
"They are mending slowly, off to Hawaii. I guess somebody has to go there." Casey humphed sharply and then again the spike of pain in his head filtered through the phone to Annie.
"Good. Now, report, Marine." Annie desperately needed to hear what was wrong with John but she knew he would tell her in his own time.
"I got in the middle, and before Chuck and Sarah could help, the thugs hit me from behind and I don't remember much else until the paramedics were patching me up." He heard his friend gasp, but he continued to debrief with this woman who was so easy to talk to.
"Annie, my head, my eyes, it's a concussion, but I am really not thinking right. Not logical, not critical, not..." Casey paused and begin to rub his forehead with his free hand.
"You're not quite my John, are you?" Annie answered. There was only silence on his end, and then she heard him sigh.
"I need some health, Annie. I need some hope." Once he said it, he began to hyperventilate.
"John, breathe. Slowly, in and out. You got some pain meds there?"
"Yes, but I don't want to muddle up my thinking even worse." Casey shifted in the recliner and put the phone to his other ear. He picked up the pill container, and frowned.
"How about you take one, and then let me read to you, OK?" Annie reached for her Bible on the night stand and opened up to one of her favorite psalms.
"I would like that, Parson. I...it's good to hear your voice, Annie." Casey swallowed the pill and then leaned his head once more back on his chair to listen.
" I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won't let you stumble,
Your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel's Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God's your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil,
He guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
He guards you now, he guards you always."
Annie paused in her reading and tried to listen to the Colonel on the other end.
"Like it. Needed to hear you. One other favor Parson?" Casey was relaxing and the decrease in the pain was a welcomed gift.
"John, anything." Annie whispered.
"Sing for me."
"As the deep panted for the water, so my soul panted after Thee." Softly, Annie's rich alto filled the Colonel's senses and for the first time in many days, he felt some contentment and peace. Whether it was the pills, the scripture or Annie, he didn't care. It was her voice that was the last thing he heard as he fell asleep, and slowly the phone eased down onto his lap, folding itself and shutting the line.
The Colonel comes to the Parson's rescue in an unusual way next. Can she really dunk a 6 foot 4 inch Marine? She is about to find out very soon as the Colonel Vs. the Deep Waters.
Please review. I love the comments, and encouragement. Please don't let the scripture keep you from finding out how our favorite Marine Colonel returns the favor and "washes" Annie fears aside.