Author's Notes
This is a First Person POV that I posted on March 12, 2008 and originally posted under my friend RedPippin's account. She was writing POV's at the time and encouraged me to write one as well. I was a bit leery about it so she let me post mine under her name. And then I pretty much forgot about it until recently, so now I'm putting it here where it belongs.
I tried to leave the 'where and when' ambiguous, though I only partially succeeded. While it feels much like a certain 20th Century war, please keep an open mind as to time, place, and technology. I have edited it from its original posting because I felt it could be cleaner and a bit more nuanced while staying true to the spirit of the original writing.
Please review... I love to know what people think of the story.
ENJOY THE RIDE!
THE REALITY OF WAR
It started out like any normal voyage, but then went horribly wrong.
We've landed in the middle of a war. I've seen more than my fair share of war zones, so no big deal right? There's no time to check the Omni as the building next to us gets hit by a rocket or something. We scramble into the empty grocery store and wait for the dust to settle. A second rocket or bomb hits the building across the street. People are screaming, children crying... Bogg tells me to stay put and then runs across the street to help, but do I listen? Of course not! This is Jeffrey Jones we're talkin' about here!
I count slowly to five, then start to follow him. I might be twelve, but I know I can help. As I pick my way around rubble in the street, the sun flashes across something to my left. I look over to see a bunch of soldiers armed with guns as big as me heading toward the building where Bogg is helping rescue people, but nobody sees them.
"Bogg, behind you! Look out," I shout and start to run to him.
His head whips around and he sees the soldiers, then turns back to yell at me but his face freezes in a look of terror. "Jeffrey get back... no, run. RUN!"
I turn and see tanks rolling toward me and dash back into the store. I will not cry, I will not cry! I'm shaking with fear, or is that the tank rolling past me? I hear a deep boom and scream, "Bogg!"
-oOo-
"Jeffrey!" Phineas runs toward what is left of the building, terror filling his very being. "JEFFREY!"
A young man from the crowd grabs his hand, "Come quickly sir! The soldiers are advancing..."
"My kid was in there, I have to find him!" He wrenches free and moves as fast as he can through the rubble strewn street.
"Carl, Isaiah, stop him!"
The two older men grab him by each arm and pull him away from the building.
"Let me go," Phineas cries as he tries to fight off the men. "I've gotta find him!"
"We will find him," Isaiah, the dark-skinned man says, "when it is safe. You can't help him if you yourself are dead." With his free hand he takes Bogg's chin and turns it both left and right to show him the tanks and the advancing soldiers.
The three of them drag Phineas from the scene and into a small flower shop two blocks over. They hear more gunfire, and then a command from someone outside.
"Search the buildings! We must find the insurgents!"
Phineas is sick with fear and struggles against the men holding him. The young man puts a finger to his lips, then points to the back of the shop. The others follow him, one man always holding on to Phineas' arm or shoulder. They will not let him out of their sight. They climb through a door hidden by a false wall and dash across the street to a pub. Once inside, the young man says something to the barkeep in a language Phineas doesn't understand, and they are quickly taken into the back storeroom and handed bundles of clothes.
A buxom woman tells them, "Put these on over your clothes, quickly! Seamus," she points at the young man, "you will speak for the group. The rest of you say NOTHING or we are all dead."
-oOo-
The world is dark, I can't see anything... I try to move but something is lying on top of me. "Ralph... get off..."
I try to push him off my right side...Oh my God I hurt... I can't move! I try to focus on what's in front of me: some wood, with a nail pointing at my face, lots of white rocks, no not rocks... plaster maybe? Then I realize: the building collapsed! I can't get a lot of air in my lungs. I touch my head with my left hand and I feel something warm and sticky. Great, I'm bleeding. I start to feel the pressure from the wood beam pressing me into the debris and my whole right side is on fire. I can't panic, that would be bad. My head hurts so much...
-oOo-
The soldiers storm the pub and Seamus gives a lazy salute. "Nothing to report sir. My men and I searched the area. The people ran like scared rabbits!"
The soldiers laugh and the leader continues to talk to Seamus. Phineas leans on the bar, pulls his cap low on his face and keeps his back to the newcomers, knowing he can't hide the tears in his eyes. Every second they talk could be life or death for Jeffrey... why can't they just shut up and leave?
"Keep up the good work soldier," the group leader says. "Now, teach these wretches to show some respect or I'll report you!"
"Stand at attention you lazy dogs, or it's the box for you," Seamus barks.
"Wipe your eyes and stand up straight," Carl growls as he pulls Phineas off the bar. "Turn your fear to anger, my friend."
They come to attention and the leader nods in approval. "Good, good. Just don't let the captain catch you in here," he waves his hand around the bar and looks at Phineas' red-rimmed eyes, "the eyes of your men betray their love of the bottle."
Bogg stands a bit straighter and sways slightly to play up the charade.
"Yes sir," Seamus replies as the soldiers leave. The "soldiers" relax but Seamus cautions them to stay quiet. He watches the group walk across the street and enter another building.
"We wait two minutes," he says, looking directly at Phineas' angry demeanor. "It is for his safety as much as our own, my friend. Tell us your name and that of your son."
"I'm Phineas, he's Jeff, Jeffrey." Worry and fear begin to overtake him and he stands nose to nose with Seamus. "He's just a twelve year old kid!"
Before Seamus can reply they hear screams from across the street. The four men step to the window and watch as the soldiers haul a family out of the electronics store, separating the parents from the children. As the father fights to get to his girls there is a gunshot and Phineas turns from the window to retch as the man falls dead in the street; the women's screams and shrieks burning in their ears.
"You see that out there," Isaiah asks, standing behind Bogg. "If it weren't for us, that man would be you." He puts his large hand on Phineas' shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze. "Like I said, you can not help him if you are dead."
Carl glances at his watch, "Two minutes. They are heading toward the camps now with their prisoners. Keep your uniform on and follow me. Quickly!"
They retrace their steps back to the grocery store. Phineas runs to the demolished building and starts to dig frantically, calling for Jeff. His chest is tight with fear and his blue eyes are determined; he will not give up on his young companion. Carl, Isaiah and Seamus join him, spreading out to cover a wide area.
It was only a few minutes before Seamus sees dark curls turned grey by plaster dust. "Phineas, does he have dark curly hair?"
Bogg is crying as he scrambles over to his new friend, unable to fight the overwhelming fear for Jeff's life. "Oh God, please let him be all right! Jeffrey, can you hear me? C'mon kid, please..."
They begin to lift the beam pinning Jeff down and the boy gasps in pain. Bogg's heart feels like it's going to explode. Carl points out the boy's broken right leg and thinks the right arm may be damaged as well. Unable to contain himself any longer, Phineas reaches for Jeff to pull him out but is stopped by Isaiah, "Mr. Bogg, don't move him yet, you might injure him further! We must stabilize him before we move him."
-oOo-
Someone is there, touching me, talking to me, but I can't move. It hurts to breathe... Just let me go to sleep. Hands are pressing my back, my sides. Ow, my leg... the weight is lifting and I try to brea...oh God it hurts, please stop! Now they're tying me up, have I been captured? Bogg, help me please...
-oOo-
Phineas takes Jeff's hand as the others clear the rest of the debris away from Jeff and secure is injured limbs to pieces of wood for support.
"Jeff, its Bogg. You're gonna be okay kid..." He runs his hand through the now gray hair, his face streaked with tears, "Please don't leave me kid, please..."
Carl touches Phineas on the shoulder, "Mr. Bogg, we are ready to move him now. Allow me to help you lift him..."
-oOo-
I'm floating... have I died? No, I'm being held in strong arms... I know it's Bogg, even though I can't open my eyes. He sounds so scared... I can feel him sobbing as he holds me close. I try to say his name, but I can't make a noise. He thinks I'm dead! Hands won't move... leg hurts... head spinning...
-oOo-
"Bogg..."
Phineas jumps as the soft sound escapes the boy's lips. "Jeffrey, please hang on!"
"Bring him quickly! The doctor is just down this way!"
Phineas holds him as tightly and gingerly as he can and follows Seamus and his companions to a small house a short distance away. Seamus pounds on the door until it is answered by an angry middle-aged woman holding a handgun. He says two or three words that Phineas doesn't quite catch and her face becomes determined as she glances around Seamus to see Jeff and quickly ushers them in to a small but comfortable living room.
"Take him to the back bedroom," she says, gathering a stethoscope and a small flashlight from the kitchen table. She listens to Isaiah explain what happened as Phineas places Jeff on the bed.
Doctor Schmidt is worried about the boy's difficulty breathing after listening to his lungs and is afraid his broken rib may have punctured a lung. She binds the wound on the child's head and decides they must take the boy to the hospital if he is to survive.
They carefully bundle Jeff in blankets and remove the uniforms they were wearing. The doctor leads them through the streets to the hospital and in through the Doctor's Entrance. Seamus and the others go to the waiting room while Phineas carries Jeff into an exam room.
He stands by helplessly as the doctor and nurses work on Jeff.
Please Kid, hang on...
-oOo-
I hurt all over... where am I? Not stuck under the building... this is soft and comfortable. My lungs hurt, my head hurts... People are poking and prodding me, Where are you, Bogg? Someone says I have to have surgery... what's going on? I'm scared... No, don't, I don't want surgery. Bogg, why aren't you here?
-oOo-
They decide his leg needs surgery and whisk Jeff away. Before following the gurney with her patient, Dr. Schmidt speaks to Phineas in a motherly tone. "Your son's leg is broken in two places, and he may have a punctured lung, Mr. Bogg. We are going to do everything we can for him, I promise you. Please wait with the others and I will come to you as soon as we are done."
The Voyager is numb and nods, then goes out into the waiting room. Carl watches Phineas enter and stands to greet him, then rushes forward to catch his friend as the man collapses in grief.
Several hours later, Phineas sits beside Jeff's bed holding his small hand in his own. The child is pale and looks so small with all the IV's, the cast on his arm and metal frame with pins holding his leg together... Phineas touches his cheek with the back of his hand. It's been a long day, too long, and the Voyager lays his head down on the bed and falls into an exhausted sleep.
Doctor Schmidt enters an hour later and smiles sadly at the father and son. She checks on Jeff and listens to his lungs. She is concerned at what she hears and quietly goes to get a colleague for a second opinion.
Not two minutes later Phineas wakes up to a shrieking alarm and Carl pulls him out of his chair and drags him toward the door. Doctors Schmidt and Alton rush in and start giving orders to the three nurses who seemed to materialize out of thin air.
"Let me go, Jeff needs me! Jeffrey," Phineas chokes out as Carl grips him tightly.
The commotion brings Isaiah and Seamus running in and they quickly lead a distraught Phineas away from the room.
"I can't lose him, I just can't! God, please don't take my kid!"
Doctor Alton comes out a few minutes later and informs the men that the boy needs more surgery. "His lung was indeed punctured and we must move quickly to repair it. He is a strong young man, Mr. Bogg. I know this is difficult for you, but please be assured we are doing everything we can to save your son."
After another agonizing three hours, Dr. Schmidt comes into the waiting room, a tired smile on her face. "Jeffrey is resting now. We were able to repair his lung and set the offending rib. He will be here for several weeks, but I expect a full recovery."
Isaiah wraps his arms around Phineas in a crushing hug and laughs. "You see? I told you he would pull through!"
"Can I see him now," Phineas asks as he slides out of the hug.
"For a few minutes, yes," Dr. Alton says as he walks through the double doors. "He is still sedated and needs rest. And so do all of you."
Carl chuckles, "Is that an order doctor?"
Dr. Alton nods his head, "Yes. Please take Mr. Bogg home after he sees his son and force him to rest. Sit on him if you have to. He will be no good to his son in his current condition."
It takes much arguing and coercion, but the men finally manage to get Phineas back to Isaiah's home. It is hard to get him to settle down but he finally falls into an exhausted sleep. Early the next morning, Phineas goes back to the hospital and is escorted into ICU. Jeff is hooked up to a respirator and Phineas stares as the machine breathes for his young friend.
He eventually sits down beside the bed and takes Jeff's hand in his own. "I need you with me, Kid. Please fight. Please..."
-oOo-
Bogg? I'm so scared! Please help me! I can't breathe with this tube in my throat... Help me Bogg!
-oOo-
Phineas jumps as Jeff starts making gurgling noises and squeezes his hand. "Nurse! He's waking up!"
The nurse tells Phineas to keep the boy calm and she pages the doctor. He needs to not fight the respirator. Phineas tries to hide the fear in his voice and speaks softly to the boy.
"Jeffrey, listen to me, okay? You're all right! Don't fight the respirator, kid, you need it to breathe for you." He places one hand on Jeff's face and holds his left hand with the other. "Kid, listen to my voice. You need to relax, okay. I'm right here; I'm not going anywhere. Don't fight the tube, relax. I've got ya kid. Just relax..."
-oOo-
I hear his voice... so calm, and I try to fight the fear. It's hard to relax, the tube hurts! He wants me to relax, so I focus on his deep, soothing voice and little by little, I feel myself relax. Just keep talking Bogg. I'll do anything as long as I know you're here.
-oOo-
"Keep talking to him Mr. Bogg. He is calming down."
"Jeff, you're doing great. I'm right here..."
"I've given him the sedative, Doctor."
"He'll be out in just a minute."
Once the sedative took hold, Dr. Schmidt praised Phineas.
"That was remarkable, Mr. Bogg. That's not an easy situation to be in and you handled it like a pro. Jeff should sleep the rest of the day, giving his lung a chance to heal. We will take him off the respirator tomorrow morning if all goes well."
Phineas thanks Dr. Schmidt and leaves briefly to tell Isaiah and the others the good news. They take turns sitting with Jeff and talk to him until they are ushered out in the evening and told to go home to rest.
The next morning Phineas walks into Jeff's room and is pleased to see the respirator is gone. The nurse tells him to try and wake Jeff so they can see how he's doing.
Phineas is nervous and gently speaks to him. "Wake up, Jeff. Hey kid, c'mon, lemme see those dark eyes, huh?"
Jeff hears Bogg calling to him and he squeezes his hand, then slowly opens his eyes. The first thing he sees is Bogg, eyes wet with tears but shining with relief. His throat hurts by tries to speak anyway. His voice is raspy, "Bogg?"
Everyone in the room sighs with relief, and Bogg's smile somehow manages to get bigger. "Yeah, kid. I'm here."
"The building... my chest hurts..." His mind is flooded with disjointed images and his fear shows on his face.
Bogg sits on the bed and puts his arm around Jeff's shoulders, allowing his friend to lean into his chest."Its okay kid, I've got ya. You're going to be okay."
The hospital staff quietly leaves the room as the father comforts his frightened son.
The two friends hold each other as they cry, each afraid to let the other go. After a little while, Jeff falls asleep in Bogg's arms, and not wanting to disturb him, Phineas gets comfortable next to him and falls asleep himself.
Seamus walks into the room a little while later and smiles at the scene before him. I will come back later, he thinks as he closes the door.
Phineas smiles in his sleep, knowing that his boy is going to be fine, and they will have many more harrowing adventures to come.