Chapter 2
Golden Horseshoe Ranch, Sherman, TX
Meg and Uncle Ollie came walking back in, as Animal breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been getting the third degree from Joe and Meg's mother – the usual what are your intentions with my daughter sort of thing and Animal was starting to feel like a pin-cushion. He reckoned that it would be even more of an uncomfortable situation if Joe Sr. was still alive. Joe Senior would have been cleaning the shotguns on the front porch. Meg felt a rush of sympathy for the poor put-upon naval aviator as she felt a wave of relief emanating from him. "You alright?" she asked as she sat down beside him and nearly giggled as he gave her a 'HELP' expression on his face. She eyeballed her brother. "You were nice, I hope."
"Oh…very." Joe said innocently. Meg didn't believe a word of it and gave him a look as if to threaten dire consequences later. Ollie quite conveniently motioned to Animal to come take a walk with him. It was Meg's turn to look concerned.
Joe made a motion to get up where Ollie shook his head. Joe opted to stay put. Ollie was a family friend for a long time. He knew Joe's father as they had been buddies for a long time in the service. As Animal got up…feeling rather reluctant to do so, but knowing that he had to run the gauntlet. One didn't make a visit to a woman's family without getting the third degree as to what the intentions were. He sighed as he got up, gave Meg a strained smile and walked over to where Ollie was waiting. They both left the house.
Meg kept looking towards the door. "After this…" she muttered, "I'd be surprised if he didn't run." She gave her brother a look as if to say you're so gonna pay for this.
Joe grinned at his sister. "Meg, I think you need to give him more credit than that. If he's a Medal of Honor nominee, I'm sure he's more than able to go through a grillin'." He didn't have to say if he's not the right one for you, sis, then he'll run. "I know he cares for you. We're just makin' sure he really knows what he's getting' into."
"Does he now?" Meg asked wondering if Animal was up to the third degree the Austins usually gave the men who came to court their women.
Outside
As he had done with Meg, Ollie walked with Animal a ways out into the North Texas grasslands. "Watch your step." Ollie said. "If you hear a rattle, you come to a stop." That didn't reassure Animal any. Prairie rattlesnakes were a common problem around North Texas. When they had gone far enough that their voices wouldn't carry back to the house, Ollie turned around and said. "Commander. You're an honourable man; if you weren't, they wouldn't be considering draping the Medal of Honor around your neck. What you did in Korea is something that was damned heroic. But I'm not here to butter you up."
"No, sir." Animal said.
"I've been a friend of the family for quite a long time; and I'd be doing Joe Sr., Meg's father, a disservice if I didn't do this." Ollie grinned. "I know you're of Japanese-American descent. The Nakamura last name gave it away. Tell me about yourself."
Animal looked out at the darkening sky. It had been late afternoon when Meg and Animal had come to the ranch. He said. "Well, I grew up in Northern New York State, went to middle and high-school there. Enrolled in NROTC at the University of Rochester, class of 1980." He looked over at Ollie who stood there silent in the mounting gloom like a dark statue. "My grandfather was a veteran of the 442/100 Regimental Combat Team and a recipient of the Army Medal of Honor. My family descends from the Tachibana Clan of samurai of the Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan. We served our country, both Japan and the United States; once our family moved to the United States our adopted home. My father and mother as well as my grandmother were interned in Tule Lake."
"So why do you serve." Was the blunt question from Ollie. "It sounds as though your family went through a lot of injustice in your adopted homeland; losing your possessions to the United States Government. If I had been through that, I'd be bitter as hell."
"I serve because in my core I am American, because the country that my grandfather adopted gave him a chance to prove his loyalty, sir. And he seized that opportunity with both hands and made the most of it. When the rest of the country was calling us Japs, Nips and traitors, the US military gave them a chance to prove themselves Americans and we took it." Animal said as he looked over at Ollie. "And we continue to serve, sir, so that it never, ever happens again to anyone else. I love my country, sir. That's why I donned the uniform and have planned to stay in as long as the JCS will have me; as long as the people of the United States will have me serve."
"So you're not bitter?" Ollie asked.
"No, why should I be? Sir." Animal asked him, looking him straight in the face, even though with the dark that he couldn't see the other person's form. "It was war-time, and we all did what we thought we had to do." He paused. "I'd be lyin', sir, if I said that I didn't feel betrayed or hurt by the fact that our country could think us so little as to be traitors to our country, sir. But we showed that we believed in her by signing up and serving. My grandma used to tell me stories, sir, about Nikkei – Japanese Americans standing out in the middle of the internment camp, hand over their hearts, singing the Star Spangled Banner with tears rolling down their cheeks, sir. My grandfather told me that this country was the land of opportunity, sir and I still believe that. Despite the fact that my grandfather was reduced to nothing, he managed to build himself back up in the military. Served his twenty and retired as a MSGT in the United States Army. 3rd Infantry Division when one of his officers in the 442 took him with him when he went to the 3rd. Every promotion he earned was based on merit. My grandfather had the respect of every man that he served with, no matter what race or creed or color."
Ollie had moved closer to him in the dark, and rested his hand on the shoulder of the man who was standing beside him. "You're a good man, Commander. As I said, I would be doing Joe Senior a disservice if I didn't do this for Meg and keep her safe. And I know you'll keep her safe too." Animal looked at the man shaped shadow beside him as the sun had long made its exit from the horizon. "You've already answered the question of what do you plan to do to support Meg, in that you're staying in for as long as they'll have you." He paused for a long moment. "Why the Navy? They didn't give your family the chance, the army did. So why the Navy?"
"Loved aircraft, sir, for as long as I could remember." Animal replied. "And the toughest branch of the all the armed services to fly for is the United States Navy or the US Marines. During the 80s, I wanted to fly off carriers so I chose the Navy."
"Sounds though like you'd be tough enough to serve in the Marines, Commander."
"Then I wouldn't have met Meg though." Animal grinned at him.
"Well, let's head back before we end up not being able to see the rattlers." Ollie pulled out a flashlight and turned it on as the men retraced their footsteps back to the ranch-house. Each step was carefully gauged before they took it and it was about 2 hrs before they made it back to the house. Meg was at the door wondering where Ollie had taken Animal and Ollie gave her a thumbs up to tell her that everything was alright.
Meg looked at Ollie saying "You know there's rattlesnakes around. What do you mean tromping around at night in the fields chatting about God knows what. What if you two had gotten bitten?" she groused at Ollie and reached for Animal's hand as he came up the stairs. "C'mon. Tosh, we gotta find you a room to sleep in tonight." The affectionate glance that she gave him warmed Animal right down from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.
JAG Headquarters, Falls Church, VA Admiral Chegwidden's office.
Harm looked over the admiral's desk at the seated Admiral AJ Chegwidden. "Sir, Meg went home for two weeks. I believe you signed off on the leave."
"Yes, but unfortunately, I have a case that requires her attention. Will you head down to Texas and see if you can assist her on the case? You'll be in VOQ at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The case is involving a Naval chief who went AWOL because of extenuating circumstances. He said that his daughter went missing. And he was trying to help in the search efforts."
"Yes, sir." Harm replied.
"Tell Lieutenant JG Austin that she has been recalled for the duration of the leave and that she will be reimbursed for that time. Get on the next flight out to Fort Worth, ASAP." AJ said.
"Aye, sir."
A day later
A rather insistent knock on the door caused Meg to mutter an oath that was not repeatable as she and Animal were nestled in the couch enjoying each other's company while watching some TV and relaxing. They planned to go on a horseback ride, now that he was getting used to horses. The first time he had come near a horse he was absolutely terrified.
"Just don't approach her from the rear. She'll kick." Meg had said. Animal looked warily at the muscular hindquarters of the horse. "Approach her from the front and offer her your hand. She'll smell it and if she likes you…"
Animal made certain that he approached the horse from the front. He didn't want to end up with his skull caved in from a kick. Timidly he extended his hand to the horse. The horse gave a sniff of Animal's hand, her ears flicked front as she buried her nose in his hand as she let out a snort. It tickled. Shaking her head she nudged his hand even more.
Meg offered Animal a sugar cube to offer the horse who gratefully took it.
Meg brushed up against Animal's side and leaned in as Animal wrapped his arm around her waist. "So…able to feed horses now?" she teased.
"Yeah. I guess." Animal said.
Meg's attention came back to the present as she walked over to the door. Standing there in khakis was a familiar sight. "Harm?" she asked. "What's going on?"