Artemis-
Leaving early morning, my dad and brother going with me. My grandparents would be coming down to stay with Brie and Paige just in case we got any news while I was out.
"Artemis", Dr. Jericho said.
I smiled and we stood.
"You ready miss, because I am", he said.
"Yes", I said.
"Alright, I'll let you talk to your dad before we take you in. Carmella is here and she'll take you back", he said.
I nodded.
"How long will the surgery be?", my dad asked.
"Two hour, if there aren't any complications", Dr. Jericho replied.
"Complications? You didn't say anything about complications", my dad said.
"Relax, I don't think there will be, she's healthy", he said.
"Alright", my dad said.
I felt my dad hug me, his arms squeezing me tight.
"I'm going to be fine, even if in the end I don't get my sight back. I'll be okay", I whispered to him.
"I know, but that won't stop me from worrying, you're my baby", he whispered back.
He kissed the side of my head.
"I'll see you when you get out", he said, squeezing my shoulders.
I nodded, my brother hugged me next.
"My partner in crime", he said.
I giggled.
"I'll make sure to have our favorite ice cream ready for you", he said.
"I'm counting on it", I said as he pulled away.
"Ready?", Carmella asked beside me.
I nodded.
"She's in good hands, I'll be in with her", Carmella assured them.
Carmella placed my hand on her arm and walked me to where I needed to be. She helped me dress and onto the bed.
"Alright, I need you to count backwards", a nurse I didn't recognize said before putting some sort of mask on my face.
Carmella had warned me that they would and not to panic when they did.
When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in front of my mom. I looked around.
"Mom", I said, tears filling my eyes.
She smiled.
"Do you plan on going to prom?", she asked.
I remembered this conversation, it was the day of the accident.
"Before you say no, you should. You only have one and trust me, I went to mine with your dad and we had a blast", she said, excited and smiling.
It made me smile.
"I miss you", I whispered.
Her eyes lifted from her plate to me.
"What are you going on about? I haven't gone anywhere", she said.
Not yet. Was I dead or was this me just remembering?
"Lets go home baby", she said, holding out her hand.
She didn't do that the night of the accident.
"What about dad? Apollo?", I asked.
I stood and shook my head no.
"I can't, I want too but I can't", I said.
I walked away from her. Going into a store, I stopped. This store turned into my living room. My dad was on the couch, crying and screaming no, no.
"Randy, I'm so sorry", my grandmother said.
I remembered this, it was the day after my dad took me home from the hospital. He thought I couldn't hear him. His face still looked the same, he was wearing what he wore the day my mom and I got into the accident.
"I'm going to kill him, every single one of them. My wife is gone, my child can't see. I don't know what to do. Do you? Tell me what to do mom", he yelled.
My grandmother cried. I could hear her from my room.
"Randy, just calm down. I know you're going through a rough time", my uncle Seth said, trying to calm my dad down.
"You don't know what I'm going through. You didn't lose the love of your life, you didn't almost lose your daughter. Don't tell me you understand", he yelled.
Roman-
We killed everyone in the building, we went from room to room. No sign of either missing team.
"Something isn't right", Phil said, before removing his mask.
I removed mine.
"What do you mean?", I asked, looking around at the carnage.
Seth and Hunter removed theirs.
"We got word of movement late at night, groups of men being brought in. So where are they?", Phil said.
Seth got on his walkie.
"If you find someone alive, leave them alive and call us. We need to speak to them", Seth said.
We knew no one was left, but maybe one was still alive long enough to tell us where the missing men were.
"Sgt. Rollins, we found something I think you should see", Slater called over the walkie.
"On our way", Seth replied.
We left a team up top to watch. Getting to what looked like a kitchen, Curtis Axel popped his head out of a giant hole.
"Slater found it. He leaned against the wall and fell in sir", Axel said.
"Son of a bitch, it's a tunnel", Phil said.
"They knew we were coming for them, they tried to cover it up. It would take forever to fill, so they just built a wall", Hunter said.
"How far does the tunnel go?", Baron asked.
"Pretty deep. Heath and Tyler are still going. I told them to check in once they got to the end", Axel said.
Just as he said, Heath checked in.
"We found them, all of them. They built cells down here", Heath said over the walkie.
We all quickly ran down the long tunnel, finally seeing two lights. We stopped and they flashed them into the cells, the men turned away from the bright lights.
"Ambrose?", I called.
"He can't talk, his jaw is broken. They beat him to make him talk and when he didn't they just left him here to die", Dolph Ziggler.
He was with the missing team. You could tell which ones were here first by how skinny they looked. The smell of urine, blood, and vomit finally hit me now that my adrenaline had lowered.
"We're going home boys", Hunter said.
It took several trips to and from the cells. Carrying as many men as we could. Fandango had his work cut out for him. Some men were sick, others badly beaten, and the rest were just hungry and thirsty.
After the last man was taken out, we all helped in what we could. I went over to Dean, one eye was completely closed, but his good eye, looked right at me.
"Damn brother, you look like shit", I said.
He tried to laugh but couldn't, his jaw was shut tight. I squeezed his shoulder.
"I'm glad you're okay", I said.
He nodded as best he could. Seth came over.
"You always have to have all the fun without us", he said.
I laughed and Dean tried to again, but stopped and shut his eyes.
"Rest up bud", Seth said.
"They're sending the evacuation team to pick us up. Helicopters will be for the ones who are really bad, from there you will be shipped home", Hunter said.
I looked down at Dean and smiled.
"You're going home bud", I said.
A look of relief on his face. This was his last tour and he knew it, no more coming back.
"How long till evac?", Seth asked.
"By helicopter, I would say three hours", Hunter said, before going to help someone.
He nodded. There were four guys badly injured.
Artemis-
I could hear soft music in the background. Walking towards the kitchen, I stopped. I smiled, remembering this memory. The memory of my mom and dad dancing in the kitchen when I was around nine.
I watched from the doorway. I remember thinking that I wanted a love like that, a love that strong. My dad went over to my mom, who was stirring whatever was in the pot. He wrapped his arms around her before kissing her neck.
She giggled.
"Stop it Randy", she said, while squirming in his arms and laughing.
He laughed too.
"Dance with me", he said, pulling on her hands.
She shook her head no.
"I have too finish dinner, now stop it", she said smiling.
He held her close.
"One dance with the love of my life and I'll never ask again", he said, making her smile and blush.
"You've said that before since the moment we met", she said.
He smiled.
"And you keep saying yes", he said, holding out his hand.
She took it.
"Wait, give me a second. We can't dance till we've put our song on", he said.
He went over to the radio and pressed the button to find the track he was looking for. Her mom smiled like a lovestruck teenager, falling in love for the first time again. He returned her smile. Their song "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles started playing.
They held each other close and spun around slowly, looking into each other's eyes and telling each other, I love you before kissing.
"Looks like we have an audience", my dad said, tilting his head my way.
Apollo was sat right beside me.
"Come here you two", our mother said.
We did as she said and my dad picked me up in his arms.
"May I have this dance?", he asked.
I nodded. Apollo was dancing with our mom.
"Artemis?", I was confused, that wasn't in the memory.
"I think she's waking up", Dr. Jericho?
"She's going to be in and out for a bit", Carmella?
"How did everything go?", my dad asked.
Now I remember, I had surgery.
"Perfect. The bandages can't come off unless the nurses are cleaning her wounds. Even then she's not allowed to open her eyes. I'll check her eyes in a week to see how she is and how they are. Also, she'll be staying here till I've cleared her. I want to keep her close in case something happens", he said.
"I understand", My dad said.
"Notify me when she wakes", the doctor said, before leaving the room.
"I don't know if I should mention it or if it will be too weird for you", I heard Carmella say.