It will be
By the end of the week things were slowing down a smidge for the Thornton's. Weaver was cleared to be released from the hospital and into the care of his family. General Avery pulled some strings to get him into one of the most well known PTSD clinics in the country, ensuring he would receive the best possible care and the best chances of a full and happy life.
As promised, Jack saw him through. The day he was discharged, he and Elizabeth went to the hospital and walked out with Wyatt, Gem and Mrs. Weaver to the car.
"Write to me, you understand?" Jack said. "I want to know all about your recovery. I hear this place in Colorado is pretty nice."
"The pictures looked pretty great. It's in the mountains." Weaver said wearily.
"You've got this, bud. You can do this, you hear me?"
"I know. I just, I don't know what to do when this is all over."
"That's the beauty of it. You get better, you can do almost anything. Maybe become a doctor or a teacher. Teachers are my favorite." Jack winked at his wife, causing her to blush.
"Roger that, sir."
"Wyatt," Elizabeth smiled at the young man giving him a hug. "You take good care of yourself. I mean it. We care a lot about you, okay?"
"Thank you, ma'am. Sorry I pointed my gun at your husband that night and put him and everyone in danger. I wasn't myself."
"I know. Thank you for not shooting him." She shook her finger at him, giving him a playful stern look.
"Yeah… that would have been very bad." They laughed, trying to cut the tension. "We should go. We're driving out. I didn't want to risk having an episode on a flight."
"Good plan. Keep me posted, okay?"
"I will." Weaver looked at his leader and friend. Thankful that of all the units he could have been assigned to, that it was Jacks.
Elizabeth hugged Gem and Mrs. Weaver. Then Mrs. Weaver walked over to hug Jack.
"Thank you for everything you did for my son. For not giving up on him, even now." Tears were evident in her eyes as she spoke.
"My pleasure, ma'am. He's a good young man. I'm just sorry its ending like this."
"I'm just glad its not ending worse."
Jack nodded and held the door open and she slid inside.
They stood on the sidewalk and watched as the family drove out of sight.
"Ready, babe?" Elizabeth asked, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. One goodbye was done for the day, another one to left go. "We have a couple hours before Gabe's farewell BBQ. Do you have to go back to work?"
He held her close, breathing in her lavender scent. "Not today. I took the afternoon off. Are you hungry? We could go grab take out from Abigail's, then pick up Rip and go to the park."
"Curl up on a blanket and watch the clouds roll by?" She smiled at him.
Jack nodded. "I just want to keep holding you. I want you close today."
"Not going to hear me argue that about one. Let's go." She gently tugged him across the parking lot towards the jeep. He opened her door and helped her in the car. "I love you, Captain Thornton."
"I love you too." He kissed her before closing the door and heading to his side.
Since their talk almost a week before, Jack had been better but exhausted. Sleep for one reason or another kept evading him. He'd wake up in the middle of the night for no reason he could see or just simply couldn't fall asleep. He'd given up drinking coffee and anything with caffeine to try and help but so far nothing. He even added an extra mile to his run or more reps to his weight routine to try and tire himself out more. Nothing did the trick. Elizabeth did the best she could do to just be there for him and relax him when she could.
…..
At the same time across town at the Cantrell's home, Faith stood in front of her mirror trying on outfit after outfit. She had two piles going on her bed. One that fit, one that didn't. The one the fit was significantly smaller than the other.
"Mom?" Phillip yelled up the stairs. "Can I have a snack?"
"Sure, sweetie. Just give me a sec!"
When she didn't come downstairs after about 5 minutes, Philip decided to come find her.
"Mom, what are you doing?" The adorable blonde boy asked.
Faith laid on her back on the bed, her hand resting on her newly expanding belly.
"Contemplating."
"Contemplating what?" He tilted his head to the side, confused by his mom's position.
"How big I'm going to get over the next few months."
"Oh that." Philip laughed. "Pretty big, I'm guessing."
"Philip Michael!"
"What? Isn't that how it works?" He said innocently as he hopped on the bed. He curled up next to her, wrapping his thin arms around her and his baby brother or sister. "Moms have to get big for the babies inside them to get big and strong. You want to get big. That means everything is going well for the baby."
She looked down and smiled and her wonderful son. "You're right, love. Thank you for that. That does still leave me with a problem though."
"What's that?"
"I've outgrown everything I own except these leggings and this dress." She pointed to the outfit she had on.
"Oh…" Philip sat up on the bed. "So for my snack today maybe we should go to Yogurt World in the mall and you go can go to the pregnant lady store. Then we can meet Dad at Mrs. Montgomery's for the party."
"Aw, Philip! You'd go shopping with me?" Faith gushed, her hand over her heart.
"Sure!" He shrugged. "But I am really hungry."
"Yogurt and clothes it is! Lets go!"
…...
It was just before dinner and the Hogan's, Stanton's, Thornton's, Cantrell's and a few other families gathered at Cat Montgomery's to wish Gabe well the night before he left for basic training. Even the Coulters made a short appearance.
"Look at him." Shane said with a kind laugh. "So young and green. You remember being like that?" He asked Jack. The two men watched as Gabe stood talking to the Coulters and Stanton's. His posture was tall, the proud young soldier. His typical long shaggy mop of hair had been recently buzzed by his mom for the occasion.
"A little. I was in ROTC so my route was a little different but yeah. I remember thinking I had it all together."
"What made you realize you didn't?"
Jack laughed. "Elizabeth. I thought I had every detail of my life figured out to a T. Then in walks this gorgeous young woman and I couldn't remember my own name let alone my life's plans. All I knew was that if she wasn't in it, the future didn't matter."
Shane smiled. "And look at you now."
Jack nodded. "Yeah."
"You alright?" Shane shot him a questioning look. Something seemed off. "Thinking about Weaver?"
"I little I guess. He left today. Seems okay."
"I heard he got a spot in that clinic out west. He's in good hands, Jack. You did right by him."
"Yeah. I didn't do anything though. I need to thank the General for getting him into the clinic."
"Come on now. You know why General Avery did that, don't you?"
Jack shrugged, "He's a good guy."
"True, but it's because you're a good leader. It's not just Weaver he's helping here. Its you too. He knows taking care of him, helps your wellbeing."
"That's good, I guess. I didn't really look at it like that."
"Trust me. It's how it goes. All I'm saying is, you did good."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. So aside from that, you okay? I'll be honest, you look like crap," Shane teased.
"Gee thanks. You're such a good friend." Jack laughed, smacking Shane in the arm.
"I'm only teasing. But really, how are you?"
"I'd be better if I could sleep." Jack groaned, rubbing his face.
"What's keeping you?"
"I have no idea." Jack turned to watch Elizabeth as she sat with Abigail and Faith. She was smiling away. Glowing even as she absentmindedly rested her hands on her belly.
Shane studied his friend. He had a feeling he knew what was going on with Jack. He hoped he was wrong.
"Jack, remember me talking about that rough patch I had after my long deployment back when Philip was just a toddler? When I was a single dad."
"I remember. It got pretty ugly for you for a while. You're mom was a big help wasn't she?"
"She was. I honestly don't know what I would have done without her back then. My reason for bringing it up now is that it all started with my not sleeping well. Philip was so small and I had so much baggage from my deployment, let alone my wifes death and I struggled to sort it out."
"So what are you saying?" Jack wondered.
"I'm just saying, keep a watchful eye out. If you need anything call us, okay? Faith and I, we're here for you." Shane let out a small chuckle, "I remember I'd never slept walked a day in my life, but one morning I woke up in the bathtub."
"Really?" Jack laughed. "In the bathtub?"
"Hand to God, man. There I was. It was as if I was in my bunk or something." They both laughed. "Then I got all cranky and weird. The was less fun. It just got worse and worse till my mom stepped in and took Philip away. She made me realize how bad things were and reminded me i need to take care of myself for Philips sake. So in all seriousness, if it starts to get too weird, call me, alright?"
"I will. Thanks, man."
"No worries. You're like my brother. And pardon my language here, but you went through a living hell that night. I wouldn't leave you then and I won't now."
"I know. I don't know what I'd do without you."
…..
"They look so serious…" Faith arched her neck trying to see what her husband and Jack were talking about. "What do you think that's all about?"
"Not sure. Work related, I suppose," Elizabeth said, watching the men as well.
"Officers," Abigail rolled her eyes. "Always on duty. So tell me, ladies. Any fun plans coming up?"
"Well, school starts with a 3 day week next week, then Jack and I are off to Boston for Julie's bridal shower for Labor Day weekend. If he can get the time off that is. Charlotte is driving up as well and I know he'd like to see her."
"That reminds me! We need to finish up the details for yours and Rosie's shower before either one of you pop!" Abigail added. "And Faith, we need to get a date in the books for yours too."
"Oh, Abigail there's plenty of time. I'm barely showing as it is."
"And whatever you do for Rosie and I will be perfect! We're so excited."
"Oh, it will be! Did you know since we told Rosie about our little idea and told her to step back from her play she's been on Pinterest sending me ideas for both showers?"
"Oh dear!" Faith laughed.
"So yes, I think they will both be quite the events."
…...
The next morning, Becky stood with Cat, Miles and Emily as they watched Gabe and the other recruits take the oath of service. In a moment, they would say their goodbyes and board the buses for basic training.
After he said goodbye to his family, it was time. The time she had been dreading for months now. She had to say goodbye to her first love. For the time being anyway.
"We can do this," Becky breathed deep, staying strong.
"We can. It's just a few short weeks of basic."
"Then a few short weeks of MOS training."
"Then you'll have your assignment, somewhere…"
"And then we can at least skype more normally."
"And text and call."
"Right. This not talking much part is just temporary. Who knows. Maybe you'll love me more when it's over?"
"Don't push your luck…" she sassed.
"Hey, a guy can dream, right?"
The rested their foreheads against each other, arms around each other.
"Wait for me?" He felt he needed to ask.
"Always." She kissed his cheek. "Be safe?"
"I will. I love you, Becky Hogan." He kissed her lips chastely, slipping a silver promise ring with a rose colored stone in the center on her right hand.
"I love you too." She watched as he boarded the bus with the rest of the young men and women. It took all her strength to hold it together. Suddenly there was an arm around her shoulder.
"I've been here before you know," Cat spoke softly. "I was your age when Gabe's father left for basic."
"You were?"
"We'll get through this. All of us." They stood watching until all the buses were out of site.
Cat cleared her throat. "And that's that. What do you say I drop the kids off at Mrs. Blakely's and you and I go grab a coffee and a pastry? You think your mom made scones again this morning at the cafe?"
"I think I heard she was making chocolate chip swirl ones this morning."
"Wonderful. I think I'll have 2. It feels like that kind of morning, don't you think?"
Becky laughed. "I agree."
…..
The following week rolled around and with it came the first day of school. Shane was the first awake in his house. He wasn't sure how easy it would be to wake Philip up that morning. The little boy was so excited the night before he worked himself up into a frenzy and didn't fall asleep till well past 10.
For Shane, even though he didn't need to be in to work till later, he woke up extra early to make breakfast for his wife and son for the first day of school.
Dressed in his running clothes he stood in the kitchen preparing pancakes with fresh fruit and turkey bacon. No eggs, as the smell was still making Faith's stomach a bit upset.
As he placed the unneeded ingredients back into the fridge he smiled at the pictures cascading across the door. Pictures of Philip's wide smile, the three of them together, one of Shane and Faith all dressed up for the Army Ball a couple years back. Then there was the black and white ultrasound picture of their newest addition. Underneath it was a small note in Philips handwriting that said, "My baby brother or sister!" with a heart drawn on it. Life was looking pretty good.
Another picture was one of Shane and Jack from their time overseas, both men smiling and waving at the camera. Shane remembered that day. It was a picture they took for Elizabeth to have for the class but also as a reminder for their wives that they were okay.
"We made it out," Shane whispered. "Thank the Lord we made it out." He ran his fingers over the ultrasound picture again and turned his attention back to the pancakes. His family would be up soon.
Just down the street Elizabeth's alarm blared its annoying chime. She hated the racket so much. But that was the point, wasn't it? If she liked the noise she might just roll over and go back to sleep.
She hit the alarm once, hard, silencing it and rolled over to curl up against her husband's warm back. Instead she found his spot cold and empty. She sat up and looked around the room but there was no trace of him. The bathroom was empty, and the house was quiet.
Curious, she dragged herself out of bed and grabbed her robe off the chair in the corner. Wrapping it tightly around her body, she headed into the hall.
"Jack?" She walked into the living room but it too was empty. A few books from the end table laid haphazardly on the floor. Assuming Rip knocked most of them over with his tail, she picked them up and went on her way.
"Jack?" No sign of him in the kitchen either. She made her way down to the office. Sure enough, there he was. She stood in the doorway for a moment watching him snore away in his big brown armchair. It was unclear what brought him there. He didn't seem to have fallen asleep reading or sketching. Two things he had been known to do in the past.
"Babe?" she gently nudged him awake. "You alright?"
He shook his head awake and looked around. "Elizabeth? When did I get here?"
"I don't know," she smiled, kissing his forehead. "You don't remember?"
"No. Last I remember I was upstairs reading to you."
"And last I remember was taking the book out of your hands after you fell asleep and tucking you in."
"Ah," he grinned. "You always do take good care of me."
"You've always done such a good job for me. It's only fair I do the same." She leaned in, kissing his soft lips, allowing hers to linger on his a while longer than necessary. When she pulled back, she looked deep into his eyes, seeing a weeks worth of tiredness in them. "You sure you're okay?"
"I think so. I really don't remember coming down here though. I guess I woke and couldn't sleep or something."
"You think that's it?"
"What else could it be?" He shrugged innocently.
"I don't know." She moved to sit on his lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Have you been feeling stressed at all? With work? All the changes in our lives?"
He thought about it for a moment, "No, honestly. I know I'm not sleeping well and have a lot on my mind but I wouldn't say I'm stressed or worried. Just preoccupied."
The alarm on Elizabeth's phone went off letting her know it was time for her to get ready for the day. "I have to jump in the shower or I'll never make it to work on time. First day of school!"
"That's right! What does my favorite teacher want for breakfast?"
"Honestly, I'm just going to grab a piece of toast on my way out the door."
"Not a chance. You and our son will need more than that to get through the day. So tell me, what can I do?"
"Don't you have work you have to get to?" she giggled.
"I don't have to be in till an hour later than you. Please let me spoil you this morning."
"Alright," she kissed him again. "How about a breakfast sandwich?"
"Egg, cheese and spinach on a bagel?"
"You know me well!" She smiled standing up.
"Done. Now, need any help with that shower?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her with a playful grin.
"Jack… if we go that route I'll never make it in to work. You know that." she bit her bottom lip, wishing she had additional hour to kill.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" He flirted, pulling her back down onto his lap.
"On the first day of school? Yes."
"Oh alright. Go on, Mrs. Thornton." With a stretch he walked into the kitchen to work on their breakfast. Once the eggs were on the stove, he pulled out his phone to text Shane.
Jack: Got time for a short run after our wives head to school?
Shane: Sure. What's up?
Jack: I need your advice. Something's not right.
Shane: With you or Elizabeth? The pregnancy okay?
Jack: The baby is fine. Thank God. It's me.
Shane: Meet me at the track at 8.
Thankful for his friend, Jack placed the phone back on the counter and finished with their breakfast. He pulled out Elizabeth's lunch bag and began filling it with everything she'd set aside for the day. Little snacks as well as her lunch. Reaching into the back cupboard he pulled out a couple of mini 3 Musketeers bars and slipped them into her bag for later, knowing how much she loved them. When it was ready, he set the bag and her water bottle with her purse by the door.
"All set!" She sang as she hurried into the kitchen just as he plated their breakfast and poured her tea. "How do I look?"
He smiled. She was wearing leggings and a cobalt blue and white thin striped dress.
"Beautiful, as always." He stood up to pull out her chair. "Your breakfast is served."
"Mmm, thank you." She sipped her tea and took a big bite of her sandwich. It wasn't till the food was right in front of her that she realized how hungry she was. She looked up at Jack and watched as he picked at his food and played with his mug.
"Babe, you nervous about what happened this morning?" He nodded. She reached out to take his hand, giving him support.
"You remember when Shane told us about what happened to him a while back, before he met Faith?"
Elizabeth slowly sipped her tea while she tried to recall the memory. "He had the bad tour in Iraq. They were pinned down for 5 hours and thought they wouldn't make it out alive?"
"Right, that one."
"Sounds an awful lot like what happened to you."
"It's not without its similarities." He sighed. "Do you remember what happened to Shane?"
Elizabeth closed her eyes tight. She remembered. "Shane didn't sleep for days, weeks maybe. He went kind of crazy I think. His mother came and took Philip away from him and made him get help, right?"
"Right."
"You think that's what's happening here?" She said shocked. "But Jack, you're not acting crazy. You're just having a little trouble sleeping. That's all. We can handle this."
"I know. But Shane didn't just wake up one morning having lost his mind. It built up over time. Look, I texted him this morning. After you head in I'm going to meet him for a run and ask him some questions. We'll figure this out."
"It's going to be fine, Jack. You, me, this baby, we'll be okay."
"I know that, beautiful. I'm going to make sure of it. This is part of me making sure of it." He left his seat to kneel in front of her. "You and our son mean everything to me. I will not let you down. I would give up my life for the two of you. You know that right?"
"Jack, I'm not asking you to give up your life for us. In fact I'm insisting you don't," she teased.
"You know what I mean, love."
"I do." She held his handsome face in her hands and sighed. "Okay. Talk to Shane. Figure out whatever you need and report back to me."
"Yes, ma'am." He grinned. "I love you."
"I love you more."
…
NYC Hospital
Tom Thornton stood in the empty hallway on the 3rd floor of one of NYC most renowned hospitals. He was dressed up for work, hair done nice, even wearing one of the new ties Julie had purchased for him. Work was not on his mind, however, at the moment.
He looked down at his watch. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" The double doors opened and out walked an exhausted, yet beautiful, redhead who just happened to be his fiancé.
"Jules!"
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" She gushed, running into his waiting arms. "I've missed you!"
"I've missed you! It's been a week since we've done more than just talked on the phone."
"I know, I'm sorry. My shifts have been insane. Good news though, I love my job. Even better news, I'm actually good it!"
"Of course you're good at it." Tom pulled her close, kissing her lips softly. "I've been dreaming about that."
"Mmm, me too." She smiled. "How long till you have to be in the office?"
"I have time for breakfast. What do you say I take you out for bite?"
Julie shot him a questioning look. She was just getting off a 48 hour shift, and she know her looks reflected it. "I don't know, Tom. I bet I look how I feel right now."
"So we go to the bagel place across the street or even to the cafeteria. I just want to spend an hour with you. Please?"
How could she refuse such a request?
"Alright. But let's go to the bagel place. I need a break from here!"
…..
While at the bagel shop, Julie breathed in the heavenly scent of her steaming hot coffee while holding tightly to Tom's hand. She'd missed him so much over the last week. What time hadn't been spent at the hospital lately had been spent with family planning their wedding. It was quickly becoming overwhelming.
"You ever think about just eloping?" she blurted out.
"Sure. Why?" His response was completely calm as he leaned back in his chair sipping his own coffee. "Your mom and sisters driving you crazy?"
"Kind of, but they mean well. Honestly the wedding itself is pretty much in place. We have the church, the reception is at my parents, the colors and music and flowers. I still need a dress and you need to help me with the food but really everything is moving along smoothly."
"That's good. My mom said the invitations turned out great too."
"Exactly." She sighed.
"So what's got you all bothered? I know I haven't done a whole lot yet. Maybe I can help."
"You're so sweet, Tom. I love you. I think… I think I just want to be married. I miss you. We're hardly ever in the same place at the same time and when we are, we're never alone."
Tom watched as she wiped a few tears from the corner of her eyes. "What if we get away for a couple days just you and me? We can go this weekend."
"I'd love that but we can't. I'm saving up time for our wedding and the shower is this weekend. Elizabeth and your mom are coming, remember?"
"That's right…" Tom sighed. "You're off tonight, right?"
"I am."
"Good! After breakfast, go home and sleep. Tonight meet me at my place."
"For what?" she giggled at his excitement.
"I'll think of something."
"Wonderful!" She leaned over the table to kiss him. "And if nothing else I think Atlantic City is only a couple hours away."
Tom laughed. "Let's make that plan B then, okay?"
…...
Back at Fort Hope, Jack and Shane met at the track and opted to run first, talk after. If it had been their wives, they would have forgone the run and talked out their problems over some fatty pastry or coffee. Jack however felt the need to run out as much as of his anxieties as possible. Halfway through, they stopped for water. Sitting under a nearby maple tree Jack explained everything to Shane.
"You really don't know how you ended up downstairs?"
"No. I fell asleep, upstairs, in our bed. That's all I remember."
"No dreams?"
"Nothing. I mean, I wake up anxious sometimes. Its like what happened over there is on my mind but I don't know why. I don't remember thinking about it or dreaming about it." Shane nodded. "What am I supposed to do?"
"I'll tell you one thing, you're not going to freak out."
"Shane be serious."
"I am. The more you stress over this the worse it will get. Trust me. Now I have a friend who's a doctor. He specializes in PTSD and was a huge help with me. I'm going to give him a call today and see if he'll talk with you, alright? Maybe he can meet with you and help sort some of this stuff out."
"Okay. I'll do whatever, Shane. I need to be 100% for my men and my family."
"I know. Look, this is more common than you think. It's going to be fine." Jack look unconvinced. "I'm serious, Jack. Right now it's just a theory we're working on. Nothing bad has happened, so relax. Think about Elizabeth and that baby of yours. Think about all the fun you 3 will be having. How you'll have your son with you for Christmas this year." Shane smiled. "Just think about that. Forget about Afghanistan and that horrible night. It can't get to you if you don't let it."
"Right… I'll do my best."
…..
After lunch, Elizabeth stood outside watching her kids play during their break. She was already in love with her class this year. Such a great group of kids, she could already tell. It would be hard to leave them for her maternity leave, but then again, she was leaving for something amazing, time with her baby. She was lost in thoughts of what it would be like for her and Jack when their son arrived when she felt a hand on the small of her back and smelled the sweet fragrant aroma of fall wildflowers.
"Afternoon, beautiful."
"Jack! What are you doing here!" She wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"Wanted to surprise my wife at work and tell her how much I love her."
"Well, you've certainly succeeded at that. These are beautiful. Thank you."
Jack kissed her cheek softly. "How's the class?"
"Wonderful so far. I'm excited. And my intern is great. I think she'll do great when I'm on leave."
Jack nodded. "This little guy going easy on you today? Not too many high kicks?"
"No," She laughed. "Just a little two stepping. Nothing too bad."
"Good."
As she looked into his eyes she could see the worry in them, a worry that wasn't there this morning.
"How'd your talk with Shane go?" Jack sighed. "That good?"
"He said this was a lot like how things started for him. Before he kind of lost it."
"Okay, well we've got a leg up on it. He didn't it." She said with conviction.
"I know."
"And you have me. Poor Shane was alone with only Philip at the time. This is different."
"I know, but what if…"
"We've got this!" Elizabeth's voice was stern, but her smile was soft. She was not going to allow Jack to fall prey to worry and fear.
Jack gave her a weak laugh. "You could give some drill sergeants a run for their money, you know that?"
"Goodness, there's a scary thought." She pulled her hair back out of her face. "I mean it though, Jack. We'll face this together. Whatever comes."
"I know. I love you. I should get back to work though."
"Alright. See you for dinner?"
"Yup. Want me to pick up Chinese for tonight?"
"Sounds heavenly. Can you get extra spring rolls?"
"Of course! Who do you think you're dealing with?" He winked, giving her one more kiss before heading back to his jeep.
