Heart of a Volunteer
Chapter 8: Heart of a Volunteer
November 13, 1967
Danny felt alone on the muddy ground he laid. He wasn't really sure how he got there, and he wasn't sure if anyone alive was near him. His plane was a crashed, fiery mess yards away from where his bloody body was sprawled out. "Help," he whispered. He couldn't lift his head to see if there was anyone within ear shot.
He wasn't new, he wasn't sure how he let it happen. All he knew was that bullets sprayed through his plane, and he barely made it out alive. He heard people running. He wasn't sure why. Maybe there was a fight, and they were running from it. Or maybe they saw him laying there and they had come to save him. He was hoping they would save him.
The girl was standing over him, and he thought she was an angel. The sun was directly behind her, illuminating her already beautiful features. "Am I in Heaven?" he asked.
"Far from it. You're in Vietnam, flyboy," the girl said.
"Well, then you mind helping me? I have a major headache," he said.
"You're bleeding from your head; it's probably more than a headache."
"Are you a nurse?" he asked.
"Yea, and so is she," she said pointing at her friend.
They drape his arms over their shoulders and help him stand. "I can't walk," he said, his vision was blury and his balance was off.
They put him back on the ground while the second girl ran to find help. "So, is that your plane over there?" she asked looking in the plane's direction.
"Yep," he said. "I've had better landings."
She sat next to him and started examining the gaping cut on his head. "Pretty bad," she whispered.
"But I'll be okay?" he asked.
"Maybe."
"I'm just gonna lay here and take a quick nap before your friend gets back," he said laying his head back on the dirty ground.
"No!" she said forcing him up. "You can't sleep, sorry flyboy."
"I'm so tired," he whined.
"Just, uh, talk to me. Where were you born? Do you have any family?"
"Tennessee. Brother and two sisters," he said staring into her blue eyes.
"Okay. I was born in West Virginia actually. Not too far actually."
"No," he agreed. "Now why can't a nice country girl like yourself let a nice man like me sleep?"
"You know why. And I'm not a country girl. I was born north. Faaar north. Not to say a nice country boy like yourself doesn't charm me."
"Oh so you'd go out with me?" he asked.
She looked at him funny. "You're talking strange now. I can't trust anything you say in your state."
"I have a girlfriend," he said. His eyes wandered, although he wanted the girl in front of him. "But I've never felt like this before for a girl."
"That's because you're hurt!"
"I hurt," he agreed.
"Your head hurts."
"I think it's my heart," he said. She smiled at his innocense.
"You don't even know me," she said. The other girl came running back, with a bunch of men at her heals. They carried a stretcher.
He was about to be taken away. "What's your name?" he asked the girl.
"Meg," she called to the boy she had just met.
"I'm Danny!" he called back. "Danny Walker!"
***************************************************************************************************************
Meg flung the curtain open to a wide awake Danny. "Sleep well?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am," he said.
"Are you aware what you said to me before you passed out?" she asked.
"Well, if I had half of my sense, it would be to say thank you."
"You asked me out, well you said you'd never felt like that for a girl. And you informed me of your girlfriend."
"Wow. Did I tell you that I don't love her, I just said I did?" he asked.
"No, actually you didn't."
"Well, I did, I mean I lied to her. I don't love her."
"And why exactly are you telling me this?" the girl asked.
"Because, I think I wanna ask you out. And I wanna start off with an honest relationship."
"You're crazy."
"You're beautiful. So, is Saturday at seven okay?"
"Listen, flyboy. You won't be out of here until at least Sunday."
"Sunday at seven all right with you?" he asked.
"Oh my God. You pilots just don't learn. No is no."
"And one date is just that. One date."
"Meg, is it? My memory went a little when I fell asleep."
"It's Meg."
"Well, Meg. If you would please send this to the address on the envelope, it would be greatly appriciated."
She took the envelope out of his hands. "Family?" she asked.
"Girlfriend. I mean, ex-girlfriend."
She sighed and pulled the curtain shut. "You know you wanna date me!" he called.
She popped her head back in the room. "You should get some sleep. You're hallucinating, flyboy."
"I can understand those five syllable words you throw at me."
She counted the syllables on her fingers and realized he was right. "Sleep. Now."
"I love you too."
She walked down the hall, and couldn't help but smile to herself.
***************************************************************************************************************
*A/N: I know what you're thinking. He went to war for this girl, and now he's leaving her. Not the case. I'll explain it later.*
***************************************************************************************************************
Jamie felt the speed of the aircraft as she took the controls. Danny smiled at her from the backseat. She had been flying on her own since June, and only occasionally did he ride with her.
When they finally did land, after a thirty minute duration spent in the air, Danny critiqued her on everything from the lack of fuel to the bumpy landing. "Backseat driver," she snorted. They both chuckled.
Chelsea stood in the entrance of the barn. "Dinner already?" Danny asked looking at his watch. Only 4:00.
"No, I wanted to talk to you."
"About what?" he asked.
"Flying," she said.
A smile crept over Danny's face. "I'd love to teach you."
***************************************************************************************************************
Eric's face immediatly became hot as he held the envelope in his hands. Evelyn stood behind him, waiting for him to open it. "Mom, I can't do it," he said handing it to her.
"Calm down," she said. "I can't open this for you."
"But it's Georgetown!" he protested. "I mean GEORGE-TOWN. The only school I've wanted to go to since I was eight!"
"You're very smart and you scored so high on your ACT's. I'm sure you got in."
"No, mom. Listen to me. GEORGETOWN. Not the University of Tennessee. Okay? GEORGETOWN!"
"Open it."
He took a deep breath and openned the envelope. He shut his eyes as he pulled the paper out from inside. "You read it," he said thrusting the paper into her arms.
She did, and her expression didn't change. "Did I get in?" he asked trying to read her Poker face.
"I don't know," she said handing the paper back to him. "Find out for yourself."
He looked her dead in the eyes, mad that she wouldn't tell him. Slowly, his eyes found their way to the paper. "Oh my God," he said very slowly.
"What?" Danny said coming in from outside.
"I....I'm going to Georgetown!" he screamed. "I GOT IN!"
Chapter 8: Heart of a Volunteer
November 13, 1967
Danny felt alone on the muddy ground he laid. He wasn't really sure how he got there, and he wasn't sure if anyone alive was near him. His plane was a crashed, fiery mess yards away from where his bloody body was sprawled out. "Help," he whispered. He couldn't lift his head to see if there was anyone within ear shot.
He wasn't new, he wasn't sure how he let it happen. All he knew was that bullets sprayed through his plane, and he barely made it out alive. He heard people running. He wasn't sure why. Maybe there was a fight, and they were running from it. Or maybe they saw him laying there and they had come to save him. He was hoping they would save him.
The girl was standing over him, and he thought she was an angel. The sun was directly behind her, illuminating her already beautiful features. "Am I in Heaven?" he asked.
"Far from it. You're in Vietnam, flyboy," the girl said.
"Well, then you mind helping me? I have a major headache," he said.
"You're bleeding from your head; it's probably more than a headache."
"Are you a nurse?" he asked.
"Yea, and so is she," she said pointing at her friend.
They drape his arms over their shoulders and help him stand. "I can't walk," he said, his vision was blury and his balance was off.
They put him back on the ground while the second girl ran to find help. "So, is that your plane over there?" she asked looking in the plane's direction.
"Yep," he said. "I've had better landings."
She sat next to him and started examining the gaping cut on his head. "Pretty bad," she whispered.
"But I'll be okay?" he asked.
"Maybe."
"I'm just gonna lay here and take a quick nap before your friend gets back," he said laying his head back on the dirty ground.
"No!" she said forcing him up. "You can't sleep, sorry flyboy."
"I'm so tired," he whined.
"Just, uh, talk to me. Where were you born? Do you have any family?"
"Tennessee. Brother and two sisters," he said staring into her blue eyes.
"Okay. I was born in West Virginia actually. Not too far actually."
"No," he agreed. "Now why can't a nice country girl like yourself let a nice man like me sleep?"
"You know why. And I'm not a country girl. I was born north. Faaar north. Not to say a nice country boy like yourself doesn't charm me."
"Oh so you'd go out with me?" he asked.
She looked at him funny. "You're talking strange now. I can't trust anything you say in your state."
"I have a girlfriend," he said. His eyes wandered, although he wanted the girl in front of him. "But I've never felt like this before for a girl."
"That's because you're hurt!"
"I hurt," he agreed.
"Your head hurts."
"I think it's my heart," he said. She smiled at his innocense.
"You don't even know me," she said. The other girl came running back, with a bunch of men at her heals. They carried a stretcher.
He was about to be taken away. "What's your name?" he asked the girl.
"Meg," she called to the boy she had just met.
"I'm Danny!" he called back. "Danny Walker!"
***************************************************************************************************************
Meg flung the curtain open to a wide awake Danny. "Sleep well?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am," he said.
"Are you aware what you said to me before you passed out?" she asked.
"Well, if I had half of my sense, it would be to say thank you."
"You asked me out, well you said you'd never felt like that for a girl. And you informed me of your girlfriend."
"Wow. Did I tell you that I don't love her, I just said I did?" he asked.
"No, actually you didn't."
"Well, I did, I mean I lied to her. I don't love her."
"And why exactly are you telling me this?" the girl asked.
"Because, I think I wanna ask you out. And I wanna start off with an honest relationship."
"You're crazy."
"You're beautiful. So, is Saturday at seven okay?"
"Listen, flyboy. You won't be out of here until at least Sunday."
"Sunday at seven all right with you?" he asked.
"Oh my God. You pilots just don't learn. No is no."
"And one date is just that. One date."
"Meg, is it? My memory went a little when I fell asleep."
"It's Meg."
"Well, Meg. If you would please send this to the address on the envelope, it would be greatly appriciated."
She took the envelope out of his hands. "Family?" she asked.
"Girlfriend. I mean, ex-girlfriend."
She sighed and pulled the curtain shut. "You know you wanna date me!" he called.
She popped her head back in the room. "You should get some sleep. You're hallucinating, flyboy."
"I can understand those five syllable words you throw at me."
She counted the syllables on her fingers and realized he was right. "Sleep. Now."
"I love you too."
She walked down the hall, and couldn't help but smile to herself.
***************************************************************************************************************
*A/N: I know what you're thinking. He went to war for this girl, and now he's leaving her. Not the case. I'll explain it later.*
***************************************************************************************************************
Jamie felt the speed of the aircraft as she took the controls. Danny smiled at her from the backseat. She had been flying on her own since June, and only occasionally did he ride with her.
When they finally did land, after a thirty minute duration spent in the air, Danny critiqued her on everything from the lack of fuel to the bumpy landing. "Backseat driver," she snorted. They both chuckled.
Chelsea stood in the entrance of the barn. "Dinner already?" Danny asked looking at his watch. Only 4:00.
"No, I wanted to talk to you."
"About what?" he asked.
"Flying," she said.
A smile crept over Danny's face. "I'd love to teach you."
***************************************************************************************************************
Eric's face immediatly became hot as he held the envelope in his hands. Evelyn stood behind him, waiting for him to open it. "Mom, I can't do it," he said handing it to her.
"Calm down," she said. "I can't open this for you."
"But it's Georgetown!" he protested. "I mean GEORGE-TOWN. The only school I've wanted to go to since I was eight!"
"You're very smart and you scored so high on your ACT's. I'm sure you got in."
"No, mom. Listen to me. GEORGETOWN. Not the University of Tennessee. Okay? GEORGETOWN!"
"Open it."
He took a deep breath and openned the envelope. He shut his eyes as he pulled the paper out from inside. "You read it," he said thrusting the paper into her arms.
She did, and her expression didn't change. "Did I get in?" he asked trying to read her Poker face.
"I don't know," she said handing the paper back to him. "Find out for yourself."
He looked her dead in the eyes, mad that she wouldn't tell him. Slowly, his eyes found their way to the paper. "Oh my God," he said very slowly.
"What?" Danny said coming in from outside.
"I....I'm going to Georgetown!" he screamed. "I GOT IN!"
