A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH! Okay today I am leaving for a vacation in Cape Cod, who knows maybe I'll see Ben Affleck's mom or something. So here is a chapter that will last you a week and I'll be back with like a bunch of new chapters when I get back but before I start my story:
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday you hot, sexy, attractive, awesome, mysterious, shy, young, beautiful, and did I mention hot? Actor Josh Hartnett.
Happy Birthday to you!
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, which in this chapter is everything and please don't make fun of me cuz I can't remember every little line, it's pretty damn close!
America hid in the shelter of isolation that kept her out of the devastating rise of Adolf Hitler. In the minds of those in charge of the country Hitler was Europe's problem, not the problem of the happy times in the US. FDR was now in office and introduced the new deal taking America out of her long depression. The home life of America was now booming with industry while the army was training to fight off Hitler if needed.
It was now late 1940 and times for the yearly physical that Rafe dreaded each year. Rafe McCawley rolled out of bed hitting the floor hard.
"What are you doing?" Anthony asked as Rafe began to bang his head on the floor.
"Physicals," Danny said with a toothbrush in his mouth.
"So you get a little needle in the ass," Chesty said, "it's not that bad!"
"You guys will never understand," Danny said pulling Rafe to his feet.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Most of the testing was easy for Rafe where he scored 99's on mathematics and special reasoning. His only fears were reading and comprehension. Danny sat nowhere near Rafe and he would feel awful if he cheated the system, but he felt it was his duty to help America. He wasn't being arrogant or anything, he was ranked number one in his airbase. He was thankful to pass the test with a 68.
The next hurdle he had to overcome was the eye exam.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The room was large, set into sections by thin white curtains to create a station system. The room was filled with pilots that Rafe recognized from Mitchell Field along with fewer nurses.
Rafe took a deep breath as he clutched his chart in his hand. Danny and Rafe had planned on getting shots first which had no lines.
The woman that gave Rafe his shot was young and seemed too young to be a navy nurse. She was gentle her blue eyes calm and sweet. Rafe felt lucky to have her and not the heavyset lady Danny had.
"So how bad was yours?" Rafe asked Danny as they walked away.
"Horrible," Danny cringed rubbing his bottom.
"Time for the eye test," Rafe sighed as they passed a pilot who had been failed.
"Doc, listen, I've passed a dozen medical tests! If you write that they won't let me fly!" He pleaded as the doctor stamped FAIL on his chart.
"I'm gonna fail!" Rafe gulped his face nervous with emotions. "They're gonna take my wings!"
"No they're not." Danny sighed as they walked to the station, "just keep practicing!"
"Right," Rafe mumbled looking at the slip of paper clutched in his palm, "j-l-m-k-p-o," he muttered softly, "j-l-m—"
"Next!" a gentle voice yelled as Rafe entered.
He placed the chart in front of her and covered his eye, "J-L-M-K-P-O! Eyes like and eagle miss." He said quickly and tensely.
"Slow down fly boy," she as she examined his chart. "Read the top line, both eyes."
Rafe looked at her dumb founded and shrugged, "um J-Q, oh wait I'm sorry, R-J-C-Q-W-C—"
"C-W," Danny coughed softly behind him.
"I mean C-W," Rafe quickly fixed, "I'm sorry, I know how this looks but it's not that I can't see, I mean I can hit a running rabbit with a $3 pistol, it's just letters, I get them messed up sometimes."
The nurse sighed as she looked at the name McCawley, Rafe. It must have been Kirsten's brother. She looked up at his familiar face from the picture. "Maybe after a little schooling you can take the test again."
"No, no, I had schooling it's just the teachers never knew what to make of it." Rafe turned the page of his chart to show his scoring. "Look at my math and special reasoning."
"Yes, but you barely passed the written exam!" she said sternly.
"Yeah, but he did pass it so is it my turn now?" Danny built up the courage to say.
"You'll wait your turn!" She scolded.
"Yes ma'am." Danny said softly hunching over.
Rafe took a deep breath and starred deeply into her hazel eyes. "Listen you don't dogfight with manuals and gauges. It's about feeling and the moment. And if that manual says that a guy who's a slow reader can be a pilot thin I'm the best pilot in this room." He sighed pushing every emotion he had into his eyes.
The nurse read them clearly as he heart melted. She couldn't think of a way to fail him. "Please ma'am, don't take my wings." He said a tear forming in his eyes.
"Evelyn, rotate to station 5," a nurse said. Evelyn did the quickest thing she could think of. She let her hand grab for whichever one it found first and stamped APPROVED onto his form.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The long day of physicals ended and Rafe and Danny were getting ready to leave. Rafe caught sight of Evelyn in his eye. "I'll meet up with you later," he said patting Danny on the back.
Rafe walked up to a boy waiting in line, "are you in listed?" he asked.
"Yeah," the boy said with an attitude.
"Boy, you're talkin' to an officer!" Rafe said using his authority, "give me your chart."
"Yes sir!" the boy said in a tense ease.
"Parade rest," Rafe ended as he walked into the cubicle.
Rafe took a deep breath and saw Evelyn in the far corner filling the syringes. "Drop your skewers," she said looking up at him.
"Yes of course," Rafe said pulling down his boxers, "how's this?"
Evelyn peered over "that's good."
"Well I was just thinking of how nice it was for you to have passed me."
"You know you never did say thank you," Evelyn said softly.
"Well, thank you, I just wanted you to know that you're my hero, and why you did it?"
"Well, my father was a pilot and I know first hand what it's like to lose your wings."
"Well, your fathers my hero then too. And I wanted to take my new hero out for a…OW!" Rafe said as Evelyn poked him.
"Oh, did I hurt you?"
"I think you hit the bone there," Rafe cringed.
Evelyn walked behind him whispering softly into his ear. Rafe could feel her breath on his neck and the tone of her voice soothed him. "They never taught us how to deal with this feeling!"
"What feeling?" Rafe asked as he gulped.
"Well it's like—" She said as she poked him again.
Rafe cringed as he began to leave. "Hurry up lover boy," a man outside said waiting.
"Hold on," Rafe said turning back around, "Look, I really lick you," Rafe said quickly covering his mouth. "I mean like you. And I was just wondering if I could donate you dinner, I mean buy you dinner."
"What?" Evelyn asked looking at him confused, "wait this isn't your chart!" she said looking down at the form.
"Yeah it's this young fella's over there," he responded looking woozy.
"Have you already had this shot?"
"Well, yeah, once. Wait, can I ask you out?"
"No!" Evelyn shouted.
"Oh, all right then," Rafe responded as he fell down breaking his nose on the supply table.
"Oh my God Ev, what did you do to him?" Barbara asked entering the room.
Evelyn shrugged still in shock.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rafe stood outside of the physical building still determined to get the girl. He ran over to a liquor store and bought some champagne and glasses.
Evelyn exited the building with the rest of the nurses as she spotted Rafe bandaged nose and all.
"Hey, hey," Rafe said getting her attention.
"Are you alright?" Evelyn asked with pity.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine! This is just stationary precautions," he assured her. "I've got some French champagne, from France and I thought we could celebrate." He said holding up the champagne and glasses.
"Celebrate what?"
"Well, you being my hero for one thing."
"Why not?" She shrugged walking over to him.
Rafe sat next to her as he struggled to get the cork out of the bottle. "So why did you become a nurse?"
"Well my father got me interested I guess."
"Yeah, um, well, OW!" Rafe said as the cork came flying out of the bottle and hit his broken nose.
"Are you all right?" Evelyn asked with concern.
"Yeah, cork just got away from me." He said his face cringed and tears welled up in his eyes. He poured the champagne in the glasses as they rattled bouncing from glass to glass. "Ah no, it hurts, it hurts." He nodded as he fell back into her lap.
"Oh let me see it's bleeding!" she said placing a block of ice on his nose.
"Aw it burns! It hurts!" Rafe moaned.
"It will stop the bleeding," She whispered.
"Your so pretty it hurts."
"No silly it's your nose that hurts."
"No, it's my heart."
Evelyn gazed lovingly into his eyes as she leaned over to him, and then she kissed him.
A/N: This is the last you'll hear from me till Thursday but my I can still check my e-mail so I'll still get your reviews. Anyway I hope you will deal with my lack of accuracy, I tried my best. Once again Happy Birthday Josh and who ever else has a birthday see ya soon. ~ Sara
