The next morning the pilots in Anthony's squadron were awoken from their drunken slumber when they heard Red rush in., a horrified stutter spewing from his lips. They'd yelled at him to be quiet, none of them really prepared to get up prier to noon on that bright warm Sunday. That was until Red finally managed to get out his warning at the very same time the barracks were ripped apart by bullets.
"The Japs are here!" Red whaled
The guys jumped from their beds running out the door in their civvies grabbing pants on their way.
They ran to their planes moving as though hells hounds were snapping at their heels. The Zeros strafed down the rows, bullets shredding the medal flesh of the P-40s. They were terrified racing across the tarmac their feet scarcely touching the ground. Anthony, Billy and Red zipped along trying to avoid being caught in the torrential downpour of shells that was raining down on them.
" Get some ammo for the 50 Cal! Get the 50 Cal." Billy yelled jumping into the bunker that surrounded it. Unfortunately that was also the very bunker that the Japanese let go of a bomb into moments later and Billy became dust. Red and Tony watched as their friend was vaporized. Their hearts stopped beating for a second in that second their innocence was gone but their vulnerability was doubled.
Danny and Rafe had mean while arrived in Danny's black Buick and now the remaining members of their crew climbed into the car and tore of toward Earl's mechanic field, they needed to get to planes.
Mikayla was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, trying to fix the last 3 planes that weren't running properly. She knew the garage like that back of her hand but in the state of chaos nothing seemed to be where it belonged. Minutes ago Earl had received a call from Danny saying to get the planes ready, we were being attacked by the Japanese. Mickey heard her father bark that he needed more ammo, followed by the squeal of car brakes. She walked to the front of the hangar as the car full of young soldiers unloaded. But the only one she really saw, was Anthony. She smiled to herself despite the seriousness of the situation, for even as they were being ambushed by the enemy, Tony had still managed to put on his Brooklyn Dodgers hat. The men ran inside to avoid being slaughtered by the enemy planes that whizzed over head and as Tony past her he gave her a look of complete sorrow. The look of a man that had lost his best friend. She wouldn't learn until later why.
The guys rushed into the hangar and broke open the ammunition locker to fight back if even in the smallest way. Mickey took up a sniper rifle and held the site up to her eye. Joe being a chauvinistic jerk tired to take it from her, to which she said
"Joe if you don't gimme back my gun the Japs won't get the chance to kill ya , cause I will."
Needless to say she got it back.
"We got high level bombers they're gonna bust this hangar wide open.." Earl hollered picking up his shotgun "Grab the 50 let's move."
They all ran to the sandbag bunker and coward from the enemy aircraft. That's when the usually quiet Danny Walker and a guy that looked an awful lot like Anthony's "dead" training buddy Rafe started giving orders. Anthony was to stay on the ground and help Red run the 50 caliber machine gun, Mickey wasn't sure if she liked that or not because in the air Tony would be more likely to be shot at but would be more likely to get away as well. Dave, Joe ,Danny and Rafe were to take up the only four working planes. And Gooze was to get to the next bunker and lay down more cover fire, Mikayla was going with him. Her thoughts of simple fear were replaced with sheer terror when Dave's plane was blown up prier to him leaving the hangar. Mickey watched her friend burn to death and was power less to stop it Next was Joe's no one knew which of the three planes that were behind him fired the bullet that killed him, but then that didn't matter.
Mikayla stood frozen in trepidation as she watched Anthony on the wing of Danny's plane, if the Japs shot at Danny right then ,she'd lose Tony. Despite being mad at him, she really did love him and if something happened to him she didn't know what she'd do. When he jumped down and Danny and Rafe started taxing down the runway, Mickey finally let out the air she'd been holding in her lungs. Then she followed Gooze to the pill box to cover them.
When their adversaries eventually fled the Hawaiian skies the rag tag group of defenders, sat silently on the destroyed airstrip, smoking cigarettes and reflecting on what they had just survived. Mikayla stood a few feet to the left of them letting her pulse return to a regular rate. She watched Anthony a while, that day she had come too close to losing him for comfort. She walked over to where he was seated, he was dirty and sweaty but still wearing his Dodgers cap. Mickey sat down beside him, putting her hand on his. Anthony turned his head to her, his eyes begging for forgiveness for something that Mikayla had already forgotten. She squeezed his hand to show him everything was alright, yet his handsome face boar a look of loneliness. That's when Mickey realized Billy wasn't there, in fact she hadn't seem him all morning, Anthony truly had lost his best friend. Mickey cuddled closer to him, trying to give as much support as she could. He slipped him arm around her and pulled her into his lap, resting his head on her shoulder. Earl stopped abruptly in front of his lovely daughter and her man, they both looked up at him, neither saying anything, nor caring what he had to say. But Earl did something that both impressed and shocked them. He stood there looking at his little girl realizing she no longer was his little girl. He simply nodded his head at them and walked away.
"Does that mean I can kiss you?" The Brooklyn native looked at her longingly
"I hope so." Mikayla leaned forward and brushed her lips to his. In that fleeting instant there was nothing else but the and their love. No death or destruction, no pain or war, just Anthony Roland Fusco and Mikayla Louise Sistern.
"You stay here." Anthony instructed Mickey as the men prepared to go out in search for other survivors and to help in anyway possible.
"Are you serious?" Mikayla gave him a cockeyed glance "Anthony I'm not stayin' here."
"Mickey…"
"Tony…"
Anthony sighed, it was sweet of her to worry, but it wasn't safe. So he told her that.
"Not safe, why because I'm a girl? I'm just as tuff as half you guys. And you can't make me stay here."
Her boyfriend through up his hands in defeat and shook his head with a smile. That was why he loved her.
"Baby, why don't you go over to the hospital. I bet my friends could really use you over there."
"Two reasons 1) I'm not good at medical stuff I'd probably kill someone 2) Sandra will be there."
Anthony gave her puppy dog eyes
"Please baby that'll be the least dangerous place for you if the Japs come back."
Mikayla realized then how much he cared for her, he'd already lost his best friend that day, watched him killed. Now all he wanted was to protect her.
"Okay Tony, I'll go to the hospital." She kissed him gently and set off in the opposite direction.
The snowy white hospital floor was a thick matte of red and Mickey slipped on the blood as she enter. The crystal ocean that could be seen from the hospital windows and was once a source of comfort to bed ridden patients was now stained scarlet red. The same red the wings the Japanese planes displayed, the same red in the land of the rising sun's flag but also the same red as in ours.
"Ev, Evelyn ," She called to the young dark haired head nurse
Evelyn turned slowly praying she wasn't being called to a new patient.
"Mikayla, what's wrong why are you here?"
"I wanted to help."
"Well…. Fellow me." Evelyn led her into the room the burn victims had been put in. There was nothing but scorched skin and pain in every direction. Her nose was immediately assaulted by the smell of charred flesh. "Here." Ev handed her a spray bottle filled with antiseptic.
"What do I do with this?" Mickey queried puzzled
"Spray them. I'll be in the other room, call if you need me." She got to the door and turned around "Mickey have you seen Danny and Rafe are they alright?"
"They're both fine."
Evelyn heaved a sigh of relief and went back to work.
Hours past before things were under control again, before the nurses and Mikayla could take a breather. She was sitting in a heap on the floor of ward five with the other girls, when Tony, Rafe, Danny, Gooze and Red walked in.
Barbara looked up from her patient scanning the face of the pilots as they came in, without Billy. Anthony walked over to her and wrapped her in a bear hug letting her cry on his shoulder. That was also when Red noticed there was no Betty.
"B-B-Betty where's, where's B-B-Betty?"
Evelyn put her hand on his shoulder tenderly, speaking softly
"I'm sorry Red."
Red stuttered when he was upset everyone knew it, yet it rang out clear as a bell when he screamed
"Not Betty, god no not my Betty."
That was the straw that broke the camels back, when Red lost it so did everyone else. Evelyn crumbled into Danny's eyes, Rafe looking on. Anthony past Barbara to Gooze and ran to Mikayla's side while Martha and Sandra hold on to Red. Together they all broke down.
"The Japs are here!" Red whaled
The guys jumped from their beds running out the door in their civvies grabbing pants on their way.
They ran to their planes moving as though hells hounds were snapping at their heels. The Zeros strafed down the rows, bullets shredding the medal flesh of the P-40s. They were terrified racing across the tarmac their feet scarcely touching the ground. Anthony, Billy and Red zipped along trying to avoid being caught in the torrential downpour of shells that was raining down on them.
" Get some ammo for the 50 Cal! Get the 50 Cal." Billy yelled jumping into the bunker that surrounded it. Unfortunately that was also the very bunker that the Japanese let go of a bomb into moments later and Billy became dust. Red and Tony watched as their friend was vaporized. Their hearts stopped beating for a second in that second their innocence was gone but their vulnerability was doubled.
Danny and Rafe had mean while arrived in Danny's black Buick and now the remaining members of their crew climbed into the car and tore of toward Earl's mechanic field, they needed to get to planes.
Mikayla was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, trying to fix the last 3 planes that weren't running properly. She knew the garage like that back of her hand but in the state of chaos nothing seemed to be where it belonged. Minutes ago Earl had received a call from Danny saying to get the planes ready, we were being attacked by the Japanese. Mickey heard her father bark that he needed more ammo, followed by the squeal of car brakes. She walked to the front of the hangar as the car full of young soldiers unloaded. But the only one she really saw, was Anthony. She smiled to herself despite the seriousness of the situation, for even as they were being ambushed by the enemy, Tony had still managed to put on his Brooklyn Dodgers hat. The men ran inside to avoid being slaughtered by the enemy planes that whizzed over head and as Tony past her he gave her a look of complete sorrow. The look of a man that had lost his best friend. She wouldn't learn until later why.
The guys rushed into the hangar and broke open the ammunition locker to fight back if even in the smallest way. Mickey took up a sniper rifle and held the site up to her eye. Joe being a chauvinistic jerk tired to take it from her, to which she said
"Joe if you don't gimme back my gun the Japs won't get the chance to kill ya , cause I will."
Needless to say she got it back.
"We got high level bombers they're gonna bust this hangar wide open.." Earl hollered picking up his shotgun "Grab the 50 let's move."
They all ran to the sandbag bunker and coward from the enemy aircraft. That's when the usually quiet Danny Walker and a guy that looked an awful lot like Anthony's "dead" training buddy Rafe started giving orders. Anthony was to stay on the ground and help Red run the 50 caliber machine gun, Mickey wasn't sure if she liked that or not because in the air Tony would be more likely to be shot at but would be more likely to get away as well. Dave, Joe ,Danny and Rafe were to take up the only four working planes. And Gooze was to get to the next bunker and lay down more cover fire, Mikayla was going with him. Her thoughts of simple fear were replaced with sheer terror when Dave's plane was blown up prier to him leaving the hangar. Mickey watched her friend burn to death and was power less to stop it Next was Joe's no one knew which of the three planes that were behind him fired the bullet that killed him, but then that didn't matter.
Mikayla stood frozen in trepidation as she watched Anthony on the wing of Danny's plane, if the Japs shot at Danny right then ,she'd lose Tony. Despite being mad at him, she really did love him and if something happened to him she didn't know what she'd do. When he jumped down and Danny and Rafe started taxing down the runway, Mickey finally let out the air she'd been holding in her lungs. Then she followed Gooze to the pill box to cover them.
When their adversaries eventually fled the Hawaiian skies the rag tag group of defenders, sat silently on the destroyed airstrip, smoking cigarettes and reflecting on what they had just survived. Mikayla stood a few feet to the left of them letting her pulse return to a regular rate. She watched Anthony a while, that day she had come too close to losing him for comfort. She walked over to where he was seated, he was dirty and sweaty but still wearing his Dodgers cap. Mickey sat down beside him, putting her hand on his. Anthony turned his head to her, his eyes begging for forgiveness for something that Mikayla had already forgotten. She squeezed his hand to show him everything was alright, yet his handsome face boar a look of loneliness. That's when Mickey realized Billy wasn't there, in fact she hadn't seem him all morning, Anthony truly had lost his best friend. Mickey cuddled closer to him, trying to give as much support as she could. He slipped him arm around her and pulled her into his lap, resting his head on her shoulder. Earl stopped abruptly in front of his lovely daughter and her man, they both looked up at him, neither saying anything, nor caring what he had to say. But Earl did something that both impressed and shocked them. He stood there looking at his little girl realizing she no longer was his little girl. He simply nodded his head at them and walked away.
"Does that mean I can kiss you?" The Brooklyn native looked at her longingly
"I hope so." Mikayla leaned forward and brushed her lips to his. In that fleeting instant there was nothing else but the and their love. No death or destruction, no pain or war, just Anthony Roland Fusco and Mikayla Louise Sistern.
"You stay here." Anthony instructed Mickey as the men prepared to go out in search for other survivors and to help in anyway possible.
"Are you serious?" Mikayla gave him a cockeyed glance "Anthony I'm not stayin' here."
"Mickey…"
"Tony…"
Anthony sighed, it was sweet of her to worry, but it wasn't safe. So he told her that.
"Not safe, why because I'm a girl? I'm just as tuff as half you guys. And you can't make me stay here."
Her boyfriend through up his hands in defeat and shook his head with a smile. That was why he loved her.
"Baby, why don't you go over to the hospital. I bet my friends could really use you over there."
"Two reasons 1) I'm not good at medical stuff I'd probably kill someone 2) Sandra will be there."
Anthony gave her puppy dog eyes
"Please baby that'll be the least dangerous place for you if the Japs come back."
Mikayla realized then how much he cared for her, he'd already lost his best friend that day, watched him killed. Now all he wanted was to protect her.
"Okay Tony, I'll go to the hospital." She kissed him gently and set off in the opposite direction.
The snowy white hospital floor was a thick matte of red and Mickey slipped on the blood as she enter. The crystal ocean that could be seen from the hospital windows and was once a source of comfort to bed ridden patients was now stained scarlet red. The same red the wings the Japanese planes displayed, the same red in the land of the rising sun's flag but also the same red as in ours.
"Ev, Evelyn ," She called to the young dark haired head nurse
Evelyn turned slowly praying she wasn't being called to a new patient.
"Mikayla, what's wrong why are you here?"
"I wanted to help."
"Well…. Fellow me." Evelyn led her into the room the burn victims had been put in. There was nothing but scorched skin and pain in every direction. Her nose was immediately assaulted by the smell of charred flesh. "Here." Ev handed her a spray bottle filled with antiseptic.
"What do I do with this?" Mickey queried puzzled
"Spray them. I'll be in the other room, call if you need me." She got to the door and turned around "Mickey have you seen Danny and Rafe are they alright?"
"They're both fine."
Evelyn heaved a sigh of relief and went back to work.
Hours past before things were under control again, before the nurses and Mikayla could take a breather. She was sitting in a heap on the floor of ward five with the other girls, when Tony, Rafe, Danny, Gooze and Red walked in.
Barbara looked up from her patient scanning the face of the pilots as they came in, without Billy. Anthony walked over to her and wrapped her in a bear hug letting her cry on his shoulder. That was also when Red noticed there was no Betty.
"B-B-Betty where's, where's B-B-Betty?"
Evelyn put her hand on his shoulder tenderly, speaking softly
"I'm sorry Red."
Red stuttered when he was upset everyone knew it, yet it rang out clear as a bell when he screamed
"Not Betty, god no not my Betty."
That was the straw that broke the camels back, when Red lost it so did everyone else. Evelyn crumbled into Danny's eyes, Rafe looking on. Anthony past Barbara to Gooze and ran to Mikayla's side while Martha and Sandra hold on to Red. Together they all broke down.