Faith immediately dialed the phone after hearing the news of Bosco being recovered. Rose answered, still clueless about the situation.
"Hello?"
"Rose, is that you?"
"That's me."
"Rose, Bosco was found."
Rose looked at the wall, thinking she heard Faith wrong. "What?"
"They found Bosco and the journalist."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious."
"Well, is he okay?"
"We don't know right now. He's in a military hospital over there and they said he was in serious need of medical attention. That's all I know so far."
Rose sat down, her knees feeling weak. "My baby was found." She began to cry. "God let him be okay."
"Rose, he'll be okay. We just have to pray. Thank God he's in American hands now."
~~~~
Bosco was awake but he couldn't open his eyes. He felt heavy, like he had weights on top of him. He felt the IV in his arm and his first reaction was to rip it out, but he could barely pick his arm up, much less rip a needle out. He could hear people talk but he couldn't make out whom the people were.
"This is Specialist Boscorelli, the man that went missing with the journalist." The doctor stood over Bosco, as well as 2 nurses and a military commander.
"Is he going to be okay?" Corporal Manor approached them, the tone in his voice demanding.
The doctor scratched his head and looked over the motionless body. "For now everything looks good. His body temperature is still pretty high and we need to work to get that down. He's still somewhat dehydrated but we have him hooked up to some saline."
"And the journalist?"
"She's awake. She wasn't as bad as him. Her leg wound is still infected but it'll be okay with time."
Corporal Manor began to walk away. "Keep me updated. I don't want to lose him."
Bosco could hear some of the conversation but he kept dozing off and on.
~~~~
Charlie came home from school later that day, his eyes wide as he watched the TV with Faith.
"Mommy, what about Bosco?"
"They found him. He's in the hospital right now."
"At Mercy? Can we go see him?"
"No baby, not at Mercy. He's still overseas."
"What is wrong with him?"
"They haven't told us that. He's probably sick from being out in the heat for so long."
Emily walked in the room and sat down on the couch. She stared at the TV with a blank face.
"Mom, so they found him right?"
"Yes, yes they did."
"Good."
~~~~
Nikki found enough strength to walk to Bosco's bed. She sat down on the side of it and stared at his face. He looked so peaceful, not like the troubled man she knew from the wicked desert.
"Bosco, if you can hear me squeeze my hand."
She held his right hand and waited. Nothing happened.
"Bosco, squeeze my hand."
She felt his hand constrict. Tears formed in her eyes.
"Bosco, I just want you to know that I owe you. You saved my life out there. Without you I'd still be out there, hostage to those evil people. Thank you so much."
~~~~
Corporal Manor as well as other superiors met in the main office of their regiment later that day.
Manor sat behind his desk, worry showed across his face. "I hope he is okay."
Colonel Bridgeway spoke up, "Why? Because you know it'll be your ass if we lose him."
"No. I don't want to lose him."
"Manor, we wouldn't be in that situation if you wouldn't have left him out there. You were taught in boot camp to never leave a man behind and what did you do? You left a good man behind!"
"I know sir, it was a mistake. A mistake that will stay with me forever."
"Your damn right it'll stay with you forever!" Bridgeway stared at him, his anger raging.
~~~~
Bosco was finally able to open his eyes. He was startled to see Nikki staring at him.
"Well, sleeping beauty finally awakens." Nikki smiled at him.
"Where am I?"
"You are in a military hospital."
"Oh." He felt weak. He stared at other beds around him. "What are we doing here?"
"I don't know. I guess we both passed out in the desert and they found us. Good thing though, I think we were both on the brink of death."
"I still feel like I'm on the brink of death."
He laid back and stared up at the ceiling.
"Bosco, I just want to tell you thank you."
"For what?" He kept his eyes on the ceiling, not sure what Nikki was talking about.
"For saving me. If you weren't here I'd still be a hostage. I'd never have survived that desert."
"No problem. What are you doing over here anyway? Why would you wanna come here voluntarily?"
"I've always wanted to come do things with wars. I'm adventurous, but never did I think this would happen."
"Where are you from?"
"New Mexico."
He stared at her. "It's crazy how someone from New Mexico and someone from New York can meet up like this."
"It's a small world I guess."
He moved in to kiss her but was interrupted by the doctor.
"Well, I see you are finally awake. How do you feel?"
"Weak, tired, thirsty."
"Okay, you are still somewhat dehydrated. We'll bring you some water here in a minute and some food."
"I'm not hungry."
"You need to eat."
"I'll eat when I'm hungry. Just get me some water."
Nikki watched as the doctor walked away. "You must not like hospitals too much."
"I've always hated them, since I was a kid."
Corporal Manor approached the bed. "I'm so glad you are awake. Do you need anything?"
Bosco smiled, "My cell phone."
He dialed Faith's number almost seconds after he got it.
"Hello?"
He heard Faith's voice on the other end. His stomach filled with butterflies. It had been so long since he had heard her voice.
"Faith?"
Faith's knees grew weak. It was Bosco.
"Bosco? Is that you?"
"It's me Faith."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm stuck in a hospital right now but I'm fine."
She began to cry. "Bosco, I'm so sorry all of that happened to you."
"It's in the past Faith. I can't wait to see you again."
"Do you know when that is?"
"Sooner than you think. They are giving me a medical discharge. As soon as my body temperature decreases I'll get to come home."
"Really?"
"Yep." He smiled and stared back at Nikki who was also smiling.
~~~~
Bosco's plane was scheduled to reach New York City at 12:45 pm. He stared out of the window, excited and scared. America seemed so different now. It seemed like home.
The plane landed and Bosco reached the terminal where everyone waited. Faith ran to him and hugged him.
"Oh my God Bosco, I thought I'd never see you again." She began to cry.
"Of course you'd see me again, I'd never let myself die out there."
She looked at him. "Bosco, I'm so glad you are back."
"Faith, I'll always find my way back to you. My will to live was because of you." He smiled and hugged her again, happy to be home in America.
No Place That Far
Sara Evans
I can't imagine, any greater fear
Than waking up without you here
And though the sun, will still shine on
My whole world, would all be gone
But not for long
If I had to run, if I had to crawl
If I had to swim a hundred rivers
Just to climb a thousand walls
Always know that I will find a way
To get to where you are
There's no place that far
It wouldn't matter why we're apart
Lonely minds, or two stubborn hearts
Nothing short of God above
Could turn me away from your love
I need you that much
If I had to run, if I had to crawl
If I had to swim a hundred rivers
Just to climb a thousand walls
Always know that I will find a way
To get to where you are
There's no place that far
Baby there's no place that far
God Bless all the men and women who have been sent to Iraq...May God be with you and keep you safe!
The End
"Hello?"
"Rose, is that you?"
"That's me."
"Rose, Bosco was found."
Rose looked at the wall, thinking she heard Faith wrong. "What?"
"They found Bosco and the journalist."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious."
"Well, is he okay?"
"We don't know right now. He's in a military hospital over there and they said he was in serious need of medical attention. That's all I know so far."
Rose sat down, her knees feeling weak. "My baby was found." She began to cry. "God let him be okay."
"Rose, he'll be okay. We just have to pray. Thank God he's in American hands now."
~~~~
Bosco was awake but he couldn't open his eyes. He felt heavy, like he had weights on top of him. He felt the IV in his arm and his first reaction was to rip it out, but he could barely pick his arm up, much less rip a needle out. He could hear people talk but he couldn't make out whom the people were.
"This is Specialist Boscorelli, the man that went missing with the journalist." The doctor stood over Bosco, as well as 2 nurses and a military commander.
"Is he going to be okay?" Corporal Manor approached them, the tone in his voice demanding.
The doctor scratched his head and looked over the motionless body. "For now everything looks good. His body temperature is still pretty high and we need to work to get that down. He's still somewhat dehydrated but we have him hooked up to some saline."
"And the journalist?"
"She's awake. She wasn't as bad as him. Her leg wound is still infected but it'll be okay with time."
Corporal Manor began to walk away. "Keep me updated. I don't want to lose him."
Bosco could hear some of the conversation but he kept dozing off and on.
~~~~
Charlie came home from school later that day, his eyes wide as he watched the TV with Faith.
"Mommy, what about Bosco?"
"They found him. He's in the hospital right now."
"At Mercy? Can we go see him?"
"No baby, not at Mercy. He's still overseas."
"What is wrong with him?"
"They haven't told us that. He's probably sick from being out in the heat for so long."
Emily walked in the room and sat down on the couch. She stared at the TV with a blank face.
"Mom, so they found him right?"
"Yes, yes they did."
"Good."
~~~~
Nikki found enough strength to walk to Bosco's bed. She sat down on the side of it and stared at his face. He looked so peaceful, not like the troubled man she knew from the wicked desert.
"Bosco, if you can hear me squeeze my hand."
She held his right hand and waited. Nothing happened.
"Bosco, squeeze my hand."
She felt his hand constrict. Tears formed in her eyes.
"Bosco, I just want you to know that I owe you. You saved my life out there. Without you I'd still be out there, hostage to those evil people. Thank you so much."
~~~~
Corporal Manor as well as other superiors met in the main office of their regiment later that day.
Manor sat behind his desk, worry showed across his face. "I hope he is okay."
Colonel Bridgeway spoke up, "Why? Because you know it'll be your ass if we lose him."
"No. I don't want to lose him."
"Manor, we wouldn't be in that situation if you wouldn't have left him out there. You were taught in boot camp to never leave a man behind and what did you do? You left a good man behind!"
"I know sir, it was a mistake. A mistake that will stay with me forever."
"Your damn right it'll stay with you forever!" Bridgeway stared at him, his anger raging.
~~~~
Bosco was finally able to open his eyes. He was startled to see Nikki staring at him.
"Well, sleeping beauty finally awakens." Nikki smiled at him.
"Where am I?"
"You are in a military hospital."
"Oh." He felt weak. He stared at other beds around him. "What are we doing here?"
"I don't know. I guess we both passed out in the desert and they found us. Good thing though, I think we were both on the brink of death."
"I still feel like I'm on the brink of death."
He laid back and stared up at the ceiling.
"Bosco, I just want to tell you thank you."
"For what?" He kept his eyes on the ceiling, not sure what Nikki was talking about.
"For saving me. If you weren't here I'd still be a hostage. I'd never have survived that desert."
"No problem. What are you doing over here anyway? Why would you wanna come here voluntarily?"
"I've always wanted to come do things with wars. I'm adventurous, but never did I think this would happen."
"Where are you from?"
"New Mexico."
He stared at her. "It's crazy how someone from New Mexico and someone from New York can meet up like this."
"It's a small world I guess."
He moved in to kiss her but was interrupted by the doctor.
"Well, I see you are finally awake. How do you feel?"
"Weak, tired, thirsty."
"Okay, you are still somewhat dehydrated. We'll bring you some water here in a minute and some food."
"I'm not hungry."
"You need to eat."
"I'll eat when I'm hungry. Just get me some water."
Nikki watched as the doctor walked away. "You must not like hospitals too much."
"I've always hated them, since I was a kid."
Corporal Manor approached the bed. "I'm so glad you are awake. Do you need anything?"
Bosco smiled, "My cell phone."
He dialed Faith's number almost seconds after he got it.
"Hello?"
He heard Faith's voice on the other end. His stomach filled with butterflies. It had been so long since he had heard her voice.
"Faith?"
Faith's knees grew weak. It was Bosco.
"Bosco? Is that you?"
"It's me Faith."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm stuck in a hospital right now but I'm fine."
She began to cry. "Bosco, I'm so sorry all of that happened to you."
"It's in the past Faith. I can't wait to see you again."
"Do you know when that is?"
"Sooner than you think. They are giving me a medical discharge. As soon as my body temperature decreases I'll get to come home."
"Really?"
"Yep." He smiled and stared back at Nikki who was also smiling.
~~~~
Bosco's plane was scheduled to reach New York City at 12:45 pm. He stared out of the window, excited and scared. America seemed so different now. It seemed like home.
The plane landed and Bosco reached the terminal where everyone waited. Faith ran to him and hugged him.
"Oh my God Bosco, I thought I'd never see you again." She began to cry.
"Of course you'd see me again, I'd never let myself die out there."
She looked at him. "Bosco, I'm so glad you are back."
"Faith, I'll always find my way back to you. My will to live was because of you." He smiled and hugged her again, happy to be home in America.
No Place That Far
Sara Evans
I can't imagine, any greater fear
Than waking up without you here
And though the sun, will still shine on
My whole world, would all be gone
But not for long
If I had to run, if I had to crawl
If I had to swim a hundred rivers
Just to climb a thousand walls
Always know that I will find a way
To get to where you are
There's no place that far
It wouldn't matter why we're apart
Lonely minds, or two stubborn hearts
Nothing short of God above
Could turn me away from your love
I need you that much
If I had to run, if I had to crawl
If I had to swim a hundred rivers
Just to climb a thousand walls
Always know that I will find a way
To get to where you are
There's no place that far
Baby there's no place that far
God Bless all the men and women who have been sent to Iraq...May God be with you and keep you safe!
The End