He had fallen asleep again. For how long, he did not know, but when his
eyes opened and embraced his surroundings, he noticed that Evelyn had
vanished. Lifting his stiff body out of the chair, he moved silently over
to the hospital bed where his childhood friend lay, unchanged from that
unforgettable moment days ago, in an unfamiliar country, thousands of miles
away. A sudden pain shot through his insides, and he reached out to touch
the hand of the nearly lifeless body in front of him. The moment Rafe's
fingers made contact with Danny's cool skin, the wounded young man breathed
deeply and moved his hand onto his chest. Startled by these sudden
movements, Rafe jumped back. "Danny?" he whispered, his voice quavering.
"Danny Boy?" he tried again, inching his way back towards the bed.
Slowly, Danny's eyes opened, blinking rapidly at the light that poured through the open window beside his bed. Rafe's heart nearly exploded inside his chest, as Danny looked up at the figure that toward above him.
"Home of the brave." he said in a voice that was barely audible, but one that echoed loudly in Rafe's heart. "Home of the brave," he repeated, this time louder.
Rafe sunk to the floor beside the bed and buried his face in his hands. His broad shoulders shook as he sobbed. Though he could barely count on one hand the number of times he had cried in his short life, the tears that rained from his eyes were enough to span a thousand lifetimes. He cried for his best friend, for his lost love, for his lost friends, for the war, for everything. He felt a light touch brush past the top of his head. He looked up to see Danny smiling weakly at him. Rafe bowed his head, ashamed by the tears he had shed. He was a man. He wasn't supposed to cry. Regaining his composure, he got up and sat on the bed where Evelyn had been only moments ago. Evelyn! Rafe was about to rise to go look for her, when a shadow appeared in the doorway. Evelyn froze beneath the frame of the door, and the two paper cups filled with coffee fell from her hands like bricks.
"Sorry I made you wait so long," came a weak voice from the hospital bed. Evelyn rushed through the door and threw her arms around Danny's bandaged neck. He grimaced slightly, but did not put an end to her embrace. He looked up at Rafe who was still seated at the end of the bed. Rafe replied with a fake smile; he knew that he was more than lucky to have his best friend back, but seeing him in Evelyn's arms again was too much for his heart to bear.
He slowly rose from his seat on the hospital bed and moved towards the door. With one last glance over his shoulder at Evelyn and Danny, Rafe closed the door behind him.
Slowly, Danny's eyes opened, blinking rapidly at the light that poured through the open window beside his bed. Rafe's heart nearly exploded inside his chest, as Danny looked up at the figure that toward above him.
"Home of the brave." he said in a voice that was barely audible, but one that echoed loudly in Rafe's heart. "Home of the brave," he repeated, this time louder.
Rafe sunk to the floor beside the bed and buried his face in his hands. His broad shoulders shook as he sobbed. Though he could barely count on one hand the number of times he had cried in his short life, the tears that rained from his eyes were enough to span a thousand lifetimes. He cried for his best friend, for his lost love, for his lost friends, for the war, for everything. He felt a light touch brush past the top of his head. He looked up to see Danny smiling weakly at him. Rafe bowed his head, ashamed by the tears he had shed. He was a man. He wasn't supposed to cry. Regaining his composure, he got up and sat on the bed where Evelyn had been only moments ago. Evelyn! Rafe was about to rise to go look for her, when a shadow appeared in the doorway. Evelyn froze beneath the frame of the door, and the two paper cups filled with coffee fell from her hands like bricks.
"Sorry I made you wait so long," came a weak voice from the hospital bed. Evelyn rushed through the door and threw her arms around Danny's bandaged neck. He grimaced slightly, but did not put an end to her embrace. He looked up at Rafe who was still seated at the end of the bed. Rafe replied with a fake smile; he knew that he was more than lucky to have his best friend back, but seeing him in Evelyn's arms again was too much for his heart to bear.
He slowly rose from his seat on the hospital bed and moved towards the door. With one last glance over his shoulder at Evelyn and Danny, Rafe closed the door behind him.
