A/N: I own nothing- except the military men.
BTW- I don't know much about rank/protocol issues in the Army, so if somebody want's to clue me in, I'd be eternally grateful!
Thanks to those of you who have reviewed so far, YOU GUYS ROCK!!!
I know- I keep distracting myself from Boy Meets Parenthood- I guess I just always have to have something angsty going on too- : P
Peace,
Shawna
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All Fall Down: 3
Two Uniformed Men
"Angela Moore?" The taller man asked solemnly, looking at Angela. Both men removed their hats as they approached.
"Yes?" She replied, trying to hide her terror.
The men stood dutifully in front of her.
"I am Sergeant Major Hills," the taller man began, "and this is Officer O'Brian. Can we speak to you privately?"
"Anything you need to say to me, you can say here."
Angela was too frightened to move- she was afraid her legs would buckle under her if she tried to stand.
"Alright, I am afraid there has been an accident," Officer O'Brian began, "and your father was killed."
"How? W-Why?" Angela managed to get out. With just a few spoken words, what she had feared was reality. Tears began to sting her eyes again; shock was draining the blood from her face. Time was blurring, faces were becoming distorted.
"That is classified confidential information. I'm sorry I can't give you more detail. I will be in touch with you in a couple days to inform you of funeral proceedings. We will handle everything for you. Again, I am truly sorry- your father was a good man." Hills said, trying to soften his harsh disclosure.
"Miss Moore." The soldiers said as they bowed slightly and turned to go. This was the worst part of their job. They hated delivering bad news, and tried to make it as quick as possible.
Angela sat in disbelief when the men left. 'How could this have happened?' Her father, her only parent that had loved her, comforted her, and at least tried to be there for her, was gone; killed, they had said. 'Why?' They couldn't even tell her what happened; it was classified 'confidential'. 'Huh, my own father's death is confidential from me.' She thought, anger rising through her tears.
"Why?!" Angela finally let out of her paralyzed mouth. "Why MY daddy?" She collapsed against the back of the couch as Cory and Topanga tried unsuccessfully to comfort her. Unrestrained tears fell down her face, causing rivers of black mascara to mar her perfect complexion.
"Topanga- I am going to call Shawn. Stay with her." Cory said, taking control. If he could not comfort Angela, he was getting the one person that he knew could. He was going to get him NOW. Determinedly, Cory strode to the student phone.
Topanga held Angela as they both cried. Angela's sobs slowly subsided as numbness came over her like a flood of welcome relief. Time froze. People were beginning to gather around, wondering and whispering.
Cory slammed the phone down on the receiver when there was no answer at Shawn's apartment.
"Take her to Shawn's apartment; I am going to look for him." Cory stated bluntly as he walked by them and out of the union. "Damn it! Why does he pick now to be out of reach," Cory cursed under his breath.
*~*~*~*~
Topanga took Angela's key from her trembling hand, and slipped it into the lock to Shawn's apartment. Angela had not uttered one word since her cries of 'why?' Topanga hurt for her best friend. It was horrible to know there was nothing she could say, nothing she could do, to make it better. The one thing she could do, she did- she stayed with her.
"Here, just sit on the couch," Topanga whispered, "I am going to make you some chamomile tea." She knew there was some in the cupboard- the girls had left it there, and the guy's never touched it. Topanga moved to the sink and put the kettle on to boil. Lost in her thoughts for Angela and her future, she went about warming the tea pot.
Angela sat down lightly, almost afraid to move, to breathe, to speak, or to think- for fear the pain would come back- the bone crushing, head splitting pain that tore her heart and gripped her chest in agony. Angela's eyes were raw from all the crying of the last 14 hours, her limbs were still numb from the shock of it all. Her head was spinning, and she'd had to lean on Topanga while they had walked to the apartment.
Angela leaned back on the couch and slowly brought her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly to her. She focused her eyes on some distant, unspecific point on the wall ahead of her. Tears slipped silently down her cheeks, but she was unaware of them.
Topanga placed the steaming mug in Angela's hand. Angela moved the cup slowly to her mouth, still numb, her eyes still unmoved from the place on the wall. She was shutting down, and it troubled Topanga.
'Oh, Cory hurry-,' Topanga thought desperately. The ringing of the phone broke her thoughts, and she hurried to answer it.
"Hello?" she said anxiously, hoping to hear Shawn's voice, or even Cory's saying that he found Shawn.
"Topanga, I am still looking." Cory replied, and Topanga's heart sank. After a moment Cory continued, "I just wanted to make sure you got Angela there ok. Is Shawn there?"
"No, he's not." Topanga spoke quietly, not wanting Angela to hear too much of the conversation. "I am worried about her, Cory. She is closing off- she hasn't spoken since the student union."
"I'll find him as soon as I can," Cory stated with determination, "and I'll call to check in soon."
"Hurry, Cory," Topanga whispered. Topanga hung up the phone and turned back to her distraught friend.
Angela had not moved a muscle, except to bring the cup to her lips. The beverage burned its way down her throat, relieving some of the tightness.
'Where can I go from here,' Angela thought, 'Your love I can't erase, oh, Daddy-
Your eyes have seen my unformed heart, because you were there right from the start.
I feel your loving arms embrace me, when I sit down, when I rise….
You know all my ways- oh Daddy, where can I go from here;
Your love I can't escape.
If I take the wings of dawn, or live in the deep part of the sea- you are there.'
Angela sang in her heart the words that came to her mind- a memory locked away, a trace from her childhood, from before her mother left them. Poetic verse learned in Sunday school came back to comfort her heart. She was still silent, still turned inward, refusing to accept that she would never see her father again. Never feel his strong arms around her, and never smell his familiar scent of after shave and cinnamon again.
Topanga sat next to her silently, praying for Cory to find Shawn soon. If anyone could bring Angela back, it was Shawn.
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Second A/N:
The song Ang sang in her mind was bits and pieces of "Where can I go from Here" by Terri Dubuc, you can find it on her CD, Into the Fire. Terri is an awesome Gal- I am privileged to have met her. Don't hate me for usin' your song Terri! : )
Bible lyrics in Terri's song were from Psalm 139, Happens to be my favorite Psalm : )
Peace Always,
Shawna
