Back in the World
Ch.3 – Next Flight Out?
**
Just as his boy walked through the door, he dropped the phone to the floor.
His son jumped at the sound of it hitting the ground and managed a smirk back at his father.
"Hey Dad, got the jitters or what...Look I'm sorry about this morning I uh…"
His dad interrupted. "Blake, sit down." He reached for the phone and picked it up off the ground.
"I'll call ya back later BJ." And hung up, leaving the man on the other line a bit concerned.
"Ah man, you were talking with Uncle Beej, what happened? You having nightmares again?"
Jennifer had just made her way downstairs and the moment she saw her son, she burst into tears and ran back upstairs.
Blake was now getting a little scared. "Dad, what is going on? You guys can tell me, I'm an adult now."
"No you're not, you're just a kid, and you're not an adult till you are at least 30 in my book." He was almost screaming now.
Blake looked confused. "Easy dad, I'm officially an adult at 18, don't you read the papers?"
"I try to stay away from em" he said under his breath.
"What?" His son asked.
"Nothing….look, I don't know how to put this Blake, but I'll just lay it out there." With that he slid the envelope over to his son.
Blake's eyes grew wide and you could see his hand shake as he began to open the letter.
After he was done he folded the letter back up and placed it in the envelope. He stood up and without any words embraced his father.
"I'm sorry this happened son, I wish I could take your place." His dad spoke tenderly.
"I know dad, but sometimes life doesn't work out the way you want, I guess this is what I'm supposed to do."
"No Blake, you're supposed to play in the state finals with your football team, you're supposed to graduate, you're supposed to grow up, you're not supposed to go off to war…and…"
Blake put a hand of his fathers shoulder. "I know dad, I know." Tears started to form in his eyes as they embraced once again.
"Go be with your mother." He said simply, taking a seat back down at the table the envelope still in sight.
He reached for the phone once again and dialed his old friend.
"Hawk, what's the matter man? You scared me."
"Sorry BJ, I had to talk with Blake, ya see today we got a letter…"
BJ shuffled on the other end. "Ah, Hawk, not…"
"Yeah, he's shipping out tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? What they expect him to pack up his life in one day?"
"Gotta love the army."
BJ could sense the sadness and lack of emotion in his friend's voice. It'd be a long time since he'd heard his friend like this.
"Ya need me to take the next flight out?
Hawkeye didn't answer.
"Hawk? You still there?"
He could hear his wife crying up the stairs and without a minute's hesitation.
"What about Peg?" he replied.
BJ knew what he was asking. "You think Jennifer may need her?"
"You read my mind buddy."
"Yeah well ya know…We'll take the next flight out, I'll call you when we get in…"
"Thanks Beej…I knew I could count…"
"You can always count on me Hawk…don't worry this war should be over soon, maybe he wont even have to be shipped out after basics."
Again he got no reply. "I'll see you when we get in."
Hawkeye nodded, muffled a goodbye and hung up.
****
"Peg? Pack a suitcase, we gotta go see Hawk….he got a letter today…Blake's been drafted."
She made eye contact with her husband and casually placed a hand on his shoulder as she walked by.
"Hang in there buddy." BJ said wiping his hand over his face.
****
His wife was holding his sons hand when they entered the kitchen.
"Letter says, we ship out tomorrow at 4" Blake said simply.
His dad smiled at his son. "Okay son, let me show ya what you'll need to pack."
**Mill Valley**
"Ready Peg?" BJ hollered up the stairs.
"I'm ready; did you leave emergency money for Erin?"
"Yeah it's in shoebox in the closet. Come on."
The taxi driver took the bags and BJ closed the door behind them, just as they were about to get in the Taxi a mail truck drove up. The tall man jogged over to him and saw the envelope in his hand,
"Got Direct Mail here"
BJ shrugged and signed for it. He thanked the man and started towards the Taxi; as he was walking he opened the letter, then suddenly stopped dead in his tracks…
"Oh God"
-------
AN: Hey troops, please pardon any comments and such about the army and the war. I have nothing but respect for our armed forces. Any war is a tragedy…by the way I recommend the movie "We Were Soldiers" for those who haven't seen it…now go and review…it helps me help you…-Take care! - TLH
Ch.3 – Next Flight Out?
**
Just as his boy walked through the door, he dropped the phone to the floor.
His son jumped at the sound of it hitting the ground and managed a smirk back at his father.
"Hey Dad, got the jitters or what...Look I'm sorry about this morning I uh…"
His dad interrupted. "Blake, sit down." He reached for the phone and picked it up off the ground.
"I'll call ya back later BJ." And hung up, leaving the man on the other line a bit concerned.
"Ah man, you were talking with Uncle Beej, what happened? You having nightmares again?"
Jennifer had just made her way downstairs and the moment she saw her son, she burst into tears and ran back upstairs.
Blake was now getting a little scared. "Dad, what is going on? You guys can tell me, I'm an adult now."
"No you're not, you're just a kid, and you're not an adult till you are at least 30 in my book." He was almost screaming now.
Blake looked confused. "Easy dad, I'm officially an adult at 18, don't you read the papers?"
"I try to stay away from em" he said under his breath.
"What?" His son asked.
"Nothing….look, I don't know how to put this Blake, but I'll just lay it out there." With that he slid the envelope over to his son.
Blake's eyes grew wide and you could see his hand shake as he began to open the letter.
After he was done he folded the letter back up and placed it in the envelope. He stood up and without any words embraced his father.
"I'm sorry this happened son, I wish I could take your place." His dad spoke tenderly.
"I know dad, but sometimes life doesn't work out the way you want, I guess this is what I'm supposed to do."
"No Blake, you're supposed to play in the state finals with your football team, you're supposed to graduate, you're supposed to grow up, you're not supposed to go off to war…and…"
Blake put a hand of his fathers shoulder. "I know dad, I know." Tears started to form in his eyes as they embraced once again.
"Go be with your mother." He said simply, taking a seat back down at the table the envelope still in sight.
He reached for the phone once again and dialed his old friend.
"Hawk, what's the matter man? You scared me."
"Sorry BJ, I had to talk with Blake, ya see today we got a letter…"
BJ shuffled on the other end. "Ah, Hawk, not…"
"Yeah, he's shipping out tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? What they expect him to pack up his life in one day?"
"Gotta love the army."
BJ could sense the sadness and lack of emotion in his friend's voice. It'd be a long time since he'd heard his friend like this.
"Ya need me to take the next flight out?
Hawkeye didn't answer.
"Hawk? You still there?"
He could hear his wife crying up the stairs and without a minute's hesitation.
"What about Peg?" he replied.
BJ knew what he was asking. "You think Jennifer may need her?"
"You read my mind buddy."
"Yeah well ya know…We'll take the next flight out, I'll call you when we get in…"
"Thanks Beej…I knew I could count…"
"You can always count on me Hawk…don't worry this war should be over soon, maybe he wont even have to be shipped out after basics."
Again he got no reply. "I'll see you when we get in."
Hawkeye nodded, muffled a goodbye and hung up.
****
"Peg? Pack a suitcase, we gotta go see Hawk….he got a letter today…Blake's been drafted."
She made eye contact with her husband and casually placed a hand on his shoulder as she walked by.
"Hang in there buddy." BJ said wiping his hand over his face.
****
His wife was holding his sons hand when they entered the kitchen.
"Letter says, we ship out tomorrow at 4" Blake said simply.
His dad smiled at his son. "Okay son, let me show ya what you'll need to pack."
**Mill Valley**
"Ready Peg?" BJ hollered up the stairs.
"I'm ready; did you leave emergency money for Erin?"
"Yeah it's in shoebox in the closet. Come on."
The taxi driver took the bags and BJ closed the door behind them, just as they were about to get in the Taxi a mail truck drove up. The tall man jogged over to him and saw the envelope in his hand,
"Got Direct Mail here"
BJ shrugged and signed for it. He thanked the man and started towards the Taxi; as he was walking he opened the letter, then suddenly stopped dead in his tracks…
"Oh God"
-------
AN: Hey troops, please pardon any comments and such about the army and the war. I have nothing but respect for our armed forces. Any war is a tragedy…by the way I recommend the movie "We Were Soldiers" for those who haven't seen it…now go and review…it helps me help you…-Take care! - TLH