Challenge: #54-When the going gets tough...
Spoiler: Not a single one
Rating: Pg-13
Last story of the year for me. It is just physically not possible for me to head on over to the library. Finals are finally over, so I hope you all have a merry christmas(or other holiday) and a happy new year.
"Daddy, can you tell me another one of those old war stories. You know the one that, you always tell me?" Who could pass up that nine year old smile. The one where the three front teeth are missing.
The man looked down on the child...his child, his life, the reason he still woke up in the morning. Why there was a fascination for the old stories of the man's youth was beyond anyone.
"Yes, give me a minute to brush my teeth." He told the child and tucked the little on in again.
The man noticed his wife stirr in the bed when he entered the room. He quickly brushed his teeth and examined his shave. Something to do in the morning. He glanced at the bed and saw a pair of pleading blue eyes. "I'll be right back." He promised and kissed her on the forehead. She looked dissapointed that he wouldn't be right there, right now, but he had another priority.
"What took you so long?" The kid asked and scooted as far to the left of the bed as possible.
The man filled in the space the child left him, and explained that he wanted to say good night to Mom. The child looked at him expectantly, and the man began the story, like he always did. "It was a snowy night in December..."
The story was like any other. The man was a Ranger in the army, and did work in small, unmapped countries. He was captured and held without food and water for many days and nights. Most of his squad had been killed off. There were only four of them left. They used whatever tools were available to them, wich was very little. None of them had their guns, or their packs. One of the men, had a key in his shoes, and with that and a few rocks, they chipped away at the crumbling wall, much to the effect of the escape from Alkatros.
During the changing of the guards, the men escaped. A miracle to be sure, with four grown men, one small hole, and a measly three minutes. The last man was almost out when the guards had caught them. He told them that one life was a fine sacrifice, and with that, the remaining three men rushed into the woods and stayed there until the rescue plane arrived.
The child looked into the eyes of its father, and smiled when the story was finished. To the man, the story was a scar in his past, but to the child, the story was proof that there was still real love in the world. "Thanks Dad." The quiet voice said, and crawled under the sheets.
The man bent over to kiss the child, and when he did, the child was already asleep. The man left with a smile and returned to his wife. He slid in behind her and kissed her bare shoulder. "'Night Babe."
This got a groan and she scooted closer to her husbands warmth.Sometime in the middle of the night, the child entered their room clutching a pooh bear doll close to its chest. "Daddy..." He whispered.
"What's wrong kiddo?"
"I have a headache." One of the childs hands left the bear to rub its forehead.
"I'll get you some medicine. Is that all that hurts?" He asked as he climbed out of bed.
The child nodded and sat on the bed.
A moment later, he returned with a bottle of childrens Tylenol and a spoon. The child took it obediently, and headed off down the hall to his room.
"Night Daddy." The child said, his wide smile beaming at his father over Whinnie the Pooh's head.
"Good Night Rico, see you in the morning." His father told him, and left the medicine on the counter in the bathroom.
For one man, the going got tough and he sacrificed his life for another. Ric's dad sat in bed, close to his wife, and wondered what might have happened to his family if he had been the one who left himself behind. With a smile, thinking of all his blessings and thanking the man who was now sitting on a cloud somewhere, Ranger's father fell asleep.
