Getting there

part 7

When Jim came to himself again he was still sitting on the couch in the apartment. He felt tired. Damn, he was always tired lately. His stomach rumbled. How long had he been sitting here? He could feel Blair's hand warm on his arm grounding him, reassuring him that he was here too.

He opened his eyes; the room had grown dim in the early evening. He turned to the side.

"Hi." he said not knowing what to say.

"You did really well. How do you feel?"

"I'm…okay. Hungry." He looked at the clock. Dammit, he'd been talking for hours.

"I can't believe that you went through all that and still think you did nothing for your men. It's clear in what you just told me you did everything, bar build a hospital!" said Blair

"You don't know everything yet, alright! I felt so damned useless every day. We weren't where we were supposed to be. We didn't know if the tribal chief or the rebels would find us first."

"Jim, calm down, you were trained for all of that stuff. Weren't you, you made it through? You cared for your men. You and the locals kept the rebels at bay. You buried your men. You made sure all their tags would be found in case something happened to you. The families are grateful for that. I think you owe it to them to read their letters."

"God, you keep on going, don't' you!" snapped Jim as he stood up, needing to stretch his aching leg.

"If not now, then when?" pressed Blair.

"I guess you're right, as usual. Ok, later after food, I'll read one."

"Two, and I pick them."

"Ok, anything! Just let me eat would you."

"You're going to have to explain some phrases for me though."

"Some might be unrepeatable, Sandburg." he joked as he went back to the kitchen to make something to eat. Sandwiches, soup?

"I'm guessing Colman was Mustard. But I don't get why Brodinsky was Tet."

"Quartet, as in music - got shortened to Tet. It was his own fault for explaining his surname like that in the first place. Still it could have been worse." Jim explained as he opened cupboard doors.

"Really?"

"You don't want to know."

"Could be another research paper in there…" bantered Blair carefully knowing he was on dangerous ground but trying to keep the mood light for Jim's sake.

"Don't tempt me."

After dinner Jim made some phone calls while Blair washed up.

"Blair, can you get some time off?"

"I already explored that the other day when I knew you wanted to go to Georgia. I've arranged to swap with some people, given out copies of notes. Squared it with the boss."

"I just checked with the airlines, we can get a fight to Atlanta tomorrow morning, if that's not too soon for you. Tickets are on hold. We can hire a truck the other end. Book into a motel nearby. Stuff's available."

Blair thought it was sad that there wasn't some army buddy that Jim felt he could stay with. Or maybe he didn't know how to explain what Blair would be doing on the scene.

"You're sure you want me to go with you?"

"Sandburg! I wouldn't ask if I didn't mean it. Beside you can do a paper on soldiers and how they get their nicknames? Of course to do it proper justice, you'd also have to go through the other forces too. The flyboys and the squids."

"Yes, but I wouldn't have the inside track without you. And stop distracting us from the last thing we are going to do today. Two letters."

"Fine. Hand them over."

"A little more respect, Jim, please." admonished Blair as he looked at the names ands dates on the couple of unopened letters, before passing them over.

Jim looked at the first one from Clements girlfriend/ wife. He didn't know what was in it. Was it going to be booby trapped?

"Dear Captain Ellison,

I don't know when this will catch up with you. I know that it must have been hard for you to write to us after so long. We kept hope that you were all alive. I can't imagine what it was like for you all alone in the jungle. I can't thank you enough for keeping his letter to me safe until you made it back. I know he wasn't supposed to write it and that you hadn't read it. I enclose it for you- you can keep it. If you're ever passing through this way, come visit us. Did you know there's a memorial stone for the guys at Benning now? We all missed you at the dedication ceremony.

Regards from Nancy Clements. December 1990.

"Honey, I know I shouldn't be writing this to you but I have to. I made the cap promise to get it to you - in case…and he's a man of his word. He won't read this either. We're down but not out. We lost Brown, Pilot, and Tet but the captain's looking after us. You should see him. He's everywhere sorting us and the kit out. Even made contact with the locals. In case something does happen tho, you know where that letter I told you about is. I miss you and love you and hope to be with you soon. Dave."

The other letter that Blair had picked was from his father. Jim should have known. How come Blair could get him to do stuff the drill sergeants hadn't?

This letter was definitely booby trapped, for sure. There was no way for it not to be, in Jim's experience of his father. He heard the grenade pin pull out as he opened the envelope.

One one thousand.

Two one thousand….

"Son,

I don't know if you ever got the letters Stephen sent or read them. Or if you'll get this one as the army say you've moved on. Sally would love to see you. I could fix you up with something while you sort yourself out. Despite what's happened in the past believe me, I am glad to see you made it back.

William Ellison."

Boom. The grenade went off.

Crap! The old man never played fair. Not one damned day in his life.

Stunned but kind of relieved, annoyed and surprised all at once he handed the letters to Blair to read. He did so, and then said "Welcome home, Jim. You made it back."