A/N: Hope you enjoy, please read and review!

Chapter 14: The Aftermath

An hour had passed since the humvee had struck a landmine and crashed in midair. Donna and Corporal Gardner still lay unconscious outside of the vehicle, while the two PFCs remained inside. Miraculously, both women who had been ejected were still alive, though they were unconscious and severely injured. There was no telling how long they would stay alive. Just then, a second vehicle came driving up. Members of another company came across the destroyed humvee and reacted quickly.

"Oh, God! Call for medical assistance, we got two down in the road!" As the female soldier knelt down to check for pulses, her shoulders sagged in relief to find two pulses-weak and thready, but pulses nonetheless. "Still alive!" she yelled to her partner, who was checking on PFCs Howard and Linden in the smoldering humvee.

Her partner jogged over. "The two in the humvee were killed on impact."

She nodded briskly. There was no time for feeling anything. "Medical team's on the way?"

"Yep. They got ID? Any way to know what unit they're with?"

"There's a name on this uniform-Moss. Maybe call into the radio, see if there's any soldier by that name."

The male soldier nodded, then ran for his radio. "Come in, come in! Humvee hit a landmine. We've got two casualties, and two criticals. One by the last name of Moss. Over."

General Eric Baker froze at the radio console. At that second, he knew. Those were his soldiers out there.

"Patterson!" he yelled. "That was our team that got hit. Go out and see what you can do." Captain Bonnie Patterson nodded and bolted for her own vehicle, hoping to meet the victims at the medical site to help with identification. General Baker turned back towards the radio. "Those are the soldiers of Bravo company. We sent them out on a reconnaissance mission over four hours ago. Over."

"What do you want us to do?"

"Send them out for treatment, take the casualties to the morgue, let us know how they are, we'll notify the families. Over."

"Roger that."

The radio clicked off, and General Baker rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was beyond a doubt the hardest part of his job. He picked up the phone in the communication tent. He knew there was one person he could reach that would get word back to the spouses of the unit that remained at Fort Hood, oblivious to the tragedy that would soon descend upon them.

"Dot, honey?"

…

Four hours after the initial news, Josh was sitting in the airport, waiting to board the next flight to Munich, which would then connect to Landstuhl. He leaned forward, trying to make sense of how his life had flipped upside down in just a few hours.

After a tense two hours, Josh heard back from Dottie Baker: the humvee had hit a landmine and crashed. There were two known casualties; the other two were critically injured. No one yet knew the identities of the deceased and injured, and wouldn't for another long while. Finally, after another tense hour, Josh learned the fate of his wife: she was still alive, though it was touch and go. She and Corporal Gardner were being flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, one of the premier overseas medical centers, for further treatment. That was all Dottie knew, or all she was authorized to tell them. The knowledge that his wife was alive was enough to make Josh feel slightly relieved, although he knew from the grim look Dottie gave him that she tried to mask, that things were critical. He could only imagine what it must have been like for his parents to receive that phone call back in 1990, informing them that their son-their only child-had been shot in the chest.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by Todd Gardner settling down next to him. If there was anything to be grateful for in this situation, it was that his only friend on base was in the same boat and they could wait out this storm together.

"How are you holding up, my friend?" Todd asked in his quiet, easygoing way.

"I'll feel a lot better when we get on the ground and find out what's what." Josh replied.

"Amen to that."

"Does Jordan know anything?"

"Just that his mother was hurt and that I'm flying out to be with her. Luckily, one of our neighbors whose husband is also deployed volunteered to watch him when she heard what happened. At least he's old enough now that I don't have to hide what really happened, you know?"

Josh nodded. Just then, the PA system blared an announcement in English, then German for the out-of-town tourists: At this time, United Airlines flight 2109 is now boarding at gate A-15. Please have your boarding pass and passport ready. Thank you.

Josh and Todd stood up with their carry-ons. "Well, let's get going." Josh said as they began walking toward the gate.

…

Thirteen hours later, they landed in Landstuhl and headed to the baggage claim. They had gotten lucky with a non-stop flight to Munich instead of having to deal with a bunch of stops. They had only had to connect once. Once they had landed, they headed for the baggage claim, where an Army contact was supposed to meet them to bring them to the hospital. As they were grabbing their bags, there was a voice behind them. "Mr. Lyman, Mr. Gardner?"

"That's us." Josh said.

The younger woman stuck her hand out. "Lieutenant Colonel Webster. I'll be your contact while you're here in Germany."

"What's the latest?" Todd asked anxiously.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say much. However, I've been asked to assure you that the doctors are doing everything they possibly can."

"Thank you, ma'am." Josh replied. "Will you be taking us to the hospital from here?"

"Not just yet. Visiting hours are over, but I will take you first thing in the morning."

Both men nodded and followed the soldier out, not quite sure what they would hear when they finally reached the hospital.

At 8:00 am the next morning, they arrived at the hospital and were immediately escorted to a private room to wait. Both men were tense, wondering what could possibly be happening.

"Mr. Gardner?" Both men rose as a female doctor approached.

"I'm Todd Gardner." Todd spoke, a bit uneasily.

"Would you come with me, please?"

Todd followed the doctor into the hall, and Josh picked up a magazine, not wanting to eavesdrop on a private conversation. Ten minutes later, Todd came walking slowly back into the waiting room, accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Webster.

Josh stood up right away. "Todd, what happened, man?"

Todd's mournful, bloodshot eyes met his. It was obvious he had been crying. "Amy...um, Amy…"

"Todd?" Josh's voice was a whisper, not wanting to hear his response.

His next words were a hollow whisper: "Amy didn't make it through the surgery."

Josh's mouth dropped open. Not Todd and Amy. Not now, not when his friends were so close to being through with the Army life entirely.

"I don't know what to say, man." Josh found himself saying. "What-what happened?"

"She was thrown out of the vehicle." Lieutenant Colonel Webster supplied as she guided Todd to a chair. "There were multiple internal injuries, and there was too much blood loss. She arrested three separate times before the surgeon made the decision to call it."

Josh nodded, his mind blank. How on Earth would he survive if that had been Donna instead of Corporal Gardner? What if it already had? He tried to swallow the bile rising up in his throat and took a seat next to Todd.

"I'm so sorry." was all Josh found he could say. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Um...I don't know. I-I need to call her parents. I want them to hear it from me before they hear it from the casualty notification officers. And Jordan." Todd looked up mournfully, realizing that he would somehow need to gather the strength and wisdom to tell his ten-year-old son that his mother had been killed in action.

"If you think someone else should talk to your son…" Lieutenant Colonel Webster started.

Todd snapped to attention. "No. No, it has to be me. I told him I would call when I had news."

"Todd, are you sure?" Josh asked his friend. His mind was spinning, but he tried to put it aside.

Todd nodded. "I-I need to get to a phone."

"Of course, sir." Lieutenant Colonel Webster said, leading him out of the waiting room.

"Todd." Josh called. Todd stopped and turned.

"If this is the last time we see each other…" Josh trailed off. He knew that with the death of a service member, plans were usually put into place quickly for an off-base move. Todd nodded and stuck out his hand.

"Thanks for being my battle buddy, man."

Josh smiled at the term of endearment used for spouses of deployed military members who became friends. "I could say the same. I'm just sorry it had to end like this." There was a pause. "Keep in touch, all right? If Jordan ever needs someone to talk to, and his old man just isn't cutting it.."

"I'll send him your way." Todd assured him. "You do the same, and make sure to let us know how your wife is doing."

"I will do that." Josh replied. They shook hands again, and smiled as Todd headed out.

Lieutenant Webster smiled sympathetically. "That never gets any easier."

Josh nodded. "Do you know if there's any news on my wife?"

"Let me just get Mr. Gardner situated, and then I'll see what I can find out."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"You know, if we're going to be together over the next few weeks, we should probably be on a first-name basis."

Josh smiled. "Then I'm Josh."

"Ginger." she told him, sticking out her hand. "I'll be back." she promised, and walked out.

Josh resumed his position in the waiting room chair, head in his hands. He wondered how on Earth he was going to tell his wife that she was apparently the only survivor of the explosion.

…

Ginger was back twenty minutes later with a middle-aged surgeon. "Josh, this is Colonel Leahy. He operated on your wife."

Colonel Leahy stuck his hand out. "You're the husband of Captain Moss?"

Josh nodded. "Yeah."

"Shall we sit?" The doctor said, gesturing to the chairs.

Josh swallowed as he sat down. If the doctor was telling him to sit, then God only knew what was about to be shared.

"First of all, let me reassure you that your wife is in stable condition. There's no reason to believe that she shouldn't make a complete recovery."

Josh let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank God. What about her injuries?"

"When your wife came in, she had significant internal and external injuries. Four broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, minor burns on the left side of her body from being so close to the explosion, and a concussion."

"But she'll be okay?"

"She should recover. But Mr. Lyman…" Colonel Leahy hesitated, as he was unsure how to approach the next part. "Your wife does have one significant injury that we need to discuss."

Josh sat up straighter.

"When your wife was brought in, she had several broken bones in her right leg and a large amount of vascular damage."

Josh nodded numbly. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he didn't like it.

"We did what we could, but at the end of the day, we weren't able to save the leg."

"You amputated?"

Colonel Leahy nodded.

"You-you amputated?!" Josh said, standing up. "Do you know how devastating this is going to be to her? She could be discharged for this!"

"Yes. But listen for a second. It was either that or let her struggle for months in PT with a badly damaged leg and end up needing to leave the service anyway because she can't get medical clearance."

"Besides, amputation may not automatically equal medical discharge." Ginger spoke up for the first time in a while. "She may not be able to return to combat, but she can still be in the Army. What happens after this is up to her, the doctors, and the Army."

Josh sat down, his head spinning. He wanted to see her so badly, to look at her and know she was going to be okay. "When can I see her?"

"Right now, if you'd like." Colonel Leahy said, standing up. Josh stood up slowly. "Webster, would you please escort Mr. Lyman to the Intensive Care Unit."

"Of course, sir." Ginger said. Josh followed her out, having no clue what to expect.

…

The Intensive Care Unit was quiet, except for persistent beeping and buzzing. Ginger led Josh to a cubicle in the corner, and quietly pulled the curtain aside. Josh swallowed deeply as he laid eyes on his wife for the first time in over six months.

She was pale, there were cuts and bandages on her face and chest, and her blonde hair, dulled from the hot Middle Eastern sun, was sprawled out over the pillow, but to Josh she had never looked more beautiful.

His eyes traveled over her as he walked closer. There were tubes connected to nearly every part of her, and she was unconscious still. Then, Josh's curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly lifted the sheet where her right leg should've been.

His breath caught as a wrapped pile of bloody gauze stared back at him.

Ginger approached quietly. "It can be a shock the first few times, but you will get used to it. Listen, I'm gonna give you some time with her, and I'll see you later, all right?"

Josh nodded in agreement. "Thanks."

Ginger quietly excused herself, and Josh pulled up a chair. He reached for Donna's bandaged hand, being mindful of the tubes and monitors that surrounded her.

"Hey, it's me." he said. "I love you, more than anything. You're gonna be okay, I promise."

A/N: Rough chapter, I know, but I wanted to explore this side of military life. Hope you enjoyed, let me what you thought by leaving a review!