Disclaimer: Not mine.
I thought Sam would have an interesting take on Remembrance Day, and this was where my musings took me. Enjoy!
Ever since he had served in combat, Remembrance Day had taken on a whole new meaning for Sam. Growing up on a military base, he had grown up with a huge amount of respect for veterans, those in service and those who had lost their lives in combat. Therefore, he had always treated Remembrance Day with the respect it deserved, and he wasn't afraid to confront those who didn't.
But all his thoughts and feelings about November 11th had changed since he had returned from Afghanistan. Now, remembering meant remembering all those times that they had been too late. It meant remembering his friends that had lost their lives in the hell that was war. It meant remembering the days when everything seemed to be going wrong; when innocent lives were ripped apart for no good reason. Now, Remembrance Day was one of the most important days of the year for Sam. Even more important than it had been before.
Mostly on this day, Sam remembered Matt. Before he had died, they'd been as close as brothers. They had joined the team together, and they had almost always gone together on missions. It hadn't been his mistake that had put Matt in the line of fire, but it had been his bullet that had ended his life. It was his fault, somewhere along the line, he was responsible. Today was the day when he could grieve his friend without worrying about others thinking he was weak. Today, you were supposed to remember.
Today, Sam remembered Lou as well. Though he hadn't been in the military, Sam felt that he deserved some of the same recognition that those who had been in the military got. The way he saw it, Lou had given the ultimate sacrifice to keep the peace, just like soldiers around the world did everyday. Maybe it wasn't quite the same as war, but landmines were little devils that he'd had to deal with too many times in Kandahar. A landmine could very well signify war, so he remembered Lou like he remembered Matt. One day, he'd remember the good times they'd had together, and some of the sadness would go away. Just not this year. Maybe next year he would.
Now as he stood on the street watching the ceremony, Sam felt a fierce rush of pride towards everyone who defended the peace in Canada and around the world. He remembered his team from JTF2 and the SRU alike. It was like he had told his father; he could make a difference here. Here, he was trained to keep the peace, just like he had fought for the peace in Afghanistan.
Fin
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