NATHAN BELL

" I had known Nathan Bell what had seemed like my entire life, we weren't best friends or anything but we still hung out in high school. When we found out that we were both joining up we became closer. We went through basic together and were assigned to the same unit. Our unit was ambushed… it was crazy. There had been constant gun fire for about 12 hours, the air was thick with smoke, I can still smell the gun powder." Booth pauses and takes a deep breath as if smelling the air.

"Me and Nate lost track of each other in the chaos. When I found him he was laying on his stomach, I knew right away that was bad. I rolled him over and all I saw was blood. He had been shot in the gut. He looked up at me, smiled kindda, the he was gone. The only thing I could even think to do was grab his letters," Booth pauses looking at Parkers' face he can tell he has no clue. "You see… some soldiers would write there own good-bye letters. I grabbed his and his dog tags then ran back to our strong hold. I will always remember the way I could smell his burnt flesh from the bullet." His eyes are closed and he has a sour look on his face, as if he were smelling garbage.

"The next thing I remember it was about a week later." Booth pushes his palms into his eyes until he see spots. " I held my buddy when he died. I saw the last breath he got to breathe, the last look on his face."

Booth mumbles something and Parker debates for a few minutes be fore he decides to ask. "A few minutes ago you… you uh, mumbled something. What was it?"

"'The angels were crying

As they carried his brothers away

With the fire rainin' down

And the hell all around

There were few men left standing that day

Saw the eagle fly

Through a clear blue sky' It'd from the Big & Rich song 8th of November. Not the exact one that I was in but hey it sounds just like it."

Parker pauses for a second, "Is that why you always change that song if it comes on? Too much of a reminder?" Booth just nods.

"Dad, why do you think he smiled right before he died?"

"I wondered that for a long time. It might be because he saw me, you know maybe he thought he was going to be okay, that I was a comfort to him or maybe it was something completely different. I wish I knew." Booth looks at his watch. "You wanna get some dinner?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."