When I reach the tower, I stop, putting a hand on the wall to steady myself. He's could be dead, his body could be in here. I don't really want to see that, but I have to know.
I can feel someone behind me and look to see Reiben, Mellish, Upham, and even Ryan trying to catch up to me. I wait for them to, not sure if I can go inside without them. Reiben steps up to my side, looking at me and seeing how determined I am to find Daniel.
He nods and clasps my shoulder. He moves into the ruined tower first and I follow. The others come after and Reiben starts calling Jackson's name, even throwing in a few Daniels. Ryan is looking for Parker and Upham joins him while Mellish and Reiben help me.
We spread out, shifting through the rubble, shouting their names until Ryan yells, "Hey, I found one of em'!"
I spin in his direction before running toward him and Upham. I stumble a few times, but Reiben and Mellish are there to catch me. When we get there Ryan and Upham have moved the wreckage off the body and Ryan says, "Its Parker, he's gone."
I let out a sigh of relief, and then feel a spike of guilt for it since a man is still dead.
"Jackson has to be close by," Upham says softly and we all start looking again while Ryan closes Parker's eyes and takes his dog tags.
"Found him!" Mellish shouts.
I rush over to him and the others who are gathered around the body. Reiben turns to face me, a grave look on his face and puts his hands out, trying to block me from getting through.
"Lilly…" he says in a pained voice.
"No," I say, tears gathering in my eyes again. "No, no, no, no, no, don't you dare, please don't, he isn't, he can't be- please no…"
I try to push through to see Daniel but Reiben catches me around the waist and pushes me back. "Lilly, you don't… you don't want to see this."
"Reiben get out of my way. He isn't dead, he can't be, he isn't- please God don't let him be dead, please!" I practically shout.
Reiben pulls me closer as I lash out at him, trying to break free from him. This just makes him hold me tighter and eventually, through the tears and cries, I give up. My knees start to give way and Reiben holds me up, slowly lowering me to the floor. I cry onto his shirt, grabbing his collar with both hands.
"Please Reiben, tell me he isn't- please, please," I beg between sobs.
"I'm so sorry Lilly," he says as the others watch us sadly. "I'm so sorry."
"Um, guys, he's still breathing," Ryan says and my eyes snap open. I push Reiben out of the way and crawl to Daniel's side. My hands shake as I reach out to put my hand over his mouth. I try not to look at the right side of his face, which is covered in blood from a multitude of gashes and cuts on his forehead and cheek, or the awkward angle his right leg is at.
I feel the faint flutter of breath against my hand and look up at Ryan, who is kneeling on his other side looking at me expectantly.
I let out a shaky breath and wipe the tears from my eyes. "He-He's still alive."
I push down any feelings of grief or panic and force myself to focus, to be a nurse. "Upham, Mellish, run and get a medic, tell them they need equipment to treat abrasions and a broken leg; and we need to move him as soon as possible."
I don't see them leave, but I can hear them run through the rubble.
Reiben crouches down next to me, dropping his BAR on the ground. "What can we do?"
"His leg is broken, take his boot off," I say and he immediately sets about doing that.
"Ryan, get out all the bandages you have," I instruct and he jumps to obey.
I take out all the bandages I have on me, and then unceremoniously raid Reiben's pockets as well. Anywhere else this would be seen as monumentally inappropriate. Ryan adds his own to the pile.
"Ryan, apply sulfa powder to the cuts on his face. Cover his eyes, we don't want the powder to get in them, then bandage them," I say and he nods before taking one of the sulfa packets and ripping it open.
Reiben has just finished taking off Daniel's boot and sock and I bend down to look for a pulse at the artery near his ankle. I let out a quick sigh of relief when I find one.
"Alright, Reiben hold his leg in place, as straight as you can," I say as we hear the turning over of stone blocks and footsteps. Mellish and Upham must be returning with the medic.
They appear around the corner and carefully, but quickly make their way over to us. I see the medic has a splint kit with him and thank the lord.
I politely ask Ryan and Reiben to move back out of the way and help the other medic apply the splint to his leg as Mellish and Upham wait nearby with a stretcher. As the medic finishes up the splint, I finish the bandages on his face.
Reiben and Mellish then help us put him on the stretcher and carry him to n awaiting med-evac jeep. The medics, and other soldiers there, usher us all into the vehicle. I then realize I don't know if any of the others have been hurt.
"Are the rest of you okay?" I ask, looking critically at them all.
"Just a few bumps and bruises, nothing to worry 'bout," Reiben says.
I raise an eyebrow but don't see any pressing injuries on them, but know they'll go through a full medical evaluation soon. I focus back on Daniel, who is still out cold, and pray that he will be out until we can get him to a hospital.
The next two days are a blur. By the time we reached the field hospital it was night. We were quickly ushered inside where Daniel was taken to the critical unit, while the others were put on beds to get checked over, including myself to my dismay.
By the time that was over, myself and the others, including Ryan, went to find Daniel. He was stable for now, but the doctors also discovered some broken ribs, and a possible fractured right arm. He woke up briefly to tell them what hurt the most before the morphine they gave him took effect and he was lulled back to sleep.
We all wait outside the hospital; it was crowded enough in there. I am so tired I know I wouldn't be of any help. Reiben managed to wrangle me to get something to eat, and by the time we got back, there was a bed made beside Daniel's made of field blankets and a pillow. I just give Reiben and the others a smile, knowing it was their doing, and they say goodnight before leaving.
The next morning, we all say our goodbyes as Daniel, Ryan, and I are put on a plane back to the states. Ryan for obvious reasons, as well as Daniel, and myself because of how I valiantly fought in combat even though it wasn't my job too. I think they may be afraid of the public outrage if they don't let me go back home after what I did- something like, "She fought a war no woman should had been made to fight in, and you're making her stay?!"
If Daniel wasn't injured and going stateside, I would have argued to stay, but right now all I want to do is go back to the U.S. if it means staying by his side.
Nevertheless, it was sad saying goodbye to Reiben, Mellish, and Upham. But I knew we could still write, and there is a chance, no matter how small, that we'd see each other again.
We arrive at the airfield were the injured are quickly-I mean quickly- unloaded and taken directly to the hospital. Ryan gets off and is swept away by a soldier waiting specifically for him. Before he leaves I make sure to give him a hug and whisper, "It wasn't your fault, you didn't ask for a squad to be sent to find you."
He doesn't say anything, and I run to catch up to Daniel as he carried away.
When we reach the hospital I'm made to wait outside where Daniel is being treated and remember that this hospital is one of the biggest in the country for injured soldiers.
I go up to the front desk and approach the nurse there, who is flipping through a chart.
"Excuse me," I say softly and have to repeat myself to get her attention. "Excuse me. Do you know where a man is by the name Irvin Wade?"
"Um, hold on hun," she says, looking through a bunch of charts and clipboards. "Ah, here we are, Irwin Wade, field medic, two gunshots wounds to the shoulder and stomach. He's on the fourth floor honey, room 411."
I nod in thanks, still out of it, and walk to the room. I search the many beds crammed into the small room until I see Wade. I walk a little faster over to him. He's reading a newspaper, sitting up a little, but is shocked when he sees me. But then he grows concerned. "Lilly, what happened?"
And then I break down as all that has happened in the last few days finally overwhelms me.
Its a few weeks later that Wade is allowed out of bed. I was able to remain at the hospital after volunteering to work for free in exchange for a bed and three warm meals a day. I think the nurse in charge was sympathetic when I told her my husband was here seriously injured.
Of course, when Wade gets out of bed, it's just a few days later that he reveals to me he has nowhere to go. Daniel has been quite awake and active-well as much as I and the other nurses allow him to be with broken ribs and a broken leg- and when I tell him this, we both come the simultaneous conclusion that he can move in with us, at least until he finds something better. And if he doesn't want to live with us, I'm sure we can find him something cheap in Tennessee- that is, if he wants to live there at all.
Getting home is a long, exhausting trip with two wounded men to help. Luckily, the other passengers on the train we had to take were very kind and helped us whenever I asked for it.
When we stepped out of the car in front of the Jackson main house, Ruth and Alice came running out, crying with joy. I had written them telling them Daniel and I were fine and were returning home as soon as Daniel was healed enough to make the trip, and that we were bringing a friend too of course. Ruth actually invited Wade to stay with her and Alice, saying they needed a man in the house since Daniel has his own. She also mentioned something about how Daniel and I were still a young married couple and so it may be better for Wade to live with them instead. This I didn't mention to Daniel or Wade.
One month later Wade and Daniel are mostly healed, and I start to begin to suspect something. Not sharing my thoughts at first, Daniel was highly curious and concerned until I finally broke down and told him I think I may be pregnant. He was in a few moments of shock before his senses came back and we called the doctor to set up an appointment. Seven months later, we're at the hospital as I give birth to a boy and a girl. The boy comes first and Daniel and I- who I insisted be in the room for this- name him Jack Michel Elijah Jackson. Jack for Daniel's father, who was more of a father to me than my own, Michel for Sergeant Horvath , and Elijah for my former captain, Elijah Dunne, who I learned was recently killed in combat.
A few minutes later comes our little girl; Allison John Charles Jackson. Allison for a good friend of mine who was a nurse in the war who was killed, John for Captain John Miller, and Charles for Private Long, who died with Captain Dunne.
A few months later, after the official end to the war, we get a surprise when a car comes up the driveway and out steps Reiben.
I'm at the window and when I see him a huge smile spreads across my face, a smile that is rarely seen anymore. I rush to the door and throw it open; Wade is looking at me like I've gone crazy, and Daniel is just shaking his head.
"Reiben!" I yell and he turns around.
"Lils!" he calls and I run to him, practically jumping on him. He catches me, having to take a step back with the force I come at him with, and laughs. He picks me up and spins me around before putting me down.
"Reiben," Daniel says as he and Wade exit the house. I move to let them all shake hands. But Wade surprises him by pulling on his hand to bring him into a hug. Reiben sighs but then smiles and hugs Wade back.
"Nice to see you on your feet doc," Reiben comments and looks at Daniel.
"So I guess I can't call you limpy anymore, huh?" he says and Daniel just goes right in for the hug. They both laugh at the nickname Reiben made up while Daniel was still using his crutches before Reiben looks back at me. "So, do I get to meet the terror twins?"