22nd January 2017
Russian Hospital
Moscow, Russia
Gary was the first person which entered the recreation room after his shower. He walked over to the couch and took a seat in the middle of it. Unsure when the others were coming he decided to switch on the TV. He grabbed the remote and pushed the on button. He heard a buzzing noise and seconds later he watched a Russian TV-Show. He didn´t understand anything but he believed it was a political show where they talked about the reconstruction of the destroyed cities. In matter of fact he didn´t speak this language he zapped through the television transmitters till he found a music show where they transmitted American music. He laid the remote aside and closed his eyes to relax a bit. With the sound of the music in the background he starts to think about his life back home.
Before he decided to join the army he intended to become a famous soccer player after school. He was always good in this kind of sport. He liked it to be part of a team that needed to work together to get to their goal. But as his best friend was killed he decided to become a soldier. He wanted to save the people he cared about.
Thinking about him he couldn´t avoid the sad feeling overcoming him. He remembered the day his whole life changed.
It was on a warm September day five years ago. He and his best friend wanted to watch a game of their favorite soccer team. They had bought the tickets for it long ago but at the day of the game Gary didn´t feel well and so he had to stay home and watch the game on TV. His best friend instead was in the stadium. Excited if Gary would see his friend on Television, he sat in front of the screen. In the first half time everything went well and his team got 2 scores and the other team none. In the break Gary left his spot in front of the screen to go on the toilette and only two minutes later as he came back he couldn´t believe his eyes. He saw a massive explosion there in the stadium. The screen went black for a moment and then it switched into the commercial break. Unsure what happened he tried to reach his best friend on his mobile phone. It rang like a hundred times but no one answered the phone. Gary got really nervous and wished that it wasn´t real. He waited what seems to him like hours till the screen switched to a news show. They said a terrorist was there in the stadium and blew up a bomb. They couldn´t tell by now how many people lost their lives but Gary knew his best friend was one of them.
And he was right his best friend was gone. He remembered the funeral very well. How will he ever forgot it? All of his former classmates were there and everyone was crying and couldn´t understand why he had to die. Gary himself felt guilty. He should have been with him. He should be killed in there with his friend. He couldn´t stand the helplessness he felt right now and only a week after he joined the army. He wanted to stop all the bad guys out there. He didn´t wanted that someone else loses his or her best friend. His mum was sad back then and he knew she will never forgive him but this the only chance he saw to make peace with himself.
As he heard some footsteps coming closer, he opened his eyes and tried to forget what he was thinking about.
"Hey Roach! You´re here already?" Ghost asked and sat down next to him.
"Yes, I´m here since ten minutes. What were you doing so long? You smell like you´re going on a date or something." Gary answered and wrinkled his nose; Ghost definitely wore too much after shave.
"Hey, I smell good don´t I?" Ghost asked with big eyes.
"No, it´s way too much." Gary answered amused.
"Besides I always thought you don´t care how you smell. Sometimes you didn´t take a shower for almost a week."
"Why should I smell good in a military base?"
"Oh, there is the rub." Gary showed a big smile.
"I don´t know what you mean." Ghost stated innocently.
"You do it for her!"
"For who?"
"Julia. You like her."
"What? No, that´s not true."
"Really not? I saw how you looked at her earlier that day, you never looked at someone like that."
"That´s only because you never saw me around any women don´t you?"
"Well, that´s true so why do you were it? For Ian?"
"What? You´re out of your mind." Ghost screamed.
"Maybe." Gary answered giggling.
"But maybe I just have a sense for that kind of stuff."
"For what kind of stuff?" The both men turned their heads to look at Ian and Julia who had just arrived at the recreation room.
"Oh we just talked about some military stuff. Nothing special." Gary answered rident.
"Ok. So what are we gonna do now?" Ian asked as he walked to a shelf with board games in it.
"We could play ludo if you want." Julia answered and Ghost and Roach nodded in response.
All four took a seat at the table that was standing in the middle of the room and began to play. The played a couple of hours, talking about what they have done before the war and eating something for dinner. It was eleven o´clock in the evening as the doctor came to the recreation room with a bright smile on his face.
"Good evening everyone." He greeted.
"Evening." They answered.
"You´re having fun I see. It´s good to know you get along with each other and that you have settled down. I have two news for you. The first is tomorrow you´re allow to leave the hospital and the second one is that a General from the British Military called, he´s coming to get you tomorrow morning." The doctor explained.
"What General?" Ghost and Roach asked at the same time.
"His name was MacMillian I guess. He said he´d come to take you back to your base."
"Our base? I thought General Sheperd destroyed it." Ghost asked.
"I can only tell you what he told me, you should rest now, he is going to arrive in the early morning. Julia, Ian, we need to talk what we do after we close the hospital. You should come with me to my office."
As the doctor spoke these word Ian and Julia got up and followed him out of the room. Ghost and Gary sat there and looked at each other surprised.
"Do you know anything about this MacMillian?" Gary asked.
"I´ve heard his name once or twice. I think Tavish was talking about him but I can´t remember that he was a General."
"Maybe he got promoted."
"Yes, maybe. Come on Gary, we should do what the doctor said and go to sleep." Ghost stood up.
"You´re right. At least we don´t have anything to pack." Gary smiled a little and both of them made their way to their bedroom.
At 4 o´clock in the morning the night was over and Roach and Ghost were ready to be picked up. The doctor had told them he got a call that the General would arrive round about half past four and so the two waited inside the hospital, excited what the Generals plans were.
"Hey guys, you´re all right?" they heard Ian's voice behind them and turned around to face him.
"Well, were a little bit excited but it´s okay. Why are you up so early?" Gary asked.
"Oh I´m leaving today too. My transport is going to be here in ten minutes." Ian answered and leant against a wall.
"So you´re going back home?"
"Yes, I´m going back to Ireland."
"Wow, that´s cool and what about Julia?" Ghost asked.
Ian just shrugged his shoulders.
"I don´t know. She said she wanted to visit a friend but I don´t know where this friend lives, I only know she is going by plane."
"Is she awake?" Ghost continued to ask.
"Yes, I saw her in the kitchen five minutes ago."
"Roach, I´m back soon." Ghost told his friend and left him and Ian alone in the lobby.
Ghost didn´t need to go all the way to the kitchen ´cause Julia was coming his way, carrying all of her luggage.
"Let me help you." Ghost said and took one of Julia´s suitcases.
"Thanks, they´re way too heavy to carry them all." Julia smiled a little.
"I´m glad you haven´t left yet. I wanted to say bye to you all. Is Ian still here?" she asked.
"Yes, he´s in the lobby, waiting for his transport to Ireland. He said you are going to visit a friend?"
"Yes, that´s right."
"Where does this friend life? Maybe we meet if we have a few days off."
"I don´t think this will work. My friend lives in the USA and your base is in England right?"
"Oh yeah, that´s difficult. So does this mean this is a goodbye forever?" Ghost asked visible disappointed.
"I don´t think so. You know what they say, you always meet twice in life." Julia answered, patting him on the shoulder.
"You´re right but there´s something I wanted to tell you before we leave." Ghost stopped and faced her.
"Oh, what is it?" Julia asked curios.
"Well I don´t know how to start…"
Of course Ghost knew what he wanted to say. Yesterday as he laid in his bed he was thinking about what Roach said. Did he really like her? Sure he did. She was there for him since the first day he awoke. She was always nice to him and didn´t judge him only he had this big scar on his face. But did he love her? He wasn´t sure, he cared about her and liked to be with her but he didn´t have the infamous butterflies you have when you´re in love with someone.
"Ghost? Are you okay?"
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard her voice.
"Yes, I´m fine." He stumbled.
"So, what do you want to say?"
"Oh, I….I just wanted to tell you that…. I wanted to thank you that you were there for me and Roach."
"You don´t have to thank me for that. I just did my job."
"I know, but I also wanted to tell you that I…..I…. God…I really like you, as a friend, and I´m gonna miss you."
"I like you too, as a friend and of course I´m gonna miss you."
They looked at each other and smiled.
"Hey Ghost hurry up. The chopper´s here." Gary screamed in their direction.
"Ok, I´m on my way." Ghost jelled back and he and Julia started to walk to the lobby.
As they got there the General stepped out of the chopper and came in the lobby.
"Mr. Sanderson, Mr. Riley?" MacMillian asked.
"Yes sir!" both of them said and saluted him.
"I´m General MacMillian and I´m here to take you back to base. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes, one moment please." Gary answered and quickly he gave Ian and Julia a hug, before he walked towards the chopper.
The General shot Ian and Julia a glance, turned around and followed Gary to the Chopper.
"It´s time to go now." Ian said to Ghost and shook his hand. Ghost smiled at him and then turned around to Julia and took her hand to shake it. Julia took his hand, smiled and pulled Ghost into a hug.
"Be careful and don´t forget us ok?" Julia said and looked him in the eyes.
Ghost smiled a little, nodded and went outside to board the chopper. He turned around one more time and saw Julia and Ian wave. He waved back and closed the door behind him. He turned his head to the side and saw a surprised expression on his friend.
"Roach? What is it?" he asked but Roach didn´t answer.
"Good to see you again lads."
Ghost´s eyes grew wide. He knew that voice. He turned his gaze away from his friend into the direction the voice came from.
There in this chopper with him, Roach and the General he was.
Price.
