Getting the Legs Back

Right time for another chapter in this one, I know it's been a very long time since there has been one but now it's here and hopefully I can get this story to where I want it to be. Anyway for now I hope you enjoy this reasonably long chapter for one of my stories but I hope you enjoy the chapter and as always I don't own COD, I do own Anchor.

I woke up to the sound of someone walking down the corridor towards my ward they kept getting louder and louder, not Ashley's nurse shoes but heels clacking as they walked. 'Who the hell could that be at?" I looked down at my old wristwatch that my mother had brought me, 'Two fucking am!'

I sat up in my bed the person couldn't be for anyone else I was still on my own on the ward I kind of liked being by myself no one to ask who I was and what regiment I had come from, not that I could tell them a thing anyway. I continued to wait but the heels stopped just outside my door, I could hear two voices one was female probably the person in heels and the other was the doctor.

After a minute I heard the door fling open, only the doctor walked in however. "You have a package," He smiled at me even though there was a heated discussion from outside the room with the woman.

"Who's it from?" I asked him.

"I have no idea," He told me as he handed it to me, I looked at the brown paper wrapped object it had no return address only the address of the hospital. I continued to turn the package around.

"Have you got a knife?" I asked the doctor it had been wrapped in industrial strength paper and duct tape from NASA.

"Here," The doctor told me as he pulled a Leatherman out of his trouser pocket, I looked surprised at him, "Old habits die hard," He shrugged as I started attacking the package with the blade slashing through the paper and tape.

"Jesus who the fuck packed this?" I asked rhetorically, the package finally gave and tore open, as the insides rolled out onto my bed. I picked up the first object which still had the price tag on it £2.99 duck on a rope and the other was a wad of paper monopoly money but it was for the American version it was in dollars and all the $ had been gone over in sharpie. I didn't understand who would send these things to me.

I placed the duck on my bed post and put the money in my wallet which was in my CPU trousers. "Night Doc," I told the doctor who was done being nosey and was now on his way out of the ward.

"Night Sergeant," He replied as he wandered back to his office.

I fell back to sleep I must have only been awake for twenty minutes maximum.

I could feel the warmth of the air as I slowly opened my eyes exposing the bright almost blinding light. As I slowly climbed out of bed grabbing my crutch on the way out I hobbled over to the window and opened it causing a jet of cold air to rip into the room which almost blew my j cloth up. "Maybe I should put some trousers on," I sighed to myself.

I slowly hopped over to my bed and put on my uniform again, I looked at the door which swung open just as I slid my fly on my trousers up. "Sergeant, I have good news," The doctor told me as he pretty much flew into the room.

"Wait hold on," I paused for a second or two, "What?" I asked him as I stood up clutching my crutch for dear life.

"Your legs are ready we can get you fitted today," he told me as I hopped over to him.

"What time?" I asked him excitedly.

"Twelve," He simply replied, as he turned towards the door, "Do you want me to call your family?"

"No I want to surprise them, what hotel are they in?" I asked him.

"It's a premier inn just up the road on Kings Street," He replied as he walked out of the ward.

"When does Ashley get in?" I asked him as I held the door after he had walked out.

"Any minute now," He replied as he continued down the hallway. I looked at the large clock which hung on the wall outside my ward, it was only nine am.

I went back into my ward and looked at the duck on the rope which now took pride of place on my bed post, I still couldn't think of who would send me such things. I could hear the all too familiar squeaks of the gripped shoes. The door to my ward tentatively opened, "You're late," I told the woman as she walked in and placed her bag in the office.

"Yeah, sorry, I got caught up in traffic," She replied bashfully as I hobbled towards the office door, "Who bought you that soap thing?" She asked me.

"What soap thing?" I asked her.

"That soap on a rope," She shot back chuckling at my confusion.

"Oh, the duck, I have no idea."

As we continued to babble on about absolutely nothing, but the time was drawing in on my legs being returned to my undercarriage.

It came to about eleven forty five and I was now overcome with excitement, Ashley didn't clock on what I was so excited about until at five too the doors to my ward flew open and slammed into either side of the door frame, a slim man walked into the room followed by my doctor who had a very large brief case in his left hand. I had an ear to ear grin which everyone could see in the room as the slender man who had a grey suit on with a thick blue tie on but the thing that jumped out at me was the small shiny pin on his left lapel. As he walked closer I could actually make out what was on the pin it had the dagger of the Royal Marine Commandos.

"Sergeant Jacks," The slender man said to me as he held out his hand, "Major Patrick," His thick Irish accent accentuated his presence making him seem more massive than he actually was. He held out a piece of paper, which had been folder up twice and had been sealed with a wax stamp, I took the piece of paper and peeled off the wax which again had been stamped with a dagger.

"Why are you here?" I asked the major before unfolding the piece of paper.

"It's all in there," He replied abruptly. I unfolded the piece of paper which was almost completely covered in writing I skimmed over it but one sentence stuck out at me in particular, 'We are offering the reinstating of your contract with the Royal Marine Commandos as a training instructor at Lympstone, Devon.'

"What?" I asked the Major.

"They're offering you the chance to become a Marine again," He told me as I looked up at him from my piece of paper.

I was just stunned by what had just been offered to me, I just sat up but before I could answer the doctor came in with his brief case, "I think I can break this silence," He said as he placed his case on the bed next to me. He unbuckled the case exposing my new leg, its silvery shimmer gleamed in all its metallic glory. I looked over my new leg before the doctor unclipped it passing me the carbon fibre object. "try it on," He told me as he passed me the prosthetic which I quickly slid my leg into.

"How does it feel?" He then asked me as I twisted my knee and looked down at my new leg.

"I don't know yet," I said as I slid myself off the bed and stood proudly as I tried to keep my balance on the weird leg, "it fits good, is the other one ready?" I asked the doctor as I wondered about my blade.

"No you'll have to wait a few weeks for that one, I suggest you get walking again," He told me as I looked down at my body which had gained a few pounds since I lost my leg. I just nodded at him and then looked over to the Major. "As for your offer, I'll accept it, just as soon as I get out of here."

"I'll inform my superiors," He replied as I continued to look down at my legs whilst standing at head height of the Major and the doctor.

Ashley walked over to me as I stood up right, "so this is you at your full height," She said as I looked at her, she was a lot shorter than I thought she was but then again I'd spent the whole time looking up at her from my chair, she only stood about five foot three which was tiny compared to my six foot frame.

"This is me," I told her as everyone else left the room rather quickly once I was comfortable standing.

"You're pretty tall," She said coyly as she cleared the briefcase from my bed. She took her seat on my bed as I took my first tentative steps on my new leg, as my weight shifted onto the stump it was excruciating, I could feel the pressure of my bone pushing into the scar which ran along my leg. I cringed as I placed my foot back down and relieved my leg, "That's going to take some getting used to."

"I can imagine," Ashley laughed as I shifted again it not being so painful this time.

"Well I hope you never have to lose your leg," I told her sombrely as I sat on the window ceil with the view I had become so accustom too. It overlooked a park which had dog walkers and runners all day like these people didn't work all they did was walk dogs and run, Hey can I ask you something?" I asked as my voice cracked due to nerves.

She looked up at me with the same nerves on her face as I did, "Yeah," her voice had become quiet and softer than normal.

"I'm going to walk to the hotel which my family are staying in and I was wondering if you wanted to come and then maybe go get a coffee afterwards," I said nervously my voice constantly cracking and recoiling at my own cheesiness.

"Erm…" She began and I automatically assumed the worst, so I turned to look out of the window, "I can take my lunch in a bit if you can wait, and then I'll come with you," She said shyly as I continued to gaze out of the window, a grin slowly but surely making its way across my face whilst I felt myself palpitate furiously with nerves and adrenaline, it was worse than in contact.

I waited for about an hour in which time I put on my full uniform beret and all, "I'm ready now if you are," Ashley asked me as she entered the room with her coat on covering her nurses uniform and holding onto an old red leather bag. I looked at her placing my beret on my head with my cap badge gleaming in the hospitals shite fluorescent lights. "Wow!" She almost exclaimed as she looked at me.

"I take it you've never seen it in all its glory?" I asked her as I brushed myself down and stood tall, she just simply shook her head and continued to stare. "Shall we go?" I asked her as I held out my hand pointing towards the door. I held it open and we walked out of the hospital.

Once we were outside I looked from left to right and didn't know where the hell to go, "Where are we going to?" Ashley asked me as I continued to be confused.

"Premier Inn on Kings Street," I told her whilst still looking around.

"Okay it's this way," she told me as we walked down the road to the left away from the hospital, as we walked in silence I looked up at the hospital with its old Edwardian style windows staring down at me, I spotted the window that I sat staring out of not too long ago, it was on the second floor of the building, two stories above my head.

I kept note on Ashley's movements just so I knew when to turn, we eventually reached the other side of the park, I had received stares due to the chunk of aluminium and carbon fibre which hung beneath my leg but I didn't really care I got used to the stares back in Herefordshire so this was nothing. I could see the purple sign of the Premier Inn and we had arrived without saying a single word, it was awkward.

"So this is it?" I asked as I looked up at the four story tall building which looked like we were in a completely separate planet let alone just being on the other side of the park, the building was so modern looking and had very little indicators that we were even still in Birmingham.

"This is it," Ashley said awkwardly as I opened the door and let Ashley inside.

I walked up to the front desk and looked the manager in the eyes but he kept his gaze down at my leg, "Can I help you, sir?" He asked as he finally met my eyes.

"Sergeant," I corrected, "Can you tell me which room, Mrs Jacks is staying in, please?"

"I'm sorry I can't do that," he paused and then added, "Sergeant."

"Mum look," I heard from behind me as I felt someone rush up behind me as hug me from behind.

"Hey, little brat," I said as I swivelled around and looked at her and my mum who was almost in tears looking at me standing upright at last. I opened my arms as the two of them sprinted towards me and almost knocked me off my leg, I still didn't have balance down to a fine art by that point. I kept my balance, just, as the two of them smashed into my significantly widened frame and embraced them as a family once again.

I looked up at Ashley who was stood in the corner awkwardly looking back at me, I smiled at her and she returned it. "So you two wanna accompany us to the coffee shop on Portabello Street?" I asked as I released my family.

"Sure, hope you're paying though," My sister said to me sarcastically as I walked over to Ashley who was still stood in the corner.

"Are you ready?" I whispered to her and she just nodded discretely. "you two ready?" I then asked my mum and sister as I turned back to them.

"We just need to grab our coats," My mum told me as she and my sister went into the lift to go and retrieve their coats from their room.

I sat in the chair which Ashley stood next to taking the weight off my now thoroughly aching stump, I pulled off my leg to reveal a bruised and partially blood covered stump but before Ashley or anyone else could see I quickly stuffed the stump back inside.

I looked up at Ashley and smiled as if I didn't care about the pain, as I stood up my mum and sister came into the room again, I winced as I put my weight into my leg. I had to shift my balance to take some of the pain out of my leg, but the adrenaline was dumbing the pain down.

My mum and sister now had their matching pink coats on which I remember where the exact things they wore when they shunned me as I joined the regiment but I didn't see the point in being angry with them, I mean look where being the super soldier had gotten me, blown up, shot and now one leg down.

I just gave them a gritted smile and walked over to the door which led into the gloomy streets of Birmingham. Ashley stuck to my side like glue, she didn't say a word neither did my family for that matter, the whole experience was a lot more awkward than I had imagined when I was sitting in my hospital bed with my new leg attached.

When we arrived at the coffee shop on Portabello I started to notice strange familiar artefacts but all felt alien in this environment. By artefacts you may wonder what I mean, there was a small black boonie hat on the table in the middle of the coffee shop, a single highland accent rang through the small coffee shop it bellowed in the confined space and to top it off there was there was another man with an Essex accent in the room, just like Gaz but I couldn't pin point it.

How he died on the bridge? I questioned in confusion ignoring the conversation of my family trying to locate where my friend was but I couldn't and the conversation ended quickly after we found and empty booth in the room.

"Are you even listening to me?" My mother asked as I regained my hearing of the conversation they were having.

"Erm….Yes," I said after quite some pause.

"What did I say then?"

"Fuck knows," I replied to her still looking around the room searching for something but I couldn't pinpoint it.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying the story thus far I promise I will be getting the pace up in the next few chapters and really getting the story under way anyway until the next time…..PEACE!