When in rome, come back home

"Locksmith?" Said one of the non-SEAL helicopter medics.

I looked over to him, slightly dazed in the pain. He looked rather tall. If I had to guess, 6'1. His eyes were a darkish-green, hair slicked back in a dirty-blondish color. I thought he would have gotten off better as a magazine model than enlisting in the Military. His ACU's were well pressed, with a jet black Staff Sergeant rank pinned on to his hat that sat on his knee as he sat in the helicopter seats next to me.

"You have only suffered a bruised bone, you are lucky is was not broken. If the fall were a foot farther, Your leg would have broken, and tore up your leg tendon, possibly puncture it. Blood pressure looks normal, mental activity is normal, although you are suffering from a little bit of shock, but it will wear off eventually."

Thank god.

"Yo. You good, brother?" I heard Paul say.

I looked back at the combat medic, who quickly diverted his attention back to his medical equipment, then writing things down on a clipboard. He was doing everything at 100 miles an hour, I guess thats what youre supposed to be able to do as a combat medic.

"Yeah man, im good." I reply.

"Hey, higher command saw your actions through your helmet cam. They were pretty impressed. You're lucky you're still alive had you not jumped off that f*****g roof!" Paul said. He was joyful that im alive.

I sat up a bit, and saw Harrison II sitting at the door of the MH-60. He was holding his MK11, with one leg swinging out of the helicopter. He was looking out towards the moon while the helicopter climbed higher into the air. Pretty soon we got up high enough to where there were no clouds, just the moon and the stars around it. It was beautiful.

"You like that? He does to." Paul said. "Its not every day we get to see something like this."

"Yeah...it really is nice." I replied. 

I felt a cool, and calming sensation take over my body, all pain was gone. The darkness of the night sky was contested only by the gleaming light of the stars and overhead full-moon. We could easily make out the Sea of Tranquility, which is a huge crater in the moon that could size up to be an actual ocean, but nothing is in it. I saw a flight of small birds fly away from the helicopter, it looked like they were flying directly to the moon, as they eventually bled off to mere silhouettes, and disappeared into the night sky. I felt the soft wind reach into the helicopter and brush against my face and hair. It was a truly amazing feeling. I looked over toward Paul, who was clearly distracted by the beauty of the moon as well. He had a calm and collective smirk stretch across his face. I hadn't seen him that happy since we graduated BUD/S. I wanted to ask him how he made it to re-deploy with his arm injury from Germany, but I didnt want to bother him at that moment. maybe another time.

The feeling of absolute comfort quickly bled away as the sound of the jet turbines from the Azimuth flooded the helicopter just as fast. Soon afterward, the body of the Azimuth itself covered the moon and the night sky, as it made its landing procedures on the landing dock of the Azimuth. I felt a thud as the wheels of the MH-60 made touchdown on the ground, as Navy Corpsmen took me out of the helicopter with the stretcher, and zoomed me down the hallways leading to the sick bay. There, they busted me through a door, where the sight of bright lights took over and flashed my eyes. They rolled me into a room a little slower that time, and left me in a room with a Corpsman Chief Petty Officer. There, from what I could see, was a small table with all kinds of medical equipment, and a laptop that said words and numbers I could barely understand...or read anyway. The Chiefs desk was covered in papers, neatly organized into folders, and a flat-screen computer. He had a rather small desk, with a rolly chair that seemed like fun.

The Chief gets up and looks down upon me, while writing away on his clipboard, probably taking a physical examination.

"How are you feeling, today?" He asks.

"Emotionally or physically?" I reply.

"Physically. Do you feel any pain, soreness, or fatigue?"

"The medics on the helicopter ride told me I have a bruised bone, and suffering a little shock, but they said it will wear off eventually." I reply.

"Which bone is bruised? do you know?"" The Chief asked.

"The left leg." I reply.

"Left...leg...okay." He said, while writing down the information on the clipboard.

He walks over to his desk, and places his clipboard on a separate nightstand adjacent to the computer. He reaches in one of his files and fishes out a single piece of paper, and walks over to me, while looking at the paper briefly, then back at me.

"You mind sitting up for me?" He asks.

"Sure thing, doc." I said. I adjusted the angle of the stretcher to sit up. 

He takes his stethoscope and measures my heart rate in the correct places on my chest. Thereafter, he does the rest of his medical-stuff that he needs to do, then takes a small device and activates its light in front of my eyes.

"If you would, just follow the movement of the light with your eyes, but keeping your head perfectly still." He requests.

he moves the light around a little fast as I locked my eyes onto the center of the light He eventually turns it off and reports his thoughts on the situation.

"Well, you did take a beating out there, but you'll be fine. You'll have to be in a wheelchair for a while with that bruised leg bone, but only for a day or two. Rest up as much as you can before getting out to re-deploy. No exercise for a little while. Rest for a week, then wait another week for the leg to adjust and regain its strength. But other than that, you're good to go. You wont be needing any Morphine or Physical Treatment Exercises, but you'll certainly be needing to rest. I reckon that the brass is gonna be sending you home. You got a family?"

"Yeah, a wife and two daughters. Oldest is 17, youngest is 12."

"Then you've got enough to worry about. I'll have to knock you out with some Nitro gas, youll more than likely wake up in a helicopter. Anything else you want to know?" He asks.

"Yeah...Lieutenant Junior Grade O'Hara...Did he make it back okay? I ask.

"O'Hara...O'Hara...nope, I cant say I remember that name. But ill have your team contact you if he does, alright?" He replies.

"Yeah...thanks, Chief." I reply.

"No problem. Now hold still, Nitro is inbound."

I laugh a bit. He sends a gas capsule into my mouth a little and lets the Nitro loose. I felt my eyes getting heavy only seconds later, and eyesight is beginning to fade. One minute later, I felt my eyes fully close, as I softly fall into slumber.

I wake up some time later, as the Chief said, in a helicopter. From the inside looks of it, it was a CH-47. The helicopter made its final landing preparations, as the rotors eventually stop rotating. I saw a few other Marines on the helicopter as well...one without a leg. I didnt want to ask how he lost it. The ramp for the CH-47 slowly opened wide, as sunlight eventually poured into the helicopter. I saw a Marine Lieutenant run up to the ramp.

He yelled, "Welcome to Camp Pendleton! Enjoy your stay!"

California? Home.

A Marine behind me got up and pushed my wheelchair out of the helicopter. He lowered his head and asked me, "Wheres your family, brother?"

"They'll come to us, dont worry. Just keep strolling around." I reply.

"Sure thing, man."

I looked around the base, it was a rather large field of green grass and dirt, with family members running and pretty much tackling their loved ones. A lot of laughing and crying can be heard throughout the field.

"Dont you have family to get to?" I ask the Marine.

"Not this time. I was just assigned to help you get to yours. My family is waiting in South Carolina."

"Isnt there a Marine base in South Carolina?" I ask him.

"Yep. MCRD Parris Island, the place where this man was born." He replied. He has a proud smile stretching across his face.

"DADDY!!!" I hear in the distance. 

I look over towards the sound of the voice, to see Carmine, my oldest, basically sprinting to me with the youngest, Sarah. I could see their smiles from where I was, which wasnt but 15 feet away, or so it looked. They eventually got to me and pretty much dog-piled me in my wheel chair, with the Marine backing up a little to give them some space, as all women need. I could hear the both of them cheerfully laughing and giggling.

The Marine spoke up, "Hope you enjoy your family, brother." He said with a smile. He turned around and began walking away.

"Hey!" I called. Carmine also looked at the Marine, while Sarah buried her face into me.

The Marine turned around. "Yes?"

"Who are you?"

"Corporal Marcus Travis. Yours?"

"...Just call me Locksmith." I replied, knowing the trouble I could get in if i gave him my real name.

"Locksmith...i'll remember that. Nice meeting ya!"

"You too, Corporal."

He saluted me as he happily ran his way back to the helicopter, which was preparing to refuel.

"Daddy..." Sarah asked.

"Youngest." I respond.

"Are you going to be okay, daddy?" She asks, with the look of worry in her emerald green eyes, her brown hair blowing in the wind a little bit, and skin, the perfect shade of tan and white, same with her sister.

"Come on, i'm always okay. Dont worry about me, worry about your sister and her dates nowadays!"

Sarah joyfully giggles "She hasnt gotten into any trouble yet daddy!"

"hahaha, thats good to hear!" I replied. I pat her on the head a little, I knew she liked that since she was small.

"Carmine." I call.

She looks up to me from hugging me, her bright blue eyes pleasantly gleaming in the sunlight, and her long, blonde hair blowing with Sarahs, and an amazing smile with a little of her white teeth showing stretching across her face.

"Yes?"

"Where is your mother?"

"She had to work a little later than expected, so I drove here with Sarah."

"Did you take the car, or the truck?" I ask, knowing what the answer should be.

"I know you like the truck, dad." Carmine replies, with a smile.

"Good girl." I reply, as I find her chuckling a little bit.

"Daddy, who is this?" Sarah asks. She was holding my phone, opened up to the picture of me and Flash during the HALO jump earlier in time. Flashes dog smile and extended tongue still made me laugh a little.

"The dog or the guy?"

"Both!"

I chuckle a little bit. "Well the guy in the mask is me, and the dog is Flash."

"Why are you in the sky?" She asks.

"the dog asked if I could jump out of the plane with him, so I jumped with him!" I reply, knowing again, the consequences if I told her what I actually did.

"Daddy, i'm not 8 anymore, im 12!" She replies, with a smile on her face and a few giggles.

"Sarah, thats daddy's friend he works with!" Carmine replies, as she starts pushing the wheelchair to the truck she drove here.

"You could have just said that, daddy!" She happily replied.

"What I wanna know is how you got my phone!" I stress to her, while playing with her small, yet powerfully energetic self, trying to get it back. She eventually dove on my lap, and came to sit, while looking at me with a huge smile. She tries playfully fighting me a little, as I tried my best to let her win. She was having a blast, while Carmine is walking and texting on her phone, knowing full-well that I was occupied with Sarah. We eventually got to the truck, a nice, big, silver Ford F-150, with a decal on the hood that had the SEAL trident on it.

"You want the wheelchair, dad?" Carmine asks.

"Abso-freakin-lutely not. Leave it here and the Marines will come in and get it." I reply, as Sarah jumps off my lap. I limp my way to the truck, as I pull the seat forward so Sarah could get in.

Thereafter, I get in the truck after Sarah makes her way in, and got comfortable. It was gonna be a long, 3-hour ride home. I saw Carmine joyfully jogging to the drivers seat, as she gets in and straps herself to the seat. I hear a click from the back, indicating that Sarah was buckled in as well. I did the same as I reached over and pulled the seat belt over me and clicked it as well.

"We ready to go?" I ask.

"Whenever you are!" Carmine replies.

"Sarah, you ready?"

"yes, daddy, im ready to go!" She almost yells.

Carmine Starts the truck, with the loud sound of the engine roaring throughout the field, as she softly pushed the gas pedal to start the process of going home. She turned up the radio, knowing well how much I dont like her volume levels. I instantly react by spinning the volume button all the way down.

"No." I say.

Both girls giggle intently, as the long ride home was just beginning.

Man, its good to be home.

Author's Note

A little break from the violence and warfare! If you guys have any thoughts or opinions on it, be sure to slap a review in that box right there! Many thanks and much appreciated!