Heart Song Anthology by Carolyn Faulkner (summer reads txt) 📗

“Sure.” His voice sounded raspy even to him.

She walked over and helped him hobble to the chair, giving him the remote as he sat on the edge of the seat while she unwrapped the bandages that bound his healing ribs. She tsked while she gently poked them.

He looked down. He could barely see the bruises that not long ago were so dark and covered his entire chest.

She gently rewrapped his ribs in clean bandages before she left him to bring in his lunch. The foulest of gruel. She pushed the table to him as she shook out two of the magic pills that gave him relief. After handing him the juice and the pills she stood back as she watched him take them. The news was on. He didn’t want to see. He quickly finished his food and pushed the table away as he stood on his own. The evil one frowned at him, wanting to argue with him and he smirked at her, happy he had gotten the best of her as he hobbled the few steps to the bed.

She helped him lift his encased foot as he got in, closing his eyes. Soon sleep would come – until dinner when the evil one returned to torment him.

The dream returned. They were in the desert. He and his best friend Shaun were on a mission to find some insurgents hiding near the base of the Spin Ghar mountain range the natural barrier between Pakistan and Afghanistan. They were to observe and report back. No contact.

They were riding in an armored jeep traveling along a dirt path that led to the supposed camp when they hit a land mine. He was thrown from the jeep, landing on the rocky terrain while the jeep with Shaun trapped inside flew through the air, rolling several times. Ike moaned as the dream replayed the mission. He had to help Shaun. The pain, the blackness coming to claim him. He had to stay awake, had to help Shaun. He yelled to him, hoping to rouse him when he saw that Shaun was unconscious and hanging upside down in the seat belt, unable to get out.

Suddenly from behind the rocks came the enemy. Yelling war cries and brandishing weapons, they would be within firing range in a very few minutes. The horror running like ice through his veins banished the pain as he tried to stand and couldn’t. He crawled to the jeep, which was upside down, and cut Shaun loose, trying to ease his fall to the ground. Then he reached for his machine gun, which was secured in the back of the jeep. He unhooked it as the enemy came within range. They put their guns to their shoulders, ready to shoot, as he picked up the machine gun and began spitting bullets at them. He groaned again as he remembered the rage as he continued shooting until every one of them lay dead amid the dirt and rocks.

His radio was damaged by the blast, so he crawled under the jeep and used Shaun’s, calling for help and medics, before losing consciousness.

The dream faded into uneasy sleep, the pain, while kept at a distance by the magic pills, would not completely release its grip on him. Pain had been his constant companion since he woke in a hospital and was shipped home. He had been at this veterans hospital stateside for almost a month now. His friend Shaun had not been hurt as badly, protected by the roll bar on the jeep, and had been released a couple weeks earlier.

Ike woke suddenly, looking around the darkened room until he recognized it from his hospital bed. He ran his good hand through his hair as he gathered himself, and then tried to sit up. But he failed, just as his tormenter entered his room, and saw his efforts.

She ran over to help him. Putting the pillows behind him, she sat on the side of the bed. She knew he’d had a bad dream again. She understood he needed her. She gathered him in her arms and let him cry as the feeling of helplessness overcame him. She let him cry until with a shudder he pulled away, wiping his eyes in embarrassment. She smiled kindly.

Mindy had been a nurse at the vets hospital in New York for a couple years. She had seen many soldiers come in broken in body and mind. She knew he wanted to know about his friend. “Your friend Shaun has called. He wants to come and visit you. Would it be all right if I told him to come by tomorrow?”

Ike looked up at her, sometimes this demon tormentor was an angel. How did she know he wanted to see Shaun and be reassured that he was safe? “Tell him to give me a couple days, okay?”

Mindy nodded and stood to turn on the light and open the shades.

“No! I like it dark. The sun hurts my eyes.”

Mindy nodded agreeably. “May I turn on the small light in the corner? Just enough so you can see to eat and take your pain pill?”

“I will eat but I want to try without the pain pill.” He needed to start weaning himself off the meds; didn’t want his friend to see him all doped up.

“Of course. If you need it, just call for me. I get off duty in a few minutes but one of the other nurses will help you.”

Ike smiled to himself as he gently sniffed in the smell of roses. She was a cute little thing. Five foot nothing and maybe one hundred ten pounds all in the right places. Long brown hair and the brightest blue eyes.

He thanked her as she helped him into the bathroom and then his chair, same as always, before she uncovered his meal. He looked it over. This was palatable enough, he supposed.

Humming a light little tune, she freshened his bedding while he ate.

Dinner music, he thought sarcastically,