Carrying On Ch. 04

"Take a breath," I managed to say. "What happened?"

She gave a sniffle and spoke. "Danny, he was... he was killed."

My heart sank. I had hoped against hope that he was only injured, that this was something that he would recover from, even if not fully. He was gone now, another casualty of a war that had claimed so many of my friends. The dam broke and I dropped the phone, tears streaming from my eyes.

Becky picked up the phone and put it on speaker, holding it between us. I could hear his mother crying on the other end of the line, as if saying those words had made it real. I thought of all the times we had spent together, all the memories we had made together while on our previous deployment. He had made major strides in performance and I thought he had gained enough knowledge to make it through this one. The Gods are fickle though, and they didn't have a reason for who they took and who they spared.

"What happened?" I asked, finding my voice.

"They said he was killed trying to save another Marine," she explained. "He was trying to drag a wounded man to safety when he was hit."

I was devastated, but I smiled at the thought of Ryan out there, trying to save a friend. He would do it without a second thought, and he had paid the price for it. There was no other way he knew how to be. "Your son was a good man," I said. "There was no way he would leave an injured man to his fate, and in the end, he died doing what he was trained to do." She was sobbing again. "I'm so sorry for your loss, and if you need anything, Tyler and I are here for you."

She kept on sobbing, and managed to squeak out a thank you. I knew she had heard me and I knew that she understood, even if she couldn't say it. She managed another thank you and the call disconnected. I could only imagine what she was feeling, having lost her son. Becky scooted in close and took me in her arms.

"He's gone," I said softly, my chest heaving. "God dammit, he's gone."

"I know," she said, pulling my head onto her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, babe."

I dreaded telling Tyler. He was at work and would be crushed. It could wait until he got home. No need to wreck his world while he's in training. There would be drinking tonight, hard drinking. We would turn Smokey's into a somber place, as toast after toast was made in honor of our fallen brother. The others were just as devastated as I was at the news, learning of it when they came home. Tyler was the last to hear of it, and he took it the worst.

He had gone outside, not wanting to be around others. I understood and sat on the back porch while he vented his fury to the heavens. I had lost track of how many cigarettes I'd smoked, letting the cool night wind wash over my body as I drank directly from the bottle. Tyler raged in the back yard, using the axe to split firewood that didn't need to be split. He was swinging so hard that he was burying the axe into the large log and it required a great amount of strength to dislodge.

He was crying and yelling curses to the heavens. If the Gods could hear him, it was a miracle that they didn't strike him down where he stood. They really were fickle. When he had exhausted himself, he came over and took the bottle from me, drinking deep and then grabbing a cigarette from my pack. He stood there before me, sweat making his shirt stick to his chest.

"Why?" he asked me. "Why the fuck did it have to be him?"

"I don't know," I responded, staring off into the trees. "Of all the people, he was the best of us. He should have been here with us, not out there fighting for people who fucking hate us."

"I can't believe it," he said, sitting down. "I mean, he went out trying to save someone else, and that's exactly what he would do, but I still can't believe it. Why are the good ones taken, while the likes of us get to stay and carry on?

"That's just the way it goes. We're the ones to keep carrying on, while others have to move on."

"I don't like it. It's fucking bullshit."

"I know."

We both sat silently for a while, smoking another few cigarettes before going inside to our women.

***

Our wedding was fast approaching. The arrangements had been made months ago for the venue, caterer, photographer and more. Becky, Lauren and Jeanna had been working hard to make sure our day was perfect. I went along for the cake tasting, and otherwise was keeping my distance. Becky and her retinue had picked out her dresses and, though I hadn't seen the ceremony dress, I had seen the one for the reception. It was beautiful, and it was almost inappropriately short. I knew, as did she from the sound I made when I saw the picture of her in it, that she would be wearing it more than just the one night.

The entirety of my preparations consisted of double checking mine and Tyler's dress blues, and gassing up the truck. I had been hesitant of letting Tyler wear his blues, but when Lauren had asked Becky, who seductively asked me, I tried to refuse. One night, I reminded Becky that using her superpowers for evil would throw the force out of balance and possibly bring about the destruction of the world. She simply pushed me back onto the bed and mounted my face, not that I objected.

When I had gotten Becky off, she asked if I had changed my mind. I decided to test a theory and told her I was still unreceptive to the idea. She promptly began to go down on me. Now I knew I had her. After every act, she would ask me if I'd changed my mind. When I said no, she moved on to the next wonderful act or position. Only once I'd finished filling her with my seed, did I acquiesce.

Tyler and Lauren had begun officially dating shortly after Carl's wedding. Carl had expressed his concerns to me about it, knowing only one side of Tyler. I had known him for many years and had seen many sides of him. He could be a relentless pussy hound when he was drunk and lonely, but when he was in a stable relationship he was loyal to the end. Knowing both sides of the man, I would still keep an eye on him, for Lauren's sake.

I dug out my uniform early along in the process, checking it for any major alterations. I had upgraded the chevrons shortly after my promotion, and only had to order some replacement medals for Tyler and myself. We were preparing our uniforms when our women came in to bother us. Lauren came in first, throwing herself at Tyler and wrapping her arms around him. They kissed for a moment before she dragged him back down the hallway toward her room. I watched the spectacle and shook my head. Young love was crazy, and those two embodied crazy.

I chuckled and went back to detailing my uniform. "What's so funny?" Becky asked, leaning against the wall of the hallway. I looked over at my fiancee and couldn't help but smile.

"Those two are perfect for each other," I replied. "Both young, crazy and horny as fuck."

Becky sauntered over to me, her hips swaying seductively. "What about us?" She asked. "Are we not perfect for each other?"

"Of course we are." I put my hands on her waist and pulled her close to me. "We're just not as crazy as them." She chuckled and kissed me, turning to look over my uniform when she broke the kiss. "You ready to be married?"

"Yes," I said confidently.

"Nervous?" She asked.

"Not yet. I'm sure I will be, but as of now, I'm fine. I'm actually more worried about my uniform than the actual wedding."

She smiled and took me by the arm, leading me down the hall to our room and throwing me on the bed. She stood there, gazing at me with lust in her eyes. "Are you nervous now?" She asked.

"Petrified," I said.

***

Wedding day arrived. The venue was at a small farm just outside of town. The altar was set up in one of the fields, with a small barn behind the assembled chairs for guests. The guests had taken their seats and were waiting for the wedding to begin. I watched through the small door that sat just to the side of the large sliding door that was used for equipment. Everyone waited expectantly, the music coming from the speakers set up around the area playing songs of love to keep them entertained while they waited.

The song that was on stopped suddenly, the DJ changing the song to begin the ceremony. The weeding planner stood by the door and, on queue, started sending the wedding party out in pairs. Tyler and Lauren walked down the aisle, then Keith and his girlfriend, followed by Carl and Jeanna. Each member of the party took their places on the side of the podium set up for the officiant. Then, I was shooed out the door.

I've been on three tours of duty. I've been to the worst war zones of this generation, been shot at and blown up. I've had to sleep outside with enemy fighters in close proximity, and nothing had scared me as bad as I was now. I don't know why, but my heart was thudding in my chest so hard that I thought I was changing the beat of the music playing. My heart was pounding so hard that I couldn't hear the medals on my chest clinking against one another like I usually could. I took my place at the altar and waited as the music changed again.

The soft sounds of Keith Whitley started to play as the large sliding door opened. Standing before me was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, her long white gown was exactly what I pictured for her. Everything about her was perfect, and much more than I deserved. Her father walked her down the aisle, tears in both their eyes. I couldn't take my eyes off her as they started to well up with tears.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me

A touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall

Now you say it best when you say nothing at all

*****

Thanks for reading. I have a few other projects in the works but haven't the slightest idea when they may be coming out. Please rate and comment. Thanks again to all who made his journey with me.