What Happened Before September Ended?, chapter 8
Jimmy was leaning over away from the group, vomiting. Pete came up behind him and grabbed his shoulders, supporting him upwards. "You okay, little buddy?" Whiping his mouth, he answered, "Stop calling me 'little buddy', I'm a year younger than you!" Pete looked in to Jimmy's watery eyes and asked again, "Jim, common, you okay?" Colapsing to the ground, Jimmy shook his head 'no'. "Pete, why'd we do this? This is useless, I've seen at least three dozen guys get killed sinse we got here, and we havn't even been her that long! Jim, I can't do this," and he put his head in his hands.
Sighing uselessly, Pete kept his hands at his shoulders. "Jim, you're gonna have to do this... I don't know what else to say. I've seen easily 3 dozen people die since we got here, You kept you're eyes closed when we got here! You're gonna have to use that gun, or else you gonna be drinking with all those guys in Flanders Fields!" Jim shook his head again, in discust, and threw the gun behind Pete. "I'm not using that! I don't care if I die right now, it'sbetter than living after this," and he swollowed one of his anxiety pills.
"Jim, you're not gonna die here! What about my sister, I'm not gonna be the one to explain what happened! Now get a hold of yourself! I'm scared too, okay? Don't you think I wanna go home... Be a dad... Grow old with my wife..." and without realizing it, he started crying. In the backround of Jimmy's brain, he could only hear the constant echo of gunshots. Enough to drain out the thoughts he was trying so hard to think about.
He tried desperately to remember holding Charlie, memorizing every outline of her face... The excacr shade of blue her eyes were, the tint her hair was when the sun shined on it. Maybe he would have a kid. Would he be a good dad? He thought, silently to himself. He knew Pete would be. He put so much pride into everything he did. Cared so cautiously about his family.
"You're right, I'm sorry..." he said quietly. Pete looked up and tried his best to smile, when he heard his name being called from down the trench. Soon, he walked away from Jimmy, who carefully leaned his lead against the dirt. At first, he heard a small, droned out familiar voice and thought it was just his head. But, it got louder and louder, until it joined it the backround of the gunshots.
"Jimmy!" Charlie yelled, jumping into his arms. He swung around, at first, too suprised to say anything. She was dressed in the same uniforn he was wearing, but she wasn't armed. "Charlie, what are you doing here?" He yelled over the gunshots, hugging her tightly, knowing this time, he wouldn't let her go. "I came back to get you guys... Where's Pete?" she said, looking around. "He's over there... Somewhere." She looke directly at him. "Please come back with me... I told them you have medical problems, that's the only reason they let me come here. Please, please?" she asked, shriveling at the sound of gunshots. "Of course. Let's go find Pete."
"Pete!" she yelled and hugged him tightly. "Common, we're going home." she said, almost smiling. "Charlie... I can't." she turned blanckly towards Jimmy, who only had the same look on his face. "Pete common, she came all this way... Just for us. You don't have to prove anything. You said it yourself... You want to go home and watch your kid grow up... How are you going to do that if you're stuck here!" Letting go of Charlie, who's water filled eyes he would change the world for.
"Jim... You don't understand. I have to, tell Sarah I love her." he said and turned away. "Pete. Please. Jimmy's coming home, why can't you?" she harshly eyed him down, hoping it would change his mind. "Charlie, I can't. You and Jimmy go. I promise, I'll be home." "Why do you have to be so bold Peter Alexander Walker, you don't have to prove anything here!" None of these people care about you. You're playing the pod, like in a chess game... You're job is to die here!" and she pushed away from him. "I guess it runs in the family then, doesn't it?" he remarked, bitterly.
They tried for a few more minutes, until they figured, they weren't going to win. So they left, in the same helicopter Charlie had arrived in. Staring over the ocean and all it's wonders from up high, Charlie leaned comfortably into Jimmy's shoulder, being thankful she got al least one family member back. "I love you..." she whispered, wraping herself in the blanket around her shoulders. "Love you too, Charlie..." he said back. Reflecting on his thoughts...
Sighing uselessly, Pete kept his hands at his shoulders. "Jim, you're gonna have to do this... I don't know what else to say. I've seen easily 3 dozen people die since we got here, You kept you're eyes closed when we got here! You're gonna have to use that gun, or else you gonna be drinking with all those guys in Flanders Fields!" Jim shook his head again, in discust, and threw the gun behind Pete. "I'm not using that! I don't care if I die right now, it'sbetter than living after this," and he swollowed one of his anxiety pills.
"Jim, you're not gonna die here! What about my sister, I'm not gonna be the one to explain what happened! Now get a hold of yourself! I'm scared too, okay? Don't you think I wanna go home... Be a dad... Grow old with my wife..." and without realizing it, he started crying. In the backround of Jimmy's brain, he could only hear the constant echo of gunshots. Enough to drain out the thoughts he was trying so hard to think about.
He tried desperately to remember holding Charlie, memorizing every outline of her face... The excacr shade of blue her eyes were, the tint her hair was when the sun shined on it. Maybe he would have a kid. Would he be a good dad? He thought, silently to himself. He knew Pete would be. He put so much pride into everything he did. Cared so cautiously about his family.
"You're right, I'm sorry..." he said quietly. Pete looked up and tried his best to smile, when he heard his name being called from down the trench. Soon, he walked away from Jimmy, who carefully leaned his lead against the dirt. At first, he heard a small, droned out familiar voice and thought it was just his head. But, it got louder and louder, until it joined it the backround of the gunshots.
"Jimmy!" Charlie yelled, jumping into his arms. He swung around, at first, too suprised to say anything. She was dressed in the same uniforn he was wearing, but she wasn't armed. "Charlie, what are you doing here?" He yelled over the gunshots, hugging her tightly, knowing this time, he wouldn't let her go. "I came back to get you guys... Where's Pete?" she said, looking around. "He's over there... Somewhere." She looke directly at him. "Please come back with me... I told them you have medical problems, that's the only reason they let me come here. Please, please?" she asked, shriveling at the sound of gunshots. "Of course. Let's go find Pete."
"Pete!" she yelled and hugged him tightly. "Common, we're going home." she said, almost smiling. "Charlie... I can't." she turned blanckly towards Jimmy, who only had the same look on his face. "Pete common, she came all this way... Just for us. You don't have to prove anything. You said it yourself... You want to go home and watch your kid grow up... How are you going to do that if you're stuck here!" Letting go of Charlie, who's water filled eyes he would change the world for.
"Jim... You don't understand. I have to, tell Sarah I love her." he said and turned away. "Pete. Please. Jimmy's coming home, why can't you?" she harshly eyed him down, hoping it would change his mind. "Charlie, I can't. You and Jimmy go. I promise, I'll be home." "Why do you have to be so bold Peter Alexander Walker, you don't have to prove anything here!" None of these people care about you. You're playing the pod, like in a chess game... You're job is to die here!" and she pushed away from him. "I guess it runs in the family then, doesn't it?" he remarked, bitterly.
They tried for a few more minutes, until they figured, they weren't going to win. So they left, in the same helicopter Charlie had arrived in. Staring over the ocean and all it's wonders from up high, Charlie leaned comfortably into Jimmy's shoulder, being thankful she got al least one family member back. "I love you..." she whispered, wraping herself in the blanket around her shoulders. "Love you too, Charlie..." he said back. Reflecting on his thoughts...
