ANOTHER STORY ANOTHER TIME

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE * RANGER BUDDY

"You know you will have to learn discipline, follow orders, in the military there is a chain of command, and you will be at the bottom for quite a while. Jacob looked at the recruitment officer.

 "I understand."

 "I received all the documents from your school, and we wont need parental consent past eighteen, and your birth certificate is here, and your physical paper work, and finally ahh yes your ASFAD scores. Ok lets get this signed, and tomorrow morning you will be sworn in. Here is your key to the hotel, and I will see you bright and early at 0500 hours." Jacob was happy, kinda, well at least he knew where his next meal was going to come from. 

His brother wrecked the family car and blamed him, since he wouldn't admit to the damage, his father kicked him out of the house believing his brother over him, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He had been basically living like an animal for almost a year. But at nineteen, he was now a soldier in the United States Army, headed to Basic Training in the late morning.

Basic was not easy for Jacob. Yes he had been in sports in high school, but he hadn't trained for several months so his stamina was pretty low, it would come back with his persistent effort. His ability to learn was in Army terms "Out Standing". He could memorize things in a flash, He had only been shown once how to disassemble and re assemble his M-16, Learned tactics on hand-to-hand combat by watching others, and day by day improved his fitness training stamina. The one thing he did just as bad as the rest of his platoon was the dreaded white shack for Nuclear-biological-chemical training, the chamber (commonly known as the gas chamber.) He now knew why they had fed them such a large breakfast only an hour prior.

During the training each recruit had a ranger buddy, this was to Jacob a life line. Brian Stouter was his ranger buddy. They were to learn everything they could about their ranger buddy. Brian was a P.F.C. due to prior training, they were on the fast track of being the best duo in the platoon, if not the company. Nearing the end of their white phase and week seven, Brian received a letter from home, it was basically a dear john letter. His girlfriend was leaving him for his best friend. She had said his financial stability would be better than Brian's. Jacob noticed something weird about Brian's actions, he wasn't trying to be number one, or some times not even trying. He had given up for some reason. On Sunday when recruits went to church or had a couple lazy hours, Brian had entered an empty room on their floor, he placed his head between two metal bed supports, and went limp, Jacob had been following him all morning and snuck in the room as Brian went limp.

 "Oh Hell No." He released him from the metal and laid him on the bed.

 "Why did you stop me?" Jacob looked at Brian, 

"Your my best friend in this world, I cant lose you to this bitch." He pulled out the letter, Brian gave him a look, 

"How did you get that?" He was angry now, "You were dumb enough to leave your locker unlocked." Brian looked at him and cried,

 "Please don't tell anyone, I don't want a section 8." Jacob looked surprised, 

"No way, we are in this together, just promise you wont do that again, she isn't worth your love man." Brain smiled a small but worthy smile. 

"Now lets get out of here before they start calling us boyfriends."

The next two weeks went quickly and graduation from Basic was in the rear view mirror for both men now, their A.I.T went even quicker, as their friendship grew, and they decided once their last mission after five years was over they were going to move to a small town and get a farm to raise cattle and other live stock. Neither one wanted to do any more military or schooling, just work and live a common life.

/\/\/\/\ Months later.

The convoy was traveling at a slower rate, the terrain was full of craters and mounds of dirt. Then the gun fire started, as their Hummer exploded it sent Brain out the passenger window and Jacob stuck under the truck when it finally came to a rest. 

/\/\/\/\Present.

"Help, help me, oh God Brian!" Isaac came running into the room. 

"Jacob it's Isaac wake up buddy, come on wake up." Jacob woke up, he grabbed Isaac's face and pulled him in to his chest, 

"Thank God Brian." Isaac pulled away Jacob wasn't fully awake yet. Then Isaac could feel the emotions of realization then despair coming off of Jacob. 

"He is still gone." Jacob lowered his head, he remembered he had lost his eye sight as well. Looking towards Isaac, 

"I'm sorry" Isaac was almost in tears, he couldn't imagine waking up every morning without sight and having to relive why over and over. 

"Dude I've got you, I am here as long as you need me, promise." Jacob broke down for the first time since the ambush. His sobs were sad, and heart wrenching. Isaac, pulled him in as close to his chest as he could politely be. 

"Shh, shh, I got you Bud." As Isaac slowly rocked Jacob in his arm, his eye's teared up. Stiles slowly peaked in, as Isaac motioned with his head for Stiles to come to them. 

He okay? I could feel his emotions from the kitchen." Jacob opened his eyes not seeing anything but Stiles aura. 

"I'm okay, go see your friends, both of you. I just need a couple moments to compose myself." Stiles looked at Isaac, 

"Go ahead, and get ready everyone is slowly getting here, plus I need a few minutes away from Scott and Malia's vulgar happiness." Jacob laughed,

 "How is happiness vulgar?" Stiles put his arm around Jacobs shoulder, "Malia used to be my girlfriend, now they are getting married." Jacob laid his head on Stiles shoulder, "That's good that she and your best friend are happy, right?" Stiles hadn't looked at it that way,

 "Yeah I guess you are right, I mean I am happy with Michael. They deserve love to, I guess" Stiles looked around, "Okay what did you want to wear?" Heading to the closet.

Isaac came out of the shower wearing only his towel, Alec was sitting talking to Jacob as he got dressed. "Hey where is your scarf?"

Then they all heard the front door ring, not like normal, but like the volume on it had been quadrupled. Stiles came down the steps and Scott came out of the kitchen to answer the door, but it rang again, and it felt even louder somehow. Opening the door there stood Shelly.