The Way Back Home

Chapter Nineteen: Ring of Fire

CHAPTER SONG: "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, June Carter, Various...

Emmanuelle found herself backing away from Lt. Joseph Blake as he said those profound words to her. The young woman's mind was reeling trying to decipher what this man was conveying to her the reason for making an unwelcome advance on her.

She balanced herself against the bed, her hands gripping onto the edge, her fingers curling into the coarse threaded sheets she had just awakened in.

"Emmanuelle, please don't be afraid of me. You've been through hell and back with Corp. Schofield and I had no right to do what I just did." He dared to take a step toward the skittish woman as she pulled herself up to perch on the bed, easing the pressure on her freshly bandaged leg. "I behaved like a complete cad."

"You're damn right about that, Lieutenant Joseph Blake! Just because you volunteered to protect me long enough to get me here doesn't mean I'm the prize you win at the end." She seethed, her voice hissing in a low pitch to avoid drawing attention from the various bustling of nurses and patients in the background. "Keeping William out of the equation, Tom would be ashamed of you. So much for being a man of honor."

Immediately, Emmy felt the agonizing squeeze of guilt enfold around her conscience. This was such a miniscule moment that she was escalating into something even bigger than her own life. Joseph Blake had not just hours ago risked his well-being to keep her safe from a sniper who had also killed their comrade Pvt. Seymour.

A look of offense crossed the lieutenant's face, now darkened into an expression of practiced stoicism, his previous gaze of longing vanished from his pacific blue eyes.

"You're right, Ms. Hunterson. My brother wouldn't approve of my behavior here, neither would your Schofield. Whatever tempted me to do what I just did, it's not your fault. I tried to convince myself that you were just a mission, a distraction to keep my mind off of losing Tom... It...it'd been so long since I felt the touch of a woman...when you embraced me back in the camp..."

Lt. Blake choked up with his words, gulping as he looked away from her, turning away from her so she wouldn't see the tears forming in his eyes.

Emmy looked as the black-haired soldier turned his back to her, his shoulders slightly shaking as he took deep breaths to calm himself. She sighed and hung her head, placing her bare feet back onto the cold tile floor, making her body move to the man who she felt disappointment, yet gratitude towards.

She slowly approached him, being careful to not startle the lieutenant as she placed a hand on his trembling shoulder-blade.

"Joe...I cannot imagine what you've been through the past three years. This is hell, we're in the middle a never-ending battle where either of us could die any minute." Her voice was a gentle whisper, hoping she could convince him to meet her face-to-face. "Life is too short to part ways in anger."

Lt. Blake at last wound his head around to meet her pleading gaze. The unshed tears in the ocean depth of his eyes made her want to embrace him again, but she remained cautious as his whole body turned again to meet this woman's stare. Her hands reached to grasp his own, her thumbs grazing his calloused knuckles.

His heart beat a marathon at the too rare feeling of such compassion and warmth radiating from the courageous lady standing before him despite her near disabling injury. And his veins were burning with a pulsating beat as he felt near feverish with emotion of forbidden affection.

It was no mystery to him why Corporal Schofield loved her...and she was right.

A good soldier possessed honor and there was none in the notion of caring about a woman who was loved by a combatant ranked beneath him...