Timeless

Chapter 14: Eddie

The first thing Eddie registered before his eyes even opened was pain. He could hear the voices around him, low and soft. He began to panic, remembering what happened before he blacked out. He tried to sit up and see where he was but a gentle hand pushed him back against the cot.

"Don't try to get up, Diaz. Can I get a medic over here?" he heard a voice say.

His eyes finally began to focus and he saw Lieutenant Harrison sitting next to his bedside and a fellow medic coming over to check him out. He was in the med tent. The one on their base. They were safe.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The medic finished the check before responding. "Your shoulder is healing well. It was out of its socket and your arm was fractured. You also took a couple of shots to the arm and torso, but we extracted the bullets and stitched you up. I'm going to start your next round of pain meds. Let us know if you need anything."

The medic left to go get the medication and Eddie looked around the room. To his right, he saw Gordon, still out of it while a medic checked his injuries. Michaels and Williams were in front of him, awake and talking to one another. Williams noticed him.

"Good to see you awake, man."

"How long was I out?" Eddie asked, head falling against the pillow once again. It took too much energy to keep it raised. The medic returned with his pain medication.

"Only a few days. You would come to for a minute but this is the first time you've been fully conscious."

"Do you remember what happened, Diaz?" Lieutenant Harrison asked.

All of the memories flooded back into Eddie's mind. The team joking about Eddie and Evan, trying to outrun the enemy choppers, dragging Fender out of the crash site. It was as if Eddie was reliving it all over again. He reached for his necklace, his heart rate slowing when he felt it still resting against his chest along with his dog tags.

"We... crashed," he said, trying to shake the feeling the memories brought him. "Pulled everyone out."

"You did a great thing, Diaz. You got everyone to safety."

Everyone? He found the strength to look around the room again. His team was here but someone was missing.

"Fender?"

Eddie remembered doing compressions. He remembered yelling at his friend, begging him to breathe.

"He survived. He was airlifted to a hospital from the crash site. From the updates I've received, it sounds like he's going to make a full recovery thanks to you. You did good."

"Williams too," Eddie said. "He pulled out the others."

"All of you did good. You'll be rewarded for your service," the Lieutenant said. "And with the extent of your injuries and the horrors you all went through out there, you have all been honorably discharged."

"I'm going home?" Eddie asked. He couldn't believe it. For a second he thought that he was in some sort of fever dream, that he would wake up and still be stranded in the middle of the desert under the rain of enemy fire.

"You're going home."

He thought of Chris and Evan. His boys. He was getting what he wanted. He could be with them and stay with them, for good. They would never have to go through the pain of Eddie leaving again. They could have their life, their family, that they'd been dreaming of for so long now.

"We're going to keep you for observation for a few more days until you're well enough to fly then you'll be stateside. It's been an honor serving with you, Private Diaz."

"The honor is mine, Lieutenant," Eddie said, fidgeting with his necklace once again. His boys protected him, they gave him the strength to fight and come home.

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After a few hours of rest, they allowed Eddie to use the satellite phone and call anyone he wanted. His first thought was obviously Evan. He couldn't imagine what thoughts were going through his husband's head after not hearing from him for this long. He wanted nothing more than to call and tell him that everything was ok, that he would be home for good soon. But he had an idea and thankfully he had memorized the number the last time he was home.

"This is Captain Nash."

"Bobby. It's Eddie."

"Eddie?" Bobby asked in disbelief. "Oh my- are you alright? When Buck told us about the letter and not hearing anything from you-"

Eddie heard a door shut on Bobby's end of the line, the man probably going somewhere more quiet. Bobby couldn't even finish his sentences, the shock taking over.

"What letter?" he asked.

"Two army officials showed up at your door with a letter saying you were MIA. Buck hasn't heard anything since."

"Oh, Evan," Eddie said. He hated thinking about Evan getting that letter, thinking that there was a chance that Eddie wouldn't come home. "How is he?"

The line was silent for a minute before Bobby spoke again.

"I won't lie to you, Eddie. He isn't doing great. He's trying his best to hide it though, be strong for Chris and for the team. He broke down at the station after he got the news. He told the team everything. I think it was just so hard for him to process on his own."

Eddie could feel his heart breaking hearing about how worried his husband was. He couldn't imagine how hard it had been for him, worrying about Eddie and not knowing if he's dead or alive on the other side of the world.

"I've been discharged, Bobby. After a few days of observation, I'll be home for good. I want to surprise my family. Can you help me plan it?"

"Of course I can," Bobby said.

Eddie and Bobby talk for a long time, planning the perfect surprise. Bobby had been planning a barbeque for the team and their families for a while. He would use the excuse of it being a good distraction for Evan since he had been trying to find those since he got the letter. He would have Evan invite Tia and Abuela to meet everyone else. After the party is underway, Eddie can come in and surprise everyone. Eddie got more and more excited, the more they planned. He was going to see his family again. He was going to meet Evan's work family. He was going to be home for good.

"I'm glad you're coming home, Eddie. I can't wait to finally meet you in person."

"Me too, Bobby. Me too," Eddie smiled. Home. It sounded like music to his ears.