It is currently 1973, the Vietnam War, and Captain Jonathan is a famous US pilot. With his trusty UH-1 helicopter, 'The Medic On Wings', he is capable of flying, solo, through heavy fire to rescue those who need it most. However, during a transport...
BANG! BANG! I let the rifle cling to the strap, while she picked up a pair of binoculars. "Nice one John! Nailed that fucker right in the head!" I lifted up my own pair of binoculars, peering downrange at the pathetic cardboard cutout, whose head was now completely missing, the rest of the cutout leaning backwards against a tree. "I swear, I get any better I'm gonna blow the entire target away." "Ha! You wish!" "Hmm? Saying I'm not a good shot?" "Maaayyybe~" I chuckled at Tammy's sly response. I lifted the strap off my shoulder, leaving my M16 on its stock against a tree.
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Hoisting another cutout over my shoulder, I trekked forward through the forest, placing the new target inside a mock-up tent. I grabbed the ruined target, dragging it back to my original position, throwing it into a large dumpster. I turned back to Tammy, who was just putting her phone back in her pocket. "Danielle just called, she said she'll be back at the house in a few."
"Alright, we've been out for a while anyways, 'bout time he headed back." Tammy held out my rifle, and I grasped it by the barrel. Hoisting the strap over my shoulder, I let it hang on my back, and we walked back through the forest to the car. Climbing into the old pickup, I set my rifle in the backseat before starting the engine, hearing it whine a little. "Damn, sounds like the oil needs to be changed." "Again? Man, I only changed it just last week." "Welp, older car, higher maintenance."
I laughed as I cranked the wheel to the side, pulling off the shoulder and onto the dirt path. I carefully rounded the curve, where I knew the stump was hiding under fallen leaves. 'Not today.' I could almost hear the stump sigh in disappointment as we cruised past the innocent looking pile of maple-colored leaves. "The forest looks good, the reds and yellows go good with the browns of the trees." I looked over to see her admiring the beauty of Autumn.
"Well, maybe you just liked the pancakes at breakfast." "And that." We chuckled for a moment, and I reached down to the stereo, clicking on the radio. '-and additionally we should be expecting another cold front later this week, but it should only last a day or two. And now, back to Juan Whopple, with the music!' There was a moment of silence, then a song blew out through the car.
"Oh I love this song!" "You love every song Tammy." "Well I can't make a decision, they're all lovable!" "Like me?" "Yup, just like you~" I stopped at the stop sign, before merging onto the county road. "It's amazing how well the land is recovering post-war." "I thought it would take years for it to recover from the bombing and fires and vehicles turning the land into a featureless plain, but the combination of some organizations seems to be doing well." "The Red Cross was inactive for a while, but they sure did come back quick!"
New trees were sprouting in the new, nutrient-filled soil, and irrigation rivers were already coming along rather nicely, and I could already see the small buildings sprouting up in the horizons, growing taller by the second. I smiled to myself as we drove into the small town of Langdash. "Man, this is the life I was missing during war." "I still think it's pretty crazy that you never really had anyplace to call home." "Welp, when life goes to shit, you go to shit." "That's fucked up." "It was life, but I'm not mad. It is what it is."
I waved to the workers at the gas station, spotting Ash working with some others to put up the diner's new neon sign. "Hey Ash!" "Hey guys!" We waved as we cruised on by, and I stopped at the red, before cautiously turning right. I peered out, seeing the 'Parker's Bluff' sign outside the neighborhood. 'Home sweet home.' I suddenly jacked the brake, a group of kids playing a game of baseball in the street appearing in front.
I honked the horn twice, and they quickly cleared to the side, allowing us to drive past. "You think they would use the new park they built!" "To be fair, it is a little while away from here." "Eh, that's true." I pulled the wheel right, reaching down to the stick and shifting it down and towards the right. There was a muffled clank, and I carefully backed up, parking the truck next to the white Taurus. I pulled the keys out of the ignition, fiddling with the door for a moment before pushing it open.
I jumped out, my boots thudding onto the concrete driveway, and I looked over to see a figure through the kitchen window. "Looks like she's already inside, shall we?" I nodded, reaching through the back window to get my rifle, slinging it onto my back before tossing the key to her outstretched hand. I followed Tammy through the door, and she took my rifle off my back, putting it up on the wall. "Hmm, 'bout time y'all showed up, I was jus' thinking I'd have to eat all this food mys'lf." I looked over to see her sitting up on the windowsill.
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Myself and Tammy laughed a bit. "Nope, not till you get into college young lady!" "I might be going sooner than y'all think, I heard back from Yale today..." I raised my eyebrows, hinting for her to continue. "...and I've been accepted!" This time it was her turn to laugh, and I smiled. "Well congrats! My little kitten is soon to be a doctor!" "Nope, still going to be going into the military. Dunno why you want me to be a doctor so bad." "Just a profession joke hun." I frowned suddenly, sniffing the air. 'What in the...' "Uh, does anyone else smell-" "Ack! The pot roast!" "Danielle!"
-Time Skip-
Jonathan POV
I sipped my drink again, setting the glass on the armrest. The liquor leaving a bittersweet aftertaste. "I still don't know how you managed to make a coke-flavored liquor." I chuckled as the bench shifted again as Tammy sat down next to me, holding a glass of her own. "That's a secret only us men will ever know." "You jerk." We chuckled lightly and gazed at the sun as it sank into the ocean of trees, the carefully painted reds and yellows and blues hazing together into a fine scene.
"Kinda weird to be outside and not have to look out for snipers or any of that." "Hey, we left that crap in the past. This is the present." "And it's all; Sunshine, lollipops and, rain-bows, ev-ry-day." My weak rust-bucket voice singing out. "Did I ever tell you that you suck at singing?" "Well, I'm good at...'other things', am I not?" I gave her a sly look, and she put her hand on her face, chortling. "Oh shut it you." We gazed into each other's eyes, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulder.
"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" "Mmmmmmnno? Tell me." We kissed lightly, the sun beginning to disappear over the horizon entirely, and I wished the moment could never-"You guys are so weird." I scoffed, looking back to see Danielle looking at us with her arms crossed. "When you're married you'll understand." "Ok dad." I waved her off. "Ahh, go study for exams or something Danielle, I dunno." "Whatever." I heard the leaves crunching as she walked off, the glass door sliding shut behind her. I turned back to Tammy. "So, where were we?"
