The Fight for Freedom (Book One in the EDSOR Military Academy Trilogy)

Chapter 35- The Devastating Death of a Friend

Thomas pressed his fingers to my arms. “Jesse, your face has never been this beautiful even though it is streaked by wounds and blood”, he faintly gasped. I heard the shouts of people echo. The war still continued. Life still goes on…

I shook my head as streams of water flowed from my eyes to his chest. I was stuttering words. I don’t care if I die weeping. I’ve already killed my father. He walked just like me…everything…I had already lost a part of me. My life meant nothing now.

“Gerard!”, I called with my hoarse voice.

“President”.

 “Get me a doctor, quick!”

He tried to open his satellite earphone but there was no signal.

“Connection broken. Where should I go?”

“To the infirmary!”

 “At once”

He ran back to the fortress. In my peripheral vision, I saw Peter holding the mangled body of Trevor in his bloodied hands. He sadly looked at me and continued weeping.

Trevor’s eyes were closed. His ribs were detached from each other. The satellite device implanted on his arm was ripped. Coils of silver wire twisted around his body. I was horrified that I buried my head on Thomas’ chest. My sweat was sticking to my undergarments.

“Thomas, why did you take the shuriken?”, I whispered.

He faintly smiled. “Because I loved you. I know it was crazy but I’d do anything in the name of love”

I gasped. “But…you’re hurting me even more! I’d rather die than see you suffer! You shouldn’t bother protecting me. I can’t believe…”

“We’ll all die, Jesse. Its just a matter of being the next one there”. His breathing was rugged. The shuriken had penetrated deep inside his heart. Blood was seeping out of the almost invisible hole.

“I wanted you to…stay longer with me. But now, I’ll live alone, feeling different and weird. And I’ll never get the chance to repay you for everything you’ve done!”, I cried.

His grasp was loosening. “SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR!”, my cries echoed throughout the battlefield.  Silence. No one wanted to help both of us.

“I love you”, I said, without thinking then I stopped in my tracks. Why did I say that? Did I really mean that? He faintly smiled at me. “That’s all I wanted to hear before I die”, he whispered.

He placed his bony fingers to my face and looked at me for one last time. “Jesse, promise me two things”. His voice was fading away like dust disintegrating into the wind. My heart was breaking piece by piece. My best friend….is dying.

“Anything. Anything to keep you happy”, I choked on my tears.

“Treat Stephan like your own brother. He’ll need guidance. Lastly, promise me that you’ll continue to defend the freedom of the world with your life”

I nodded.

“I hope….”, he coughed out blood.

“I didn’t die in vain”, he whispered with his last breath.

“Thomas? Thomas??! Stay with me. Please…hold on!”

I placed my lips to his gently. I could feel his heartbeat on his metal studded chest. His lips were cold as ice burning through my warm heart, freezing it and immobilizing all my emotions. Thomas was dead. No Jesse…he can’t be….L

My cries were overpowered by the shouts of men dying and falling on the battlefield.

Gerard arrived with Ayra, the Head Doctor of the Infirmary, just in time to see me weeping over the body of Thomas. Ayra, pale as a ghost, sighed and looked down. She must’ve been close with him.

“I’ll take the body, president. I’ll have it cleaned”, she volunteered, stooping down to gently carry his body. I was shocked. She must’ve liked him.

“No its fine. Its better to leave him here. He didn’t tell me to clean his body. Besides, it would be wrong to put him on the pedestal when others like him have died too. We were all born naked and unclothed. Therefore, all of us shall return dirty and mangled to Him”

Ayra wept and flung herself to me. “I…I never even said goodbye to h-him”

I patted her back as her tears wet my shirt. “Ayra, we all have to go at one point in our lives. He has done his part already. You’ll meet him again someday”

Ayra drew herself from me. She was shivering with fear. “In adversity blooms the flower of courage and hope. Jesse, you remind all of us of that. That we should keep going even if we’ve lost everything. We’ll gain everything back once we’ve been afflicted with the greatest struggles known to mankind. Thank you”, she said smiling then running back to the infirmary with Gerard.

Touching words, uh huh. That’ll make me forget about Thomas…for a few minutes. But I knew that my life’s never going to be the same. I’ll be incomplete forever….well, I guess it’s the price we have to pay for great sacrifices.