Shattered

Chapter Three: Phantom

      I sat on the bed changing the bandages so he wouldn't get an even worse infection. I've giving him antibiotics for the past few days but we haven't witnessed him awake. He was extremely dehydrated and was in serious pain so I'm not surprised. I wiped his forehead and he grabbed my wrist. He sat up and looked around. "What the hell did you do to me?" "Nothing. We found you in Atlanta almost dead. We gave you a transfusion and bandaged your wounds." I pried my wrist out of his hand and he relaxed. "What's your name?" "Staff Sergeant Grace Ellis but just call me Grace." "Merle Dixon." I shook his hand and sat with him until he was ready to get up. I put his arm on my shoulder and held him up. We slowly walked outside and he looked around. "So you Army?" "Marines." "I was in the Army at one time. I punch my sergeant in the face and got dishonorably discharged." I laughed and sat next to him on the swing. We sat there swapping war stories.

      "Any bad ones?" "Nah not really. A few scars but not much. What about you, Gracie?" "I lost my leg. I was out going through basic to prove I was able to go back. I graduated but then the world went to hell. I left my sister after a fight we had. Never talked to her again." "How long ago?" "Four months." He nodded and looked out at the field. We sat in silence for a while not needing to say anything. "My brother was back in Atlanta. I don't know if he's even still alive. There's a lot of things I'm not proud of. I wanted to tell him that when I got back but I couldn't find my way back."

     "Who knows maybe we'll see our family again." I helped him up and went back inside. We walked back to the bedroom and I helped into bed. I walked out the door and saw Andrews fighting with Jon. I jumped off the porch and pulled them off of each other. "What the hell is going on here?" "It's his fucking fault we're in this position!" I pushed Andrews back and glared at the president. "Now is not the time to be fighting. We're here as guests and I expect you two to have a good attitude. If not start walking." They both glared and went in separate directions. I walked back inside and Maggie smiled.

      "Men huh?" "Always looking for a fight." "I put a few towels in the bedroom for you guys if you need a shower." "Now I stink?" She laughed and walked away. I smiled and walked back to the bedroom. Merle was up reading a book when I walked in. I grabbed a towel off the bed and felt his eyes on me as I walked away.

      I never thought hot water would feel so good. It was a lot easier getting in the shower than getting out. I tried to jump out but hit my head on the sink. Not too long after I heard a knock at the door and luckily it was Maggie. "Grace? Are you alright?" "No actually. Can you help me?" She opened the door and shut it quickly behind her. "What can I do?" "Hand me my leg. I know its weird." I put the prosthetic back on and she helped me off the floor. "I'll get you some aspirin." I got dressed and walked out with the towel against my bleeding head. "Nice job slick." "Shut up Merle." Beth smiled when she walked by and I caught her staring at my leg when she got passed. I walked down to the kitchen and sat down. Hershel bandaged it and Maggie handed me the aspirin. "How long have you had it?" "Four months. Still hard to get used to sometimes." "I don't know how I would be able to handle something like that." I nodded and asked about my uniform. She told me they were washing all of our clothes at the moment.

      "I also found this in your pocket." "Thanks." She handed my rosary and I walked outside. I put it under my shirt and looked up at the sky. "This is one hell of a plan you have going." I heard footsteps behind me and saw Hershel. "Didn't mean to interrupt you." "It's fine. I think He's giving me the silent treatment." He smiled and stood next to me. "When do you think you'll be on your way?"

      "Well when Merle is feeling up to it and I talk it out with Greene-" "He's leaving with you?" I nodded and sighed lightly. "I would love for him to stay here but he won't do it since he knows he has orders to carry out. I'm sorry." "Then there's no rush is there?" I didn't mean to guilt him into letting us staying at all but it just happened. He walked back inside leaving me alone in the cooling air.

      "Grace? Merle's calling for you." "Just what I need." I was to the room in a flash. "Looks like I'm not the only one missing a few parts." I ran my hand through my hair and leaned on the door frame. "What do you need Merle?" "My hand is killing me." I put a finger up telling him to hold on and walked out of the room. "Maggie do you have a mirror?"

       "Ok now just look at the hand in the mirror. Keep opening and closing your hand." He did as I said and smiled. "And the pain?" "It's gone." I smiled and watched him move his hand. "It's called phantom limb syndrome. It's a neurological problem a lot of amputees get after losing a limb. It's your brain's way of making your body whole again even though it knows there's something missing." I trailed off and blinked really hard trying to get rid of the tears brimming my eyes. 

      Merle noticed and lifted my chin to meet his gaze. "You're something else you know that?" I shook my head smiling a little. "I'm nothing different than anyone else. If the pain starts again let me know. It sometimes works and others.." I shut the door and stared at the ground. The memory of losing my leg was painful and it would never fade away. It was like losing it all over again.

      The sun beat down on us in the hot summer desert. Andrews was my cover on the mission and kept all of us in check. He stood at the back making sure no one got left. I kicked in the door and put two men up for protecting the innocent. We went up against a wall and checked around it. We pushed farther in and ran into another team. I was trying to quietly sort things out with their Sergeant but he wasn't listening and started yelling for us to go back. His yelling alerted the other men and they started shooting. He pushed me to the ground and darted out of the building leaving his men with us. I took a shot to the shoulder and moved for cover behind a fallen piece of cement. Andrews was on the other side pulling the wounded to cover. I covered his back and started shooting. We were down to four men when another piece of the building fell on my leg. I spotted the bomb attached and yelled for them to get out. A few stray tears fell from my eyes and I started to try and get my leg out. Andrews was leaving when he saw me. Greene joined him and I laid down cover fire. "We're getting you out Serge!" "Leave it!" "No man gets left behind ma'am!" They pushed it off and grabbed me. We were just out when it blew. Throwing us forward Andrews landed next to me his face covered in blood. Greene was a few feet away with shrapnel in his helmet and arm. My ears were ringing when the building blew a second time.

     Slowly I walked into the kitchen. I didn't know how long I was standing there thinking about it. Everyone was getting ready for dinner. Merle came up behind me and grabbed a plate. "Come on chicken leg." Rolling my eyes I grabbed one as well and sat down next to him and Hershel. Out of the corner of my I saw Merle staring at his bandaged stump. I placed a hand on his am and smiled.