Dog Days of Summer (Damned of the 2/19th Book Four) - Finished

...And Ended With a Pen

Lewis-McChord Joint Services Base
Washington State
United States of America
12 August, 1986
1100 Hours

We walked onto the C-141 transport, General Thurgood talking quietly with my Father behind us. The airmen that were guiding us to the webbing that acted as seats looked like they were being asked to handle live snakes.

Niamh had not woken up when I had visited her to say my goodbyes. All of us, even Bomber's two younger sisters, had given my Father a few moments alone with Niamh. The pain on his face had embarrassed all of us, and we left him alone with his pain, and his daughter out of respect for them both.

The two Bomber brothers had been less than pleased that we were leaving already. Both of them had hoped for some time to grab a drink or two to catch up with their youngest brother, but we had made excuses about duty and needs of the service, which had mollified the two large men.

My Father had followed me while I had dropped off the truck and picked up my Class-A uniform. There hadn't been much spoken, although Mary-Jean had made it obvious to me that I was still welcome in her house.

She was a country-girl, understood what I had done and why, and approved wholeheartedly.

When I had left her bathroom after I had showered, dressed in my Class-A's, she had hugged me and told me not to be a stranger. That John and Nancy were playing with her baby, and that Billy-Joe was talking with my Father, told me more loudly than words could that she held nothing against me.

"Sit here, please," The airman's voice snapped me out of the memories.

The airman made sure we were strapped in nicely. My Father moved away from the Air Force general, stopping in front of us. He shook Bomber and Nancy's hand, then squeezed my shoulder gently.

"I'll take care of things on this end," He reassured me. I just nodded. "I'm sorry things turned out this way."

"Why? You didn't do any of it," I shrugged.

He shook his head, looking sad for a moment, "I love you, boy."

"I love you too, Father," I told him.

"Take care of yourself, boy," He said, and turned away.

I watched him leave the cargo plane, a small part of me wishing I was going with him. That I could stay by Niamh's side, and then go home with him to hide under the bed until everything bad went away.

But that was a child's thoughts.

And I was no longer a child.

Nancy's hand found mine and she squeezed gently as my Father left.

"You all right, Ant?" John asked me. I nodded. "This was a hell of a ride, wasn't it?"

Nancy and I laughed at that. "That's a hell of an understatement, John," I said.

"I wouldn't have minded staying at his house a few days," Nancy said wistfully.

"You and me both," I said, squeezing back.

We went silent as passengers began filing on the MAC flight. Most of them were retirees, heading to Germany on a non-stop flight to Frankfurt Air Base for vacation. There were three men in Class-A's that got on, older guys with rank. One officer, two Senior NCO's, all of them with Third CosCom patches. Four privates got one, one a bare bones PV1 without any rank. All of them looking excited in their Class-A's, looking forward to going to Germany.

The airmen made sure everyone was properly belted in. The engines fired up and there was no more time for talking. A few of the Class-A clad soldiers looked Nancy, Bomber and I over, probably wondering how we were boarded before they were.