It's Sciency-Wiency stuff!

Of lost limbs and old wounds

They found her sitting on the couch, sobbing. "Love, it was just a prank. We used to pull it on mum all the time when we were kids." Matt explained, sitting beside her. Martin poured himself a drink, before joining them in the drawing room with a glass of scotch in hand. "Don't you ever do that again, kay?! It's not funny! What if you'd really lost an arm,huh?! " she scolded, wiping away her tears. "Love, what's the matter? Yer usually fond o' my jokes." a concerned Matt asked, placing a comforting hand on her lap.  "I'm sorry.....I'm gettin emotional....." she apologized, sniffling as she spoke. "Want a sip o' scotch? I've been using it to control an' suppress my emotions for years! " Martin bragged, shamelessly. "No, thanks. It's just....you'll be goin off to war again....an' I dunno....what if you're blown up or paralysed or....somethin worse, hon? I mean, we're married now, we've a future ahead of us and....I don't want us to lose that. Promise me you'll come back to me in one piece, kay? " she confessed, peering into his eyes with her frightened eyes as he wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. 

 There was a long silence, before Martin interrupted- "Yeah, right! In one piece! No one returns from war in one piece, lass! It's usually in a box or with lost limbs or some other injury! " "Martin, stop scarin her! It's normal to be worried, love. But, I promise I'll be fine, kay? " he consoled, ignoring his brother. "Oh, please! I was an RAF pilot an' I've my share o' injuries. See this?" Martin continued to speak, pulling up his pant leg to reveal an old scar on his knee. "My best mate was killed in front o' my eyes after enemy fire got his plane. Blew it to pieces. I swerved to avoid his plane's debris an' my plane was hit. I jumped out, was parachuting down, was almost nearing land, when a propeller tore through my parachute, plunging me to the ground. I was in the hospital with a fractured kneecap, cracked ribs and a fractured collarbone." he recounted. "Wanna see somethin worse? " he asked before Matt could stop him from frightening her further, pulling off his shirt to reveal a horrific scar that stretched across  his lanky frame. "My plane was shot down. Shrapnel to the chest and burns. I was in no shape to continue, so they sent me home. Took me months to recover. I turned to drugs an' alcohol to cope with it all." he recounted his nightmarish experience, before putting his shirt back on. "Well, ya could've narrated yer harrowing experience without taking yer shirt off! " Matt muttered, watching as he buttoned his shirt. "My point is ya can't expect im to return in one piece. Yer gonna have to deal with whatever injury or trauma he's gonna suffer an' yer gonna have to be strong, kay? " Martin advised, setting his empty glass down on the table next to the couch. "I think ya should leave...before ya cause any further trauma to either o' us! " Matt decided to show him the door. 

"But, if I leave, aren't ya gonna miss me? " he teased, with a pleading look and a lip quiver, as if asking to stay. "He's right." Alice agreed, after some pondering. "About us missin im? " Matt exclaimed in disbelief. "No, not that. About being strong.  I knew what I was gettin into when I married you. I'm supossed to be strong  instead of freaking out and scolding you over a petty prank and spooking you out by talking to you about lost limbs."  she realized. "Actually, his stories terrified me more than you did, love." Matt joked nervously, glaring at Martin .  "I don't care in what state you return. I just want you to return. I'm gonna be waiting....so, you'd better come back to me, no matter what! " she made him promise, before hugging him and burying her tearful face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry too. I guess that joke was a bit too soon." he mumbled, apologetically. "No, I think it was funny. It's just ,what with all the disappointments at work and you leaving so soon....I guess, it put me in a foul mood." she confessed. "I think I've somethin that'll make ya feel better." Matt suggested, before passionately pressing his lips against hers. She giggled as he took her by surprise as he carried her off to the bedroom, letting the door slam shut behind them.   "That's my cue to leave. Thanks for the dinner, mate! " Martin called out after the giggling couple,  before stumbling out into the dark and heading for his apartment across the street.