Pearl Harbor |HS| *ON HOLD*

Chapter 10

Harold

"You wanted to see me Lieutenant?" I ask as I step into Lieutenant Colons office.

The sound of planes and jets surrounds us as men practice their  flying.

"Yes, I wanted to have a word with you. Please, sit down." He smiles, taking a sip out of his shot glass.

I take a seat in the dark leather chair and rest my cap and hands in my lap.

"I've been watching you, the way you fly is admirable, you've got pure talent kid. I think you'd do well as a captain pilot." He grins leaning forward, placing his hands on the big wooden desk in front of him.

"S-Sir, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but there are many excellent pilots, who have been flying since they could walk. Why me?"

He stares at me for a minute before speaking, a smile on his face.

"I think you're special, you remind me a lot of someone I used to know."

"Who? If you don't mind me asking sir." I nervously fidget, my right leg bounces up and down quickly.

"Myself. When I was younger." He looks to his right of his desk at an old photo of a young man and woman.

The couple stand in front of the ocean, the woman wrapped in the mans arms. She stares off into the sunset while he only looks at her.

"That was me and Linda, my beautiful Linda." He sadly smiles and looks back at me.

I stay quiet, not knowing what to say, not wanting to intrude.

"We were so in love, I never loved anyone more than I loved her. She died during child birth, our son was a still born."

His eyes start to tear up, my heart begins to ache for the old man.

"I'm sorry to hear that sir." I couldn't imagine being in his shoes, losing your wife and child the same day.

I don't know how a man could live after that. Yet here he is.

"There's something else I need to tell you." He whispers looking down at his folded hands.

I nod for him to continue.

"We are entering war son, I need my best men to fight. I have chosen you and other well skilled men to fight in Europe along side England's Royal Air Force."

Europe? How long will I be gone? What about Evelyn?

Instead of asking one of those questions I settle with a different one.

"When do we leave?" I feel as if I'm going to pass out. I don't want to leave Evelyn, but my men need me.

"Tomorrow morning at dawn. You'll be gone a few weeks, no longer than a month. If you survive that is. You have the rest of today off to pack and say your goodbyes."

I silently nod and stand up, bidding a goodbye I put my cap back on and look for Dylan.

"Harold hey! What's wrong?" His playful tone quickly changes once he sees my expression.

"Are you departing to Europe as well?" The words fumble out of my mouth before I even say hello.

"Yes. Isn't that awesome? We're both going! Why aren't you excited?"

We have been looking forward to actually getting to fight for so long.

But now that the opportunity is here  I don't know how to feel.

Now that I have Evelyn, everything is different.

I run my hands over my face before loudly exhaling.

"I am, I just... I don't know how to tell Evelyn." She's going to be so worried.

"You're right.. being that she has her hands full and every-"

"What do you mean her having her hands full?" I cut him off harshly.

"I just figured she's exhausted from being at the hospital all night taking care of the men who were burned yesterday." He says as if I knew.

"What?! Who all got hurt!?" Panic fills my body as I think of the worst.

"They're okay Harry, I checked on them this morning and passed her leaving on my way in. Rodney, Mark, Caleb and Reece."

"REECE!? OH MY GOD I HAVE TO SEE HIM! I HAVE TO MAKE SURE HE'S OKAY." I dig for my keys out of my pockets and run to my Jeep.

Someone should have been there he shouldn't have gotten hurt.

"Harold, calm down he's okay. Besides, they aren't taking visitors at this time. His release is in two days."

I rest my head on the steering wheel and groan. I feel responsible some how even though I wasn't even there.

"Harry." I look and see Dylan looking at me outside of my door.

He puts his head in the window and sets his hand on my shoulder.

"Its alright. Everything will be just fine. Go to her and enjoy the time you have left together. Ill see you here tomorrow morning."

I nod and start up my engine. I wave back grimly at him and head towards Evelyn's. 

How am I going to tell her? And most importantly, what if I don't return?