The Name's Cancer- Garte's POV

[5] His First Year, part 1

I stare at the picture of my wife and son. They're both smiling with sparkling eyes. I smile to myself. They don't know I'm coming home tomorrow, in two days for them.

I can't believe I haven't been able to hug and hold my son for 3 months. All I want is to go home and be allowed to be with him. I was allowed a week to go home whenever I wanted, and I decided to go home the week of his first birthday.

I only see him over Skype, and those can be rare occasions. I do try and call whenever I can but it's extremely hard to squeeze time in. I take a deep breath, stroking my finger against the photo.

"Is that your wife and son?" My friend, Private Lorde, sits next to me.

"Yeah." I nod, putting the picture in my helmet.

"How old is he?" He asks. I don't mind, him and I are close friends so I don't care if he knows anything.

"One this week, actually." I say, placing the helmet back on my head.

"Oh right, you told me you were using that one week you were allowed to leave." He says.

I stand up, grabbing a gun to clean out. The Colonel is extremely strict about how we keep the guns. "Better safe than sorry" he says. I don't find a need to keep them completely pristine 24/7, but I have to listen to my higher-ups. I know it's selfish to say, but I can't wait until I can boss around my lowerclassmen.

"How are you gonna surprise your wife?" Lorde asks. I shrug. I hadn't really thought about it. I knew where I was gonna go but I didn't know how I was gonna surprise any of them.

"Well, I'm going to her mom's house the night before they go but I don't have any ideas." I sigh, putting the gun I was cleaning back up on the rack and picking up another one.

"You gotta plan something. You're leaving tonight, right?" He asks, walking back up to me and crossing his arms to his chest.

"Any minute, really. He could walk in here right now-"

Literally at the most coincidental moment, a young private walks in. He looks nervous, a lot like I did when I first joined. I recognize him, I had to take him under my wing and sort of mentor him. I put the gun back on the rack and look at him.

"S-Sargent Ro'Meave, the Colonel requested you." He is very hesitant in his words. I can tell he hates being here and he's still not used to it.

"Thanks, Jeremiah." I smile at him, calling him by his first name. I walk past him and walk out of the flimsy doors.

My feet don't make a sound in the sand, or maybe they do. I just can't hear it due to everyone talking. I look around and see soldiers working on guns and talking and laughing like drunk idiots. I shake my head and walk into the Colonel's tent.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I ask, my heart pumping with excitement.

He gives me a smile as he looks up from paperwork. I stand there, quite awkwardly and trying to look as serious as possible.

"How are you, Sargent?" He asks me calmly.

"G-Good, sir." I try not to stutter, but I fail absolutely miserably. "Yourself?"

"I'm doing better than usual." He gets up and goes to the front of his desk, halfway sitting on it. "How would you like to leave now to go home?"

My mouth practically drops open as a smile spreads across my face. I try not to jump around like a giddy child. He laughs.

"Go home, Ro'Meave." He gets up and pats my back.

"Yes, sir." I smile to myself, practically running out of the tent and going to pack my things.