Shattered

Chapter 1

Lee

I groaned, sweat dripping down my back and pushed harder. It was hot as hell here and running in full gear didn't help the situation. We were pinned down by enemy fire, my team and I took shelter behind an old car. "Marshall, I need more ammo." Lt. Davis yelled and I tossed him another magazine. Suddenly, they were in front of us, pointing fully automatic weapons at our faces and ordering us to stand and throw down our guns. 

I sat up, sweating bullets as the desert faded into my hospital room. I shook myself before pulling my sore body from my bed and limping over to the sink. I looked at my reflection and cringed, I looked worse than I felt. After two weeks in that camp as a prisoner, I sustained many injuries and I would probably never move the same way again. My short black hair was slick with sweat and plastered to my neck, my green eyes were dull and washed out against the bruises that ringed both eyes, my nose was swollen, my lip was split, my neck had angry red marks from the rope that had been tied there. My other injuries were covered by my hospital gown, but I felt every single one of them. 

The nurse came in to check on me and frowned, "What are you doing out of bed, Captain Marshall? You shouldn't even be awake yet." I chuckled at the tiny woman, she was maybe five foot tall, I was a good six inches and forty pounds larger than her. "I needed to pee, Ma'am. When can I get out of here?" She seemed taken aback, "You were only brought in three days ago and just got out of surgery yesterday, you will be here a few days, at least." I sighed, "How about my team? Can I see them?" She nodded, "After I check your vitals and grab wheelchair, I can take you to see Lieutenant Davis, he is the only one awake." I smiled, "Thank you." and hobbled back to the bed. 

As promised, I was wheeled to Davis's room. He was sitting up in bed, wrestling with some questionable jello. "Don't let it win, LT." His eyes snapped to mine, "God, Cap, I thought you were in rough shape." I chuckled, "The General would be pissed if I was still in bed." He smiled, but it fell from his face, "Louis didn't make it, he died in surgery last night. Betterman never made it stateside before he died, and Mattews is in bad shape, they told me you were too. They said they weren't sure you would make it." I heart dropped, our team was decimated, all because of someone's fuck up. I met his grim brown eyes, "Well, LT, I did, you made it, and Mattews better or I will kick his sorry ass. We made it home, and I will be damned if he gives up now" 

Davis nodded, "Clarrissa is coming here, she's on the way and she's bringing Monica. I'm so scared. I haven't met my daughter and I don't know if I can be a good father after this." I rolled up next to his bed and squeezed his hand, "I don't doubt that it will be hard, but you are a good man and a damned fine soldier. I have no doubt that you will be the best father there is." He grinned. It wasn't long before nurse bossy pants wheeled me back to my room to give me more meds and to rest. I was dozing when I felt someone enter the room and snapped awake. I saw two sets of green eyes that matched mine, "Fuck me." Jackson breathed, taking in my face and Grant was pale as a ghost. 

"Hey, guys, what brings you by in this bright and cheery afternoon?" I deadpanned as they stood at the foot of my bed, pale and shocked. "What happened?" Grant finally spoke and I sighed, but before I could answer, The General himself strolled in, face neutral, eyes roaming my body. "Well, you brought in the big guns." I joked. They all pulled up chairs and stared at me, waiting for my report. I sighed, "We were on recon, moving through an abandoned village just north of the insurgents. The intel we had told us that we were five miles north of their latest camp, but we discovered quickly, we were right in the middle of it." My brothers swore and the General nodded for me to continue. "We started to take fire and were pinned behind a car. We tried to hold them off but there were five of us against forty of them, we were outnumbered and outgunned. They captured us and took us to their cells where we were questioned, repeatedly. They got nothing out of my team, but I lost two, possibly three." 

The General sighed, "I read the report on your injuries, how do you feel?" I paled, their torture methods were inhumane, they had used me against my men, trying to get them to break, but they didn't. "I'm fine. I want to get out of this bed and back to work, I have things to do, reports to write, letters to mail." With our team leader dead, I was next in command, meaning it was my responsibility to deal with the lives we had lost. "I'm afraid you will be in here for a few days, your commander will be coming to see you and Davis tomorrow. It doesn't look good for your career, Lee. Your injuries are severe and if they don't discharge you, you will be stuck behind a desk." The General said and I died a little inside, knowing he was right. My left leg was mangled, they had to play Humpty dumpty with it. I knew it was bad. 

"Where will you go when they release you?" Jackson asked, trying hard to hide the pity in his voice. "I'm not sure. I was living in the base apartments, but if they kick me out of the Army, they will boot me from there too." The General was quick with his answer, "Home, come home, Lee." I sucked in a breath, he hadn't had one of us in our home in Arlington, Virgina in seven years.