Two Heartbeats on One Page

Chapter 2

Darcey was being shipped out to the Middle East and had never been so scared in his life. They were sending him to Iraq, this time. He knew when he enlisted eight years before that if a war started, he would be one of the first sent in. He'd thought he was prepared. That was what training was for, right? So they'd be ready when they went over.

He wasn't. He wasn't prepared when he went to Iraq the first time or Afghanistan three years later. He wasn't ready to go back and he never would be, and anyone who said otherwise was lying.

The tremor from Afghanistan still ran deep in his hands. Fireworks meant panic attacks. He hadn't slept a full night in months.

The worst part was suffering alone, because he couldn't tell anyone about it. Who would understand?

He was supposed to have been done. He was set to retire in exactly two weeks. But a stop-loss order had been put out and they were shipping him out in twelve days. Like a package or a letter bomb. Special delivery.

His hands trembled as he dialed his parents' home phone number. He was almost thirty, but had never wanted to hug anyone in his life as much as he wanted to hug his family right then. The phone rang twice, and his mother, Jess, picked up.

"Darcey, hi!" She sounded so excited, so happy, because Darcey was coming home soon. But this time he might never come back, whether because of someone else's hand or his own.

"Hey, Mom." Darcey's voice caught and his tongue stuck in his mouth when he spoke.

"Darcey?"

He swallowed hard and closed his hazel-brown eyes in an attempt to calm his nerves, but it was useless.

"They're sending me back in."

Silence.

"No," Jess whispered. "No, they're not. You're coming home in two weeks. You've served your time, you –"

"No, Mom. They put out a stop-loss order. They're sending my whole unit back for two more years. Iraq again."

"Two years?" Darcey's breath caught painfully at the hitch of tears in his mother's voice. "No," she said. "No. They said two weeks! Darcey, they can't do this to you! They –"

"They can," he interrupted softly. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't want her to hear the myriad of emotions waiting at the back of his throat. "They can do whatever they want, Mom. They own me."

"But –"

"Can I talk to Ally?" Darcey asked. "Is she home?"

"Yeah," Jess said. "Lexi's at her friend's house right now. William's still at work. Do you want me to –"

"No, you don't have to call him," Darcey said. "Just... just let me know when he gets home. You can tell him or have me do it, but either way, have him call me, okay? And let Lexi have fun with her friend for now."

"Oh sweetie," Jess said. She hadn't called him by a pet name in over three years, but right then it was exactly what he needed. "I just... I..."

"I know," he whispered.

"Let me get your sister. Just... be gentle. Remember, she's only nine."

"I know, Mom."

"I love you, Darcey. I love you so, so much."

"I love you, too, Mom."

Darcey's hands shook as he waited in silence. They always shook. He hadn't been able to still them since his first tour. There were only varying levels of bad and less bad.

"Darcey!" Ally's high, slightly squeaky voice brought a smile to Darcey's face for the first time that day, even though it was strained and watery.

"Hey, Allycat."