Old Jeep - YouTube AU Oneshot

Old Jeep

Connor Franta, age 22 seems like a fine young age right? I could tell you hundreds of stories about death and loss, pain and grief. From a young age, I’ve always been around military veterans. My father, grandfather, and my mother are just a few, they want me to carry out the tradition. My father Stewart is the worst of them all sense I see him everyday. All I ever hear is him guilt-tripping me to start military school. He’s tried everything, from telling me I’ll get to travel, to saying that it’s just the right thing and that it will be fun. I just couldn’t see myself going to war across the world, but I guess that’s not my choice. With all the persuading they finally made me leave for training at age 20 or so, I don’t even remember. 

For the past 2 weeks I’ve been driving around Afghanistan in a jeep that’s who knows how old, it seems like it’s as old as a dinosaur. I’m one of the youngest ones here, and the newest. The oldest is a man named Phil, he’s been here for about 4 years now. He’s a very collected man, rarely talking about himself or anyone else. He does often bring up one guy though, it’s never very clear though what he means. Right now it’s just Phil, Joe, and I in the jeep, patrolling the border. Our rifles are sitting up front with Joe while Phil drives. We’ve been really lucky not to be attacked on our daily patrols yet. Us being on the latest patrol at midnight, it’s a very vulnerable time for us to be attacked, but it’s soon to happen. Joe is just twiddling with his thumbs like usual, he’s a very tough guy, but when you get to know him he’s really sweet. His dark blonde hair is thrown across his forehead slightly from under his hat.

“Connor? You okay?”, Phil says while looking in his rearview mirror so he could see my face. 

My head jerks up and I shrug my soldiers. “I don’t know. I know we’ve only been here for 2 weeks but it feels like years. I just miss my family and everyone I guess. I’m used to my father leaving, but I’ve never done anything like this. I’m just a huge family guy I guess.” 

Phil gives me with an understanding look. As tough as he is, when you get to know him he’s a really sweet guy. He’s almost like a second dad, my army father I guess. “You’ll be fine Connor. Just remember that when you’re up there you can’t expect to die. You have to fight, and make them upset, but that’s okay, it’s war. Just trust me Connor, your parents will be proud, and so will all of us. It’ll be fun, once you get use to it. It’s almost like a game”

Yeah a very sick game. “I know, thank you Phil.” I’ve never been one to want to kill anything. I like to think of myself as the kind of person who would never hurt anyone, and now I have to kill people. A lot of people.

We arrive back to the camp by 1 am, the smell of dirt and filth fill the air. Phil, Joe, and I nod at each other before exiting the jeep and going to our tents. All I really wanted to do right now was sleep. I watch Phil as he walks with his head down to the other end of the camp, almost nervous looking. I shake it off and just crawl into my tent with the 3 other people I share it with. They all nod at me as I come in before I curl up and fall into a luckily peaceful sleep.

~~~~~~~

“Connor!” I wake up to a high pitch scream belonging to my best friend, Joe. I jump out of bed and run out of my tent, still in my uniform from last night. What I see shocks me. In front of us is an unconscious Phil. No blood, no scars. Joe looks like he’s about to cry, my whole body is just frozen. Even though we all work for the military we have feelings and emotions too. Joe’s knees buckle as he falls on to the ground. I wrap my arms around him as he cries silently. Other people have started to come to see why two young men were crying at 5 in the morning with no good reason to be awake. Joe’s tears have slowed down as he pulls out of our embrace to look at the problem in front of us. 

“I don’t understand.. He was fine yesterday. How can he be dead? He was fine yesterday.” My voice comes out shakier than I wanted. I’m trying to convince myself that he’s not dead now more, instead of asking reasonable questions. Why him? This isn’t fair. I should have died instead of Phil. I’ve done nothing with my life while Phil has done so much.