Lawless patted her on the back and gave a soft, soothing voice as only a father could provide. “Now, now. Everything is going to be okay. Your mother has gone to get Cameron from school, and I’m going to help you to the house to get packed, then we’re on the first flight out.”
It was killing him to see his baby girl like this, and he only prayed his words provided the comfort that his son-in-law intended. “Walk with me now. We need to go.”
“Where are they taking him?” Courtney asked, trembling. “Is he okay? What happened? Where are they taking him?” She became more frantic by the moment, not realizing that she was asking the same questions repeatedly.
Colonel Lawless knew that she was headed toward some version of shock and decided that the beach was not the place for it. “We can talk about it in the car,” he said, passing her the cooler. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hold the cooler; he just wanted to give her something to do with her hands, something to focus on besides fainting. “I know it’s hard, but I need you to hold it together and trust me. He’s safe. The military will do everything that they can to make sure he’s recovering well.” He lifted her chin. “You’ll be fine. You’ll get through this and so will he.”
Courtney looked dead into her father’s eyes and suddenly felt the world stop turning so fast. The way that he assured her gave her some comfort. After all, if he said it was okay, maybe it was.
She walked closely beside Lawless, hidden from the sun by his massive shadow. In a daze, she stumbled through the sand. Quietly, she shook her head as her thoughts assailed her. “Daddy, I’m not going to make it,” she said, stopping for a minute.
“We can stop, if you need to. There is no rush,” Lawless said, halting in his tracks.
She rolled her head and then whispered as she reached out for his arm, “I feel…”
Suddenly, she fell down to her knees, hands planted in front of her, and vomited in the sand. Her body violently convulsed as she threw up her lunch and breakfast. Tears mixed with thick spit. Wiping sand on her face, she began to cry.
Kneeling down with her, but still holding Bella carefully, he rubbed her small back. “Let it out,” he said, moving her hair out of her way. “Just let it all out.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, feeling embarrassed. Confusion overcame her. “I don’t know why that happened.” She looked out across the beach, but only saw stars.
“That’s just nerves. It happens to the best of us,” her father assured. “Want to try to walk again or do you feel like more can come up?”
Courtney propped one knee up, and then pushed herself to her feet. “No, I’ll make it,” she said, wiping her mouth again. “I don’t want to waste time. I need to get to him.”
All her father could think was at the moment Courtney didn’t look like a strong mother of two, but like a scared little girl lost on the beach in her swimming suit, and he was glad that he was here to comfort her as only a father could. No family deserved this, but it didn’t stop it from happening every day, all across the world. This was a part of war that people didn’t see and didn’t care to know about.
He still remembered each man injured under his command, and each man killed. Their faces never left him. He had gone to each funeral and stood with each family visited each hospital bed and never did the job get any damn easier. Human loss and suffering was dirty business.
In that moment, another thought came flooding to mind, washing over him and bringing brilliantly raw clarity. What about his own wife? How must she have felt when the news had come back to her many times before about his injuries down through the years? Who had comforted her? At times, he was certain that no one was there with her. No one gave her reassurance or even an
It was killing him to see his baby girl like this, and he only prayed his words provided the comfort that his son-in-law intended. “Walk with me now. We need to go.”
“Where are they taking him?” Courtney asked, trembling. “Is he okay? What happened? Where are they taking him?” She became more frantic by the moment, not realizing that she was asking the same questions repeatedly.
Colonel Lawless knew that she was headed toward some version of shock and decided that the beach was not the place for it. “We can talk about it in the car,” he said, passing her the cooler. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hold the cooler; he just wanted to give her something to do with her hands, something to focus on besides fainting. “I know it’s hard, but I need you to hold it together and trust me. He’s safe. The military will do everything that they can to make sure he’s recovering well.” He lifted her chin. “You’ll be fine. You’ll get through this and so will he.”
Courtney looked dead into her father’s eyes and suddenly felt the world stop turning so fast. The way that he assured her gave her some comfort. After all, if he said it was okay, maybe it was.
She walked closely beside Lawless, hidden from the sun by his massive shadow. In a daze, she stumbled through the sand. Quietly, she shook her head as her thoughts assailed her. “Daddy, I’m not going to make it,” she said, stopping for a minute.
“We can stop, if you need to. There is no rush,” Lawless said, halting in his tracks.
She rolled her head and then whispered as she reached out for his arm, “I feel…”
Suddenly, she fell down to her knees, hands planted in front of her, and vomited in the sand. Her body violently convulsed as she threw up her lunch and breakfast. Tears mixed with thick spit. Wiping sand on her face, she began to cry.
Kneeling down with her, but still holding Bella carefully, he rubbed her small back. “Let it out,” he said, moving her hair out of her way. “Just let it all out.”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, feeling embarrassed. Confusion overcame her. “I don’t know why that happened.” She looked out across the beach, but only saw stars.
“That’s just nerves. It happens to the best of us,” her father assured. “Want to try to walk again or do you feel like more can come up?”
Courtney propped one knee up, and then pushed herself to her feet. “No, I’ll make it,” she said, wiping her mouth again. “I don’t want to waste time. I need to get to him.”
All her father could think was at the moment Courtney didn’t look like a strong mother of two, but like a scared little girl lost on the beach in her swimming suit, and he was glad that he was here to comfort her as only a father could. No family deserved this, but it didn’t stop it from happening every day, all across the world. This was a part of war that people didn’t see and didn’t care to know about.
He still remembered each man injured under his command, and each man killed. Their faces never left him. He had gone to each funeral and stood with each family visited each hospital bed and never did the job get any damn easier. Human loss and suffering was dirty business.
In that moment, another thought came flooding to mind, washing over him and bringing brilliantly raw clarity. What about his own wife? How must she have felt when the news had come back to her many times before about his injuries down through the years? Who had comforted her? At times, he was certain that no one was there with her. No one gave her reassurance or even an
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