“What about Ryan?”
“No news. He hasn't contacted anyone yet,” Markanswered.
“That's not like him,”Patrick said.
“I know. I emailed him but didn't get anythingback yet.”
“I love you Mark. I…fuck.”The sob didMark in. He began to cry and didn't even try to stop it.
The call lasted fifteen minutes exactly. Markknew because he counted the time off in his head. They said theyloved each other. Mark promised to email him if he heardanything.
***
Katie was sitting in his front room watching TV.She hadn't said much since she got there. He watched her closelyand noticed she wasn't really watching TV, just staring at thescreen with acute disinterest.
“Uncle Mark?” she called hesitantly.
“Yeah, Katie-bug?”
“Is my daddy going to die?”
Six little words spoken so quietly that Mark hadto strain to hear them. “Katie-bug...” he started; she turned andlooked at him.
“Is my daddy going to die?” This time her voicewas hard. She was demanding an answer.
Mark knew both Phillip and Sandy had been veryhonest with her. While it was a low probability it was stillthere.
“He could, Katie. But I have never known a manmore stubborn or with as much fight as your dad,” he said, clearinghis throat. Thirteen-year-old girls shouldn't be dealing with thisshit.
“Is he hurting bad?”
Mark swallowed hard. “Probably not, he's in acoma.”
“Okay.” Her small shoulders shook as tears beganto stream down her face.
Mark walked to her and pulled her into his lap.“Shh baby. He's...gonna be fine.”
“Don't lie to me, Uncle Mark. He might notbe.”
It hurt to hear those words coming from a girlwhose biggest concern should be 'what should I wear today?'
***
15 Sept 2006
Hey Folks,
I sent a letter to my wife. If you're readingthis it means she's sent it to you. I couldn't get into detailsthrough my email but she can.
Last week we went on patrol on Route Whiskey.The Iraqis had a huge-assed cluster fuck going on. We had todismount. Phillip got out because his BC was driving him crazy.Ryan and I just got out. Anything beat staying in that hellhole. Wehad enough guys to cover with the big guns anyways.
Phillip had nearly gotten hit by some asshole.Who ever thought every Iraqi should be given a driver license needsto be shot. It was the fifth time someone almost got ran over. Hewas screaming and hitting the guy's hood with his M16. Ryan wasabout fifty feet from him, grinning. You know Ryan.
A few minutes later I heard someone yellingabout a guy walking between cars. It happened so fast that no oneeven fired a shot. The guy detonated it. After the smoked clearedwe all ran towards the guys that were down. Besides Phillip he gotGregg, Mercer and Hawk. Gregg was killed instantly. The other twoare still in the trauma center.
Ryan isn't doing well at all. They are trying toget him to take something to sleep but he won't do it. The LT gothim in to see Phillip before Phillip was shipped to Germany. Hestill hasn't talked about it.
All I can say is thank God for LT. Kripke. He'sbeen dragging Ryan into his office. Ryan normally comes out withnew information and the LT is trying to get Ryan's R & R bumpedup.
