The Unexpected Love

Chapter 40: TDK

Troy’s POV:

I was cold. Pulling the blanket tighter around me I couldn’t fight off this chill. I watched as they worked to keep Sean alive. Beside him a few others from our convoy lay being worked on by military medical personal. In the very back lay stretchers covered in soiled white sheets. Of the fifteen Marines in Sean’s team only four died. Of my team of ten six died. I felt sadness and joy at the same time. Sadness for them but joy I was still here. Was I wrong for that?

I wanted to look away because it was too much blood but I couldn’t. Sean’s blood seemed to be everywhere. Looking to my hands I could still see it underneath my nails. Swallowing hard I tried to keep it together. He would pull through. Sean was a fighter, he wouldn’t die… he couldn’t die… please Lord don’t let him die.

I was so focused on Sean I didn’t hear my name being called. It wasn’t until my shoulder was touched did I realized I’d started crying again. There beside me was Gunnery Sergeant Roc Wilson, Sean’s platoon leader.

            “We’re gonna touch down at base in a few minutes. They’re gonna patch PFC Wesley up to hold him until we get to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. There he’ll get better care. When we land you’ll be checked out and you’ll head to see the base commander Master Gunnery Sergeant Charles. They’ll debrief you and you’ll be put on a flight back to the states.” Wilson yelled over the noise of the helicopter. I sat there as his words washed over me. They wanted me to let Sean out of my sight. I couldn’t do that. What if Sean needed me?  Shaking my head I pointed to Sean.

            “I’m staying with him!” I yelled back. Giving me a stern glare Wilson looked to Sean then back to me.

            “I’ve got orders to get you safe. It seems the rebels knew who you are and you’re number one on their must have list. I’m sorry but you can’t stay with PFC Welsey.” He said going back to his seat. Turning away I tried not to let anymore tears fall. He said the rebels knew who I was which meant the ambush on us wasn’t random but intentional.

            ‘They were after me.’ I thought my eyes cutting to Sean’s bloodied face.

            “All this happened because of me.” I whispered. The lives lost, the blood split was because they wanted me. Closing my eyes I tried to forget the images now burned in my brain. I tried to forget the smell of gunpowder and the screams of those hit. Tried as I might I couldn’t.

 

Dover’s POV:

Two days later…

I was surprised at how fast this went to trial. We all were. The Senator’s people were trying to paint us as criminals and Donavon as an angel in the media but anyone who Donavon knew what a dick he really was. Kate was taking this the hardest. The Senator had P.I.’s digging up dirt on her from high school. Every dumb decision she ever made came back to haunt her. The Prosecution was filling the juries head with half-truths and flat out lies trying to build a case stating Kate planned this entire thing. That she’d been embezzling money from Donavon and when he found out and confronted her she had him killed.