Cannonball

Chapter Sixteen: The Late Robert Parker

"Fall back. Fall back. Retreat." Thomas shouted moving as fast as he could, dirt covered his face and the rain poured down heavily making it difficult to see; he ducked and dodged through the trees as he raced away from the attacking enemy forces.

The rain blinded him as he moved but he refused to stop, around him men fled for their lives and cursed as slowly they were picked off one by one. 

His heart pounded in his chest and he was sure that this was the moment that would end his life; there was no help coming and they were outnumbered, this was where he was going to die. 

Some muddy hill in the middle of France, the rain pouring down on him and he was thousands of miles away from home where he would much rather be. 

The man in front of him crumbled to the ground and Thomas felt his heart stop as he realised just who it was; he rushed forward and dropped to his knees, he turned the man over and pressed his hands against the wound. 

His eyes darting around him, the steep incline of the hill giving them some cover from the enemy shooters but Thomas knew that staying here was not an option. 

"Stay with me Robert," Thomas ordered, his eyes trying to find somewhere that they could both hide; the rain almost blinding him, he could not see a thing and the enemy was fast approaching. 

His hands were quickly covered in blood and the cold seeped in through his trousers; he did his best to stem the bleeding but there was little that he could to save his father-in-law. 

"I was wrong about you," Robert rasped moving to grasp on to Thomas' shoulder, he would die here and if it was the last thing that he did, he wanted to make amends for misjudging Thomas. 

He had hoped for more time, more time to make things right with Rosemary and to go home to his family; to be a grandfather to his grandchildren but alas that was not meant to be. 

Thomas shook his head, now was not the time for that and he was not sure how much time they had before someone came across them; he doubted that would end well and he had no way to defend himself without a weapon at hand. 

"You're a better than any man that I could have asked for, for my Rose," Robert babbled, he hated that he would never get to meet either of his grandchildren and he prayed that his wife would forgive him for not making it home to her like he had promised.

Victoria had made him promise to come home to her, she had been his light in the darkness with her letters and promises that things would be better when he named it back home. 

Robert had heard so much about little Robert and Kathleen, he had hoped to meet them and make amends for his harsh treatment when he returned to Birmingham; now all he could do was hope that Thomas would forgive them. 

Thomas stopped looking around and focused on Robert, there had been a slight improvement in their relationship while they had been in France but he had never imagined that it would end like this. 

He had not ever expected that Robert would be saying this to him, he had known how little Robert thought of Peter; the son-in-law that remained back at home while they fought in the war. 

"Take care of them. I want her to be happy. Promise me. Give them the best. Promise me." Robert pleaded, he pulled off his dog-tags and pressed them into Thomas's hand; his eyes pleading with him. 

He wanted them to make it back home to Victoria, he wanted his wife to have some small part of him and he knew that she would be devastated by his death. 

Robert had been so pleased when Victoria had told him that she had made amends with Rosemary; he wanted his family together so that they could support one another.