Bare Bones

I didn't know who I was. I never knew my real name, my real parents, and everything else in between. At first, I thought it was a misfortune, something that would prevent me from enjoying and seizing the life I was given, or maybe like a major hindrance towards my personal dreams and aspirations.
I thought I wouldn't be able to live like any other normal being with normal families... normal lives. I thought I would be an outcast, an abnormal of some sort, a misfit. I thought I would be totally... different.

Turned out I was really different. But in the best way possible.

A young couple decided to take me under their wing at the age of four, and although I thought I was old enough to do things for myself, they wouldn't let me off their watch at any cost. My mother couldn't bear her own child. Back then, I never thought it was possible - but now that I've given it a serious thought, maybe it's the reason why orphans like me exist.

To make people like her happy and complete.

Father just loved her so much, he was actually the one who came up with the idea of adopting me. From the very moment I took a step inside of my new, cozy home, I became Max. Boy, I never felt so alive like... I was born again. I only called them by their first names, Sydney and Peter Nelson, and I think that either they just didn't mind or they just didn't notice at all throughout the years.

They worked in shifts to tend to me: dad would wake up early every morning to prepare for his shift while mom stayed up late to work at night.
Peter would always find me laying down on the couch and would call me off with his usual, "Feet off the couch." His voice would be exhausted but loud enough to catch me off guard and make me feel the slightest tinge of fear. As this became a part of my daily reprimanding, that certain command would be enough to let mom know about his arrival - an indicator that she should be ready to leave off to work.
"There's food in the microwave. Take care boys!" she would remind before giving us a goodbye hug. I remember myself scurrying to the kitchen with nothing else going through my mind but her scrumptious cooking right after she releases me from her embrace and both of them would instantly yell at me, "Max! I swear to God if you bruise yourself again!"

There would be times where I would deeply appreciate their utmost concern and affection for me, but just like any other clumsy and in denial kid, I would roll my eyes and grumble in response to their "overprotectiveness." Guess I wasn't as old just as I initially thought - well, claimed rather.

At the end of the day, I knew I was loved. More than I could ever imagine. After all, they worked for a prestigious military hospital, so I could only imagine how much they would stress over the piles of workload while taking care of me at the same time.

Can you imagine that? Who would've thought that I would still get plenty amount of time and attention despite their work where one can hardly find any break? Damn, I love them so much.

Months went by, their ranks went higher. Being the proud son, people would smile and giggle at me whenever I stood on one of the ceremonial chairs during their promotions and cheer them on at the top of my lungs. The power couple would look at me sheepishly, but then Peter would raise his fist as if he was exclaiming, "That's my son right there, everyone!"

One night, Peter called me for a "serious pep talk" and all of my hair stood up right after he called me by my name. I could remember the way I felt my bile rise up to my throat in fear and guilt for thinking that he might have found out the mess I made with spilled paint in his garage. Boy, thankfully I was wrong!

Time had come for them to ask if I wanted to start training and working with them. I could still remember the way my eyes glistened the moment they showed me the form of application. My breathing stopped for the whole minute I was staring at the document. They always noticed how eager I was when it comes to military and medicine talks.

I couldn't be any happier.

Though it was only a matter of time before I heard my name being screamed by Peter the madman from the garage.

As I followed the road ahead of my life, strenuous trainings, countless codes to learn and memorize, overburdening assignments, and strict diet were just few of the many things I had to endure. I never thought this line of work would be this difficult. I was starting to wear out and regret my choices. Maybe I was only fascinated by the idea of perseverance, grit, and resilience but never really had any of those characteristics in me all along. I was starting to back out. I stopped going to training.

"Why now? You've come this far," Sydney worriedly asked one morning when we were on the couch. I laid my head on her lap and she started rubbing and putting pressure on my back – it was my most favorite thing that always comforted me.

"I don't know, is it really this tiring?" I looked at her drowsily, but she only gave me a deep sigh as her fingers rubbed my cheek as if she was encouraging me to hold on. Her, being the sweetest person I met, that was enough motivation to put me back up on my feet.

Eventually, they no longer worked in shifts and I found myself working with them as if we were an inseparable team; maybe like double agents, medics serving the military intelligence. Sydney's personality was perfect for her to be the good cop, Peter's aggressiveness fitted him well as the bad cop, while I, with good senses and reflexes, was assigned for tracking down different targets: criminals, dealers, drugs, and the like. A perfect combo. This synergy had earned us respect and honor in our fields, we could never be more humbled.

One night, our superiors wished to talk to us. War broke out in the southern part of our country and they were running out of medical personnel. We looked at each other, eyes speaking a thousand words, mixed worry and a sense of urgency played along our lips, all rooting down to a common thought, "People need us."

And so, another adventure began.

Never thought it would be the last. We had gone through the roughest cases, the toughest, craziest, and the most impossible situations. Never thought it could get any worse.

Before our convoy could even arrive at the HQ, a loud explosion was the first thing that greeted us along with the other combat medics. One gunfire after another, the first minute of staying in the warzone rattled me. I've never gotten so astounded. I looked at them straight in the eyes, I knew they were forcing themselves not to tremble as well. Smoke and dust quickly covered the entire area. Gunpowder was the only scent mixed with the thin and arid air.
Everything happened so fast. With a stretcher on their hands, a first aid kit on my back, we ran as fast as we could from one concrete barricade to another – the sound of bullets flying past us, the trails of heat coming from the lead slugs felt so surreal as we headed towards a downed soldier.

Minutes turned to hours as countless men fought for the line between life and death. One second after another, it shifts to a line between survival and death. Our team already recovered more than a hundred fallen comrades when flaming projectiles rained down on our headquarters.

"Peter!" I heard my mom scream pure horror for the first time in my life. With both of my pupils dilating and blurring out here and there, I snapped my head back at them and was greeted by nearly unidentifiable bodies sprawled on the ground. Maybe it was adrenaline, maybe it was out of terror, but I hurriedly put one foot after another to tend to my father covered with dirt and blood.

Another deafening detonation, much nearer this time, disrupted my vision for a while and a shrill ringing echoed endlessly in my ears. I fought back the urge to pass out as I tried to trace their figures from the thick smoke.

I rushed to their sides along with the other fallen soldiers - my heart beating like a drum, my breath hitching as I desperately called out, "Peter! Sydney! Are you guys okay?"

No one was moving.

No one was breathing.

It was then as if something took my breath away. I couldn't move. I felt like I lost the ability to shed a tear. I could only stare at their limp bodies in fear. This was the outcome of everything we've built. Amidst the ruthless battlefield, I was astonished.

Helpless.

I looked down on my collar.

I was given a perfect house, a perfect family, a perfect job... a perfect life, but these paws could only do so much for them in return.