Eddie's POV-
"Diaz. We gotta go." I put my helmet on my head and made my way out to the chopper. Shannon and Chris were on video call, asking me again about my leave. I'm still waiting to hear when I get to return home. Loading up into the chopper, we took off to go rescue injured soldiers.
"Diaz. Everything okay?" Callahan asked through the headset.
"All good." I gave a thumbs up. Giving my medallion a kiss we lifted off. Ready to go.
"Base, this is actual. Were 10 clicks out with wounded."
"Wow. From up here, it's kind of pretty. Kind of makes you forget your flying through valley of dead."
"Seriously Mills. No one needs that. Guys dying back here." Callahan told her.
"I didn't name it. All the dead guys did." Mills exclaimed back. I gave a small laugh and continued to work on the wounded solider. Henry and Max at my back, ready to give me whatever I needed.
"Dropped something." He told me pointing down to my necklace. "Saint Christopher medal. You religious?"
"Not really. Wife gave it to me after our son was born." I told him cutting off his shirt. "Not convinced it as any magical powers, just reminds me of him."
"That's why I got this." He pointed to his tattoo. "Anything happens to that, I got bigger problems."
"Three girls!? You must've been busy." I pointed out with a laugh. We continued flying for a short while before Callahan and Mills both yelled out
"INCOMING!" Next time I knew, we were on the ground, taking fire. I radioed for back up and went to try and shake awake the pilot. Next stop Callahan and Mills.
"Come on, we gotta try and get everyone behind those rocks over there."
"Copy." Mills dove into action. We both made it out.
"Mills. Cover me."
"Copy." She told me before I dove into action to get the pilot out. Gunshots were ringing all over the place. I went back to the helicopter to try and get the rest of the team out. Opening the door I shook Callahan awake.
"You good Callahan?" He was disoriented, that was a given, but he seemed functional enough to get out of the helicopter.
"Diaz."
"Keep low. Don't stop. Get to Mills." Mills yelled at me that she was low on ammo. I shot a guy who was gunning for her before throwing her another clip of ammo.
"Where are you going?"
"We got one more."
"Diaz, he's dead."
"Yeah. He's coming home with us." I told them before making my way back over.
"I'm coming." Callahan told me and made his way over with me. We worked together to pull Greggs out of the helicopter. Shots connoted to ring down around us. Callahan took one in the abdomen.
"Diaz. Callahan. You okay?" Mills helped us get behind the rock.
"Callahan?" I asked him. "You good?" Max thinned around us, clearly not liking the noise around him.
"Yeah." He grunted out. "I'm good."
"No. You're not." I told him, holding a piece of cloth to his wound. gunfire continued to rain around us. Callahan wasn't looking too good. Mills took a shot in the arm.
"Diaz. You're getting out of here." Callahan said.
"We're all going home. I'm getting you back to your sister."
"You have to promise me. If you make it back and I don't, take care of her. She needs someone to look after her."
"Callahan. None of that."
"Diaz. Promise me."
"Callahan."
"Promise me." It wasn't a question. It was a demand. He wanted me to look after Ellie for him.
"I promise." I told him as I felt his body relax. So much gunfire, I thought we were all going to die down here. Until I saw it. Our salvation. Helicopter came and took out all the people trying to kill us.
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I woke up in the army make shift hospital. "What happened?"
"Three Bullets, broken bone, and a dislocated shoulder." The army doc told me. "Heard you put on quite the show."
"My team?"
"Greggs and Callahan are dead. The others aren't. Thanks you to." Everyone gave me a soft nod. I didn't feel like a hero. "You did good Diaz. Everyone gets to go home, even Greggs and Callahan. Thanks to you."
"Doesn't feel like enough."
"It never does. But I imagine they'll give you a medal for it anyway."
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"He's proud of him. It's not everyday your son comes home a hero." My aunt told my mom.
"I'm not a hero. I just did what anyone else would do." I told my family, giving Chris some food.
"If that were true, everybody would be walking around with a silver star." My dad said.
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Loosing a team member is never easy. Loosing your best friend is worse. Having your wife leave saying she wants space, terrible. Trying to raise a six year old alone- downright difficult. And yet everyone thought I was a hero. I didn't feel like a hero. I failed. I failed Greggs, I failed Callahan. Because of me, Ellie doesn't have her brother. It's just not fair.
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Present Time-
I knocked softly on Ellie's door. It was late. I assumed Maia would be asleep. She answered in her pajamas.
"Sorry, I know it's late." I apologized.
"Eddie. What's wrong?"
"Why would something be wrong?"
"Because like you said it's late. Is Chris okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah he's fine. I just- something happened today and I needed to see you."
"Yeah. The well. I saw it on the news. And Buck let me know when you were okay." She told me.
"I bet he did." She stepped aside so I could enter her apartment.
"Eddie?"
"Did anyone tell you the story of how Henry died?" She blinked.
"Um-" She paused. "Yeah. They told me your helicopter went down and you pulled everyone out. Henry helped and gave his life to bring Greggs home."
"Yeah. Yeah."
"What brought this on?"
"Chris found my medal for that night."
"Right. The award medal." She told me, taking a seat on her couch.
"They didn't live."
"Eddie." She paused briefly. "You still brought him home."
"But not alive."
"That doesn't matter." She told me softly. "I know Henry. And He wasn't going to leave without making sure everyone got out of that helicopter. He put everyone else's life above his own. That's who he was."
"It's not fair."
"You can't blame yourself. Henry would've fought until the end the save your entire squad."
"He made me promise to take care of you."
"I know." She told me. "Mills told me at the funeral."
"I didn't take care of you."
"You had your own life. You had Shannon and Chris and you were dealing with all of that."
"I should've tried harder to take care of you."
"Eddie. You are not responsible for me. And besides, you're here now. You kept your promise." She told me, standing up and giving me a hug. At least she didn't blame me.
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This gave you guys a little insight to Henry and Eddie.
Not my best work :/