8/5/17 Montana 3:46 am
Harmony's Cell phone is ringing, Harmony does not know the number but answers it anyways. "Hi, This is Beth Davidson with the American red cross. I am trying to reach Harmony Rae" the voice said. "This Is Harmony Rae speaking. I can give the blood. Just let me know where" Harmony said as she sat up and began to wipe sleep out of eyes."Mam, this is not about blood. You have been listed as point of contact for Staff Sergeant Calvin S. Markson" the voice said. "Yes mam. He asked me about it a few weeks ago". Harmony told the woman.
"This call is to inform you that Staff Sargent Markson has been" the woman told her. "Mam, Don't tell me is dead. He has to be OK. He is a good Man, a good good man" Harmony said beginning to panic. "Mam, He is not dead. He has sustained some injures from a bullet and some shrapnel along with some burns. Mam. He was shipped to Landstuhl Army Hospital in Germany"the woman said.
"So when do I get on a plane? I need to get to him, Please Just tell me how I can get there?" Harmony demanded. "Mam, by the time you get a flight and get to Germany he will already be stateside. We will set you up with a flight as soon as we know more. Your case manager is Corporal Barnes Mam.He will be in touch with you asap" the woman said trying to calm Harmony.
"Mam. Just tell me how to get to him. Please I am Begging you, just help me"Harmony sobbed. "Mam. you need to breath. I know how hard this is for you. I know that a few days seems like forever. I have been there, So please don't think I am being blase about this. The best thing you can do is stay calm. I know its hard for you. I also know that no matter what I say your going to loose it and that's OK" the woman quietly said.
"Mam. Can i have Cpl Barnes number? He will get me to Cal"as she switched back to crying. "May I call you Harmony? What a lovely name" the woman asked. "Yes Mam you can you can call me anything you want if you just tell me how to get to him. Please. I have to. Just tell me" Harmony half shouted. "Well Harmony. You need to get a few things in order. First you need a bag to go. Don't forget your id and or passport. Also your going to need to make arrangements to be gone for a few weeks at least"the woman told her. "Mam. I can have that all done in a matter of an hour. I just need to get to Cal" Harmony cried.
"Yes Harmony I understand. You need to pack your phone charger and any other electronics you may need"the woman told her. "Yes mam. I need to let you go. I need to make phone calls" Harmony said with resolve. "I understand Harmony. I am truly sorry I had to deliver bad news to you. I am going to text you cpl Barnes number"the voice said. "Yes mam Thank you"Harmony muttered.
Harmony hangs up and waits for the text. She grabs her large luggage bag out of the closet. She grabs the matching Carry on as well. She has never been on a plane but she plans to today.Harmony gets the text and dials Cpl Barnes number
"Hello you have reached Cpl Barnes" said a man with a deep voice. "Hello, Cpl Barnes. This is Harmony Rae, Calvin Markson's point of contact. Please tell me how to get to him and how is Brian Mathews" Harmony asked. "Mam. I was just going to call you. First off ssgt Markson is alive. He is going to be OK. He is being kept sedated. He keeps asking for you and Brian. Every time he is semi awake he is thrashing around so at this time its best if we keep him out of it. An ied went off and Ssgt Markson took the brunt of the blast. The back of his uniform caught on fire and he sustained burns as well as some shrapnel in the back and shoulders. He was also shot in the groin area. They did surgery this am. Well about two hours ago really, he came out fine. If all goes well they want to ship him to Walter Reed in Bethesda Maryland Tomorrow"he told her.
"Sir just tell me how to get there. What about Brian? Please tell me he is OK?" Harmony asked kinda afraid to know the answer. "Mam. I know that Brian is safe. That's all I know at this point. Cal is going to need extensive therapy. Please be prepared to stay at Walter reed for three or more weeks" he told her. "Sir I can be there as long as I need to be. I have never been on a plane before but I will. I will pack when I get off the phone with you" she told him.
"Mam do you have your copies of the paperwork from Ssgt Markson. You may need them. As for you never being on a plane. It would be my honor to send someone to meet you and escort you to Walter reed. I see your not far from Billings I will have Sgt Hines meet you at your home and drive you too the airport. Help you threw it all and get you to Walter reed. Its the least I can do to help. Ssgt Markson is a great soldier mam" he informed her.
"Yes sir. What paper work? I have nothing?" she replied. "Mam he listed you as medical proxy. I can send Sgt Hines with a certified copy of it all. Also your going to need to sign some paperwork for us. I wish I could tell you more. I will call you at five pm at the latest. Right now no news is good new. Just so you know Sgt Mathews will be on black out for 12 hours. So don't worry. If something happened to him you would know by now" he assured her. "Yes Sir. I am heading to my bakery as soon as I pack. As much as I will have my phone on me its a small town and the service is not the best. So I am going to give you my bakery number just in case. I am going to stay there. So it would be best to have Sgt Hines meet me there if that's OK?. Yes mam, that's fine. I understand. Please know that I am praying for you all. My heart goes out to you. Your a good woman to do this for your friend mam"he told her. "Sir anything for one of my two Marines" Harmony said with pride. "Take care Ms Rae" he quietly said. "Thank you sir" Harmony whispered.
They hang up and Harmony packs some clothes. Making sure she grabs a pair or two of Brian s pajamas. She sleeps in his shirt or nothing and that's not OK. She packs extra undies and a pair of sneakers. Harmony grabs her laptop and her camera and the chargers for both. As well as her phone and the charger for that. She packs the shirt Brian sent her along with the picture of him and Cal. Harmony grabs Brian's hoodie and throw it on after getting dressed. She grabs her pair of ballet flats as well as her passport out of the safe. She tucks that in her purse along with a large bag of chocolate from her freezer. She thinks she has everything. She goes back threw the house and starts to turn off lights. She remembers her brush, deodorant, hair ties and tooth brush at the last minute. She does grab the bottle of perfume and dumps it all in to to the inside pouch in the large rolling bag. Harmony grabs her keys and makes her way out to the truck. She vows the next time she is here she will have Cal with her.
By now its 5 am and Reese is at the bakery. she makes it in carrying her small carry on she startles him. He is in the middle of making the bread for the day. He takes one look at her and hugs her. Harmony looses it.
"Cal, Reese, Cal!. He is hurt. Ied. Germany, Brian's black out, cant loose them. Please"
"Shit Come with me. We need to call Mom-ma C"
"Reese don't. Let me bake with you, Please I just need to bake . You don't understand.I just gotta. Please, Bake or run. Need my phone, No running, Bake. Please Just let me"
Harmony puts her stuff down. She washes her hands, grabs her apron off the hook and starts creaming butter and sugar. She goes into auto pilot and just does. In the mean time Reese calls Mom-ma C. She is there in half and hour. Harmony does not even hear her or recognize she is there. Mom-ma C grabs her and get her to look at her "Harmony, Reese called me. Whats going on?" Mom-ma C asked. "Mom-ma C. I cant talk about it. I am gonna loose my shit if i do. I just gotta bake. Please understand. I cant go to him. He is in Germany. If the my phone rings or the bakery phone rings and its a Cpl Barnes I need to talk to him. He is gonna get me to Cal" Harmony insisted. "Harmony I know you. This is how you deal with things. So what are we baking?" Mom-ma C asked. Cookies for the men? Lemon bars for Cal. Anything. Please Mom-ma C. I just gotta. I love you. I am packed. A Sgt Hines is going to meet me here and take me to Cal. So I don't have to travel alone. Can you take care of things? or shut down the bakery. I have to go. Shit Cal's truck is gonna be here today. Can someone let me know when It shows up?"Harmony asked. "Harmony, We got it. Lets bake." Mom-ma C told her.
And bake they did. They made batches of favorites. Cookies and brownies. Divinity, fudge and macaroons. Around noon Mom-ma C sent Sarah to grab some lunch from the local diner. She made Harmony eat and take a nap in her office. Harmony would not let go of Brian's hoodie. Around 3 pm Cal's truck came. Mom-ma C knew Harmony would feel better if she seen it so she woke her up. She grabbed the keys. Signed the paperwork and drove it to her house. She insisted on being alone and said she would be back at four thirty. Harmony unloaded the truck. There was not much just five or six boxes and a bag of clothes. She put the boxes in the closet and emptied Cal's clothes on the bed. She found what she was looking for. One of his shirts with his name on it. She took off her own shirt and put it on. She put Brian's hoodie back over it and grabbed her hat. Harmony drove Cal's truck to the mechanics and asked them to give it a tune up and what not. It needed tires and few other things. She told them she would take care of the bill and that she was leaving Mom-ma C a check for them when it was done. They could leave the truck behind her bakery. They just smiled. They noted Harmony's red eyes and glazed almost out of it look. They knew something was up but were not going to push. Harmony walked the block back to the bakery.
At five of five Harmony's phone rang. She jumped and grabbed it afraid of the worst. "Hi Ms. Rae, Its Cpl Barnes. I have an update for you. I am sure your anxious to get one. First off I was able to speak to Sgt Matthews he is fine. His unit it on a black out still. He asked me to let you know he loves you. I could hear the concern in his voice. For you and his brother" he told her. "Thank you so much. I love him too. We have plans to get married when our house is done. I cant wait.How is Cal?" she asked. "Well mam he is OK. He is not able to speak due to the medications . He is on high doses to keep him calm. He should be here around five am tomorrow. I put Sgt Hines on a plane a hour ago. Its an eight hour flight. He should be there around four am. I was going to have him meet you but if he does that then you would have to wait for the five thirty am flight the next day. So i am going to send a taxi to meet you at the bakery. Can you be ready at 3 am? There will be someone from the airline will be waiting for you with a sign to take you threw security and what not and get you to Sgt. Hines. Its that OK?" he asked her. "Yes sir. Its OK I will be ready. I appreciate this all. I am scared honestly. I just need to see him to make sure he is OK" she murmured. "Yes Mam. i understand. Please call me if anything changes. I have my cell on me at all times. Its not only my job but my pleasure. Please eat something and try to sleep. I know the adrenalin is rushing. I will call if anything changes" he tells her calmly. "Thank you so much Cpl. I can never thank you enough" she tells her. "No need but you welcome" he tells her.