Authors: Denise Kahn
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Davina looked at the men, so handsome, so young, so brave, yet still so innocent in many ways. “This is probably pretty exciting for you, but I highly suggest you don’t tell anyone about this. Do you agree?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She handed them each a piece of paper. They took it and put it in their pockets. “Now, this is a two way street. I want something from you in return.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“But you don’t know what it is yet,” she chuckled.
“We trust you, Ma’am,” Colin said.
“
Si, si
absolutely!” Paco chimed in.
“Okay, here it is: You must promise me that you will be careful. I want to see you back home safe and sound.” She looked at the men. “Do we have a deal, gentlemen?”
“Yes, Ma’am!”
“Okay.” Davina got up and hugged each of them. They were leaving the tent when Davina called Max. “Oh, Music Man, could I have a word with you?”
“Of course,” he answered. The other two left.
Once they were gone mother and son fell into each other’s arms.
“Oh, Max, it’s so good to see you!”
“You too, Mom. You were terrific out there.”
“So were you! I’m very proud of you and not just as a musician, but for being a gallant Marine. I saw you on TV you know.”
“You did?”
“Yes, both your father and I did. That’s also what gave me the idea for this concert. I just missed you so much.”
I can’t believe you came out here! This is a war zone for Christ’s sake.”
“But I missed you, Max.”
“Oh, Mom.”
How can I get mad at this woman? Not only is she a terrific singer she’s also the best Mom in the world. Not to mention the set of balls she’s got—and a hell of a lot bigger than a lot of men I know
. “I missed you too. How’s Dad?”
“He’s good and sends all his love and is very, very proud of you. Unfortunately, he had to be in Madrid and couldn’t get out of it. Believe me, he tried. Was he ever pissed off!”
“I’m sure. Give him my best and tell him I love him.”
“I will.”
“When are you leaving?”
“As soon as everyone is packed up. They chartered a C130 for us.”
“Aw, Mom, they didn’t!” Max laughed, knowing that his mother had her very own luxurious plane.
“They did! And I thought it was a blast.”
“You’re the only person I know with such a sense of adventure. That’s a good thing.”
“Love my adventures.”
Max looked at his mother. She waited for him to say something, she knew he was thinking about something. “You did this for me, didn’t you?”
“Did what?”
“The concert.”
Davina waited a moment before answering. “To be honest, yes. I just had to see you, but then it became bigger than that. I thought I could do some good. You know, for everyone out here, to give them a little piece of joy from home.”
Max hugged his mother as tightly as if he were still a little boy. “And you did. Everyone said great things about you. It was really good to see you, Mom. You’re the best!”
“That goes double for me. I love you around the world and to the moon and back,” she said to her son, just as she had when he was little.
“And to Iraq, too.”
“Yes, absolutely. Tell me, will you get any time off? Do you think you would be able to get home at all?”
“I don’t know. Everything is up in the air, nobody knows too much right now.”
“I understand. Just be careful. Keep your head down and use your brains.” They hugged once more and then Max left. Davina looked at the spot where the young man had just exited the tent. She had never been so proud of her son, but she also had never felt so empty and powerless.
♫
COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL
CHAPTER 32
After Robert’s death Sam hid behind her work. She pushed all thoughts from her mind and focused even more on how to help the wounded. Her medical team and their skills were brilliant and they patched up the bodies, but Sam concentrated on strengthening their psyches, as their wounds extended, consciously and subconsciously, from the body to the mind. The greatest weapon she had was music, she knew it helped, and she was continuously seeing the results.
Sam was sitting next to the bed where a man lay, his face bandaged, save for openings for his eyes, nose and mouth.
“Hey Greg,” Sam said to him, “you look better today.”
Almost every bone in the man’s face had been broken by an insurgent’s AK47. Greg would mend and it would take time, yet he considered himself lucky that he didn’t sustain a brain injury. “How can… you… tell?” He said slowly. He could speak, albeit with difficulty. “I’m… covered… in bandages.”
“I can see it in your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“Yes, they’re shinier than they were yesterday.”
“Very perceptive.”
“Uh, huh. That also means that you’re doing better.”
“Yeah, pain isn’t… too bad… today.”
“They’re giving you some good drugs, huh.”
“Uh, huh. You… brought a… guitar.”
“Yes, I thought I’d play a bit. Would that be alright.”
“Are you… kidding? My… very own… guitar player, and… a beautiful… one too.”
“Why thank you, kind sir. Now, let’s see if you can accompany me,” Sam said, strumming a couple of strings.
“Uh…”
“I know, things are a little tight in the face right now, but you can hum if it gets painful.”
“Okay.”
Max saw Sam walking into Greg’s room. He just missed her and now did not want to interrupt, so he stayed next to the door and watched. She sang a song Greg must have known since childhood. He could actually see the joy in the man’s eyes and demeanor when he heard the familiar song. He tried to sing with her but failed, so he hummed along and was happy enough with that.
Max kept watching Sam play for the wounded man. He was amazed at the reaction. She was lifting his spirits and morale, and Max’s favorite part, other than her humor and personality, was that she was doing it with music.
Sam sang a few more melodies that Greg was familiar with and then started to leave.
“Nurse Sam,” the wounded man said, “could I ask… you for one… more favor?”
“Such as?”
“A kiss.”
Max’s eyebrows shot up.
Would she?
Sam laughed “Sorry, can’t do that.”
“Just a little…, little, little… one, please,” he begged.”
Max had to smile and understood the man implicitly.
“Sorry, Greg, I reserve those for the man I love. But you definitely have a piece of my heart.”
“Okay, I …understand. Thanks for… everything.”
“My pleasure, now you just get better,” Sam said. She kissed her fingertips and then placed them on the man’s lips. She turned and walked out of the room. She almost ran into Max and stopped just an inch in front of him.
“You’re pretty amazing, Sam,” Max said.
“What?”
“Your singing, and everything you do for the wounded.”
“Oh! Thank you, Max.” Sam said, recovering quickly.
“Time for a coffee?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a lunch break right now.”
“Great, let’s go.”
They went to the cafeteria, picked up a couple of sandwiches and cold drinks and went outside. They sat in folding chairs quietly tucked away under a canopy. Sam stood the guitar up against a post and opened her drink.
“Do you have any relatives in Boston?” Max asked.
“No, my parents were killed in a car accident a few years ago, and then of course you know about Robert.”
“Yeah, I’m really sorry, Sam. He was a good guy, I met him at the beginning of the war last year.”
“Yes, I remember how much he praised the Marines he was with on that trip. He was really impressed.” Max nodded. “I do have Ms. Nagel.”
“Ms. Nagel?”
“Yes, she took me in when my parents died. She’s probably a person I could call a relative. She was a godsend when I had no one. And of course Sandstorm.”
“Sandstorm?”
“My cat.”
“Why do you call him Sandstorm?”
“Because I found him as a kitten in a snowstorm.”
Max looked at her. “Why didn’t you call him Snowstorm or Snowball?”
“Because he’s beige.”
“Makes sense.”
“And he is the handsomest cat you’ve ever seen, cuddly and loves me unconditionally.”
I can be that cat, Max wanted to say.
“Sounds like perfection.”
“He is.”
Max was easy to talk to and she hadn’t had a ‘real’ conversation in a long time. Talking to the wounded was for their benefit and she loved it, but it was nice to talk about herself for a change. She told him more about her parents and her background, her travels around the world, her love of music and the Singing Pub.
Max realized how much in common they had. And he was sure his parents would like her too.
“I would love to go to that pub, it sounds like a great place.”
“It is. It’s a lot of fun, and sometimes you wouldn’t believe the amazing voices that come up on stage.”
Max suddenly pictured her on that stage, his mother singing next to her as Sam, her daughter-in-law, played.
Her daughter-in-law?
How did that enter his mind? But Max didn’t ‘freak out’.
It’s a sign, he thought, this is the woman I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with.
“I would love to watch you play there sometime.”
“Well, when all this is over it’s a date.”
A date? In how many years?
“It’s a deal and a promise,” Max said quickly.
“Let me put the guitar in my room, it’s too hot out here.”
“Yeah, it’s not good for the wood.”
Sam picked it up. As she did she heard a rattle. “That’s a strange noise,” she said. She shook it and again it made a slight noise. She turned the hole toward the ground and shook some more. Both Max and Sam jumped back when they saw what fell out of the hole and then he slammed his boot down hard.
“You killed it!” Sam exclaimed, as she saw the dead scorpion.
“Ah, yeah! Those little shits are dangerous.”
“I know, but…”
Max realized that Sam was upset. “What would you have done with it?” He asked.
“I probably would have picked it up with something and thrown it far away.”
“And have it sting somebody else?”
“Well, no, I would have hoped he was scared enough and would go far away from the camp.”
Max wanted to laugh but he didn’t. “And the scorpion has a brain too.”
“Max, stop, the poor thing. I kind of feel bad for him.”
“So I gather my knight in shining armor spiel didn’t work too well.”
“Oh, my savior,” Sam said theatrically, putting a hand to her heart, “you pulled me away from certain death, and all with a slam of a combat boot and a Kevlar vest.”
Max laughed and took her hands. He held her close to him. Sam couldn’t move, couldn’t pull away from what she was sure was an invisible magnet inside Max’s body. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I was just worried for you.” Max’s nose was almost touching Sam’s.
“I know, I know, I’m just being a little girl,” she whispered with the tiny bit of air she could hardly produce.
Max’s cheek brushed against hers. Sam held her breath. “No, your heart is just so gentle, never change that, it’s one of your greatest assets,” he whispered softly. Their lips came together, in a camp surrounded by desert and war, by wounded and misery, yet at that moment they were in paradise.
“I’m just going to put the guitar away in my room. I’ll be right back,” Sam said.
“May I join you?” Max asked.
Sam looked into his violet eyes. “Yes,” she whispered, and took his hand. Max followed into her room.
It was dark, with only a faint whisper of light coming in through the shades, but it was enough for him to see her sculpted perfection when he gently helped remove her shirt. His body wanted to take her right then and there, but his heart told him to take it slow. He wanted to savor every moment with her. Sam pulled off his t-shirt and her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the chiseled torso. The small mounds of the muscles in his chest, the even smaller ones of his stomach reminding her of symmetric ripples and beckoned her fingers. She lightly kneaded them until Max unhooked her brassiere and pulled her closer to him, crushing her exquisitely firm and full breasts. Her arms came up around his neck and he stared into the liquid jade of her eyes. He desperately wanted to swim in that tantalizing color. He made a mental note to find a wild and natural pool somewhere in the world so he could do just. His mouth came down on hers as he remembered the sweetness of that first kiss. He slightly parted her mouth and made his tongue dance with hers as he lightly let his fingers discover her back and hips. Sam was doing the same thing with her hands and they both pulled off the rest of each other’s clothes. Max picked her up, appreciating her superb figure, and gently laid her down on the bed. Sam caressed the back of his neck and continued down his back. Max closed his eyes, grasping for control as mini electric currents ran through their bodies. His mouth found hers again and then continued exploring by kissing, licking and nibbling down her neck, her breasts, her stomach and to the flower of her womanhood. Sam shivered as Max’s fingers and tongue played with her most sensual and sensitive areas. Her body took on a mind of its own and tightened and tensed from the pleasure and heat Max was making it produce. Little flames formed deliciously under her skin as her heart raced faster. She held his body closer to hers and sensed the fire he was experiencing as well. She arched up towards him and he swiftly and gently made them one single body. Sam gasped at the swiftness and the exquisite fullness of Max’s manhood. She moaned in delight as they rhythmically moved and kissed each other deeply until their passion culminated into their ultimate crescendo.
A little later they left Sam’s room and sat on the steps right outside. They were careful not to hold hands or to show their feelings. Fraternizing among the ranks was very much frowned upon.
“INCOMING!” Someone yelled as they all heard the whine of the mortar descending towards them. They ran for cover and Max threw himself over Sam protectively. She felt him slightly jerk up as the ground exploded a few feet away from them. Max then slumped back down on top of her. The sand from the blast covered them and Sam started coughing. Between the dust and Max’s weight she could hardly breathe. Why wasn’t he moving? She thought and then recoiled as she realized that Max might have been hit, or worse. She quickly pushed him off of her and checked him out. She didn’t see any blood anywhere except for a small gash on the back of his head. She didn’t think it was too bad, but Max was out cold. “Max! Max! Can you hear me?” No answer. She shook him a little. “Max!” she tried again.
He started to stir. He looked around and remembered what had just happened. “Are you alright?” He asked quickly.
“Am
I
alright? You’re the one who’s been hurt. You’ve got a gash on the back of your head.” Sam helped him to sit up.
Max touched the back of his head. “No big deal, just a little cut,” he said, lying to Sam.
“Let’s get inside so I can stitch it up,” she said, helping him.
“You’re going to do it?”
“You want someone else to do it?”
“No, no, I want you. I mean, yes, that’s fine. No, what I mean is I don’t want anyone else to touch me and yes, I would like you to stitch me up.”
Sam looked at him and smiled. “Okay, that’s clear now.”
“Good. Did anyone else get hurt?”
“Nothing serious, scrapes and cuts. Happens all the time.”
“What happens all the time?”
“These damned mortars. I don’t know how they do it, but they manage to get one through every once in a while.”
“That’s not right. This is a hospital.”
“This is war, Max. We’ve gotten used to it.”
“Great,” he moaned.
Max’s arm had been around Sam’s shoulder and when they arrived inside he didn’t want to take it off. “Uh, Max, you can sit down now.”
“Oh, right,” he said, and reluctantly let go.
Sam found the supplies she needed to fix the cut and he watched as she efficiently prepared for the suturing. She washed her hands, went up to Max and started cleaning the area where he had been cut. Her body was close to his and her breast was practically in his face. He put his hands on his crotch as little Max had no conscious and wasn’t being very polite. He also closed his eyes. Watching her arms stretch the shirt back and forth wasn’t helping at all. He felt the pinch of the needle and winced at the unexpected pain, but he didn’t utter a word. After a few minutes Sam announced that she was finished.