1 Chapter One: The Scars Of War.

"Booooooom, boooooom" was all he could hear. As he charged through the sandy fields of world war II, forward with his Fusil Automatique Léger (FAL) battle rifle in hand, he shot everyone that his brain could compute as different. He ran forward shooting, all that ran through his mind was, kill and don't die, he had to; if he ever wanted to see his son and wife again. The family was all that drove him, and his love for them gave him strength and a reason to keep fighting.

Quite sooner than he thought, his greatest fear came as he pulled the trigger and felt no opposing force, and heard no war song. Immediately he laid down flat on his back to reload his gun, he looked all round to check for any coming attack, while his hands loaded the gun. As far his eyes could see, all that was around him was death, on his left was a rotten corpse, the rats have made an abode in him, his eyes were drooping out his sockets, and a hole in his belly revealed his heart and from that hole poured out his stomach and intestine. If its eyes were in place he would be looking at him, he thought, its face rotten beyond recognition, and only from its uniform was he able to know he was American. Sorrow filled him as he knew that many of us are lying the same way, so he stretched his hand into the chest looking for his naming chain, he felt it and pulled it out hard, wiped the rotten flesh of it, to reveal it was Lieutenant Mason Smith, he shoved it in his pocket and stood up cause he wasn't gonna be a smith on the ground.

"Boooom, craccck, boooom" the songs of war played on and with each tone goes a life. And then another, louder tone before the silence, our soldier falls to his knees and then on his back looking up to the sky, seeing the war from a dead man's eyes, and with the final flash of light, a Lockheed P-80 shooting star flies over, giving hope to the dead man and then the colors fade to darkness.

"Ihuuuuuhhhhhh" taking a deep breath as he forcefully sits up with his hand on his left chest, his heartbeat settles, a soothing feel comes from the realization that it was a dream or a memory? Confused at what it was but either way, joy-filled his heart.

"Nick honey, go back to sleep," calls a sleepy female voice from his right, she sits up when he doesn't lie down "Are you having does dreams again?" she says in a caring voice.

"Yes, but I'm okay now," Nick says, kissing her on the lips and lying down, she follows.

"Nick," she calls.

He turns to his right . "yes darling," he says, smiling with his left hand rubbing her protruding belly "What is it?"

"You'll have to see a doctor for this," she said, Nick tries to talk but she interrupts. "Please, just hear me out first. I'm worried, I know you say it's just a dream but what if it's not. I can't raise this child without you. what if I come back one day and hear-"

"Shhhhh!" he interrupts her, placing his finger on her lips. "You don't want to wake Tim. And if you feel I need a doctor, then fine, I'll go see the doctor tomorrow."

"Thank you, Nick."

"You know I'll do anything for my Rose and Tim," he said, gets up and puts his face to her belly as though talking to the protrusion, with a right hand rubbing it as though it was a baby's head, "And little Nick, this is going make me the happiest man in the world," he smiles kisses it and goes back to his previous position, kisses Rose and lays back to sleep.

December 1st, 1945|12:45 pm

The next day suns through the closed window onto his face waking him up. Nick opens his eyes and turns to his right to see an empty bed, he rises to his feet and walks out the room door that is on the right side of the bed, moving out he heads straight for the room directly in front of theirs.

"Tim! Tim!, get up you lazy head, you got, school today," he calls out to a sleeping boy on a small-sized bed.

"No, dad it's Saturday," says the sleepy voice of a small boy.

"Still is no reason to sleeping this late," he said as he walks to the side of the bed, reach his hand for the boy and starts tickling Tim up from his bed.

Laughing. "Dad. Sto-p. Ti-ck-ling me. Please, I'm am awake," says Tim, standing on his bed.

Nick stops as a sweet yummy smell filled the air, calling both Nick and Tim downstairs. They went down to a wooden table with four sits round it, on the table are dishes each with small bread loaves, eggs, and beacon. They all sit and starts eating.

"So, to what do I owe this fine meal, and it's early too," asked Nick.

"Well, to you, for agreeing to go to a doctor," replied Rose.

On hearing that Tim feels worried and asks. "What wrong with daddy?"

"Nothing, dear. Your father just needs to get a check-up," Rose quickly added.

"Daddy?" asked Tim, still worried.

"It is nothing son, just a minor check-up."

"That means your not going anywhere."

Nick knowing he was referring to war, replied. "No, daddy is not going anywhere."

Silence fills everywhere, then suddenly. "I've booked an appointment with doctor Louis," said Rose breaking the silence.

"Oh! when?"

"Just later this afternoon, by 3:30 pm."

"Okay."

Military Barracks|2:15 pm

Nick enters the barracks dressed in casual wear but was stopped by a strange soldier.

"Hey!" shouts a commanding thick voice. "Who are you? And state your business."

"Who are you? And don't you know how to speak to a colonel," Nick shouts, annoyed.

Fear pierces into the strange soldier's bones, I was just disrespecting a colonel, A senior.

"I am Colonel Nick Ryan. And where is Lieutenant Niles Cullen."

Knowing who he is, he salutes stand at attention. "I am sorry sir, Lieutenant Niles is in his office, sir."

"At ease soldier. What's your name?"

The soldier takes a more relaxed and normal posture. "My name is Liam Wilson, sir," said the soldier.

"Okay Liam take me to him," said Nick. Liam leads Nick to the last building in the barracks, Lieutenant Niles' office.

"Here we are, sir. Lieutenant Niles' office," Liam said, waiting for Nick to dismiss him.

"You may go," Nick tells Liam and watches as he goes. He then walks to the door of the small bungalow and knocks.

A very deep voice calls out from the bungalow. "Who is that rotten piece of shit that disturbs me in the afternoon?"

The sound of the makes Nick smile as he answers "The one that kills a Nazi on it's way out."

The door opens suddenly and they see each other. Joy overwhelms them both as the quickly hug each other and enter in, shutting the door behind them. Niles takes his seat behind a wooden desk while Nicks sits in front of him.

"I know that answer anywhere. Nick, times been good with you. Just look at you, 4 years and you've barely aged a day. Niles looks shocked to see Nick looking like he hasn't seen a battlefield.

"No, I wouldn't say so. I got my war scars," Nick said, pulling down the left side of his shirt, to reveal a big scar on his left chest. "Got that one on my last battle, August 1st, 1945. Took me straight to the infirmary, then the state hospital, where I stayed till September."

"Wow, that's a good looking one," he said putting his left leg on the table, to reveal a wooden spike as feet. "Nazi hiding in the sand made sure he toke my leg before dying. Sliced so deep and infected too, hell, they had to chop it off."

They look at each other, smile then burst into laughter.

"well, we are still alive. We saw the beginning and it's over now," said Nick.

The statement took the laughter away from Niles. "So. What truly brings you to these parts. You didn't just come to have good laugh with your now handicapped friend, Now, did you?"

"Well, just came to pick up the remaining of my things, then remembered you and decided to stop by."

"I hope things are good with you and Rose?"

"Yes, the best We're expecting a new child, a boy. Why did you ask?"

"And your son?, Tim Right?" Niles says ignoring the question and thinking of the best way to tell him.

"Yeah, he's doing great. You still didn't answer the question," Nick says feeling a little worried. "I hope there is nothing."

Niles takes his foot off the table and puts on a more serious look. "Nick, you won't be taking your things cause I was told to tell you, actually I chose to be the one to have to tell you. Your time with your family will soon be over, the government needs you back in the ranks. They will be sending you to Russia for a special mission anytime soon."

Those words hit Nick hard. He was just settling in with the family. What of Tim that he told today he wasn't going to leave and what of little nick? Can't I be with my wife during labor? Can't I see one of my son's birth, for a change? Who will stay with Rose, now, she's pregnant? More and More questions flooded his mind and each meant the death of another dream of his to be a good father.

Niles could see the stress Nick is going through due to the news and tries to make him feel better. "They say if this one goes well. Then it will be the end, they won't be calling you back."

Immediately gets up filled with anger. "Cause they know there is a great chance that I'll die in this one," he says angrily and walks out of the office and leaves the barracks, he took nothing with him. With this news, all he could think of was how he would make every minute with his family count.

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