He referred to the bandage on the chest.
Quickly, Lana knelt down next to Ben, her hand compressing the bandage to his wound.
There was blood on the floor all around Ben.
The soldier secured another field dressing to Ben’s leg and then stood. “Stay put. Stay here. Keep pressure on that.”
Lana nodded.
The soldier rushed to the door, the bright sunlight absorbed the soldier as he disappeared into the mayhem outside.
“Ben,” Lana wept his name. “Please.”
He opened his eyes and groaned. It wasn’t a groan of pain, more one of defeat. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“This can’t be good,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Another sob and Lana lifted his head onto her lap. “It’ll be okay, it really will. You’re just in shock, that’s why it doesn’t hurt. Someone will be back to help. I promise.”
“I’m not holding my breath,” he said.
“Why didn’t you go to Canada?” Lana asked. “Why?”
“Because I wouldn’t be here with you, right now,” he said.
Lana held him tighter.
His eyes shifted to look at her. His eyes were red and his face had grown pale. “You know, if I had gone, I would have never known that you were a closet Sarah Palin.”
Lana laughed and cried at the same time. “Now is not the time for jokes.”
“No, now is the perfect time for jokes,” he coughed. “We stopped joking the last couple of years. We stopped talking, too.”
“And I need you to stop talking now. Save your strength.”
Ben shook his head. “I know how bad I was shot. It’s okay. Because this moment, right now, makes it okay.”
Lana lowered her head to meet his.
“I need you to leave me,” Ben said. “Go below. Leave me.”
“No.” Lana shook her head. “I’m not leaving you. I am right here.”
“Listen to it out there. It’s war. It’s a nightmare. Listen to it.”
“I hear it,” Lana said, pausing as the pockets of thunderous explosions rang out. “And it doesn’t matter. I love you.”
It was at that second, on hearing her words that Ben sobbed. His hand reached up to her face and his fingers ran down her cheek leaving a bloody trail. He tried his best to keep his hand on her, but couldn’t. “I have loved you since the moment I met you. I have no regrets about our life. None.”
“Me either.” Lana sniffled. “And it’s not over. Our life is not over. Someone will come. Someone will come in here and…”
The door opened and the sunlight burst though.
“See,” Lana said of the shadowy figure. “See, someone is here to help.”
It was soldier and he walked in. But he wasn’t there to help, he was aiming at them.
Lana breathed out heavily. “Oh, God.”
“What?” Ben asked.
The soldier shouted something in a language she didn’t understand.
Quickly Lana reached for her weapon, but it was awkward since it was behind her and Ben’s head rested on her lap. “Don’t shoot,” she pleaded and then saw his face.
He was just a boy, no older than nineteen.
“My husband is hurt.” Lana’s free arm reached around and she felt the rifle.
But Lana never got a chance to bring her weapon forward or to engage the chamber.
The soldier fired. More than he needed to. He fired a rapid spray that was aimless and wayward, sending bullets into the floor, then into Ben and finally ripping into Lana.
She peered down, then lifted her eyes and looked at the soldier. Then Lana fell forward onto Ben.
Harry had made it to the top of the stairs, pushing his way through and into the hall of the school.
He was beyond frantic. He hoped above all hope that Tyler was grabbed by a Marine, but he didn’t see him. And when he was told to get back into the school, Harry took another way out.
He had to find Tyler.
The bus that was loading people was still in the back of the school and Harry slipped by it, calling out, “Tyler! Tyler!”
But was he heard over the gunfire?
It was all too reminiscent to Harry, memories of street wars that he had seen in his life. He was in the back of the school and he could only hear the battle. Thus far, it hadn’t reached there and Harry felt safe to keep calling for Tyler.
Tyler said he had to get the box and the only place it could be was George’s house. He had brought it home the night before from the library.
George’s house was close, just a short walk or run.
He ran from the school, taking the long way around to avoid town. Harry was certain that when he found Tyler, he’d have to hide with the boy. It was far too dangerous to go into town.
“Tyler!” Harry yelled. It was getting tough. His legs were tiring and he was getting winded.
But he got to George’s street and his calls were more easily heard. “Tyler! Harry had to slow down. He limped some, catching his breath as he neared George’s house. “Tyler!” On George’s lawn he bent over to stabilize his rapid breathing, rest just a few seconds and then go into the house.
“Harry!” Tyler yelled.
`Smiling, Harry lifted his head. Tyler was standing at George door.
“I found it.” Tyler grinned. He used his body to push open the screen door and the big box was wrapped in his arms. “Look, Harry, I got it!”
“Stay there.” Harry lifted his hand. “We have to get inside.”
“Why?” Tyler asked, racing down the steps of the porch to Harry. “I got the…”
Bang.
Harry’s eyes widened at the sound of the shot and he watched in horror as Tyler was hit so hard by the bullet, it sailed his small body back ten feet and the child landed on the ground with a thump.
Harry raced to Tyler, screaming out a heartbroken and deep, “No!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
He wheezed and his chest hurt worse than when he got hit with a ball during the last little league game. And when Tyler lifted his head, it hurt, too. He was afraid, really afraid to look down at his chest. He had played enough video games. The last he remembered was feeling a tremendous hit to his chest and flying back. He passed out when his head connected to the ground.
But he had to look. He had to see how bad it was because it really hurt.
He opened his eyes, but had to keep them squinted. Wind whipped around him blowing dirt in his face. It took him a moment to realize it was a helicopter.
Then he lifted his head and peeked.
Nothing. His hands felt his chest. No bullet hole, no blood. It hurt like heck, but why was he not bleeding? Then he saw it.
The box.
It lay next to him and Tyler rolled to his side. A grin wide and bright smeared across his face when he saw was sticking in the top of the box.
It was a bullet.
Harry said there was something about that box and there was.
“Harry!” Tyler called brightly. “Harry, check this out.” He scurried to his knees, then got to his feet and grabbed the box. “The box saved my life. Look here’s the bullet.”
Tyler spun to look for Harry.
He saw him.
Not ten feet from where Tyler had fallen, Harry lay in a pool of his own blood, motionless. His head was turned to the side facing Tyler, his body bloody and tattered, ripped to shreds by bullets.
“No.” Tyler whimpered and ran to Harry, dropping to the ground. His knees slid in the blood and he let go of the box. “No. Harry?” Tyler shook him. “No. Wake up, Harry, wake up.” His little heart broke right then and there. He grabbed on to Harry, lowered his head to Harry’s chest and sobbed.
Harry was all he thought about, he couldn’t be gone. He just couldn’t.
Then Tyler felt someone grab his arm.