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Dave shook his head slowly.
"No. No pets or," his voice stuttered to a stop as a flash of dark hair and blue eyes invaded his memory. Sadie. A longing so real hit him it constricted his breathing.
"Captain, are you all right?" Dave's ears were ringing, a high-pitched hum that made him feel momentarily dizzy. "Captain Amsted." Tel's voice seemed miles away. For a moment a
woman with long limbs, high breasts and dark blue eyes looked at him and smiled. She wore a white and purple dress with sexy sandals. "Captain Amsted, Dave, your heart rate is climbing at an alarming rate!" Tel's voice was higher, laced with anxiety. He barely registered the sound of people running in the room, voices drowning out the vision of the beautiful woman. He came to moments later, lying on the bed, penlights shining in his eyes, people talking in hushed tones. He felt like he'd just come up from a deep pool of water. He sucked in a breath, gasping and fighting the hands that held him down.
"What the hell happened?" Rick's voice boomed, cutting off all the medical staff's poking and prodding. Dave slowly turned his head as the Colonel strode over to the exam bed, concern on his face. Tel looked up from the machine readouts to meet the eyes of the commanding officer.
"It appears Captain Amsted had a mild seizure. I don't see any damage on the EEG. I'm going out on a limb here assuming the seizure was a result of the high electromagnetic current he was exposed to over an extended period of time." Tel spoke in distracted tones as she scanned the readout of the EKG. "His heart wasn't affected according to these tests. Clark," Tel spoke to one of the medical staff, "keep an eye on the rest of the chopper crew. I want to know if any of them show similar signs. No one of the chopper crew is to be left unattended for the next twenty-four hours. Make that forty-eight hours to be safe."
Rick narrowed his gaze as he looked at Tel. “I want to know what the fuck happened and how this is going to affect Captain Amsted. I want answers and I want them now. Call whomever you think can help. Do you get my meaning? I don’t care who it is. I’ll get clearance from Vargas if needed.” Every person in the room stopped dead and stared at their commander. Shit just got real.
Chapter 1
Dave’s Timeline – Earth Two, Ten Years Ago
The Jeep rolled into the familiar parking space. Letting out a breath, Dave stared at the house he'd grown up in and escaped by joining the Army. He hadn't been home in three years, enjoying his freedom from his stepfather, the Asshole. The day Dave graduated from high school, his stepfather handed him a packed bag and told him to hit the road. Henry Blythe didn’t care that he had nowhere to go or was just seventeen at the time. He wanted Dave gone and couldn’t wait to shove him out the door. The Army was glad to have him, once his stepfather signed the papers allowing him to join. The next few weeks passed until his paperwork processed and he turned eighteen, then he'd shipped out.
It was a relief actually, to know he could leave and not worry about his stepfather hunting him down. But, Dave's mom was another story. He didn't know she had breast cancer and leaving wouldn't have been an option had he known. He still remembered her tears when she walked into the living room and saw her son holding the new piece of luggage and the way she looked at her husband. She was hurt, and looking back, Dave knew she was also on the verge of a mental breakdown. Dave just wanted to smack the smug look of triumph from that old man's face.
Dave glanced at his duffle bag thrown in the back of the Jeep and sighed, knowing sitting in the Jeep wouldn't get this reunion over with. The Army had taught him personal responsibility. And how to fight. Dave knew how to fight and handle confrontation. "Let's get this started then." Gritting his teeth, he reached for his belongings and opened the Jeep door. The smell of fresh cut grass from the various lawn mowers around the neighborhood brought him a sense of peace. The sounds of children screaming in delight as they played ball in the street made him smile. But he didn't feel at home, just a visitor in a pleasant cul-de-sac on the outskirts of some nameless Kansas Midwest town.
"Dave? Man, is that really you?" Dave turned to the sound of his name and saw a ruddy complexion and orange-red hair of his lifelong best friend, Gary. For the first time a genuine smile lit his face as he reached for Gary, getting a hearty slap on the back and fierce hug.
"Gary, man it's been a while. How's life treating you?" Dave fought back tears as the sight of his friend brought back his only good childhood memories. Them working on cars in Gary's garage, listening to Gary's mom sing in the kitchen while Dave daydreamed about Gary's sister in her too short shorts and freckles.
"I didn't know you were coming in, Dave! Mom would be so happy to see you." Gary's smile faltered but returned. "She really appreciated the postcards and letters you sent her. Kept them in a scrapbook." Dave nodded, afraid to speak around the emotion boiling at the mention of Gary’s mom, Naomi.
"I wish I could've been here for her funeral, Gary. She was like a mom to me too, you know? I wish I could've been here for you and Meghan." Dave dropped the duffle bag to the cracked sidewalk and took off his sunglasses. Gary nodded and looked down briefly, as if trying to rein in his emotions. Naomi had died last year while Dave was serving in Afghanistan.
"I know, man, it just happened so fast and we all knew you'd be here if you could. The flowers you sent were the best. Meghan really appreciated them and so did I." A moment of silence stretched as the old friends came to terms with their shared loss. Friends and neighbors for years, they felt no need to make small talk in the midst of such grief.
Gary took a deep breath and finally said, "So, I see you are staying for a bit." Gary indicated the duffle bag on the ground.
"Well, unfortunately." The men shared a small smile of understanding. "I know mom isn't doing well and I had so much leave time. I had run out of excuses too. Mom knew I avoided coming home but I just had to come see her. I'm thinking about getting out. I'm coming up on my re-enlistment. I've got a lot to think about. No matter how shitty, this is home." Gary gave a sympathetic nod while plowing a fist into Dave's shoulder. Both men remembering the nights Dave came sneaking to Gary's house and hiding while Dave's stepfather ranted until the alcohol-fueled mood gave way to him losing consciousness.
"Hey, I know you just got home, but we're having a get together at the house tonight. No big deal, just cooking out. You can meet my girlfriend and Meghan will have a few friends over too. I know she'd want to see you." At Dave's look of indecisiveness, Gary smiled, "If things get tense in there with the Asshole, you can always use it as a way out of the house. You wouldn't have to stay long." Dave grimaced and bent to get his duffel bag. He looked at the house, seeing Henry looking out the window, scowl in place and hatred radiating off him.
"I don't know Gary, but I'll think about it." He returned his attention to his friend. "I can tell the welcoming committee isn't inside that house. I'll see how things are before making up my mind." Gary nodded and reached for another back-slapping bear hug from his old friend. "See ya, man. Take care." At that, Dave turned toward the house and the curtains fell from the window, obscuring his view of his stepfather. Dread increased with each step toward the door.
****
Sadie stepped from the shower and wrapped a towel around herself as she ran to answer the phone. "Well, about time you answered!" Meghan's voice greeted, "I thought I might have to drive over there and check on you." The ever-present smile in Meghan's voice warmed Sadie. They had been college roommates and Meghan helped Sadie move to town and get the job at the steel plant.
"Well I was in the shower. I'm standing here dripping all over my bedroom carpet now." Sadie looked at her wet footprints over the dark mauve shag carpet and frowned. "What is so important anyway? I'm freezing standing in the A/C." Goosebumps lined her body as she stood shivering. The old desktop phone cord was too short to allow her to move away from the window unit chugging out frigid air into her tiny bedroom.
"I just wanted to let you know that Gary said he ran into Dave today and invited him." The warmth in Meghan's voice increased, so did Sadie's goose bumps. "We didn't know he was coming in."
"Oh, that's the hot guy you talked about being raised around huh? The Army guy?" The way she talked about Dave it wasn't hard to hear that Meghan still had that schoolgirl crush for her brother's best friend. Described as having dark brown hair and blue eyes with a killer body of wide muscled shoulders and trim waist. According to Meghan, the way his jeans fit over the rest of his body, was something Sadie had to see for herself. "I bet he's to die for now having been in the Army for a while."
Meghan sounded breathless and sighed. "I bet he is. But you have to be here to see him, if he shows." Her friend's voice changed slightly, "I'm sure he will be though. His stepdad is a real jerk. I doubt Dave will stay at his house long, even with his mom there to run interference." Sadie heard the slight anger in Meghan's voice. She could just picture her friend's face darkening in anger and her freckles standing out on her pert little nose.
"I remember some of the stories you told me about him and Henry. I'm sure things will have calmed down by now. I mean, he's been away for what, three years now? Henry is an old man now and he's not had a drop of alcohol in over a year. Maybe they will work it out somehow." Sadie shivered again and held the phone to her ear with a shoulder as she tried to dry off one-handed. The A/C had never seemed to put out such cold air, but then again, she never stood naked and wet in front of it before either. Her teeth began to chatter.
"Yeah, maybe, but I doubt it. You know Henry. He's always been an ass and he always will be. Something about Dave has always brought out the worst in him. That’s how he earned the nickname the Asshole. Look, I better run—Gary is yelling at me to help him and I know you're cold. Just get over here early and help me set up, okay?" After telling her she would be there, Sadie hung up the phone and ran to her now cold shower and turned off the water. At least she got to shave her legs and underarms before the phone rang.
Making her way to the closet, her thoughts of what she was going to wear had just drastically changed. Her old faithful blue jeans and t-shirt weren't going to be enough to get the attention of a gorgeous Army man. Looking through her meager outfits, her eyes settled on her violet and white sun dress and strappy white sandals. She glanced at the clock, biting on her lower lip, insecurity weighing on her. Well, it wasn't like he was going to be home forever and if he didn't notice her then she would be fine, but she really wanted to catch his eye. Firming her resolve, Sadie pulled the dress out and lay it on her bed. Next, she grabbed her lacy white underwear and decided to not wear a bra. A smile touched her lips as she ran her hands over the thin material of her dress. If he didn't notice her in this, she didn't deserve his attention.
