The Legacy

This is my first story. Comments are welcome.

He slowly wakes up. The room didn’t at first seem familiar. His head hurt beyond anything he had ever felt. As he started to put the last few days together the memories assailed, horrified, and revolted him. He had just lived through another battle as where even more of his brothers had died. How could he continue with his life still? He should have been the one to have died. He heard another voice in the back of the room, but couldn’t make out the words. His head hurt so bad. The darkness crept back in.

He woke up two days later. The pain in his head was still there but not nearly as bad. “Doc! He is awake” He heard. “Jim how are you feeling?” Asked Major Henry Goff the Marine doctor assigned to the case of SSGT Jim Wolf. “I am ok.” Said Jim. “My head is killing me though. What happened?” “You took one hell of a shot to the head by a stray bullet. You are lucky to be alive. The only thing that saved you was your kevlar helmet.” Said Goff. As Major Goff continued to talk all Jim could think about was the words “lucky to be alive”. He didn’t feel very lucky. One of his closest friends had just died. How was he lucky?! His head started to pound again. Anger started to swell inside of him and he focused on it. The anger would get him through. All of the sudden something clicked in his head and two lights shattered right next to him. “What the fuck was that?” Asked CPL Bech. Major Goff just stared at the lights and shrugged. Goff looked to Wolf and said “You are to remain here for the next two days. Then you are going home state side for some much needed rest. You have been through more than most.” And with that left the room. CPL Bech followed right behind him.
Jim couldn’t believe what he had just been told. He didn’t belong back home. He belongs here with the men that are still fighting. What would he do at home? He had no family to speak of. Just a sister that he had not spoken to in more than five years. He had been deployed now for 13 months. What did home even mean? The anger started to swell in him again. More anger than he had ever felt. POP! Another light. Jim came right out of his anger. That was the second time that a light had broken right when he got angry. He thought it could be coincidence but something felt very strange to him. His head hurt but it was something more. Something felt so much different to him. At that time though everything felt too surreal. Home. Home! Home? What did that mean?

Five weeks later Jim was driving to his home town. After he had got back to the states he was informed that due to some of his wounds, and the PTSD he had been diagnosed with he was being placed on medical leave with full benefits for no less then 6 month. He didn’t know what else to do. His hometown was never a home to him. The Marine Corps was his home. He had joined at 17 and never looked back. And just like that he was out. Hopefully not for good but out none the less. Suddenly his truck started to sputter. He was running out of gas. He looked up and saw that he was 10 miles from the nearest gas station. “Well fuck”. Jim said. “Guess I’m hoofing it”. He pulled to the side of the rode and shut off the truck. Got a bottle of water and started to walk. A few cars passed him and even though he tried to wave them down none stopped for him. “Just my luck” he said. Off in the distance he saw another car, again he felt the anger welling up inside of him. He told himself this car will stop no matter what. Even if he had to get hit for the person to do so. As the car got closer in his mind with the anger welling up even more he said “STOP!” To his ultimate surprise, not only did the car stop but the driver slammed on the brakes. The driver rolled down the window and seemed very nervous. He asked “can I help you with something?” Jim just as concerned with what had just happened just nodded at first. “I ran out of gas a ways back. I am looking for a ride to the nearest gas station. Could you give me a ride?” The man almost said no, but he was already stopped and agreed. As Jim got in the car the man started away. Jim started to get a headache from hell once more. He started to put his head back on the seat when he heard “why the fuck did I stop? I should just kick him out now?” Jim looked over and asked “Did you say something?” The man just looked over at Jim and said “no”. The man did think to himself “did I just say that aloud?” But just shoot his head. For some reason Jim heard the question.