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The Letters of A Corpsman: The Death of A Father
Posted By: (ENS) Rabid_Gallagher
Date: 9 July 2006, 8:34 pm
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Dear Randy;
Today was another rough day. A day that I will always remember in my life, as a Corpsman, but a memory that will haunt me to the rest of my days, and I hope it will leave me once I leave this plane of existence. I was on the field, with my rifle within my hands going over to Bravo Company's CP over by Hill 317. Remember that hill we always used to sled down on? That was eerily the same, and I rushed up the hill thinking about those cold, dark winter days we spent together.
I made it up the hill, and saw the men giving suppressive fire over the company of Grunts and Jackals that were coming up the hill's north and east side. The platoon commander, a hardy and hospital man named Lieutenant Jacob Riley, directed me to the wounded Sergeant Marcus Halloway. I checked his wounds, and it scared me to think he was still alive, for that matter.
Severe burns, internal bleeding, and he had a fever. I did the only thing I could, and that was to give him morphine. I put a shot of the archaic pain reliever into his system, and I looked at Riley. He understood what I was saying, and he went back to the line. I looked back at the Sergeant, and before I could speak over the fire, he talked to me.
"Give this to my parents." He said, handing me a crisp and faded letter bearing his name and his company's address. I took it and placed it in my armor pocket, but then he looked up at me again. He held a picture, and another letter. The look in his eyes…It was horrible, Randy, horrible. I couldn't stand it.
"Give this to my child…Two months and three days ago; that was her birthday." He croaked. A tear even fell from my eyes, looking at the man caused much sorrow from me that nearly killed me. I nodded, hoping he would understand that I would send the items to his little daughter. He smiled, and then he died. His eyes were open, and his neck was back. I couldn't stand it.
I looked at the picture in more detail, as plasma fire would rain over me. She was a thing of beauty, with her short brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. She was seven, at least, and his wife was also in the picture. She was beautiful too, with long brown hair and a wonderful smile. I looked back, putting the parcels in my pockets, and noticed the men were cheering. They won.
I couldn't join in the festivies, the whooping and the hollering. It was too much, way too much for me to even look at the men. They looked at me, with smiles of huge and complete success.
They looked at me, and I shook my head. The cheering, the whoops, the hollars...They died. Instantly. I couldn't even make eye contact with them as I gently laid the UNSC mourning flag over his body. The little one foot by one foot flag I took a picture and sent to you once. I looked at Riley, he nodded, and I walked away from Bravo Company's CP. I had to make sure I would not look away, for to look away from that would be to remind me to not send his letters.
I debated to send them immediately, so I wrote my own letter that would be recieved with the UNSC 'Yellow Letter', the letter they send to loved ones when a family member dies. Oh god, Randy, the little girl will not forget this moment, and neither will Miss Halloway. The poor family...I hate this war. But we have to fight, to not let another incident like Marcus Halloway to repeat...
Its seventeen hundred hours now, about four hours after Sergeant Halloway's death. I was reading the letter to his child and wife, and it spoke about everything that he was doing over here, on Epsilon Alphanus. I couldn't read anymore after the second paragraph, as I sealed the envelope with my letter of how he wouldn't stop smiling to me. It was as if, he understood everything.
In a couple of weeks, I'm getting a pass back to Alpha Centauri. I need to see you again, to have you hold me in my arms once more. Something that I can do without the expression of letters. I just…need to feel you once more. To know that I actually have a lovely and intelligent man that I can wait for.
Your love forever, ex termin eternity;
Michelle, Corps. – Alpha Company, 3rd Med.
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