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went through the University of Rochester s program, graduating with a master of
science& in nursing.
John s thumb traced over the back of her hand as he held it, giving her a warm
feeling of security.
So, John prompted, you got the degree. Did you enlist without their blessing?
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A small shadow passed over her face as she shook her head. No. I got my degree
and was to start a new job at a doctor s office not too far from home. Not exactly the
excitement I d hoped for, but it was a job and it made my parents happy. Then came the
car crash& and suddenly they were gone and it didn t matter anymore.
I m sorry.
His soft words spoke volumes of understanding. Lauren looked at him with dry
eyes. Thank you. I m sure you ve figured out we didn t have the best relationship in
the world. Annie was the good child, I was the difficult one. Spent a lot of time feeling
guilty over that. Then I joined the Army, got sent to Iraq, and didn t have time for guilt
anymore.
And yet that guilt is still there.
Lauren shook her head. Not really. Sadness, though. I never knew my parents as
an adult. I would like to have gotten to know them on a different level and that s never
going to happen. That makes me sad sometimes.
John nodded. When I was a child I spake as a child&
Exactly. They would ve hated me being away and in danger so much but now that
I m back and safe? I would love to sit and talk away the afternoon and discuss
philosophy and religion and politics all those subjects I shunned before.
It felt good to tell the story. Up until now, only Beth, Annie and one other knew
how much trouble she had with her parents. In the US Army, personal issues were left
where they belonged at home. She d been trained to do a job that left no room for
ruminations of the past or what might have been. Talking to John was far better than
talking with the military psychologists. Those people were overworked and underpaid
for the problems they had to help soldiers cope with.
John sat quietly listening and Lauren knew he understood even the things she
didn t say. She didn t need to explain her love of the ideal concerning her service in
Iraq. She didn t need to tell him how much she felt she was helping both Iraqis and
American. And British. And Polish. And& so many more.
So you joined the Army as a nurse but things have changed since the Korean
conflict. No more MASH units.
Lauren s smile was small, but it was a smile. Nope. No more MASH. More
emphasis on getting the wounded to stationary hospitals that treat a wider range of
ailments. I remember one Iraqi kid who came in with an infected finger from a sliver he
got sliding into a home base made of a wooden slat. We made a difference in his life
because he got to see the helpful side of Americans, not the blowing-up side. Of course,
there were also the soldiers and civilians blown up by IEDs. We treated them all.
She no longer saw John s living room. Instead she saw the tables of wounded. You
could never tell who would make it and who wouldn t. Two men, side by side with
similar wounds one would go home and live a good life and the other would be dead
before the end of the night.
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Diana Hunter
She shuddered and forced the memory away. What about you? You said you were
in the Marines?
John leaned against the cushions. Like you, I wanted to be in the service ever since
I was a kid. My dad had been Army, my grandfather Navy. I had to keep up the
tradition of rebellion, so& I became a Marine.
Lauren smiled and also leaned back. John understood. She relaxed only when they
weren t talking about her. That was fine with him. There were some things she should
probably know about him. And maybe, knowing his past, she d realize she couldn t
outrun her own.
But I didn t just want to be a grunt. Wanted to be an officer and command men in
battle. So I went to the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.
Lauren gave a low whistle. Must ve been tough for a Yankee down there.
You ve no idea. But I wasn t going to let any Southern boys think they could win
the War Between the States by pushing around this Yankee boy. I knew I d be in for a
tough time and graduated well and with the respect of many of those rebels .
So you were planning to be career Marine the way I planned to make a career out
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