Chapter 25: Return

Cole coughed and sputtered. How long had he been under this wreckage? His whole body ached. He was thirsty, hungry, hot, and in pain. His whole left side was in searing pain. He thought back to the last thing he remembered. He’d been clearing out the building with a few other members of his team when he noticed something was off: there was no one inside. The building should have been swarming with Taliban fighters like it had the previous day. But it was empty. That’s when the thought dawned on him: they knew. They’d walked right into a trap. But it was too late. The building exploded. He dove into an underground bunker but that didn’t stop the bomb. The floor collapsed in on him and a big chunk of something smashed his left side. Just before everything went black, he thought of Harper and the car accident. Then everything went black. And now he was here. From the way everything was settled, he knew he’d been out for a while. There was no light so either he was well and truly covered or it was nighttime. He was hoping for the latter, but since no one had found him yet, it was probably the former. “Damn it,” he muttered. He used his right hand to feel for his walkie-talkie. It was smashed to bits. A string of curses emitted from his mouth. He smiled at the thought of Harper scolding him on his language around Emerald. If it was the last thing he’d do, he would get back to them because he loved them. Also, he promised Harper beach sex. Despite the very bad situation, he got a little hard thinking about that.
He spent the next who-knows-how-long wiggling and trying to free himself. On his right side, he could tell there was a hallow pocket. It took what seemed like forever to get there. He pulled himself upright. His left arm was a mangled mess and his left leg wasn’t much better. His toes were crushed. God, it hurt. Feeling around with his right hand, he extracted a pain number. He injected it and leaned back when he let it do its thing. During that time, he accidentally fell asleep. When he woke up, his left side was numb. He sighed with relief. Now, he had to access his situation.
With what we call brute force and determination, he found his way out of the wreckage. No one was around. The nearest town was hours away. He counted his blessings: he was still alive, and began walking. Well, he was more like dragging himself. His left leg wouldn’t work and his right leg couldn’t hold up his weight all by itself for very long. He’d have to walk then rest. It took him days to reach the town. He found the hospital and collapsed on the floor. The doctors rushed to help him.
He came to he wasn’t sure how much later. He was in the hospital. It wasn’t as sterile as the one’s in the United States but he was grateful for it nonetheless. He stayed there until he could function okay. His left side was still battered, so he needed to get to a better hospital. He traded his gun for a man’s car and set out. The citizens of Afghanistan were afraid of the Taliban, so having an expensive “American” gun was coveted. He drove to Kabul. There, he got better treatment. His left side was patched up. The doctor told him he’d be permanently scarred on that side. He smirked; Harper would like his scars. She’d say they were badass. Finally, he asked for the day. It’d been nearly two and a half months since he’d been deployed! He needed to contact Jacobs, or somebody, to let them know where he was. What if they thought he was dead?
Once he was somewhat healed, he headed to the US base in the city. Thankfully, he still had his identification on him. The guard let him in. He went to Jacob’s office. The man was hard at work planning. He knocked. Jacobs looked up then his eyes widened, “Cole?!” Cole nodded, “Jacobs.” “But I...we...we thought that you were dead!” “Almost. I’m not sure if anyone else survived.” “Please, have a seat.” “If you thought I was dead…” Jacobs’ eyes widened again, “We told your fiance that you were dead.” “Shit! I need to get back to the US.” “Of course. We’ll have you on a plane in an hour.” Cole nodded. He could only imagine what Harper was going through thinking he was dead.
As Jacobs said, he was on a plane in an hour. He arrived in California that night. As much as he wanted to see Harper, he wanted it to be during the day. So, he went to his brothers’ house. Caden opened the door, “......COLE?!” “Hey, little brother.” “But….but they said….” “Long story. Can I come in?” “Of course!” Cole came in. Chase and Conner looked equally surprised. Cole explained what happened. “So did you guys cry when you found out I was dead?” he asked with a laugh. “....” “....” “....” They all looked away guiltily. Cole chuckled, “I see.” “You should call mom and dad,” Chase said, finally. Cole nodded, “I’ll go visit tomorrow.”
First thing the next morning, he took a nice shower and put on some fresh clothes. Then, he headed over the Harper’s. He knocked. No one answered. Strange. He knocked again. No answer. He went to Harvey’s. Her car was in the driveway. He felt his gut clench. Had it been so bad that she couldn’t live alone anymore? He knocked on the door. Harvey opened the door. His eyes widened and then he drew Cole into a hug, “The fuck man? Where have you been? We thought you were...you know, dead.” “Long story. Where’s Harper and Emerald?” “Oh, she’s been staying with Kira and I.” He let him in. “Guest bedroom.” Cole went upstairs and opened the door to the guest bedroom. Harper was curled up in the bed with Emerald. She was on her phone and from where he was standing, looking at pictures of them. He stepped into the room.
Harper looked up. What did Harvey want now? But it wasn’t Harvey. She blinked. Cole? No way. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. What kind of cruel joke was this? She walked over and touched him. He felt real. She kissed his lips. They tasted like Cole. She broke down. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He held her in his arms the way he always did. “I’m here,” he whispered. “How?” He quietly explained what happened so as not to wake Emerald. She was speechless. How could this be? Was she really this lucky? She looked into his eyes. They were those clear blue eyes she knew and loved. He kissed her. Yes, she really was this lucky. She sat up in his lap and glared at him, “I’ve been depressed!” “I’m sorry. I didn’t know they told you until yesterday. Besides, I promised I’d be back so we could have that beach sex.” She blushed, “Cole!” “I’m serious Harper. I’m not going anywhere.” That brought tears to her eyes and she snuggled into him again. His rhythmic breathing put her to the first peaceful sleep she’d had since they told her he was dead.