2012
Jaxx raised a hand to the flight crew
as he headed off of his 24 hour shift. After getting out of the
military, he put his RN certification to use, and decided to pursue
the civilian training to do pretty much the same job that he did in
the military, a flight nurse. It was a little different on the
civilian side, as he seen more pediatric patients then he ever did in
the military.
Jaxx reached his jeep and flung his bag
into the passenger seat, as he slid his weary body behind the wheel.
Now he just had to make it the 25 minute drive home, and he could
start his 3 days off. It had been a relatively quiet shift, a few
transports, but nothing that was overly involved. He took a minute to
rest his head against the steering wheel before poking the keys into
the ignition and starting the Jeep. He was just about to pull out of
the lot, when his phone started ringing. Not being one to take
chances and talk on the phone while driving, he put the jeep back
into park, before checking the caller ID. A grin sliced across his
face, as he answered the call.
“hey buddy! Hows the mountains
treatin ya?”
“Jaxx?” the whispered voice on the
phone waivered, as if threatening to crack.
“Mac? What's wrong?” Jaxx was
instantly alert, his hand gripping the phone, as if it could connect
him with his friend.
Mac took a ragged breath, and said, “We
were hit bad. Javier...” Mac's voice broke, and Jaxx could hear his
friend struggling for control.
Jaxx closed his eyes, and took a deep
breath of his own, knowing that he had to hold it together. The world
around him shrunk to the confines of the jeep, everything else faded.
“How bad, Mac? He's got to be alive, otherwise you'd be on a
blackout. How bad is it?”
Jaxx, reminding him that their friend
was still alive seemed to shake Mac out of his grief, “Its bad. An
IED hit our convoy. Hit Javier's hum-v. He would have been ok, but
once he started pulling guys out, another one detonated near him. He
took a lot of shrapnel to his back. I'm not sure if he'll keep his
legs. They said as soon as he stablizes they'll send him on to
Germany. This is all unofficial, the commander should be calling you
soon with official word.”
Jaxx was trying to process everything,
but the only thing that proccessed immediately was the last part.
“Why the fuck would the Commander be calling me?”
Mac sucked in a breath, “Javier didnt
tell you? You are his will as being his next of kin.”
That revelation made Jaxx swallow hard,
as he heard a beep signalling he had another incoming call. “I
think that might be the Commander now. Um, thanks Mac for calling me
and telling me. Keep your head and ass down. Stay safe.”
Mac uttered a quick, “Will do.” and
ended the call, freeing Jaxx to answer the incoming call.
“Ajaxx Papalakis, can I help you?”
The Commander quickly introduced
himself and went on to explain the situation with Javier, which
pretty much mirrored the explanation Mac gave. Jaxx knew that asking
medically pertinent questions would probably be lost on the officer,
so he didnt bother. “When is Sgt. First Class Jimenez going to be
transferred to Germany and what is the protocol for me being able to
meet him there?”
After Jaxx had gotten all the
information he needed, he ended the call and for long moments just
looked at the phone in his hand. The wall paper a photo of Mac and
Javier that they'd sent a couple of weeks ago from somewhere in
afghanistan. “Fuck!” He slammed his free hand against the
steering wheel and began to shake, great heaving sobs working their
way up from some unknown place. He cried for what seemed like
forever, but was probably only a few minutes. Wiping his eyes, he
turned off the Jeep, and headed back inside work to request time off.
Javier needed him, and that was all that mattered, sleep could wait.
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