Broken soldier

Makenzy continued

I walk the four blocks to the bar I work at, say hi to Jon, our head of security and I Make my way to the bar, to clock in. Not too busy today, Brenda the day time bartender tells me, but keep an eye on that guy at the end of the bar, I’m thinking it may be time to cut him off. I laugh as I look at the guy she is speaking of. It’s not rare to have to cut people off and call them a cab. He is an Older man, a look of sorrow on his face, a look I recognize, until he looks up and makes eye contact with me. Instantly his sorrow turns to anger, and then to rage. You!! He screams and points at me, his face snarled as he starts to stand. Jon! I hear Brenda scream as I try to understand why I am the target of his rage. You b***h!! He screams, you killed my son!!! Jimmy was a good man and you just let him die over there!! Your supposed to have each other’s backs, no one left behind! He is still screaming at me as Jon drags his ass out the door, telling him not to return. I get dragged back to my last mission, and the horrors of war when he utters that name. Jimmy, my friend, my partner, my brother.

The relationships that are formed in the military are unlike anything else. They are your family, and they are the ones standing beside you to help make sure you make it home. We only have each other and it’s up to us to keep each other safe and alive. I couldn’t do that for him, hell I couldn’t even do that for myself. Jimmy didn’t make it out of there that day. But I did and that is something I will never forgive myself for. Everyday that goes by I wish it was him that was rescued from that place, but he was already dead. I was the only one left.