Holding Their Own VII: Phoenix Star

by Nobody, Joe

  The arrival of the Alliance convoy and resulting celebration, speeches and introductions had occurred without incident. Thousands of civilians had lined the approach to the base, waving and cheering as the convoy had rolled past.

  Her military consultant had helped Diana plan the event after the Alliance leader had made it clear that the new agreement was for the people of El Paso as much as for the soldiers at Fort Bliss.

  One truck had been designated to stop outside the base, a group of militiamen controlling the crowd and handing out food and flyers announcing the agreement.

  A similar festival had occurred as the trucks entered the actual base. Thousands of military men and their families had lined the streets, clapping and cheering as the trucks rolled past. A review stand had been erected on the parade grounds, the attending dignitaries all giving short speeches under the generator-powered lights.

  The excitement and tension of it all led to an exhausted Nick and Diana. General Westfield had invited them back to his office for a final toast before the Alliance leaders were to be escorted to the guest quarters. Everyone was tired, but pleased with the day’s outcome.

  Nick pulled back Diana’s chair as the general excused himself to retrieve some shot glasses and a bottle of his best.

  Realizing they were alone, Nick reached over and touched Diana’s arm. “Do you remember that question I had… back in Alpha before we left?”

  She frowned, then nodded, “Yeah. What’s up?”

  Nick inhaled deeply as if nervous, a rare display from the big man. He opened his mouth to speak just as the phone on the general’s desk sounded with an obnoxious buzz.

  The polite major at the reception desk answered the annoying device. “General Westfield’s office, Major Dunn speaking,” Nick heard, half-listening through the still open door.

  “Please repeat those names again, Sergeant.” Something in the major’s tone raised Nick’s level of curiosity.

  “Bishop and Terri?” the major repeated into the phone. “And he’s just standing outside the front gate holding a woman and a baby?”

  Before the front gate could answer the question, the major glanced up to the vision of a very intense Nick standing over him. Diana wasn’t far behind, arriving just as General Westfield returned.

  The major covered the phone, turning to his superior. “Sir, the front gate is reporting a man carrying a sick woman and a baby. He asked the sentry to call you personally. He claims to be Bishop, the woman is supposedly dying from a snake bite.”

  Before the general could say a word, Nick and Diana were moving for the front door.

  Bishop sat Terri down at his feet as gently as possible. His arms were burning tired, and he thought the hard pavement might actually be a little more comfortable than his sloppy grip. He dropped to his knees, resting her head on his thighs. It was the best he could do, and she didn’t complain.

  A few minutes later, there was a rush of activity behind the gate. He heard racing engines, car doors, and the hustled sound of several pairs of boots.

  “Here it comes,” he mumbled, fully expecting the MPs to rush him with drawn weapons. He reached down and touched Terri’s cheek. “I love you,” he said.

  He pulled Hunter around to his front, hugging his son and kissing his forehead. “Be strong, little man. I love you.”

  The sound of hurried footfalls made Bishop look up. Seeing silhouettes of men running in his direction, Bishop whispered a prayer that they wouldn’t shoot him outright while he was holding Hunter.

  He was relieved that the first arrivals wore patches indicating they were medics. They ignored him, moving immediately to Terri. Someone produced a stretcher out of the confusion, and before he could say a word, Terri was being lifted and carried back toward the gate.

  It was all a blur to Bishop’s exhausted eyes. Men were everywhere, a semi-circle of uniforms and motion swirling around him. He kept his eye on Hunter, trying to burn every detail of his son’s face into his memory. Bishop was scared, uncertain and dazed. He was without hope, sure his life was over – convinced the sacrifice was worth it.

  A female voice, strangely familiar, sounded beside him. “Why don’t you let me hold him while the medics check you out?”

  Bishop looked up into Diana’s smiling face. “What? What the hell are you doing here?” came his confused reply. I’ve lost my mind, raced through Bishop’s thoughts. I’m hallucinating.

  “Lord have mercy, look at the sorry state of our Army. They’ll let anyone in here these days,” sounded another familiar voice. Bishop’s head snapped around, Nick’s grinning face appearing over his shoulder.

  Before Bishop could respond, Westfield’s unmistakable booming voice rang out. “Why are you all standing around here playing grab ass! Someone check that man out and then get him to his wife’s side.”

  The general stepped over just as Bishop managed his feet. “How are you, Bishop? Do you need anything? Talk to me, son.”

  “You wouldn’t happen to have any baby formula around, would you, sir?”

  Fort Bliss Base Hospital, El Paso, Texas

  August 9

  “So I go out of town for a few days, and what happens? You and Diana conquer the entire territory, accept the surrender of a huge military force, and manage to feed thousands. Terri and I sneak away for a short vacation, and things go to hell back at the office. I thought you guys might slack off while we were gone, but this is ridiculous,” Bishop declared, flashing Nick a toothy grin.

  “Don’t forget I managed to prove that your sorry ass was innocent. I should get some credit for that,” came Nick’s counter.

  The banter was interrupted by Terri’s arrival, a nurse pushing her along in a wheelchair.

  “Good news,” she announced. “My blood test came back clean. I can start nursing Hunter again.”

  “He’ll be happy to hear that,” Bishop replied, “He doesn’t care for the bottle much – almost kicked my ass the last time I tried to feed him.”

  “Bishop! Your language!” his wife teased.

  The procession proceeded down the hospital corridor, heading for Terri’s room. The patient held up her hand and said, “Hold on a second. Can you back me up a little?”

  The nurse complied, stopping when Terri pointed at a framed picture hanging on the wall. “I know this is going to sound weird, but can I borrow that for a little bit?”

  The nurse considered the request for a second and shrugged. “I guess it would be okay.”

  Bishop glanced at Nick with a questioning look on his face. The big man flashed an expression of “Beats me.”

  A short time later, they arrived at Terri’s room. Diana, waiting with Hunter for everyone to return, looked happier than Nick had seen her in months.

  After she was helped back into bed, the relieved mother took her baby, immediately nursing the eager child. Kevin, embarrassed by the display, decided to head to the cafeteria.

  Terri looked up and then pointed at the picture Bishop was still holding. “Diana, I’ve been thinking about the Alliance and everything that has been happening. On the way back from physical therapy, I saw that image. I think a picture says a thousand words.”

  Handing over the framed image, Diana examined it for a few moments, and then a huge smile broke across her face. “Girl… I think you might be on to something here. What a concept.”

  Bishop and Nick moved to peer over Diana’s shoulder, finding a map dated from 1845. The title across the legend was “The Republic of Texas,” an outline of the independent nation that existed before the first American Civil War.

  Everyone looked up at Terri, all eyes making it clear they all understood her meaning. No one said anything for a few minutes, the implications of the nursing mother’s proposal prompting deep, serious thought.

  It was Bishop who broke the analysis-ice. “The Republic of Texas,” he stated clearly. “It does have a ring to it.”

  THE END

  Nobody, Joe, Holding Their Own VII: Phoenix Star