“You meant that about being his buddy, his friend?”
“Hell, yes! Good kids like him are our future. Thanks to the Squids and our own screw-ups, they have a tough future facing them. So, if I can make it a little better for or a kid like Rich, of course I will. Just remember, I don’t just throw my friendship around. You are also my friend Rica Rice, who took care of my wife and sons like I couldn’t.”
Rice smiled, then squeezed his hand. “I am really honored. Especially that my son has a friend like you.”
Richie came back then with the drink. He smiled at his mom and she smiled back. Then he hugged her. “Merry Christmas, Mom. Can we go home and open presents now?”
“Yes, we can. First, you can walk with me up to Major Bender’s wife’s room for a last quick check. And you get to see some twins. Someday they’ll grow up, and you can play with them.”
“Okay. Major Bender, is your wife a spy?”
Rica started to say something but Torbin jumped in. “Yes, she is. So don’t you try and get one over on me. She is really good at catching people trying to tell stories that aren’t the truth, watching people when they least expect it. Maybe she’ll put a spy camera in your classroom, at school, make sure you’re behaving yourself.”
Rica couldn’t help herself. She began to laugh. “Hey, look. Your mom’s laughing. How fun is that.”
The now smiling trio made their way back toward Aleks’ room. “Your mother here really helped my wife and our sons, young man. So, if I say she is cool, she is cool. Alright?”
“I know she’s cool.” Rich said very unexpectedly. “She’s a doctor. She helps fix people, soldiers up. Like you.”
Rica suddenly hugged her son as they walked. “I think you bring the best out of my son, Torbin.”
“Nah. Just good genetic stock. You and your husband. And a loving mother.”
Just there, there was an explosion of sound, yelling from Aleks’ room, the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Then a metal bed pan came flying from the room. Torbin took off like a shot. Rich ran after him. “Richie, stop!” He did not hear his mother.
Torbin turned into the room’s entrance and ran into a young lady in heels, woman’s suit, with a microphone that she jabbed at his face. “Major Bender. Sally Reid from K….” Her statement was broken off as Torbin broke her wrist and dislocated her elbow with a quick defensive arm twist. She began to howl in pain.
Her cameraman was a big beefy man, over six foot tall. He made the mistake of swinging the camera at Torbin. He blocked the arm, trapped it, and then dislocated the elbow by raising the arm up against the normal joint motion. As the cameraman tried to swing at Torbin with his free arm, the “Squid Killer” proceeded to smash him in his face with his right fist. He punched again and again, a red haze over his eyes, turning the man’s face into a bloody mess.
“Husband. Torbin. It’s over. Let him go!” Aleks’ voice finally cut through his rage. He let the now unconscious man drop to the floor.
Suddenly another new female voice was heard.
“Sally. What happened? I told you to stay with me...” Torbin rounded on a young butterbar with glasses. “You! You brought them here?”
“Ah, I just had them here for some interviews of personnel working on Christmas…” She started to back up as Tobin still had murder in his eye.
“Hey, buddy…” A man with Sergeant stripes on his arm reached out to grab Torbin’s arm, apparently an assistant to the Second Lieutenant.
“Let him alone!” A small boy flew into the Sergeant, planting a perfect blow straight to the family jewels. Rich Rice had come to the defense of his new friend with a vengeance. The Sergeant grabbed his testicles and collapsed into a heap on the floor.
“Richard, no!” It was his mother, Rica. The Major grabbed her son, pulled him back. “Stand here.” Responding with her physician training, she quickly entered Aleks’ room.
“My sons and I are okay, Rica. I cannot say the same about the young lady and man.”
Rica took one look at the two downed people, and began calling for help. “I need a backboard and a gurney in here. Now! I have a concussion with possible neck injuries. A broken wrist, maybe arm.” She glared at the young female Lieutenant. “What in the hell are you all doing at Major Smirnov’s room?”
“I, I, didn’t know they were here. They snuck off when my Sergeant and I turned our backs. I told them not to wander away from us.” The young Lieutenant with the name tag of Carson was panicked, in over her head. Rica now addressed the young civilian reporter on the floor.
“What were you thinking? This area is off limits to people just wandering around.”
Between painful sobs, as orderlies and nurses showed up with a gurney and backboard, local television news reporter Sally Reid blurted out a story. “We came here for an exclusive photo. These are the first kids born from a mother infected with…”
“Infected?” Rica Rice screamed. “How dare you make such a judgment. They are my patients. How dare you interfere.”
Lieutenant Carson tried to come to her guest’s defense. “Ma’am, they didn’t realize…”
“Shut up, butterbar. I ought to…” Torbin started to advance on her, his anger boiling again.
“What in all that is holy is going on?” It was a familiar voice. General Reed was suddenly on scene.
“Major. Stand down.” His Command Voice cut through the din, and everyone listened.
Torbin snapped to attention. “Sir. Protecting my wife and sons, Sir.”
General Reed stepped up, saw the crying female reporter on the floor, the bloody cameraman, the Sergeant with the smacked testicles trying to get up off the floor. He spun toward Lt. Carson.
“You. Get your Sergeant here, call your Commander, and be in my office in an hour.”
“General, I….
“Did I ask for an explanation? Did I? Move. Now.” The Lieutenant saluted, bent over and helped her NCO up off the floor.
Sally Reid, seeing the General as she was helped into a wheelchair, decided at that moment to try and spout off. “I’ll sue. Freedom of the Press, the public’s right to know. This beast had no right to break my arm, beat my cameraman…”
“Shut up!” Torbin had rarely seen the General this angry. Everyone froze.
“Do you realize there is a war on? Do you realize you are on a military installation, in a controlled area you have no right to be in? Do you?”
The reporter started to protest and the General was suddenly an inch from her face. “I should have you dragged out by the MP’s, and dumped in the snow out the main gate. You are screwing with a man’s family here.”
“General, please.” Rica broke in. “They’re injured and in our hospital. I can’t allow them to just be dumped in the cold.”
General Reed turned at looked at Major Rice, saw her son standing a few feet back. He suddenly stepped into Aleks’ room. “Major Smirnov. Are you and my godsons okay?”
“Yes General. See, like good Marines, they sit here quietly, ignoring the violence around them, waiting for your orders. Sir.”
General Reed chuckled. “You, Aleks, have the unique ability to defuse a situation.”
He turned to Rica Rice. “You’re right, Major. I’m letting my feelings get in the way of being a Commander. I defer to your medical judgment.”
He looked at her son. “Richard, is it?”
“Yes Sir.”
“So, what is your part in this?”
The boy paused, then blurted out. “I hit the man in his balls. He was trying to hurt Major Bender, my friend.” The six year old boy stood, a bit defiant, defensive of his mother and friend.
General Reed looked at Torbin, still at Attention.
“Major Bender, at ease. You seem to have a big fan here. One who at a young age will smack a man in the groin for you.” He then turned back to the doctor, who was trying to keep an eye on the efforts to get the injured to the ER.
“Major, you have quite the young soldier there. I
can tell he’s protective of his mother, also.”
With that, General Reed stepped up to the young boy, stuck out his hand. “General John Reed, Richard. Please to make your acquaintance.”
Richie took his hand, shook it like his mother had taught him. “Major Bender calls me Rich, my Mom Richie. Not Richard.”
General Reed laughed. “Well, can I call you Rich, like Torbin here? Good. Now, if you will all excuse me, I have two newborns to fuss over.” He looked at Torbin’s right hand. “You need to take care of that hand. Don’t want blood all over your sons.”
“Yes Sir.”
Rica handed him a bandage and some gauze. “Here. I’ll check it later.”
“I’ll help,” her son interjected. Rica looked at her young son, suddenly more alive than he had been in weeks.
“No more fighting, alright?”
“Yes, Mom.”
She looked at Torbin. “And you, no more fighting, alright?”
“Yes, Mom.”
Rica tried to keep a straight face, and failed. She actually giggled a bit. “Please, you are impossible. I don’t know how your wife puts up with you.”
“Neither does she.” Torbin looked at Rich. “Want to help me clean up my hand?”
“Yes, Major.”
They went down the hospital hallway and found a spare men’s room. Torbin went to the sink and began to wash the blood off his hand.
“Does blood bother you, Rich?”
“No, Major. My mom sometimes has blood on her. She explained that this happens sometime when you’re a doctor. I’m used to seeing it.”
Torbin noticed that most of the blood was the cameraman’s, but it looked like part of a tooth was in one of his knuckles. He picked it out and then used some bacterial soap to wash it well.
“Rich, need to tell you something. I lost my temper there, and did more damage than I needed to. I should have just thrown them out. I didn’t, so I was wrong.”
“But you thought they were hurting your wife, your babies.”
“Yeah, when I saw that flying bedpan, I thought something was very wrong. But I soon saw it wasn’t. I really hurt those people.” He looked at the young boy.
“What I am trying to say is, when you have the ability to hurt people, you have to control it. You fight to defend yourself, others. You fight just enough to do those things. Then you stop. Hurting people from anger is wrong. Understand?”
Rich looked at him for a moment. Then he spoke. “My dad fought to save my mom. He died. But he saved mom. So I’m here.”
“And he was right. He would be proud of you, Rich. But he would not want a son who fights at school all the time. Understand?”
“Yes, Major.”
“Come on. Let’s get you back to your mom, buddy.”
“I am your buddy, really?”
He looked at the young boy, having to grow up too fast in a world where some aliens were trying to eat him, given the chance.
“Hey, you just jumped in and smacked a guy in his ding-a-ling to help me. Of course you’re my buddy.”
Rich smiled, then gave Torbin a quick hug. “Let’s go find mom.”
General Reed was in with Aleks, alternating holding his two Godsons. It felt good to hold, feel this new life.
“They definitely are healthy,” he opined through the surgical mask he had donned. He felt the less exposure these newborns had to strange germs, the better. “Take after their parents. Came out tough.”
Aleks smiled. ‘You do not now the half of it. These two enjoyed using their mothers’ innards as punching bags. I am surprised I have no internal injuries.”
The General handed Tristen back to Aleks, who quickly put him to nursing again.
Contrary to what American traditions had been, Aleks and her upbringing in Russia saw no problem with men seeing her substantial chest as she fed her sons. If some guy got a thrill from seeing her with a baby attached, so be it.
“So, you’ll have them christened, baptized soon?”
“Yes. I am Russian Orthodox. I would like to have them baptized like I was.”
“No worries, Aleks. The Chaplains on base can perform just about every religious ceremony there is, denomination be damned.” He grunted. “The Base Commander was telling me the other day that they are studying traditional Nordic ceremonies, to keep the Sons and Daughters of the North happy.” He shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day that Thor would be almost as important as Jesus in the Norse communities. Instead of dying out, I guess beliefs in Thor’s hammer, the old ways, were just waiting in the wings, ready to fill the void left by non-belief in current religions. The Squids showed the weakness or lack of caring by a traditional God toward us wayward children. So, people look for a warrior god.”
Aleks snorted. “There is but one creator. You can call him any name you want. He can be all of them. After all, he is all powerful God.”
“Well, I won’t knock believing in Thor and Valhalla. Seems to make for some very nasty warriors, which I can always use.”
General Reed looked at his watch. “Time to go. I have to meet those idiots who brought those local reporters into the hospital, plus call the Base Commander. And I left Captain Young and Mister Stalin outside, as I did not want too many people visiting you at once. Stalin was getting to know Sergeant Fuzz, who is itching to see you also. His nose says you are here, with your sons.”
He shook his head. “That war dog has definitely claimed you as someone to protect. As well as your sons.”
“Of course. He saved me, them, from those Eaters. We are all members of the same pack. Or so Abigail explained to me.”
“Well, Aleks, she seems to be spot on.” The General then leaned over and kissed Aleks’ forehead.
“You keep yourself safe and warm. Take your time coming back to work. These two trolls as you’ve called them are what’s important. They’re the future for the U.S.”
Aleks flashed a bright smile. “I will, General, soon to be godfather when we christen them.”
“But I will be getting back into fighting shape. I have been a fat cow long enough.” With that, they both laughed and the General left.
Torbin came back with Doctor Rice and her son, Rich. “One last check, Major, and I’m gone. My son here has presents to open. That is, if Santa has shown up.”
“Mom, Santa is a nice story,” a mature sounding Rich stated. “But I know it is all about giving. I have some things for you.”
“Wait just a darn minute.” Torbin suddenly acted all agitated. “You mean there isn’t a Santa Claus? I’ve been acting nice instead of naughty all these years for no good reason? Aleks, at least you could have told me there was no Santa.”
Aleks gave him an exasperated look. “You, my love, are a clown. A lovable one, but a clown nonetheless. Now, introduce me to the Major’s son. I have not formally met him yet.”
Torbin made a grand sweeping gesture toward Rich. “This young man is Richard Rice, known as Rich to his friends, like me. His tribal name is Crotch Crusher. Watch out for his mean left hook. It’s a nasty one.”
Rich blushed a bit, and his mother looked at Torbin as if she thought he was a few cans short of a six pack.
“Young man, come over and meet my sons, please. And I apologize for my husband. He is the American poster child for Crazy Clown Syndrome.”
Torbin feigned being hurt as Rich went up to Aleks’ bed. She held Gage up to Rich. “Say hello to Gage, the eldest one by a few seconds.”
“Hello, Gage,” Rich quietly said as he reached his right hand out to touch the baby. Gage managed to grasp his index finger as he was being touched.
“See, my son says hello. You will be friends someday, when he is older. Tristen, say hello also.”
Rich gently touched the hands of the other twin, who also grasped a finger for a few moments.
“Your mother here made sure there were healthy and born without any difficulties. For that, I will always be in her debt.”
“My mom is
a good doctor. Everyone knows that.”
Rica thought again how lucky she was to have a son like this. “Now, Richie, we have to go. The Major is in good hands. I’ll be back tomorrow to discharge you, Major, if everything is okay. I know that Major Bender here will insure you are not bothered.”
“Yes,” Aleks answered. “He is good at that. I guess I’ll have to keep him, especially as he helped provide me with two beautiful sons.”
“Handsome. Boys are handsome. Girls are beautiful. I’ll learn you yet, wife.”
Rica laughed and Rich smiled. Torbin went over to him. “Give me five, buddy.”
Rich figured out what he wanted, having seen some older movies. “Now, up high. Now down low… Oops, too slow!” Rich laughed, then gave Torbin a quick hug.
He went to his mother’s side, who was beaming. She put her arm around him. “Goodbye for now. See you later.” They turned and walked down the hall.
“We’ll stop by the ER on the way out, make sure the ER doctor has those two injured civilians taken care of,” Rica told her son while walking.
“Yeah, Mom. Major Bender told me he was sorry he lost his temper. That I shouldn’t do that.”
Rica Rice thought once again that that Torbin must have had children in his prior life. He seemed to know what to say, and what to do.
“The Major is a very smart man. It’s good he is your friend.”
“Yeah Mom, I know.” Rich grabbed and hugged his mother. “I love you, Mom. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas right back. Quick check, then its present opening time.”
Torbin went to his wife’s bedside, and kissed her. “Doin’ okay?”
“Yes. Of course. I have a loving husband and two healthy sons. Once I’m at home, I can start working on getting back to my fighting weight. I do not want to be a fat cow.”
A new voice entered the conversation. “You are not a fat cow, Major. You would not be here if you were.” Stalin entered with Abigail behind him, Sergeant Fuzz at her side. Stalin had a wrapped present in his hands which he presented to Aleks.
“Merry Christmas, though your husband might want to keep this under wraps after you open it. Hospitals sometimes have different opinions about what is appropriate.”
The Tsunami Page 57
