[ti]Ep 3.5[/ti]{Oneshot, Closed} Goodbye, Old Friend (Part One)
Dec 28, 2022 2:00:20 GMT -5
Post by Nathan Walker on Dec 28, 2022 2:00:20 GMT -5
Booneville, Arkansas...
Week One, Day One...
6:27pm...
Despite this being the second time this had happened, it never got easier saying goodbye to a mentor. But when Nathan had gotten that call yesterday, he knew that he had to be here. Despite the issues back at Omega, Fowler had graciously allowed Nathan to take a day off. Optimus had consented to use of the groundbridge so that Nathan could get to where he needed to go.
First all the shit at Omega, now this...
Everyone knew it was coming. Pancreatic cancer had a 75% death rate within the first year, and Robert Miller was no spring chicken. Add to the fact his history of drinking and smoking - combined with a love of fried and grilled food - and the prognosis hadn’t gotten any better. So, instead of fighting it, Robert had decided to accept his fate. He'd spent whatever time he had left getting his house in order so his wife and sons would not have to do it when he was gone.
Which...was apparently coming soon now.
Nathan turned down the gravel driveway to the old farmhouse that was his destination. Once he got down there, he pulled his truck into an obscured part of the driveway and put it in park. Since he had used the groundbridge, he was driving his personal truck. Although it had been a few years, someone might recognize it, and figured it was best to park in the shade of a big tree near the house. The place was apparently where Bob Miller had grown up in, having been in the family for generations. It belonged to Bob’s older brother who lived here with his wife and kids. Bob’s nieces and nephews were out of the house by now.
Once he shut off the ignition, Nathan reached over to the passenger seat and grabbed his backpack. Throwing one strap over his shoulder, he climbed out and locked up the truck. It was a short walk up to the front door, pressing the doorbell once he was there. After fifteen seconds, the door opened. An older blonde woman in her mid-forties appeared on the other side of the glass doorway. Her tired face lit up slightly as she saw Nathan, and she opened the door to allow Nathan entry.
“Hey Nathan,” Carol Miller said with a tired smile on her face as she opened her arms. Nathan stepped inside the threshold and embraced her warmly, a smile coming to his face.
“Hey Carol,” he replied. They held the hug for a few moments before separating. Nathan let out a sigh as they did, looking to the ground for a moment before he looked back at Carol. “I’m sorry,” he said, a somber expression on his face. Carol’s expression turned tender, but her smile never left her face.
“It’s alright. We all knew.”
Carol turned to lead Nathan up the stairs, and after removing his boots he followed her up the steps. Up towards a door that was at the top of the landing, Carol paused and knocked softly twice. There came a couple of coughs from inside the room followed by a weak voice.
“Come in.”
Carol opened the door slightly and stood back, allowing Nathan to fill the doorway and get a look inside. The walls were surprisingly bare except for a few shelves. Looking closely, Nathan could see holes from where posters and pictures might've hung. There was a table and chair in one corner of the room, on which was a stack of papers, bottles, and bags. Nathan assumed those were related to the care Bob was getting. Next to that was a TV cabinet with a flatscreen perched on top of it, though currently the television was off. At the other end of the room was a man in an adjustable bed with blue eyes, brown hair, and jaundiced skin. He appeared to be in his late sixties, though he was only in his late forties. There were a couple of machines around the man, with various lights and an IV bag hanging from one of them. His face lit up upon seeing Nathan.
“Hey kid...” Bob wheezed out before erupting into a series of coughs. He reached over and taking a drink of water from the glass that was perched on the table next to his bed.
“Hey old man,” Nathan replied with a smirk on his face before stepping into the room. As he walked over to the bedside he sat down in the chair on the right side of the bed. Carol smiled at the both of them slightly before grabbing the door.
“I’ll be downstairs,” she whispered before closing the door behind her.
There was silence for a few moments as Bob reached down for the remote control and pressed a button. The head of his bed to increased in elevation until he appeared to be sitting up at about a 75 degree angle. Once that was done, he adjusted the blankets so that they were around his midsection. Turning to Nathan, he began smiling again.
“I’m going to guess that since yer still sitting there, with that dumbass grin on your face, that I’m not dreaming?” Bob asked, a dumbass grin on his own face as well. Nathan couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped from his lips as he shook his head.
“Negative old man, I’m here and as real as I can be.” he replied as he reached forward and grabbed Bob’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. The man’s face lit up more when he realized that it wasn’t a hallucination or a dream; he squeezed Nathan’s hand weakly back. Inwardly it made Nathan cry slightly, though he made sure to fight back the tears. He had seen Sergeant Robert “Tomahawk” Miller drag men twice his size out of the line of fire, walk dozens of miles without complaint, and kill with his bare hands. To see one once so strong brought so low was...disheartening.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Nathan let go of his former mentor’s hand and reached down for his backpack. Opening it up, he pulled out three items.
“I figured your nurse wouldn’t mind, considering the circumstances,” Nathan said as he set a can of Budweiser on the table. Two red plastic cups joined it, and Bob let out a chuckle once he saw what it was.
“She can bitch all she wants, I tune her out half the time. I’m just glad ya finally brought some real beer, and not that Irish pisswater you drink.”
Nathan couldn’t help but chuckle as he cracked the beer can open. He poured half into one cup, then the other half into the second cup. While he looked up to Robert Miller on many things, his choice of beer was not one of them. In fact, it was very rare that anyone on the team had agreed on their choice of beer. It was one of those things that they agreed to disagree on. Well...mostly. There was the occasional ribbing when they were out at the bar after a successful deployment or training mission.
“Yeah yeah...but at least I didn’t buy that Taurus,” Nathan replied with a knowing smirk as he took one a cup and handed it over to Bob. The man took it with a sour expression crossing his features.
“You’re never going to let me live that one down, are you?” He asked. Nathan shook his head in reply before taking a sip from the beer. A couple of years ago Bob had been in the market for a cheap 9mm handgun in his truck, and had settled on a Taurus G2C against Nathan’s advice. Nathan had been more impressed by the CZ P10C that was beside it in the case, although it had cost an additional $100. But Bob had been taken in by the Taurus so he’d bought it, but when he took it to the range it had constantly malfunctioned. Bob had ended up selling it at about a $100 loss, and wound up buying the CZ.
“Nope,” Nathan replied with a smirk once he finished drinking. Bob continued to look sour for a bit before he shook his head as well with a grin.
“I suppose I was riding high on my success, given that I had been right about that Irish girl. You ever hear anything from her?” Bob asked with a knowing look in his eye before taking a sip from his cup. Nathan shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment. The girl he was talking about was Sergeant Fiona “Enigma” Riley of the British Special Air Service. They had met when their teams had conducted a joint operation in the mountains of Urzikstan in order to apprehend a Russian arms dealer who was moving nuclear material. He and Fiona had bickered like cats and dogs since they were both their respective team’s intelligence experts. Things had changed that night after the mission once they were back at base. He never heard the end of it from his team for the next six months. Bob, Jason, and Diego had made sure that he had never forgotten it.
“No Bob, I haven’t. That was a one time thing, and it never would have worked,” Nathan replied before taking a sip of his beer. He must have said it more harshly than he intended, because Bob made a placating gesture with his hand.
“Alright kid, easy. Just yanking your chain...” He sighed before taking a sip from his own glass. “You know we all wanted the best for you in that department.” Nathan’s expression softened visibly as he nodded in understanding. In the teams, there were very few secrets that you kept to yourself. When you fought and lived with these people on a daily basis, they knew a lot about you. Particularly your pains and trials. Some days, Nathan thought what Amanda had done to him was worse than the Molotov cocktail burns across his left leg. But perhaps that pain was finally going to be laid to rest....
“Yeah I know...” Nathan sighed before taking another sip. “But I am...well...I don’t know what to call it...” He trailed off for a moment before leaning back in his seat. “I am seeing someone...sort of. We met online and have been chatting back and forth over the last few days.” Hearing that, Bob turned into what Nathan could only describe as a caricature of a high school cheerleader eager to hear the latest gossip.
“And...details?!” Bob asked, seeming to straighten up slightly.
“Her name’s Sarah, she’s 28, redhead, blue eyes, and a public defender in Nevada. She likes dogs, Taylor Swift, spicy food, and sappy romcoms.” Nathan replied with a chuckle, thinking that this was good practice when he finally got around to telling his parents about this. Bob blinked before leaning back onto his bed again.
“Hot damn...” he muttered, shaking his head with a chuckle before looking back at Nathan, a serious look on his face. “And?”
“And...well it’s only been a few days, but I sense something about her. I think she’s been hurt kind of like I was, and she senses the same thing. So we’ve mutually agreed to take things slow for the time being.” Nathan trailed off for a moment as he looked to the carpet, then back up into Bob’s dark blue eyes. Bob was silent and serious, matching Nathan’s gaze despite the pain that he was most undoubtedly in. Finally Bob’s face broke into a warm smile as he reached forward and grabbed Nathan’s hand, squeezing it with a strength that he hadn’t had before.
“Good. Good,” he replied before leaning back and taking another sip. After a moment, he looked at Nathan again. “So what do they have you doing anyway? You’re still in the Army right?” Nathan nodded in confirmation.
“They have me doing logistical studies in Nevada.” Nathan replied, taking a quick sip to hide his face after he said the lie. As much as he respected and trusted Robert Miller, the man wasn’t cleared to know about NEST and the Autobots. It wasn’t a super convincing lie, but it was something that Bob knew to just merely nod and accept. Logistical Studies was often what guys like them told others outside their circle of trust when asked about what they did for a living. The only people outside the military that knew were their immediate families. Everyone else was a potential liability.
It was time to address the elephant in the room.
“How are things, Bob?”
Nathan was quiet as he said it, looking the man in the eye. It was a bit of a dumb question if one looked at it on the surface. But, it was a question that Bob himself had asked Nathan when Nathan had been quiet for an extended period of time. It had been in order to check in on his teammate. Bob let out a soft sigh before taking another drink from his beer.
“Well you know...I’m nearing the end,” Bob replied as he leaned back and looked to the ceiling. “Carol and I finished laying out a plan for when I’m...gone.” Bob’s breath hitched slightly as he said it. Nathan knew that despite accepting what was going to happen Bob was not happy about it. “My brother Tom and his wife agreed to help her and the boys get settled into a house nearby, though John is going to be headed off to West Point in a few months so it should be easier only having to deal with two boys.”
Nathan smiled. Bob’s oldest son, John, had been accepted to the United States Military Academy a few months after Nathan had left the team for NEST. It was something that Nathan remembered Bob had beamed with pride over.
“How about Will and Pat?” Nathan asked, referring to Bob’s two other sons.
“It’s hard on them...it will be hard on them...” Bob replied. “But Tom agreed to check in on them occasionally. I’d appreciate it if you could check in on Carol and the boys occasionally as well. You know they look up to you.”
“Yeah, sure Bob.” Nathan replied. It was the least he could do for him.
Bob seemed to relax slightly hearing that, leaning back into the bed and staring up into the ceiling.
“Thanks kid.”
There was silence for a few moments in the room as Nathan polished off the last of his beer. It was at this point he broke the silence that had fallen.
“Anything else I can do for you, Bob?”
“Just one thing...hand me that box over there. The wood one.” Bob replied, pointing to the table that had the papers and bottles all over it. Nathan set down his glass and stood up, walking over and picking up a box. It was about twenty four inches long, eight inches wide, and five inches deep. It had been made from dark red oak, hinged with brass. He carried it back over and handed it to Bob, who waited until Nathan was sitting down to open it. Inside was a Gerber Downrange tomahawk and a Gerber LHR knife in their sheaths, set in green velvet. These were the weapons that had earned Bob his nickname “Tomahawk”, and were just like what Nathan carried with him into battle.
“I know you have your own set...” Bob began, tears coming to his eyes before he closed the case and passed it back to Nathan. “But...John has expressed some interest in what we did for a living after he finishes at West Point. When he makes it...would you make sure that he gets these?” he asked. Nathan accepted the box without hesitation.
“Of course Bob,” he said, and after checking that it was secured he set the box next to his backpack. Bob seemed even more relaxed now, a smile forming on his face.
“Thanks kid...”
The two sat in silence before Bob reached over and grabbed his cup, finishing off the last of his beer before handing the cup over to Nathan. Nathan took it and dropped it into his empty cup, then slid the empty beer can into both of them. He tossed them into a trash can that was set underneath the table that was next to Bob’s bed.
“Thanks for...stopping by...” Bob trailed off slightly, a pained expression coming to his face as the pain caught up with him. Nathan zipped up his backpack and threw it over his shoulder, then reached down and picked up the box. He tucked it under his arm, then stood up and offered Bob his hand.
“Anytime, Bob,” Nathan replied, tears coming to his eyes as Bob reached up and took his hand, tears in his as well. Nathan leaned down and caught the other man in an awkward embrace, but Bob wrapped his arms around Nathan. The two just held each other for a moment before letting go. They stared at each for a long moment before at the same time they reached up and wiped the tears from their eyes with the backs of their sleeves. Nathan turned and went to the door.
“See you on the far side, Diamondback,” Bob said before he leaned back into the bed and closed his eyes. His breathing became shallow with sleep. Nathan turned as he grasped the door handle, smiling softly as he opened the door and stepped out.
“Godspeed Tomahawk," he replied before he closed the door behind him. He headed as quietly as he could down the stairs. As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he was met by Carol who eyed the box momentarily before nodding.
“Thank you Nathan. These last few weeks have been incredibly hard on him. He refuses the pain medication the doctors gave him except when he wants to sleep...” She trailed off, looking just as tired as Bob had earlier before she smiled and looked up at him. “But when I told him you’d be visiting, he lit up like a kid at Christmas.”
“I’m glad I could do something to help, as little as it was.” Nathan replied as the two of them embraced again. “If you need anything, just let me know.” Nathan whispered as they parted. Carol nodded in thanks, then went to the door and opened it for him.
“See ya around, Nathan.” She replied as Nathan stepped out into the darkening night. He turned to give her a short smile and wave before he walked back over to his truck. He climbed in and set the box and bag into the passenger seat next to him. He sat there silently in the truck for a moment before turning it on and backing out into the driveway. Then he headed back down the gravel pathway to the county road which he turned on and headed back the way he came. However, instead of heading into town or towards the interstate, he turned down another road that led further into the country. He continued down that road until he arrived at an abandoned gas station, pulling in behind the main building. For a few moments, he sat there.
“FUCK!!”
He slapped the steering wheel angrily, tears welling in his eyes. He then rested his forehead against the steering wheel, sobbing angrily for a few minutes. When he looked up again, he wiped his tears with the back of his arm, reaching into his pocket. Extracting his cellphone, he dialed a memorized number.
::Walker to Omega, good for transport.::
Behind him, a green vortex swirled to life with an explosion of energy. Nathan put the truck in reverse and K turned, then drove through the vortex as it vanished.
Week One, Day One...
6:27pm...
Despite this being the second time this had happened, it never got easier saying goodbye to a mentor. But when Nathan had gotten that call yesterday, he knew that he had to be here. Despite the issues back at Omega, Fowler had graciously allowed Nathan to take a day off. Optimus had consented to use of the groundbridge so that Nathan could get to where he needed to go.
First all the shit at Omega, now this...
Everyone knew it was coming. Pancreatic cancer had a 75% death rate within the first year, and Robert Miller was no spring chicken. Add to the fact his history of drinking and smoking - combined with a love of fried and grilled food - and the prognosis hadn’t gotten any better. So, instead of fighting it, Robert had decided to accept his fate. He'd spent whatever time he had left getting his house in order so his wife and sons would not have to do it when he was gone.
Which...was apparently coming soon now.
Nathan turned down the gravel driveway to the old farmhouse that was his destination. Once he got down there, he pulled his truck into an obscured part of the driveway and put it in park. Since he had used the groundbridge, he was driving his personal truck. Although it had been a few years, someone might recognize it, and figured it was best to park in the shade of a big tree near the house. The place was apparently where Bob Miller had grown up in, having been in the family for generations. It belonged to Bob’s older brother who lived here with his wife and kids. Bob’s nieces and nephews were out of the house by now.
Once he shut off the ignition, Nathan reached over to the passenger seat and grabbed his backpack. Throwing one strap over his shoulder, he climbed out and locked up the truck. It was a short walk up to the front door, pressing the doorbell once he was there. After fifteen seconds, the door opened. An older blonde woman in her mid-forties appeared on the other side of the glass doorway. Her tired face lit up slightly as she saw Nathan, and she opened the door to allow Nathan entry.
“Hey Nathan,” Carol Miller said with a tired smile on her face as she opened her arms. Nathan stepped inside the threshold and embraced her warmly, a smile coming to his face.
“Hey Carol,” he replied. They held the hug for a few moments before separating. Nathan let out a sigh as they did, looking to the ground for a moment before he looked back at Carol. “I’m sorry,” he said, a somber expression on his face. Carol’s expression turned tender, but her smile never left her face.
“It’s alright. We all knew.”
Carol turned to lead Nathan up the stairs, and after removing his boots he followed her up the steps. Up towards a door that was at the top of the landing, Carol paused and knocked softly twice. There came a couple of coughs from inside the room followed by a weak voice.
“Come in.”
Carol opened the door slightly and stood back, allowing Nathan to fill the doorway and get a look inside. The walls were surprisingly bare except for a few shelves. Looking closely, Nathan could see holes from where posters and pictures might've hung. There was a table and chair in one corner of the room, on which was a stack of papers, bottles, and bags. Nathan assumed those were related to the care Bob was getting. Next to that was a TV cabinet with a flatscreen perched on top of it, though currently the television was off. At the other end of the room was a man in an adjustable bed with blue eyes, brown hair, and jaundiced skin. He appeared to be in his late sixties, though he was only in his late forties. There were a couple of machines around the man, with various lights and an IV bag hanging from one of them. His face lit up upon seeing Nathan.
“Hey kid...” Bob wheezed out before erupting into a series of coughs. He reached over and taking a drink of water from the glass that was perched on the table next to his bed.
“Hey old man,” Nathan replied with a smirk on his face before stepping into the room. As he walked over to the bedside he sat down in the chair on the right side of the bed. Carol smiled at the both of them slightly before grabbing the door.
“I’ll be downstairs,” she whispered before closing the door behind her.
There was silence for a few moments as Bob reached down for the remote control and pressed a button. The head of his bed to increased in elevation until he appeared to be sitting up at about a 75 degree angle. Once that was done, he adjusted the blankets so that they were around his midsection. Turning to Nathan, he began smiling again.
“I’m going to guess that since yer still sitting there, with that dumbass grin on your face, that I’m not dreaming?” Bob asked, a dumbass grin on his own face as well. Nathan couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped from his lips as he shook his head.
“Negative old man, I’m here and as real as I can be.” he replied as he reached forward and grabbed Bob’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. The man’s face lit up more when he realized that it wasn’t a hallucination or a dream; he squeezed Nathan’s hand weakly back. Inwardly it made Nathan cry slightly, though he made sure to fight back the tears. He had seen Sergeant Robert “Tomahawk” Miller drag men twice his size out of the line of fire, walk dozens of miles without complaint, and kill with his bare hands. To see one once so strong brought so low was...disheartening.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Nathan let go of his former mentor’s hand and reached down for his backpack. Opening it up, he pulled out three items.
“I figured your nurse wouldn’t mind, considering the circumstances,” Nathan said as he set a can of Budweiser on the table. Two red plastic cups joined it, and Bob let out a chuckle once he saw what it was.
“She can bitch all she wants, I tune her out half the time. I’m just glad ya finally brought some real beer, and not that Irish pisswater you drink.”
Nathan couldn’t help but chuckle as he cracked the beer can open. He poured half into one cup, then the other half into the second cup. While he looked up to Robert Miller on many things, his choice of beer was not one of them. In fact, it was very rare that anyone on the team had agreed on their choice of beer. It was one of those things that they agreed to disagree on. Well...mostly. There was the occasional ribbing when they were out at the bar after a successful deployment or training mission.
“Yeah yeah...but at least I didn’t buy that Taurus,” Nathan replied with a knowing smirk as he took one a cup and handed it over to Bob. The man took it with a sour expression crossing his features.
“You’re never going to let me live that one down, are you?” He asked. Nathan shook his head in reply before taking a sip from the beer. A couple of years ago Bob had been in the market for a cheap 9mm handgun in his truck, and had settled on a Taurus G2C against Nathan’s advice. Nathan had been more impressed by the CZ P10C that was beside it in the case, although it had cost an additional $100. But Bob had been taken in by the Taurus so he’d bought it, but when he took it to the range it had constantly malfunctioned. Bob had ended up selling it at about a $100 loss, and wound up buying the CZ.
“Nope,” Nathan replied with a smirk once he finished drinking. Bob continued to look sour for a bit before he shook his head as well with a grin.
“I suppose I was riding high on my success, given that I had been right about that Irish girl. You ever hear anything from her?” Bob asked with a knowing look in his eye before taking a sip from his cup. Nathan shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment. The girl he was talking about was Sergeant Fiona “Enigma” Riley of the British Special Air Service. They had met when their teams had conducted a joint operation in the mountains of Urzikstan in order to apprehend a Russian arms dealer who was moving nuclear material. He and Fiona had bickered like cats and dogs since they were both their respective team’s intelligence experts. Things had changed that night after the mission once they were back at base. He never heard the end of it from his team for the next six months. Bob, Jason, and Diego had made sure that he had never forgotten it.
“No Bob, I haven’t. That was a one time thing, and it never would have worked,” Nathan replied before taking a sip of his beer. He must have said it more harshly than he intended, because Bob made a placating gesture with his hand.
“Alright kid, easy. Just yanking your chain...” He sighed before taking a sip from his own glass. “You know we all wanted the best for you in that department.” Nathan’s expression softened visibly as he nodded in understanding. In the teams, there were very few secrets that you kept to yourself. When you fought and lived with these people on a daily basis, they knew a lot about you. Particularly your pains and trials. Some days, Nathan thought what Amanda had done to him was worse than the Molotov cocktail burns across his left leg. But perhaps that pain was finally going to be laid to rest....
“Yeah I know...” Nathan sighed before taking another sip. “But I am...well...I don’t know what to call it...” He trailed off for a moment before leaning back in his seat. “I am seeing someone...sort of. We met online and have been chatting back and forth over the last few days.” Hearing that, Bob turned into what Nathan could only describe as a caricature of a high school cheerleader eager to hear the latest gossip.
“And...details?!” Bob asked, seeming to straighten up slightly.
“Her name’s Sarah, she’s 28, redhead, blue eyes, and a public defender in Nevada. She likes dogs, Taylor Swift, spicy food, and sappy romcoms.” Nathan replied with a chuckle, thinking that this was good practice when he finally got around to telling his parents about this. Bob blinked before leaning back onto his bed again.
“Hot damn...” he muttered, shaking his head with a chuckle before looking back at Nathan, a serious look on his face. “And?”
“And...well it’s only been a few days, but I sense something about her. I think she’s been hurt kind of like I was, and she senses the same thing. So we’ve mutually agreed to take things slow for the time being.” Nathan trailed off for a moment as he looked to the carpet, then back up into Bob’s dark blue eyes. Bob was silent and serious, matching Nathan’s gaze despite the pain that he was most undoubtedly in. Finally Bob’s face broke into a warm smile as he reached forward and grabbed Nathan’s hand, squeezing it with a strength that he hadn’t had before.
“Good. Good,” he replied before leaning back and taking another sip. After a moment, he looked at Nathan again. “So what do they have you doing anyway? You’re still in the Army right?” Nathan nodded in confirmation.
“They have me doing logistical studies in Nevada.” Nathan replied, taking a quick sip to hide his face after he said the lie. As much as he respected and trusted Robert Miller, the man wasn’t cleared to know about NEST and the Autobots. It wasn’t a super convincing lie, but it was something that Bob knew to just merely nod and accept. Logistical Studies was often what guys like them told others outside their circle of trust when asked about what they did for a living. The only people outside the military that knew were their immediate families. Everyone else was a potential liability.
It was time to address the elephant in the room.
“How are things, Bob?”
Nathan was quiet as he said it, looking the man in the eye. It was a bit of a dumb question if one looked at it on the surface. But, it was a question that Bob himself had asked Nathan when Nathan had been quiet for an extended period of time. It had been in order to check in on his teammate. Bob let out a soft sigh before taking another drink from his beer.
“Well you know...I’m nearing the end,” Bob replied as he leaned back and looked to the ceiling. “Carol and I finished laying out a plan for when I’m...gone.” Bob’s breath hitched slightly as he said it. Nathan knew that despite accepting what was going to happen Bob was not happy about it. “My brother Tom and his wife agreed to help her and the boys get settled into a house nearby, though John is going to be headed off to West Point in a few months so it should be easier only having to deal with two boys.”
Nathan smiled. Bob’s oldest son, John, had been accepted to the United States Military Academy a few months after Nathan had left the team for NEST. It was something that Nathan remembered Bob had beamed with pride over.
“How about Will and Pat?” Nathan asked, referring to Bob’s two other sons.
“It’s hard on them...it will be hard on them...” Bob replied. “But Tom agreed to check in on them occasionally. I’d appreciate it if you could check in on Carol and the boys occasionally as well. You know they look up to you.”
“Yeah, sure Bob.” Nathan replied. It was the least he could do for him.
Bob seemed to relax slightly hearing that, leaning back into the bed and staring up into the ceiling.
“Thanks kid.”
There was silence for a few moments in the room as Nathan polished off the last of his beer. It was at this point he broke the silence that had fallen.
“Anything else I can do for you, Bob?”
“Just one thing...hand me that box over there. The wood one.” Bob replied, pointing to the table that had the papers and bottles all over it. Nathan set down his glass and stood up, walking over and picking up a box. It was about twenty four inches long, eight inches wide, and five inches deep. It had been made from dark red oak, hinged with brass. He carried it back over and handed it to Bob, who waited until Nathan was sitting down to open it. Inside was a Gerber Downrange tomahawk and a Gerber LHR knife in their sheaths, set in green velvet. These were the weapons that had earned Bob his nickname “Tomahawk”, and were just like what Nathan carried with him into battle.
“I know you have your own set...” Bob began, tears coming to his eyes before he closed the case and passed it back to Nathan. “But...John has expressed some interest in what we did for a living after he finishes at West Point. When he makes it...would you make sure that he gets these?” he asked. Nathan accepted the box without hesitation.
“Of course Bob,” he said, and after checking that it was secured he set the box next to his backpack. Bob seemed even more relaxed now, a smile forming on his face.
“Thanks kid...”
The two sat in silence before Bob reached over and grabbed his cup, finishing off the last of his beer before handing the cup over to Nathan. Nathan took it and dropped it into his empty cup, then slid the empty beer can into both of them. He tossed them into a trash can that was set underneath the table that was next to Bob’s bed.
“Thanks for...stopping by...” Bob trailed off slightly, a pained expression coming to his face as the pain caught up with him. Nathan zipped up his backpack and threw it over his shoulder, then reached down and picked up the box. He tucked it under his arm, then stood up and offered Bob his hand.
“Anytime, Bob,” Nathan replied, tears coming to his eyes as Bob reached up and took his hand, tears in his as well. Nathan leaned down and caught the other man in an awkward embrace, but Bob wrapped his arms around Nathan. The two just held each other for a moment before letting go. They stared at each for a long moment before at the same time they reached up and wiped the tears from their eyes with the backs of their sleeves. Nathan turned and went to the door.
“See you on the far side, Diamondback,” Bob said before he leaned back into the bed and closed his eyes. His breathing became shallow with sleep. Nathan turned as he grasped the door handle, smiling softly as he opened the door and stepped out.
“Godspeed Tomahawk," he replied before he closed the door behind him. He headed as quietly as he could down the stairs. As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he was met by Carol who eyed the box momentarily before nodding.
“Thank you Nathan. These last few weeks have been incredibly hard on him. He refuses the pain medication the doctors gave him except when he wants to sleep...” She trailed off, looking just as tired as Bob had earlier before she smiled and looked up at him. “But when I told him you’d be visiting, he lit up like a kid at Christmas.”
“I’m glad I could do something to help, as little as it was.” Nathan replied as the two of them embraced again. “If you need anything, just let me know.” Nathan whispered as they parted. Carol nodded in thanks, then went to the door and opened it for him.
“See ya around, Nathan.” She replied as Nathan stepped out into the darkening night. He turned to give her a short smile and wave before he walked back over to his truck. He climbed in and set the box and bag into the passenger seat next to him. He sat there silently in the truck for a moment before turning it on and backing out into the driveway. Then he headed back down the gravel pathway to the county road which he turned on and headed back the way he came. However, instead of heading into town or towards the interstate, he turned down another road that led further into the country. He continued down that road until he arrived at an abandoned gas station, pulling in behind the main building. For a few moments, he sat there.
“FUCK!!”
He slapped the steering wheel angrily, tears welling in his eyes. He then rested his forehead against the steering wheel, sobbing angrily for a few minutes. When he looked up again, he wiped his tears with the back of his arm, reaching into his pocket. Extracting his cellphone, he dialed a memorized number.
::Walker to Omega, good for transport.::
Behind him, a green vortex swirled to life with an explosion of energy. Nathan put the truck in reverse and K turned, then drove through the vortex as it vanished.