Free How Can You Mend This Purple Heart by T. L. Gould Page A

would give Earl every effort at privacy and respect, but often, their voices carried over the curtain.
    â€œI don’t care, Earl. I love you.”
    â€œYou love another Earl, Jen. Someone else. I’m not the person you knew before. I’m not the same.”
    â€œYou’re you, Earl. Nothing can change who you are. You can’t tell me I don’t love you. How can you say that?”
    â€œYou’ve talked with my mother, right, Jen? You know how bad it is?”
    â€œYou haven’t changed, Earl. Your mother told me so.”
    â€œYou think the two of you have it worked out? You think you’re ready?”
    â€œHow many times do we have to go over this, Earl? You told me last week it would be okay for me to come see you. Earl, I miss you. I can’t be without you. Don’t you understand? Earl, help me, please!”
    â€œJen, you’re the only thing keeping me sane. I love you, too, Jen. Maybe I’m still not ready. Did you ever think of that?”
    â€œWe have to do this together, Earl. I need to be with you. I need you to believe in me.”
    The snap from a blast of air from Earl Ray’s lips came over the curtains.
    There was a long silence.
    â€œOkay, Jen. Come up as soon as you can…I’m ready.”
    It would be a Saturday, when the fewest number of people would be scuffling about the ward, and things were somewhat undisturbed. New incoming were rarely brought in on the weekends, and the little old ladies with their carts came only once a day, if at all.
    The uneasiness had swelled like a blister on the ward the night before Jennifer Cooley was coming up. Jennifer had called Earl a little after 2000 hours to let him know she had made it to Philadelphia and to her motel. Her mother had made the flight but wasn’t coming to the hospital in the morning. She would come over in the afternoon, after Earl and Jen had had their time together. Jennifer and her mother were going to have breakfast, and Jennifer would be at the hospital around ten. She had her own room.
    Earl Ray rolled and tossed around in his bed.
    â€œAnydthing you want to talk about?” Ski said, breaking the silence.
    â€œNo. Just want to lay here.”
    â€œJust get a needle, man.”
    â€œNot a bad idea.”
    The entire ward slept a little uneasy, and Saturday morning came quickly. Earl Ray Higgins was sitting up in his bed. The short-sleeved pajama top exposed the stump of his left arm, his left half leg was straight outward, and his three-quarter right leg was bent at the knee with the wrapped stump angled slightly toward the center of the bed. His wheelchair was parked flush against the beige cabinet, ready for his first walk with Jennifer in almost a year.
    Earl had spent nearly two hours getting ready. First, civilian clothes; no, that wasn’t right. Then, his uniform, but it made him feel self-conscious. After a quick shower, a close shave, English Leather, a set of clean sheets, and a clean blanket, Earl decided the pinstripe pajamas were more fitting. He could change into his uniform later, maybe in Jen’s room at the motel.
    Jennifer phoned around nine o’clock, excited and nervous, telling Earl about her dream last night. She was on her way.
    Earl Ray had taken Jennifer’s high school senior year picture out sometime in the early morning and placed the 8 x 10 color photo on top of his cabinet. It was the first time any one of us had seen it. She was beautiful.
    It was 9:30, and every face capable was turned toward the brown double doors.
    â€œTurn your radio on, dammit!” Earl demanded. “The quiet is killing all of us.”
    I reached over to the nightstand, and the radio crackled over the silence.
    â€œNot too loud.” Earl was fidgeting, wrestling with the trapeze bar gripped in his right hand. A short blast of air pushed up from his mouth.
    9:45 and we couldn’t take it. A lot of guys had refused the after-breakfast