Free Missing by Darrell Maloney Page B
Authors: Darrell Maloney
game. I’ll never hoist a championship trophy over my head again. It’s all gone now.”
He stopped speaking for a moment and enjoyed the sensation of Hannah’s fingers running through his hair. It seemed to have a calming affect on him.
It was a small gesture in light of what they were facing, but it helped.
“I thought that my life as I knew it was over. I didn’t want to have a life where I could no longer run, could no longer ride my Harley, could no longer make love to a woman.
“I was getting ready to take off my tourniquet, and let myself bleed out.
“Then I thought I heard something on the other side of the fuselage. It was you, calling for help.
“And it dawned on me then, I still had a mission to perform. I was the only surviving member of the aircrew. If you were still alive, I was the only one in a position to keep you that way until the rescue team arrives.
“All of a sudden I had a reason to go on. So instead of removing my tourniquet, I started crawling. It took me a lot longer than I thought it would. I guess I’m weak because of the blood loss. But along the way, I lost all the self-pity I had. I lost the desire to end it all. Now all I want to do is see you pulled out from under this damn helicopter and flown to a hospital.
“After that, I don’t care what happens to me. My mission is accomplished. The Army made me swear to protect to the best of my ability the passengers trusted into my care. All the aircrew has that responsibility. If you live, then I’ve fulfilled my commitment. Then if I die, I don’t really care.”
“I care.”
He realized he had talked almost non-stop for five minutes. Joel wasn’t a big talker by nature. He was a bit on the quiet side. So knowing he’d dominated the conversation for so long embarrassed him a bit.
“Thank you for that, Hannah. Now, I’ve talked long enough. I’ll shut up now.”
“Thank you.”
“For shutting up?”
“No. For being a gallant knight. For coming to my rescue.”
“Oh. You’re welcome. I think my coming to your rescue was good for both of us.”
There was complete silence for the better part of a minute.
Then it was Hannah’s turn to speak.
“It was from a movie.”
“Huh?”
“The line you used earlier. You said, ‘It’s just you and me, kid.’ It’s a line from a movie, but I can’t remember which one.”
“I’ve been told that before. I mean, I’ve used that line for years, and I don’t remember when I started. Some of the girls I’ve dated have thought it was cute. One told me not long ago that she loved that movie. But she couldn’t remember the name of it either. She said she thought the guy who said it in the movie was named Bogart or something.”
“Yes! Humphrey Bogart.”
“Yeah, that sounds familiar. She said he was this old dude, a big star back in the olden days, when all the movies were black and white. She said he said the line to some blonde, but she couldn’t remember the blonde’s name. I guess it doesn’t matter much now.”
“I’m pretty sure her name was Lauren Bacall. And yes, it was a black and white movie, but I would prefer to call it a classic, instead of old timey. You make me feel very old when you say a movie I loved was old.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel old.”
“That’s okay. Apology accepted. Why can’t I remember the name of that movie? I can picture them in my mind, and hear him saying the line. I just can’t remember the name of that movie. Darn it!”
“Say, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“How old are you?”
“Why, Joel, if I could lift my left arm I’d punch you. Don’t you know that’s a question you never ask a woman?”
He stopped speaking for a moment and enjoyed the sensation of Hannah’s fingers running through his hair. It seemed to have a calming affect on him.
It was a small gesture in light of what they were facing, but it helped.
“I thought that my life as I knew it was over. I didn’t want to have a life where I could no longer run, could no longer ride my Harley, could no longer make love to a woman.
“I was getting ready to take off my tourniquet, and let myself bleed out.
“Then I thought I heard something on the other side of the fuselage. It was you, calling for help.
“And it dawned on me then, I still had a mission to perform. I was the only surviving member of the aircrew. If you were still alive, I was the only one in a position to keep you that way until the rescue team arrives.
“All of a sudden I had a reason to go on. So instead of removing my tourniquet, I started crawling. It took me a lot longer than I thought it would. I guess I’m weak because of the blood loss. But along the way, I lost all the self-pity I had. I lost the desire to end it all. Now all I want to do is see you pulled out from under this damn helicopter and flown to a hospital.
“After that, I don’t care what happens to me. My mission is accomplished. The Army made me swear to protect to the best of my ability the passengers trusted into my care. All the aircrew has that responsibility. If you live, then I’ve fulfilled my commitment. Then if I die, I don’t really care.”
“I care.”
He realized he had talked almost non-stop for five minutes. Joel wasn’t a big talker by nature. He was a bit on the quiet side. So knowing he’d dominated the conversation for so long embarrassed him a bit.
“Thank you for that, Hannah. Now, I’ve talked long enough. I’ll shut up now.”
“Thank you.”
“For shutting up?”
“No. For being a gallant knight. For coming to my rescue.”
“Oh. You’re welcome. I think my coming to your rescue was good for both of us.”
There was complete silence for the better part of a minute.
Then it was Hannah’s turn to speak.
“It was from a movie.”
“Huh?”
“The line you used earlier. You said, ‘It’s just you and me, kid.’ It’s a line from a movie, but I can’t remember which one.”
“I’ve been told that before. I mean, I’ve used that line for years, and I don’t remember when I started. Some of the girls I’ve dated have thought it was cute. One told me not long ago that she loved that movie. But she couldn’t remember the name of it either. She said she thought the guy who said it in the movie was named Bogart or something.”
“Yes! Humphrey Bogart.”
“Yeah, that sounds familiar. She said he was this old dude, a big star back in the olden days, when all the movies were black and white. She said he said the line to some blonde, but she couldn’t remember the blonde’s name. I guess it doesn’t matter much now.”
“I’m pretty sure her name was Lauren Bacall. And yes, it was a black and white movie, but I would prefer to call it a classic, instead of old timey. You make me feel very old when you say a movie I loved was old.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel old.”
“That’s okay. Apology accepted. Why can’t I remember the name of that movie? I can picture them in my mind, and hear him saying the line. I just can’t remember the name of that movie. Darn it!”
“Say, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“How old are you?”
“Why, Joel, if I could lift my left arm I’d punch you. Don’t you know that’s a question you never ask a woman?”