A Marine For His Mum

“I guess so. One down and one to go. I guess the real recovery will start after that.”

“Hey,” Hunter interrupted, as he finally breezed in past the curtain. “There’s a guy down the hall with the coolest robot legs, and they have him doing jumping jacks and leg squats and all kinds of things. He showed me how the new joints are like titanium-powered springs, and now he’s like an incredible bionic man. Maybe they’ll give you some legs like that, Coop.”

As exciting as the kid made it sound, Cooper needed the reminder that he was lucky to still have all of his own limbs. A lot of soldiers had injuries so much worse than his. “I don’t know, little man. I’m kinda attached to these legs right here.” Cooper patted the sheet that he’d finally gotten into place.

“Can I see your stitches?”

“Hunter.” Maxine blushed, and Cooper enjoyed seeing the pink flush stain her cheeks. It made her seem warmer somehow. “Leave his bandage alone. He probably needs his rest.”

“I’m okay,” he said, wanting to reassure Maxine that her son didn’t bother him in the least. He pulled the sheet back so Hunter could get his curiosity fix.

“Oh, wow, they had to shave your leg and everything. Just like a girl.” Hunter screwed up his chubby little face in disgust. “Dr. McCormick didn’t tell me about that part.”

“When did you talk to my surgeon?” Cooper asked. Maxine’s puzzled expression must have matched his own.

“When I called him yesterday to ask how your surgery went and to see when we could come visit. He said today was fine, so Mom brought me down.”

Maxine raised her shoulders and shook her head, as if to tell him she had no idea her ten-year-old son was capable of navigating his way through a busy hospital’s switchboards and acquiring confidential patient information. But Cooper wasn’t the least bit surprised. In fact, he wouldn’t put it past Hunter to know what he’d had for breakfast, how many times the nurses had changed his IV bag and when his next sponge bath was scheduled.

Looking at Maxine, whose arms were now akimbo in confusion, and whose perfectly formed breasts were on proud display under her snug white cotton top, he couldn’t help but wish that she could be the one to assist him at bath time.

“I brought you my Lord of the Rings DVD series.” Hunter’s voice brought Cooper back to reality. “My mom got you that plant. It looked better when she picked it out in the grocery store, but Gram says Mom has a black thumb and kills everything she touches.”

“Well, it’s the thought that counts,” Cooper said, trying to muster up something positive to say. He couldn’t very well agree with Hunter’s grandmother, could he?

“Now you sound like Mom when she makes me wear the stupid clothes Gram picks out.”

The little white phone by his bedside rang just then, and before Coop could move, Hunter jumped to answer it. “Gunnery Sergeant Matthew Cooper’s room.”

“Sorry,” Maxine whispered as her son spoke into the corded receiver. “I thought you were the one who told him he could visit. I didn’t know he was calling your doctor directly.”

“It’s okay,” Cooper whispered back, actually surprised by how much seeing them both had boosted his spirits.

“Yeah, he’s right here.” Hunter spoke with the importance of an adjutant screening a four-star general’s call. “But he still has the same ole boring human legs. Okay, hold on, Colonel Filden.”

Cooper grabbed the phone from Hunter’s hand and covered the mouthpiece as he spoke to his guests. “Thanks for coming to visit, but I have to take this call.”

“Okay, I’ll come back in a couple of days,” Hunter promised, but Maxine shook her head at the boy while attempting to quietly lead him out of the room.

He hoped they understood that he wasn’t trying to dismiss them out of rudeness. But this was possibly the call that would decide his entire future. And no matter how cool Hunter was—or how pretty his mom—Coop wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of here, stat.

Chapter Three (#ulink_e69b177c-10c9-5da6-8155-738e1df3ed50)

“Hello, sir,” Cooper finally said into the receiver once he knew Maxine and Hunter were well on their way down the hall.

The men exchanged general pleasantries for all of twenty seconds before his commanding officer finally cut to the chase.

“Here’s the bottom line,” Filden said. “They’re not needing as many soldiers, and they’re getting real stingy with the retirement pay. Your record speaks for itself. You’re a phenomenal marine. An asset to the squadron. Your men respect you and look up to you. I did my best to push for your reenlistment, but it doesn’t look good. Hell, if it were up to me, you would’ve been promoted to First Sergeant after your last deployment. But when you add this new injury to the mix, there’s just no way the government is willing to take the gamble. Anyway, nothing’s official yet, but I figured I’d give you a heads-up so you could start thinking about your future and any possibilities that may arise.”

The itch near Cooper’s incision flared up, and he wanted to throw the phone across the room and rip his bandage off. But he took the conversation like a man. As much as Cooper hated hearing the truth, he was grateful the colonel wasn’t shining him on. “I appreciate your candor, sir.”

“You’re made for police work, Gunny. And right now, just about every major department and agency stateside is hiring cops. I’m just saying it’s not a bad idea to put some feelers out. See if there’s anything open in your hometown.”

“Yes, sir,” Cooper said, knowing full well he’d never step foot in his old neighborhood if he could help it. The truth of the matter was that Cooper didn’t have a home, let alone a hometown. Nor did he have anyone he could talk to about what his options were.

“I’ll let you know if I hear anything different,” Filden added. “But a marine is always ready for anything, right?”

“Right, sir. Semper Fi.”

Cooper was almost surprised at the gentle way he eased the receiver down. Probably because he’d never wanted to throw anything so badly in his life.

So there it was. One minute he’d been out for a jog along the base perimeter with his dog, Helix. The next minute, a sixteen-year career in the Corps was gone in the flash of a detonated suicide bomb strapped to some poor insurgent’s chest.

* * *

To: matthewcooper@usmc.mil

From: hunterlovestherockies@hotmail.net

Re: Surgery

Date: March 1

I didn’t know that Miss Gregson’s family has a cabin up here in Sugar Falls. That’s so cool that they’re letting you stay in it when you get out of the hospital. I still think you should stay with me and my mom so we can take care of you and make sure you don’t fall or bust your knee back open. But at least we’ll be close enough to see each other every day.

How long are you going to be able to stay? I know you’re bummed about being discharged from the marines, but there are some real great cop jobs all over Idaho. Did you check out any of those applications I printed out for you?

Anyway, me and my mom will pick you up on Sunday and give you a ride to the cabin. Or to our house if you get smart and change your mind. And don’t forget, you’re gonna play catch with me when your leg is better.

See ya,

Hunter

No! No, no, no.

What had Hunter done?

He’d left his computer on when he’d gone to Boise with Cessy to see the latest superhero movie, and Maxine had only come in to collect the smelly socks and inside-out pants that were piling up in the corner.

But his laptop screen was open to his outbox and she soon realized the perfect small town world she’d created for herself and her son was about to change.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of barbecue potato chips before coming back to Hunter’s room to reread the email her son had sent that afternoon.

For years, people had been telling her that Hunter needed a positive male role model in his life. She knew some manly influence wasn’t necessarily a cause for alarm, but she wanted to be the one to decide who exerted that influence.

And now Hunter had invited this jerk to their hometown to recover from his surgery. He’d even volunteered her to pick the guy up at the hospital! She should have grounded him after that airport ride stunt, because apparently the boy hadn’t learned his lesson.

Geez, what should she do? She wanted to call someone to ask for advice, but who?