One Second After [146]
He couldn't speak. He just held it, looking down at it, flecks of dried blood coating it.
"He died an hour ago. He was triaged off as a three, but I saw him by the bridge and brought him back anyhow, John."
Kellor nodded to one of the bodies, one of the few with a sheet covering it.
"He was a good kid, John. A damn good kid. Stayed on the bridge even as it was getting overrun. A lot of people saw it, saw how he rallied people about to panic, shouting for them to charge, and then he went down. I thought you knew. You passed within feet of him when the counterattack started."
John couldn't speak.
Kellor sighed.
"John, he'll leave behind a child you shall be proud of. Proud that Ben was the father. Someday I'll come up and tell Elizabeth about him. Hell, I helped to bring him into the world seventeen years ago."
He shook his head.
"We might of lost the fight without kids like him, a lot of kids like him. "John, he asked me to tell you that he was sorry if he had disappointed you. And asked that you love the child he and Elizabeth will have." Kellor began to cry.
"Damn all of this," he sighed, then looked back at John. "Now go home to Elizabeth." John could not speak.
He walked over to the body and was about to remove the sheet, but Kellor stopped him.
"Don't, John; remember him as he was." John looked down at the body.
"You are my son," he whispered. "And I will take care of your baby; I promise it. Son, I am proud of you."
Woodenly John turned and walked away.
Going around the building, he came out onto State Street. Another truck was pulling up from the front, half a dozen wounded in the back, three of them with twos marked on their foreheads, the others with ones.
He walked around them, barely noticing.
"Colonel, damn it, we won!"
He didn't even bother to look back at who was speaking.
His old Edsel was parked in front of the town hall. A crowd was gathered round. Someone had written on the bulletin board but one word: "VICTORY!!!!"
Some began to ask questions as he approached, others asking for orders, others asking what they should do now.
He did not reply; he simply got into the car. The keys were in the ignition, the engine turned over, and he backed out.
The radio was on. Voice of America.
"This morning, a containership from Australia docked in Charleston. Our allies have sent us over a million rations, a thousand two-way radios, six steam-powered railroad locomotives—"
He switched it off.
The barrier was still up at the gate into the Cove, two students guarding it. He rolled to a stop. "What's the news?" He looked at the girl holding a pistol. "Sir, are you OK?" "We won," was all he could say.
The girl grinned and saluted, motioning for the other student to move the Volkswagen that blocked the gate back.
John drove through and turned onto Hickory Lane, rolling to a stop at number 12, Jen and Tyler's house.
As John pulled into the driveway, all four of them were out the door, Jen, Jennifer, Ginger wagging her tail... and Elizabeth.
He sat in the car, unable to move as they came running down to him.
He looked at Elizabeth, all of sixteen and a half. No outward sign yet of the life inside her, still not much more than a child herself.
Jennifer reached the car first and then stepped back.
"Daddy, you look terrible!"
"I'm all right, honey. Just a little singed."
Elizabeth was beside her now, Ginger up between them leaning in, wanting to lick him.
God, but two months ago this was the way it was. Come home after a lecture and office hours, if a Tuesday or Thursday when he had a 2:30 to 4:00 class the girls home ahead of him. Always the dogs would come piling out, Jennifer with them, his teenage daughter at least still following a bit of ritual and joining them with a hug and kiss.
He was unable to move, to get out of the car.
Jen was now up looking in.
"What happened?"
"We're OK," he finally said. "We won; they're gone." Jennifer shouted and grabbed hold of Ginger, dancing around. "We won; we won; we won!"
He stared ahead ... the victor returning