Chapter 4

[January 21st, 2021]

I stare out the window as we continue to drive towards my house. "Are you hungry?" I hear Brandon say. "Yeah, why?" "What do you mean 'Yeah, why?', you should've said something." I guess he's right. I've just been staring off into the distance. To be quite honest, this entire ride I've been so focused on thinking that I hadn't even noticed that I was hungry until he mentioned it. "Well we can go to a McDonalds if you want." That actually doesn't sound too bad to me. "I don't mind that." "Alright, Jess do you want anything?" "...." Why's she not answering? I look over to her and see her fast asleep. "I guess not. Anyways, what do you want Jack?" "I guess that I'll just take a burger and a coke." We take a few turns and after a minute or so we're on 28. We take a left turn into the drive through, "Say, what are you going to do now that your career path is ruined?" quite frankly I'm not sure, I didn't have anything to fall back on. I just wasn't prepared. "Not sure." "You wanna listen to the radio?" "Sure." He presses the button and just as it turns on I can tell the song that's playing. It's a song called 8th of November. He reaches out to change the channel but I stop him. "Why?" "Just listen." He started to realize what the song was about when it says "...but the battle still plays in his head..." we caught it just a good few seconds after the song started. He then spoke when it recited the 173rd Airborne. "I once thought about joining the Army" "Really?" "Yeah, still might go in if we go into another war. I've signed up for the voluntary draft." "I never saw you as that type." The Army, huh? It takes another hour before we get home and I watch as he wakes Jess. They've never seen my apartment before. Nor have I cleaned in 3 weeks. Both of the front doors open. They step out and come around to my side. My door opens and an arm reaches towards me. "Up we go buddy" He says as he grabs my arm. He yanks me up, puts his arm around my neck, and I do the same. Jess gets to my other side and does the same thing to help us. As we go up the stairs I can't help but think about the Army. Even when I force myself to think about something else it still lingers in the back of my mind. Surely Brandon would enlist with me so it's not like I'll be alone. No, what am I thinking about. I wouldn't make it in the Army. I look upon the wooden door of my home. Brandon reaches out and pulls the door open and we all step inside. "Wow, Jack." He looks over the horrible mess of my apartment and continues to speak. "You should've at least cleaned up since you have guests coming over." "If I had known that I wouldn't have decided to get hit by a car and break both my legs." "Thats all on you buddy." As we were talking they had set me down on the couch and we turned on the TV. Jess has been awfully quiet today but I'll let it be. I'm sure that she's tired. It'd definitely explain the nap on the car ride over here. "You're free to sleep anywhere you'd like Jess." She just nods and tiredly makes her way over to the couch and curls up, resting her head on the arm rest. It almost reminds me of a cat. I look at the nightstand and see my phone resting there powered off. Curiously, I grab it and power it on. To my surprise it has some charge left. I go to Safari and search "Medical benefits of the U.S. Army" I soon find out that the U.S. Army not only has insurance, but it also pays for a college, and service will look good on a job resume and college application! If I go into service I can totally turn my life back around! "What're you reading there Jack?" "You remember asking me what I'm going to do now right?" "I asked that less than 2 two hours ago, of course I still remember." "I think that I'm going to join the Army once I heal up." I turn my head to look at him as he stares at me, dumbfounded. "You're joking right?" He looks into my eyes and can tell that I'm serious. "Oh my God, you're serious." "Yes, I am." I look around the room. The trash bags in the corner, the vacuum cleaner next to the walled off kitchen, the long hallway leading to the front door, and the white walls of my home. "I'll be leaving all of this behind so I can eventually get better." "Well-" I turn my head back to him to see what he's going to say. "I can't have you go in alone, you've gotta have somebody to watch your back." "So, whats the plan?." I smile brightly knowing that a good future awaits us.