Chad
Chad let out a low, guttural groan that started in his core. His whole body hurt and he was disoriented. The flight over from Germany to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland, was not pleasant. They had sedated him, and the others who were flown over as well, but all he could feel and remember was the nauseating buzz of the airplane. He vaguely remembered his vitals being taken, and now that he was in his hospital room in Bethesda, he was mildly confused. And he hurt.
He looked around his surroundings, trying to understand what unit he may be in, and how bad he may be injured. He knew that before they were transferred, the doctors talked about concussion, traumatic brain injury, eardrum rupture, cuts, bruises, and broken ribs. He remembered talking to Hope, but he didn’t see her here; maybe she was at a hotel. He groaned again as he strained to find a button to call for a nurse or a Corpsman. Before he could hit the button, though, a Corpsman stepped in, having heard him rustle and groan.
“Sir, are you okay? Do you need something?” The young man’s face was etched with genuine concern.
His voice was hoarse, and his mouth was dry, like it was filled with cotton. “Water, please? Is my wife here?” he asked.
“No, sir. She isn’t, but she has been notified, and is probably on her way. You can call her.” The Corpsman walked over and arranged his call bell and phone so he could easily reach them. “I will let the nurse know you’re hurting, and I’ll be back with some water.” He helped Chad adjust in bed to find a more comfortable position.
“That would be great, thank you,” Chad answered. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but there were too many questions and he couldn’t land on one to ask.
“Yes, sir.” The Corpsman stepped out of the room, and Chad watched him walk down the hall through the glass windows that lined his room. He felt like he was in a goldfish bowl. He closed his eyes and tried to settle on the next task he should attempt to complete.
“Sir? You asked for pain medication? How are you feeling? You’ve been sleeping since you got here.” A soft female voice interrupted his thinking process.
He opened his eyes, tracking the uniformed female as she approached his bed. “I’m not sure I’m putting the pieces together properly.”
“That, ironically, makes sense,” the nurse said reassuringly, as she pulled the IV line so she could administer the medication. “You have a traumatic brain injury, and you were sedated on your flight over. All of that would make everything disorienting.”
“Oh,” Chad just responded, keeping his eyes closed after the medicine was administered.
“The medicine will probably make you sleepy again, but do you need anything else?” the nurse asked kindly, her hand on his shoulder, offering some assurance.
“Water, and my wife, please.” His voice was soft. “I want my wife. Her name is Hope. We are stationed in Norfolk.”
“Yes, sir. She has been notified, and is most likely on her way. I believe your assigned Corpsman is bringing you a fresh pitcher of ice water. Drink up; it’s good for you,” she added, as she moved around his bed, and gingerly started taking his vitals. Chad’s eyes grew heavy, and the throbbing in his head began to ease as he gave into the slumber.
It was several hours later, and the only way Chad knew that was by the lack of sunlight trickling in through the window of his room. He wasn’t sure if it was a different day, or if it was just simply later that same day. He sighed, running a hand over his eyes, and a soft groan escaped as he lifted his arm up, the sterile environment not giving him enough clues to orient him.
The next thing that registered as irritating was the ringing in his ear. He touched his hand over his head. It was inside his ear. Right, he thought; his eardrum was ruptured. Chad reached around his bed to find the call bell so he could talk to a nurse, and he was finally successful. It was only a few moments later a different Corpsman stepped into his room. “Sir? Are you okay?”
“I need to talk to the nurse. I need to understand what is going on.” He groaned as he attempted to stretch and sit up in his bed.
The Corpsman made his way to him, and hit the bed adjustment button to help. “Be careful. You may get dizzy; you’ve been lying down for several days.” The young man reached for the pitcher and a cup, filling it, then offered the straw to Chad.
Chad happily sipped on the water, almost choking on it by how fast he took in the cool liquid. It felt refreshing against the back of his throat. After finishing, he nodded to the Corpsman a thank you, before laying his head back on his more elevated pillow as the Corpsman left.
A few minutes later, another voice interrupted his thinking process again. “Sir, the Corpsman came and told me you needed to talk to me?” It was a different face, a different nurse.
He took a deep breath. “What day is it?” Chad asked.
“Today is Thursday. You arrived on Tuesday. You seem to be coming out of your fog, according to the notes from the day shift.” Her voice was soft and assuring.
“Is my wife here?” he asked. His eyes remained closed; this whole situation was bewildering and he was growing frustrated with his inability to process information.
“No, not yet. Mrs. Buchard is on her way. She should be here by tomorrow, morning. I spoke with her just about an hour ago. She called to check on you.” The nurse leaned in on his bed. “You sustained a brain injury, ruptured eardrum, several broken ribs, and a lot of soft tissue injuries that I am sure you’re feeling. You are in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and will remain here until you are stable enough to be discharged.” The nurse gave him just enough information to assure him; to quell his anxiety.
Chad nodded, looking up at the nurse now. “Thank you. That means a lot. Are the other men and women who were involved in my incident here?”
“That is information I don’t have, and may not be able to tell you, even if I did. I know you want to know. Once you get up and moving around, you can put in a request to your unit,” she offered, her face pensive; she was in a tough corner.
“Okay. And Hope will be here by morning?” Chad said, his voice growing sleepy again.
“It appears that's the goal, sir,” the nurse responded, patting his arm assuredly. “Rest. You need it.”
Chad’s only response was to nod.
Chad slept through the night, and the next thing he felt were soft tender hands on his cheeks, and warm tears dripping on his face. He instantly recognized his wife’s scent and her touch, and his eyes darted open. He reached up to touch her hands, and hold her, but winced instantly when he did so.
Hope yelped helplessly, but she continued to cradle his face, coaxing his arm down so he could be comfortable. “Hi, baby,” she said. It seemed that was all that she could get out before letting the tears fall.
“I am so glad to see you. Are you okay? It took you longer than I thought to get here,” Chad responded. He was desperate for information, for a means of normalcy.
“I’m okay. I had to get clearance from my doctor to travel, and had to make sure Ace was prepared. Isabella is home with Harper. Dad is taking care of Ace at the hotel.” She filled him in, understanding his need for information.
“Oh.” Chad’s answer was short. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, a breath of final relief. Hope was here; all would be well.
Chad felt Hope stroke his cheek and temple, and pressed a kiss on his forehead, “Rest. I am going to go talk to the nurse, okay?”
Chad nodded, his eyes remaining closed. He felt her leave his side, and before she got out of reach, he opened his eyes and grabbed her hand. Hope turned to him, and he saw the stress, the fear, and sadness etched on her precious face, her blonde hair clipped back delicately. He took the image of his beloved in, and only relief overcame him. He whispered, “Thank you. Thank you for coming.”
Hope quickly returned, gently wrapping her arms around his neck. Her weight was comforting to him, and then he felt her shoulders quiver, and the tears hit his shoulder. He raised his arm and held her. Before she rose, she pressed another kiss to his skin, cradling his face in her hands, pressing her forehead to his. “I will do anything for you, Chad Buchard. I will walk to the ends of this earth to make sure you are okay. We are in this together. Forever.”
He closed his eyes, taking every moment of this in. His body, combat-riddled, his soul broken, he needed this. He needed Hope. “Forever.”