American Soldier

Chapter 11

Camila gently brushed out Lauren's hair while she listened to the doctor asking Lauren some simple questions.

"Can you tell me what year it is?" the doctor asks.

"Um..." Lauren swallowed. She glanced at Camila. "I don't know."

Camila sends her a soft smile. "Yes you do baby, just take a deep breath and think."

"I...don't know." Lauren repeated.

"Try one more time." Camila says softly.

"Um..." Lauren swallowed. "Two thousand and something."

Camila nods her head and smiles softly at Lauren. "You're very close."

Lauren shook her head. "I can't remember." She mumbled, shaking her head again.

"Two thousand and nineteen." Camila tells her softly.

Lauren looked down. "I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"Stop apologizing Laur, you've done nothing wrong." the soldier says, grabbing her hand.

"But I can't remember." Lauren whispered.

"What can't you remember?" Camila asks softly, kissing Lauren's forehead.

"I can't remember what year it is." Lauren mumbled.

The soldier looks into Lauren's eyes and smiles softly. "Don't worry."

"Why are you smiling?" Lauren frowned.

"Because you're awake and alive." Camila responds, leaning down and kissing Lauren.

Lauren's eyes fluttered closed.

Pulling away, Camila smiles again. "How do you feel?"

"Confused." Lauren whispered.

"That's understandable." Camila says softly, sitting down.

"What happened?" Lauren asked.

Taking a deep breath, Camila gently explains everything that happened.

"Oh..." Lauren swallowed and looked down at her hands.

"But all that matters now is that you're alive." Camila says softly.

Lauren hummed in response.

Kissing the older girl's forehead, Camila lays down on the bed beside Lauren.

"I'll let you rest for now." The doctor said before leaving the room.

Camila holds Lauren close, closing her eyes. "I've got you."

Lauren buried her face in Camila's chest and closed her eyes.

"I love you." the soldier whispers softly.

"I love you too." Lauren whispered before drifting off to sleep.

Camila slowly falls asleep, holding Lauren close.

****

"Mommy!" Charley cheered as Camila helped Lauren into the house on her crutches.

"Be careful princess, mommy's still hurting." Camila says softly as she helps Lauren to the couch.

"I help." Charley said with a nod. She moved over to them and gently placed her hands on Lauren's side to hold her up.

Lauren smiles and gently leans against Charley, keeping the majority of her weight on Camila and the crutches.

Charley let go of her mother as she sat down on the couch with a pained groan. "Mommy, do you want a sandwich?"

"That would be nice sweetie." Lauren responds softly.