Children's Draft

Chapter 13 (Part Two)

(Matteo's PoV)

I couldn't think straight. My head throbbed and my chest grew tight. And I was pretty sure I had somehow managed to get less sleep than my first few nights at Basic Training.

    "How are you doing?" Will asked. He still seemed shaky too after the whole bombing news.

    I shrugged. "I don't know."

    He sat down next to me. "It's only been three days..."

    "And mail's slow," I finished. "What I don't get is why the military or government or whoever people can send Sgt. Blake some emergency message saying Nebraska's been bombed, but they can't give any details." I slammed my fist down on my bed. "I mean who does it benefit? What good comes out of keeping secrets from us." I struggled to take deep breaths. "And what if the worst has happened to Emmy? And I end up like Sgt. Blake, not knowing for weeks." I gasped for air as a realization hit me. "And oh my god, what if that's what losing your girlfriend does that to you?"

    "If it helps, I don't think you'll ever end up like Sgt. Blake," he tried.

    "I'm just scared." I wanted to punch myself for tearing up, but then I remembered I couldn't punch very hard.

    This whole time she had been worrying about me being in danger and while I had been worried about her too, it was no longer just me imagining scenarios in my mind. I had been given news that she could've gotten severely hurt--or worse.

    I put my head in my hands. The waiting was too much. "I miss her," I mumbled. I missed hanging out with her all day at swim meets. I missed staying up way too late texting her and not even caring when I ended up falling asleep in History class the next day. I missed the way she would loosen up--even just a little bit--every time I hugged her.

    "I just hope she's all right," I mustered out. The two week wait for letters continued to feel like an eternity.

(Holly's PoV)

    There had been no responses yet. It had to have been over a week since the actual bombing, and we hadn't heard anything aside from the original "we regret to inform you that Eastern Nebraska has been bombed" telegram. That was literally all it said. I should've known better than to believe we'd actually get any relevant information from our government.

    I heard a knock on the wall and turned to see Landon peering into my room. "Still no word?"

    I shook my head. "I told Blake that I should send a telegram back demanding information from them, but he seemed to think I wouldn't be assertive or persuasive enough."

    Landon gave a small laugh. "Yeah, cuz you totally take no for an answer."

    I did about the message. And about the dress. And about the fighting. But it was best to keep that stuff secret from the guys.

    "But a lot of the guys are really scared," he went on.

    "You seem pretty level-headed," I observed.

He shrugged. "Someone's gotta be."

    It was hard to keep my eyes off his hands. While I did try my best not to consort with the guys, for some reason I saw Landon a lot and I hadn't noticed his scar until a couple weeks ago. (The fact that I wasn't able to notice injuries was a telling factor that I should be anything but a nurse, but that was beside the point).

    "Landon, are you sure you're okay about that scar?" I asked.

    He put his hand behind his back. "Oh yeah, it happened so long ago. It doesn't even hurt anymore."