Chapter 18

Marcus was on high alert when he woke later that evening. His body was stiff, and he was ready for anything that could come his way. He was unaware of what caused his body to be so tense until he slowly came to his surroundings and noticed he was at Jade's place. He stayed for dinner and not long afterwards Jade crashed so he joined her. He looked around for her and realised what had woken him. He quickly got out of bed as he felt his heart pounding in his chest. He quickly slides to the floor and grabbed Jade's face into his hands.

"Jade wake up." He felt panic settle into him like spiders crawling underneath his skin. Jade was muttering between both English and Arabic as she rocked back and forth as she pulled at her hair.

"Jade." He shouted, but she still wasn't waking up as he tired repeatedly but, she wasn't waking and becoming more violent to herself by the second. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled her into his lap and rocked back and forth with her as he held her arms tightly so she couldn't hurt herself. He didn't know how long he sat on the cold floor with Jade in his arms feeling helpless as there was nothing he could do to help, but watch and hold Jade as close to him as possible. He felt a wetness on his face as a single tear slide down his face and at first, he was confused until more followed. He didn't know what to do so he let them slide down his face as Jade finally stopped moving and muttering.

He let her go and the moment he did blood-curdling screams came from Jade and he quickly went to grab her again. She finally woke up from the state she was in when Marcus pulled her into his arms again. 

"Shh, it's okay. You will be okay." Jade sobbed as she felt her chest constrict and she found it hard to breathe.

"They are dead; they are all dead." Marcus held her tighter than before knowing what it felt like to lose someone.

"It's okay you're here now. Not there." Jade shook her head. She could still feel the fire burning through her skin. She could still hear her ears ringing as bullets and bombs exploded. She could still hear the sounds of screams as she tried to protect herself and the man next to her.

"I can still hear them. The screams as the filthy bastards set off dirty bombs after another. I can still feel the fire and shrapnel against my back as I protected the others from the blast. I can still feel their blood dripping off my hands as I tried to save them." Jade felt her stomach churn, and she ran towards the bathroom and vomited everything she had for dinner.

Marcus quickly followed behind her and grabbed her hair and rubbed smooth circles on her back. He said nothing because he knew Jade didn't want to talk. No one ever did after a nightmare. He remembered waking up countless times during the night and heaving up his guts and there was nothing to do until you let it pass. Marcus believed that the nightmares were worse than the tours themselves. Having to remember day in day out the nightmares you would rather forget and leave behind, but they follow you like a plague spreading and infecting anything that it touches.

"I just want it to stop," Jade mumbled as she wiped her mouth she wished it could all just stop. She wanted it all to just stop and be silent inside her head for once.

"I know, I know." Marcus gently picked her up and took her back to bed where he wrapped her tightly to his chest and hummed and song his mother used to sing to him and his brother when they were sick. He hummed until she fell asleep and even then he kept humming until he felt his eyes droop and he slowly fell asleep to the tune of his mother.

When Jade woke again her head ached, but not only that her bed was empty. She got up and went to the bathroom before wandering into the kitchen where she found Marcus cooking.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked as she sat on the lounge and wrapped a blanket around herself. 

"Tired." She said with a yawned knowing last night she got very little sleep and was surprised to see Marcus up so early.

"Here, I made you something to eat." Jade noticed large dark circles under his eyes when he bought her food over.

"You should go back to bed. You didn't have to get up and make me breakfast." Marcus shrugged as he sat down. Jade was the only woman he would get up early and cook for. 

"I've got some stuff to do today and I am already running late. I'll see you later. I promise. Try to get more sleep." He quickly kissed her on the forehead before he was out the door. Jade sat there confused for a while wondering what the hell just happened and where he was going so early. 

Deciding the push Marcus's weirdness aside Jade ate her breakfast before completing some overdue housework. She was halfway through cleaning the dishes when she dropped the plate on the floor and glass shattered everywhere.

She quickly stumbled back and gasped as it transported her to a different place and time.

***

She was running as quick as her legs would let her while she carried one of the two captives trying to find a safe place to hide.

"Just leave me behind." He coughed as blood dripped down his throat.

"I am not leaving you here Sir. My mission is to get you out and alive." She yelled over the gunfire as she quickly fired her gun with one hand at the rebels coming towards them.

"Corporal we need to find some cover. They got the commanding officer it's only us four left." Jade quickly looked around, and she found a place that looked empty.

"Over here." It had gone too quiet as they quickly ran for cover. When they entered the building, they were immediately greeted by a family who was hiding and muttering prayers.

"It's okay. Where's the back door?" Jade quickly muttered in Arabic and a small child pointed to the back where they exited to try to find somewhere safer to stay.

"I will die." The other soldier muttered to himself, but before Jade could answer the sound of a bomb going off, all caused them to get to the floor and try to cover from the blast.

"Over here quickly." Corporal Harris pointed and Jade got up with her soldier and ran to the room as gunshots fired. She screamed as she felt a piercing in her thigh as both herself and solider went down.

"Fuck." She yelled and pressed to the bullet wound. She tried to get up but pain and fear were settling into her body.

"We need to move." She gritted her teeth and stood up quickly grabbing her man as ran into the empty covered space where she saw Corporal Harris starting to cover one corner.

"Corporal Jennings, your leg." Jade quickly gritted her teeth and grabbed her knife and dug the bullet out knowing it was better out than in despite it hurting like a fucking bitch. If she left it in, she could do more damage if it went further into her muscles. It didn't pierce far down and once the dirty bullet was out she quickly wrapped her leg tightly to stop any bleeding. 

"I'm fine. How much ammo do we have?" Jade had three clips on her which was nothing. The need more ammo. 

"Not enough. We need to call for backup." Jade tired her radio, but she had no luck.

"Fuck." She heard the captive soldier gargling, and she crawled over and saw him coughing up blood.

"Harris cover me. He has a collapsed lung I need to fix it otherwise he dies." Sweat was dripping down her face and her heart was pumping as she quickly found the essential items she needed to keep the soldier alive.

"Jennings, you need to hurry." She heard Harris fire his gun, and she looked up and saw something coming through.

"You're going to be fine." She whispered as she made a careful quick incision before sticking a clear tube into his side to help him breathe. 

"This will keep you alive." She quickly picked up her gun and dragged herself over to a hole in the wall where she placed her gun and took a deep breath before firing.

Jade didn't know how much time passed as they sat there with two men dying and rebels coming at them from every corner.

"Jennings I'm out." She swore under her breath as she only had a few bullets left. Before she could fire again, she heard a thump and looked to see Harris down.

"Harries," she yelled and quickly made her way over to him to see he had already passed. However, her time was short-lived when her heart stopped altogether as a small round silver circle flew into the room.

She looked at the other two men who had the same expression. Not knowing what else to do, she jumped in front of the two men as fire spread throughout her body and pain radiated up her back and she lost all hearing.

Black fog covered the area and Jade felt disorientated as she came too. She could hear gunfire coming from every direction. She tried to stand and screamed out in pain as fire settled deep into her bones. The fog started to clear and all she could see was blood everywhere and people screaming.

At first, she couldn't understand what was going on until she felt someone touch her as she screamed out in pain.

"Corporal, corporal, we are here to get you out." She felt her vision tunnel and everything went black.

***

Marco was about to leave for work as he was going in later that day when he had this feeling to check on Jade. He knocked on her door and didn't get an answer and found it to already be open. When he walked in his heart dropped as he found Jade on the floor having a seizure.

"Jade, Jade." He shouted as her body shook and her eyes were rolled into the back of her head. He quickly rolled her into the recovery position and called triple zero.

Soon an ambulance arrived and they rushed Jade to hospital as Marco followed behind. He tried calling his brother, but all he got was voicemail.

When Marco arrived at the hospital, no one could tell him what had happened to Jade or if she had even arrived yet.

"Only the next of kin can be informed." The nurse told him yet again and Marco tried to tell them that she didn't speak to her next of kin. Frustrated Marco tried his brother again and finally got through.

"What the fuck do you want. You should be here." Marcus yelled and Marco yelled back.

"Jade's in the fucking hospital." The line went silent before an arrange of swear words came through the line.

"I'm on my way. What the fuck happened." Marco explained and Marcus felt guilty for leaving Jade alone. He should have taken a personal day after her nightmare last night. 

By the time Marcus had arrived at the hospital Marco was about the kill the women in front of him. All she did was nag and complain about everything from the seats to the coffee, not once showing worry that her daughter was currently lying in a hospital bed.

"Jesus, what is she doing here?" Marcus asked as Mrs Jennings stood up.

"I remember you. You're the one Jade is fucking." Marcus could feel her judging him like the judgemental women that she was.

"Not the man I would pick for Jade, but I'll guess you'll do for now." Marcus rolled his eyes wondering how the hell Jade put up with this woman for so long.

"Is there any news on her?" He asked taking a deep breath and thinking of Jade first and ignoring her mother.

"A nurse came out said she was awake." Both the brothers stood up and tried not to smash the women's head in. They quickly found out what room Jade was in and Marcus all, but rushed into the room. When he arrived, he took a deep breath and walked into the room where Jade was being tended by a nurse.

"Hey." He whispered as he stepped closer. Marco also came into the room but kept his distance at the door.

"Hey" Jade croaked as the nurse smiled at her before leaving the room. He sat down in the chair next to her bed and grabbed her cold hand into his warm one.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he stroked her hand with his thumb. trying to warm them up. 

"Tired." Marcus nodded as he could imagine.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there." Jade shook her head knowing it was no one's fault. Marcus was about to say something when Jade's mother flustered into the room as if she just got here.

"Oh my god, I just heard the news." Marco and Marcus both rolled their eyes and Jade groaned when she saw her prime and proper mother looking flushed.

"What are you doing here, mother?" Her throat was sore and her head was pounding and the last thing she wanted was to deal with her mother.

"I'm here to make sure you are okay. I do worry about you, Jade." She sighed and rubbed her spare hand on her forehead.

"Please leave mother. I don't need you here. I told you I don't want to see you again so please leave." Jade saw many emotions cross her face before she quickly masked them.

"Fine, I see how it is." Her mother left the room dramatically and Jade felt drained from the very quick encounter. She closed her eyes tired, knowing this again would push her back in getting back into the filed. Sighing, she reopened her eyes to see both the brothers looking at her.

"Do you know when they will release me?" Marco sighed and took a seat next to Jade.

"You do understand what happened Jade? You had a seizure, has that ever happened before." She shook her head. She felt fine aside from being tired which was always something constant in her life. No one said anything after that and they all sat in silence as Jade dozed in and out of sleep until a nurse came in to give her an early release under strict guidelines to see her psychologist tomorrow.

On the way home the brothers made her call Helen and she managed to settle an appointment this afternoon. When Jade got back to her apartment Marcus said he would drive her that afternoon so in the meantime she took a nap hoping to get some sleep before her appointment.