A story in the Former Marine Series #10

Author’s note---A short story about a wounded Marine.

Andy Green---I’m sitting in my favorite restaurant having lunch. While I am waiting on my meatloaf with mashed potatoes, I am thinking back over my life and how happy I am. I am 28 years old and I have been married almost 2 years. I graduated college with a degree in civil engineering and have a great job. My life is perfect. Or so I thought.

Just as my food is on the way to my table in walks Carly. Carly Simmons to be exact, my old high school girl friend. She was the girl who I once thought would be the one that I would spend the rest of my life with. We dated thru high school and had plans for the rest of our lives. But after less than a year apart, me off at college and her working as a waitress she broke up with me! She wanted to get married and I thought it best we wait until I graduated. We fought (not physically) and she said we should take a break from each other. While we were mad and on this ‘break’, Carly went and joined the Marines! Can you believe that? The fucking Marine Corps! Who does that?

Anyway she sees me and starts walking over to my table. I had heard she was back in town but this was the first time I had seen her. I am surprised to say the least.

She is still beautiful, it is just that she is wearing an eye patch over her left eye. She reminds me of the girl in the movie Kill Bill, remember? She walks over and sits down across from me.

Carly Simmons---Okay, you know Andy and I dated for years back in high school and that I broke up with him. I was so immature back then. I just could not stand being apart. And that stupid plan of ours? Me waiting tables while he went off to college? That was never going to work but Andy thought it would. I hated waiting tables! All the while I was thinking of all those college girls chasing my man around campus. Why couldn’t we just get married? I could work in the town where he was going to college. That would be so much better than being separated. But he would not even entertain that idea.

One day while I was in one of my horrible moods I waited on this Marine recruiter. She saw I was upset and asked why. I sat and told her my story. I signed up that afternoon.

After boot camp I was trained as a M.P. and sent to Iraq. I was there almost a year when my Humvee was hit by an IED. I spent the next year or so in various hospitals being operated on by different doctors. They removed pieces of metal and body parts. When they were finished I had lost an eye, my left breast and the bottom half of my left leg. After about 16 months in re-hab I returned home. I enjoyed being a cop so I studied for my P. I. license. I am now working for the Jim Rockford Private Investigations firm. That brings me to Andy’s table.

“Hello Andy. How you doing?”

“I’m fine Carly. I was sorry to hear about ... you know”.

“Yeah thanks.”

“So what are you doing now? Drawing disability I imagine?”

“Yes but I am also working. I have a job with Jim Rockford Private investigations.”

“He’s that cop who was shot a couple of years back, right?”

“Yes he could not be a cop any longer so he opened the agency. He hires a lot of people like me. Vets or ex-cops who still want to work but cannot. Know what I mean?”

“Good for him. So how are you doing?”

“Not bad for a one eyed, one tit, one legged blonde. But you should be asking why I am sitting at your table. And it is not to apologize for breaking up with you years ago.”

“Okay what is it then?”

“Andy we are working a case where our client, a woman, suspects her husband of cheating. We followed him and discovered she is right. Her dirt bag of a husband is cheating with his personal assistant. One of our agents met this other woman at a bar one night just to get some background on her. She is married also but she and her husband have an “open” relationship as she called it. She propositioned our agent but he declined. This girl is a slut. Imagine cheating both on her husband and her boyfriend!”