Chapter 4

Flashback – Tatiana – At the hospital

Thank God Ben behaved himself the rest of the way to the hospital. I suppose I had that old Colonel lady to thank for that. While it excited me that Ben felt 'frisky', there was a time and a place for everything and this was neither the time nor the place for that!

We approached the hospital and the driver announced, "Sir, you need to see what's going on."

The lieutenant laughed and said, "I have already heard about it so do not worry."

Ben demanded, "What the hell is going on?"

I kissed him on the cheek and said, "I do not know."

The BTR-80 stopped, the doors opened and I could not believe it...

Flashback – Masha – Waiting at the hospital

Yes it was unfathomable what was going on at the hospital! This occurrence was normally reserved for the 9^th of May or Victory day. To see how this happened now, with such short notice and almost no planning was extremely touching...

Flashback – Glen

Hot damn! Now this was great! I was watching the Russian report on Sgt. Blaine and the coverage we were getting was priceless. I was not sure who organized this but if it was the Colonel, I owed her big time.

Then my aide interrupted, "Sir, it's your wife on line one - she says it's important."

Even though I knew it would cost me, I ordered, "Tell her I'll call her back later."

Flashback – Ben – At the hospital

The doors opened on the BTR-80, there was a huge amount of cheering and then I heard a fucking band as they tried to play ... Hell no ... They attempted (and not very well) to play ... Fuck me! That's It's A Long Road, the theme song from Rambo.

I looked at Tatiana and asked, "What the fuck is going on?"

She smiled and said, "I would say they are welcoming the 'new Rambo' back to the hospital."

I whined, "Lieutenant, get us the hell out of here!"

Flashback – Colonel Maggie and Jack – At the hospital

I needed to nip this in the bud so I ordered, "Lieutenant, belay that order."

I moved so Sgt. Blaine could see me and ordered, "Sgt. Blaine! Stop being a selfish prick! The people of this town have decided to honor you..."

Tatiana interrupted, "Greatly honor you..."

I continued, "So suck it up Marine! You will attend this celebration, and not only that you will enjoy this celebration. Have I made myself clear?"

Sgt. Blaine looked at Jack and questioned, "Jack?"

I glared at Jack. His face broke out in a wide grin, he laughed at Banzai and said, "Banzai, unless you want the Old Man to send you to Thule, I suggest you follow Maggie's orders. Hell, it's your own damn fault."

Sgt. Blaine again whined, "How the fuck do you figure?"

I answered for him, "Well Sgt., this time you saved the whole damn town from the Chechen terrorists and it looks like it's a spontaneous celebration to honor you. So have I made myself clear?"

If looks could kill, the look I got from Sgt. Blaine would have killed me, but then he said...

Flashback – Ben – At the hospital

I sure as hell didn't like this, not one bit! But I sure as hell didn't want to end up in Thule. So I grumbled, "Yeah, okay."

The Colonel quickly rebuked me, "Excuse me Sgt. Blaine? Is that how you speak to your commanding officer?"

I smartly replied, "Sorry Sir! Yes Sir, I will follow orders!"

Jack and Tatiana carried me out of the BTR-80 and placed me into a new wheelchair while the crowd cheered and waved Russian flags. I got a hell of an idea for later but pretended to enjoy the celebration. Actually there were parts of it I enjoyed quite a bit.

They had a receiving line of dignitaries and some old as hell WWII veterans. Shit, the veterans wore their dress uniforms with all the medals - some of them had a whole side of their uniform covered. But the fucking dignitaries were there just hoping to get votes. I politely shook the dignitaries' hands but spent most of my time talking with the veterans...

Flashback – Glen

This was fucking priceless advertising for the Corps! Sgt. Blaine behaved himself (I was sure Maggie had something to do with that) and he actually seemed to enjoy himself when he talked to the old Russian veterans, spending an extended time with each one of them.

I watched him as he laughed and joked with the veterans then my aide interrupted, "Sir, it's your wife again."

There was no way I was going to miss seeing this so I ordered, "I don't care what the fuck sort of lie you have to tell her, but tell her I can't come to the phone right now."

Then I added, "And make sure to tell me what lie you come up with."

Oh yeah, I was going to pay at home. But then, what else was new?

Flashback – Jens

When I turned around with the big box, mom went on the warpath! "Jennifer, who the hell sent you flowers?"

I truly didn't know so I answered, "Mother, I have no idea."

She ordered, "Bring them over here."

I was scared because the last time mother was this angry at me, she beat me and locked me in the basement until Daddy came home. I shuffled over to her, she snatched the box out of my hands, opened it and I saw the most beautiful bunch of roses I had ever seen.

Who in the heck sent me roses?

Mother picked up a card and read, "All my love, Bennie Blaine."

My heart fluttered! MY BEN had actually and finally sent me roses! And more importantly, he said he loved me!!!

Mother yelled, "That fucking worthless son of a bitch Sergeant is still in love with my daughter! Jennifer you are too fucking good for a lowly Sergeant."

I bravely challenged, "But mother, the roses are for me."

She laughed, "Hell no, the roses are for the trash!"

I was horrified as she took them to the sink, turned on the garbage disposal and fed each rose individually into the disposer.

She gave me an evil grin with each one and declared, "You are too damn good for a lowly Sgt. Don't worry, when the time is right we will find you an up and coming officer who will take your father's place."

I fought back the tears but while mother was busy destroying my beautiful roses, I was at least able to save the card by tucking it into my underwear right next to my most private place.

Mother was finished with the roses then she demanded, "Where the hell is that card?"

I lied, "I don't know. Didn't you already throw it into the disposer?"

She laughed, grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator, took a long drink of alcohol and stated, "Perhaps I did. Now Jennifer what lesson did you learn today."

I replied with what she wanted to hear, "Thank you mother for showing me that my infatuation with Sgt. Blaine is ill advised. I will be happy when you find an officer for me."

She ordered, "Jennifer, I am too tired to take you to school today, so go to your room and study."

I replied, "Yes mother and thank you."

I began to leave and she questioned, "What no kiss for your mother?"

I walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Then she announced, "I'm going to call your father and have him send Sgt. Blaine to Thule forever."

I questioned, "Now may I return to my room?"

She answered, "Oh hell yes, I'm too tired to take you to school. Go to your room and study..."

I left the living room mostly happy, but with mixed emotions. I really missed the roses MY BEN sent me and which my mother destroyed. However, I still had the card which said he loved me.

I entered my room, locked the door, took the card out of my underwear, read it many times before I opened my special hiding place and put it on top of everything else ... I took a moment, picked up the special pencil of ours, kissed it then closed my secret hiding place...

Flashback – Tatiana and Masha – At the hospital

Ben was busy getting the hero's welcome he so deserved. Masha walked up to me and said, "Tatiana I have a package for you."

She hands me what is obviously a flower box, I start to get excited but Masha cautions, "Tatiana I don't think this is from Ben."

I question, "Why not?"

Masha laughs, "Tatiana, you are worse than I am when you are in love. You have thrown all logic out with the baby's bathwater. When did Ben have time to order flowers for you?"

I looked at her and realized she was correct then I worried, "Masha should I open this?"

Masha replied...

I quelled Tatiana's fears, "Tatiana, someone has been sending you terrible packages." Then I informed her about the fecal dog matter bomb and added, "I did have this one x-rayed and it is really flowers."

Tatiana opened the box and swore...

I carefully opened the box of flowers but it was full of dead roses and a big note which said, 'From Ben's real girlfriend! Leave him alone or you will be as dead as these flowers."

I swore, "Tвойу мат!"

Masha looked in the box, read the note and stated, "Tatiana, my Jack has assured me that Ben has no girlfriend in America or any other country. Someone is playing a cruel joke on you."

I looked at Masha and asked, "How would you recommend I react to this threat?"

Masha laughed and stated, "Tatiana, you are one of my best students and if this was a real threat I am sure you could eliminate the threat. If this happened to me I would make sure that I spent even more time with my love."

I liked that idea...

Flashback – Jens

Thank God I made it to my room without getting a beating or being locked in the basement and was able to save the card from my roses. I searched and found a video feed of MY BEN in Russia. He was talking to a lot of old WWII veterans and looked like he was having a good time...