Ollie
Hanging up the phone after saying goodbye to Onyx, I sit back in my chair and gaze out at the water. Holy shit, again I must be dreaming because how is this my life? Not even two weeks ago, I was mooching off my kid sister, living in her house, trying to get my life back in order. Not only was I confused, but I was also devastated and pissed about how the last mission ended and my career went down the drain. I was chaotic and disoriented, wandering through hospital after hospital until I was again Stateside. Lying in that bed, my mind was heading to a very dark place with the belief that I had no purpose any longer. Why was I on this earth and how bad would it be if I wasn’t? Would anyone even miss me? I don’t have a woman in my life or any children, as I made the SEALs my family, so if I suddenly decided that the darkness was a better option no one would even know or care.
That’s when Onyx walked in, eyes sparkling and a huge smile on her face. She managed to bring me back from the brink of death. And by death, I mean mine by my own hands. I’ve never told anyone that, not any of the shrinks, not even my sister. Too close to the actual truth. And after listening to her just now, I realize that yeah, I’m blessed to have her in my life. With dedicating most of my adult years to the military, my friends were my brothers in the SEALs. Relationships weren’t on my mind, just the next mission, but we never had a shortage offrog hogsaround. Unlike a tag chaser, who is a woman who’ll go for any military man: frog hogs only go for the finest, the best of the best. Yeah, that’s right a goddamn SEAL.
Now I’ve had my share of frog hogs, but I knew upfront what it was about just like all the other SEALs. Every time when the team was not on a deployment, if the guys didn’t go back home, we just relaxed and hung out just like any othernormal Joes.
Shaking my head to clear all the mumble-jumble in it, I look out and gaze at the beach and water that is my backyard. Fucking amazing. This alone has given me more solace than any of the many hours spent jawing with the shrinks back in California. When I’m out here like right now, my mind stops. All that shit trying to come to the surface disappears and I just am. For that, I will never be able to thank Half-Pint because she opened the door for this next journey.
Damn, I can’t believe it’s only been just a month—if that—I was sitting with the owners of Cole Security Forces and agreeing to come out and see if there was something out here for me. Jackson and Mark, both former SEALs themselves, left out some of the stipulations of my visit, but I’m cool now. When I first got here, I almost turned around and headed right back until I met some of the other guys and heard their stories, which aren’t that different from mine. Different locations and teams, same fucked-up missions, and same scenarios with the powers that be not giving a damn about casualties.
So as of right now, I haven’t been offered a position, but what I am doing is kind of like part-time consulting. With my knowledge and years spent in Bahrain, if any questions or concerns come up; they come to me for an answer. Well, when I’m not at PT, working out, or talking to the many different shrinks here. That was the part of my visit I found out about when my feet hit the ground. I can’t even drive, how the fuck was I gonna get around not knowing this area at all? So at first, I balked but then it kind of made sense seeing all of the folks here are either former military or their families. So, once I agreed, Mark became my mentor and here we are. He scheduled some of the guys to be my daily drivers, or as they jokingly tease me, driving Mister Ollie around, so my days are filled with doctor and PT appointments, not to mention the shrink sessions. I see a one-on-one shrink and then it was suggested I get involved with a group therapy session. Now that one can get scary, especially for me because I’ve not shared everything that happened on that mission. So, at first my input has been minimal but after getting an earful from the other men and women, it’s making me look at the whole picture. Which from what my shrink told me is the first step.
Hearing some noise under the porch, my ears perk up. Not sure what it is and it’s got my curiosity up, but after a bit, it stops. Trying to decide what’s for dinner, I hear it again but louder. I can’t make it out with the waves crashing into the beach though. Still unsure what it could be, but I am too lazy to get off my ass and see, not to mention I’m still not mobile without the wheelchair. Even though the one Mark provided me with is a thousand times better and the house is equipped for someone with disabilities. After about five minutes the sounds coming from beneath me are loud and very distinctive. The noise seems to be some kind of animal, probably baby animals, and from the squeals they’re starving. Shit. Being from Montana and coming from such a large family of kids, one or the other of us was always bringing home injured animals. Momma made Daddy section off a part of one barn so we could take our patients there and manage them back to health.
So hesitantly, I pull myself into the chair and roll down the ramp. I look up and down the beach to see if there are any injured animals but don’t see a thing. Taking a minute, a thought crosses my mind, so I head toward the front of the house and roll to the street. I look left and then right before about half a block down, I see the lump of fur by the curb. Fuck. I’m in a wheelchair, for Christ’s sake, but start wheeling down the sidewalk until I manage to get by the curb and see the injured animal. Leaning forward all I see is blood, so I’m assuming the furball is dead until I hear a slight moan. Shifting myself and turning the chair to the side, I move my hands down and toward the animal. Grasping its head as gently as I can, I look to see what it is. Goddamn, it’s a cat in very bad shape. Taking a risk but needing to know, I gently lift one back paw, and yeah, guessing this is the momma of what’s under the back porch. My Montana blood kicks in and now I don’t want to lose this family of kittens. But I’m at a loss, I don’t know anyone around here except the few people I’ve been in contact with at the complex. They did give me their numbers, so I decide to reach out to Liam since he’s been the most approachable.
“’Ello’”.
“Hey, Liam, it’s Ollie, don’t mean to bother you but I’ve run into a situation. As you know, I’m staying at the beach house and think I have found some kittens under the back deck. Took a chance and looked around and found the momma, seems like someone ran her over and left her for dead. Any idea what I can do, and more importantly, can someone help me get them to a veterinarian or an animal hospital. This injured cat needs medical care immediately, she’s in pretty bad shape.”
“Shit, let me reach out to Sparkles, she’ll know where to go. Try and bundle the family up but keep the momma separate. If she’s on the way out, toxins can already be building up and you will want to give the kittens a running chance. Wait, Ollie, damn you’re still in your wheelchair, right? Damn, sorry brother forgot about that. How the hell did you—oh never mind—if you can find something to put them in, I’ll call you right back and let you know who will be there to help you.”
Barely getting my thanks out, he hangs up. Feeling awful leaving the momma, I quickly wheel my ass back to the house and look around for something to transport the kittens in. Finding a small wicker hamper in one closet I think can work, I gather some towels and put it to the side. Then I keep looking for something to put the injured momma in. Finally, in the spare bedroom I find an empty Rubbermaid, so again I grab some towels and pack them on the bottom.
I snag my wallet and sunglasses, and while I’m changing from flip-flops to some gym shoes, my phone rings.
“Yo.”
“Ollie, Liam again. Well, Natalie is on her way so give her maybe ten minutes, that’s if she’s not driving like a lunatic. She knows someone who I think she said works at an animal hospital slash shelter, so she’ll take you. Gonna have one of the guys there to help you both, not sure who though. Gotta run, later, man.”
Knowing I have time, I manage to take a piss, brush my hair, and pass a toothbrush over my teeth. I am pretty grubby because I didn’t do much today since no PT and didn’t have to go into the ‘office.’ They usually have me do some shit on the computer but nothing today, so I got a lazy day off. Wheeling back to the front room to wait, again my mind wanders until I hear not one, but two, car doors slam and can hear voices coming up to the door.
Before they can knock, I pull the door open to see Natalie, or better known as Sparkles, with Ladykiller. They both smile at me, and I move out of their way.
“Hey, thanks for dropping everything and giving me a hand with this. Don’t want to be a bigger pain in everyone’s ass than I already am, but I couldn’t just ignore the bunch. The momma is down about half a block on the right side, curled up against the curb, and the babies are under the back porch toward the middle.”
Ladykiller looks down at me, then Natalie.
“Sparkles, you grab the momma but be careful. I’ll go crawl and get the young ones. Ollie, did you find shit to put them in?”
I point to the sectional and they both grab the right containers and get down to business. These folks don’t fuck around at all. Not knowing what I can do, I stay out of their way.