{"id":1065,"date":"2019-02-10T21:59:58","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T02:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/read.whitefire-publishing.com\/?p=1065"},"modified":"2020-07-28T17:46:52","modified_gmt":"2020-07-28T21:46:52","slug":"well-meet-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitefire-publishing.com\/read\/well-meet-again\/","title":{"rendered":"We\u2019ll Meet Again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We\u2019ll Meet Again<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

by Melody Carlson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now in its third year, World War II still rages, taking its toll on everyone. On the home-front, the Mulligans continue to face war-related challenges . . . and patience wears thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret is pulled in various directions as she attempts to care for her toddler and disabled husband Brian, who\u2019s haunted by mistakes made on the battlefield\u2014and their marriage is put to the test. Colleen is still pursuing her Hollywood career, but will the arrival of her baby change everything? And with Navy pilots being shot down daily, will Geoff escape the odds and make it safely home?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bridget still serves as an Army nurse in the Pacific front, where not only her life, but health and heart are in harm\u2019s way. Molly continues to do her part to help her family<\/a> and find her place in the world, but when her relationship with Patrick gets shaken to the core, she heads off on a journey that leaves her family conflicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The war will eventually end, but will the Mulligan family remain intact when it does?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Chapter 1<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Late April 1944<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret knew it was irrational, but she still felt somewhat\nresponsible for Brian\u2019s war injury. Oh, she knew she hadn\u2019t actually thrown the\ngrenade that cost her husband his right leg while leading his troops through\nItaly, but she felt guilty all the same. If only she\u2019d attended Mass more\nfaithfully, lit more prayer candles, recited the rosary more often\u2014or, most\ntroubling, if only she\u2019d been a more faithful wife\u2014perhaps poor Brian would\nstill be whole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite going to confession weekly\nand doing the penance imposed by Father McMurphey, Margaret still couldn\u2019t\nshake the idea that God wanted to punish her. And why not? Didn\u2019t she deserve punishment?\nYet it seemed unfair that Brian was the one to suffer\u2026all because of her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Margaret drove through the\nmorning fog to Letterman, she tried to redirect her mind to more positive thoughts\u2014like\nFather McMurphey, who had been encouraging. She reminded herself of how little Peter\nwas saying more words and how helpful old Mrs. Bartley had been at the store\nthese past few months. And it was so great that Colleen was home\u2014and expecting\nher first baby. Those were all good things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet as she turned into the\nvisitors\u2019 parking lot at the imposing military hospital, all her happy thoughts\nevaporated. All she could think about was packing her wounded serviceman into\nthe backseat of this car and transporting him home. Her stomach knotted as she\npulled into an empty space, and her hands trembled as she removed the key from\nthe ignition. She wanted to be strong, wanted to be upbeat, wanted to be like\nMrs. Miniver from the Greer Garson movie. But it was so hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just last night, when she held an emergency\nplanning meeting with the family to discuss how to handle Brian\u2019s unexpected\ndischarge, Margaret had put on a brave front, assuring her family and Brian\u2019s\nthat she could handle this. But now she could barely hold back the tears\u2014she\nwanted to run away and let someone else deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPut your best foot forward,\u201d\nColleen had advised this morning as she adjusted Margaret\u2019s headpiece. The\nlatest fashion, straight from Hollywood, was a gorgeous teal blue beaded\nfascinator that Margaret hoped would help conceal how distraught she really felt.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret checked her image in the\nrearview mirror, retouching the lipstick that she must\u2019ve chewed off during the\nshort drive here. \u201cGod give me strength,\u201d she prayed aloud as she snapped her\nhandbag closed and got out of the car. Various family members had offered to\naccompany her this morning, but Margaret knew this was her cross to bear. She\nalso knew that everyone was busier than ever these days. Mam was caring for\nMargaret\u2019s toddler Peter today, and Molly had university classes as well as her\ninternship at the newspaper. Colleen, despite her morning sickness, was working\nat the store, and Dad, well, he was supposed to avoid all forms of stress and\nstrain. As if that were possible. All one had to do was turn on the radio or\npick up a newspaper and blood pressure was certain to rise. This horrible war\u2026would\nit ever end?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t just her family that was\nbusy. Brian\u2019s dad was trying to round up a wheelchair, and his mom was busily\ngetting their house ready for their wounded hero\u2019s homecoming. It had been\ndecided last night at their emergency meeting that Brian could be best cared\nfor at his parents\u2019 home since they had a spare bedroom on the first floor. And\nMrs. Hammond had seemed comfortable with the unexpected chore of caring for her\ndisabled son. That was a relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family member Margaret truly\nlonged for as she walked through the parking lot was her sister Bridget\u2014well,\nbesides her big brother Peter, but there was no bringing him back from the\ndead. As a trained army nurse, no one would be more skilled than Bridget to\nhelp with Brian\u2019s recovery. But Bridget was God-knew-where in the South Pacific\nright now, caring for other wounded soldiers\u2026some who would be sent back to the\nbattlefield, some who would come home to better-equipped hospitals, and some\nwho would not survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank God that Brian\u2019s alive,\u201d\nMargaret said beneath her breath as she entered the lobby of the busy military\nhospital. By now she was fairly used to Letterman and barely shuddered to see a\npair of severely wounded servicemen sitting in wheelchairs parked in a nearby\nhallway. The facility was filled to nearly overflowing. That was why Brian was\nbeing discharged this early, even though, according to the doctor, he was still\nin the healing process. Not only with the leg, but his cracked ribs and some of\nthe other injuries would take time. But to be fair, most of the patients here\nwere in worse shape than Brian\u2014and space was limited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holding her head high, Margaret stopped\nat the nurses\u2019 station, where the head nurse greeted her. Before long, she was\nsigning discharge papers and listening as the head nurse explained about future\noutpatient treatment and therapy, mostly reiterating what the doctor had told\nMargaret yesterday when she\u2019d been informed that Brian could go home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese pills are for pain.\u201d The\nnurse handed Margaret an amber prescription bottle. \u201cJust follow the\ndirections.\u201d A pamphlet joined the bottle. \u201cAnd this has some helpful hints for\ncaring for an amputee.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret placed the items into her\npurse and thanked her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, then, I guess we\u2019re set.\u201d The\nnurse nodded toward Brian\u2019s ward. \u201cUnless you have any questions for the\ndoctor. Although he\u2019s quite busy this morning. A new shipment of patients is expected\nto arrive soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret just shook her head then,\nbracing herself, followed the nurse into Brian\u2019s ward. She felt slightly\nrelieved to see Brian fully dressed and seated in a wheelchair. She smiled as\nshe greeted him. \u201cYou look like you\u2019re ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nodded with what was clearly a\nforced smile, and before long, with the help of a sturdy orderly and the\nsupervision of the head nurse, they were loading him into the backseat of the\ncar. She clumsily attempted to arrange the pillows she\u2019d brought along, hoping\nshe could make him comfortable but fearing she was only making it worse. If\nBrian was in pain at the jostling and bumping, he didn\u2019t say a word. But, of\ncourse, he was probably used to pain by now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere\u2019s a blanket.\u201d She offered him\nthe woolen lap robe as the hospital staff departed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d He pushed it away.\n\u201cIt\u2019s not cold. Let\u2019s just get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, of course.\u201d She hurried into\nthe driver\u2019s seat, trying not to tremble as she started the engine. She did not\nwant to cry. Please, don\u2019t cry!<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo\u2026where are you taking me?\u201d he\nasked in a flat tone. \u201cOr perhaps you\u2019d like to simply toss my carcass into the\nbay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrian!\u201d<\/em> She stopped at the edge of the parking lot, turning to\nstare. To her relief his lips were curved slightly up\u2026but his eyes were dark\nand somber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, honey.\u201d He grimaced.\n\u201cI guess I just feel a bit useless at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are not<\/em> useless,\u201d she declared, but before she could elaborate, the\nsound of a car horn made her jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKeep moving,\u201d Brian commanded.\n\u201cSomeone back there sounds impatient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret returned her focus to\ndriving, reminding herself that she was transporting a seriously injured man\nand needed to proceed carefully. As she drove, she tried to think of a gentle way\nto inform him of where he\u2019d be staying during his continued recuperation. She\nfelt certain he wouldn\u2019t be pleased with the news. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all met last night,\u201d she began\ncarefully, stopping for a traffic light. \u201cEveryone agreed that it\u2019s best for\nyou to stay at your parents\u2019. You know, because they have a first- floor\nbedroom and your mom\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He released a loud groan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really wanted to bring you home\nto the apartment above the store, but they all talked me out of it. There\u2019s the\nstairs\u2026and the bathroom\u2019s downstairs and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, I know. I understand. But\nbeing back at Mom and Dad\u2019s\u2026\u201d He let out a loud sigh. \u201cWell, it figures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can start looking for a place,\u201d\nshe said suddenly. \u201cSomething that\u2019s on one level and where we can be\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t bother,\u201d he snapped. \u201cFrom\nwhat I\u2019ve heard, there\u2019s a shortage on housing in this town. Probably will be\nuntil the war is over. Maybe longer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, we don\u2019t have to live in\nthe city. We could move out\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got the store, Margaret.\nOur families are here. Of course, we want to live in the city. Don\u2019t be\nridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all true, but what if\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe light\u2019s green,\u201d he declared\nin a sharp tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tears burned in Margaret\u2019s eyes as\nshe passed through the intersection. She knew he wasn\u2019t trying to be harsh and\nthat she should have thicker skin, but none of this was like anything she\u2019d\never expected of their lives together. But why should that surprise her? When\nhad anything in her life ever gone as planned?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you comfortable?\u201d she asked\nmeekly as she turned onto a bumpy street, instantly wishing she\u2019d chosen a\nsmoother route. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs much as I can be,\u201d he said\nstiffly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d She blinked to hold\nback her tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my fault. The nurse tried to\nget me to take pain meds, but I refused. I didn\u2019t want to be doped up for the\nride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She considered offering to stop so\nhe could take a pill but figured it was too late. Instead, she kept her mouth\nclosed and concentrated on avoiding the worst bumps. But by the time she\nreached his parents\u2019 house, she felt like a bundle of raw nerves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere we are,\u201d she said as she parked\nthe car. \u201cI\u2019ll run inside and tell them.\u201d She hurried up to the house where Mr.\nHammond was already emerging with an old wooden wheelchair, his wife just steps\nbehind him with an anxious expression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow\u2019s he doing?\u201d Mrs. Hammond\nasked with wide eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think he might be in some\npain.\u201d Maggie quickly explained about the missed pain medication then reiterated\nthe orderly\u2019s instructions for easing Brian out of the car and into a\nwheelchair. It was an awkward process, but at least they didn\u2019t drop him in the\nstreet. Still, Margaret could see by the firm line of his jaw and the paleness\nof his lips that he was in pain. As soon as they got into the house, she ran\nfor a glass of water and immediately offered him one of the pain pills. He\ndidn\u2019t protest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDad managed to find you a\nhospital bed,\u201d Mrs. Hammond said pleasantly as they wheeled him into his old\nchildhood room\u2014the same room Margaret had occupied after Peter was born. To her\nrelief, all the childish d\u00e9cor and dusty school pennants were gone. It smelled\nas if Mrs. Hammond had done some thorough cleaning, but the stripped-down space\nnow had a rather stark and clinical appearance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere is Margaret going to stay?\u201d\nBrian demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMargaret?\u201d Mrs. Hammond\u2019s brows\narched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, she\u2019s my wife. Shouldn\u2019t she\nbe here with me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut we all decided that it was\nbest for Margaret and little Peter to remain in their apartment above the store,\u201d\nMrs. Hammond explained. \u201cDidn\u2019t she tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian frowned darkly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI meant to tell you, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf Brian would like to have his\nfamily here,\u201d Mr. Hammond intervened, \u201cI don\u2019t see why we can\u2019t accommodate\nthat. Right, Louise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, if everyone thinks that\u2019s for\nthe best.\u201d Mrs. Hammond sounded uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s best,\u201d Brian said\nfirmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. Hammond glanced at Margaret.\n\u201cIs that going to work for you, dear? I must say I would love having little\nPeter here full time. And I can help with him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll let you use Patrick\u2019s room\ntoo,\u201d Mr. Hammond declared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have to relocate my sewing\nand we\u2019ll need to get a\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to get Brian into bed,\u201d\nMr. Hammond said with authority. \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019s worn out from the trip home.\nYou ladies can discuss the living arrangements later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Margaret and Mr. Hammond\nmanaged to hoist Brian into the bed, but seeing the beads of sweat on Brian\u2019s\nforehead told Margaret that he was in pain. \u201cHopefully that pill will start to\nwork soon,\u201d she quietly told him as his parents exited the small room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI should\u2019ve taken it earlier,\u201d he\nmuttered between his teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She went around the bed, gently\ntucking in the blankets, taking extra care on his right side\u2026where the lower\nhalf of his leg was missing. \u201cCan I get you anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shook his head. \u201cJust need to\nrest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d She leaned over to kiss his\nsmoothly shaved cheek. \u201cWelcome home, darling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d His voice sounded flat\nand dull, mechanical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll feel better soon.\u201d She\nslowly backed out of the room. \u201cJust give yourself time, Brian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He simply stared blankly at her,\nas if doubting her words. Then he closed his eyes, and she closed the door. Time<\/em>\u2026 They would all need lots of time\nto get beyond this. And even if the old adage were true, that time could heal all\nwounds, she knew all the time in the world would never replace Brian\u2019s missing\nleg. Or anything else that they\u2019d lost since this stupid war began. <\/p>\n\n\n