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Life & Events > Relationships > Duty - Above & Beyond
 

Duty - Above & Beyond

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her, "Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed. I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His son was killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this gentleman's name? "

The nurse with tears in her eyes answered, "Mr. William Grey........."

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posted on Feb 12, 2013 1:29 PM ()

Comments:

I am glad that he didn't have to know that his son had been killed.
comment by elderjane on Feb 14, 2013 5:59 AM ()
Somehow, I think his son WAS there with his father, in spirit . . . .
reply by blogsterella on Feb 14, 2013 4:41 PM ()
A ventilator kept my dad alive until we had all gathered at his bedside. I don't know if he knew we were there or not but I prefer to think he did.
comment by nittineedles on Feb 12, 2013 5:12 PM ()
My sweet little Mother waited for me and my children before she left . . .
comment by blogsterella on Feb 12, 2013 3:34 PM ()
I've often wondered how many people hang onto life waiting for a certain someone to come see them one last time. Not everyone gets their wish.
comment by troutbend on Feb 12, 2013 3:04 PM ()

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