Chapter 16: scars

Liam: Take a guess.

Considering the bullet threading through the mechanic tattoo on his chest and the multiple dog tags intertwining around an AR-15 down his forearm. I could only imagine.

Willow: war?

Liam: Yup. Shrapnel from an IED while in Afghanistan.

Willow: What happened?

Liam: It was my third tour. My special ops team was working with an IED dog team for an extraction ...

Dog found all but one.

Willow: What happened to the dog?

He chuckles

Liam: She made it!

I let out a sigh.

Willow: What about the rest of the teams.

Liam: That day luckily everyone made it out with only minor injuries.

Willow: Did you ever lose anyone?

Liam: Fourth and final tour. We were making a sweep through a Village we had been supplying aid for. My team was ambushed. We took heavy fire through out the night before back up arrived. lost two good men.

He pointed a large indented round scar in his thigh.

Liam: This one went though my femur.

He pointed to a scar running along side of knee.

Liam: This one almost took out my knee. Luckily it was just a graze. If it wasn't for Tom dragging my ass out of the line of fire I probably wouldn't be here.

I kiss the scars along his chest while stroking the stubble along his jaw line with my finger.

Liam: Your turn.

Willow: I know it' a cliche to say it but he really did use to be a good guy. til... last year. He started drinking more, became more controlling.

After the first time he turned on me, I packed my things, went running home to daddy and filed for divorce.

After a couple months my friend Bryan talked me into going to a club to let loose.

Bryan and I were Dancing and for a brief second I felt happy...free til I watched my best friend hit the floor like tree.

He's a big guy about your height. It took a second to register what was happening.

David is screaming at him about being a lier and accusing him of sleeping with me. But Bryan was gay and David knew this. He just kept wailing on Bryan like a rabid animal. I tried to pull him off but was thrown back.

Last thing I remembered was the sound of shattering glass, and flashing lights.

Next thing I knew I was in the hospital. Bryan was there with day old bruises and my dad with tears in his eyes. A man who has only ever cried once in his life when my mom died.

When I asked what was going on. Bryan just took my hand, and buried his face.

My dad walked out of the room. He returned seconds later with a Dr. who explained.

The force from David's blow and the impact of the fall caused a miscarriage and other internal bleeding which lead to an emergency hysterectomy.

I didn't even know that I was....

Tears swell my eyes as Liam pulls me in to his chest bringing me back to the present.