War may be hell but home isnt exactly Heaven either. (RiRister)

Isis comes back with her coffee and sits down beside Andrew. She says in his ear, “Please get well my love. You’re in this sleep so your body can heal better. So just relax and try to remember your past. I will be here when you awake.” She tenses up as she hears a nurse say that his team has arrived and wanted to see Andrew.

He could hear everything around him, but it seemed far off, like in a dream. He heard his angel speaking, and suddenly images began to flash in his mind. Like a black and white old film his life began playing before his very eyes. His meeting Isis, his being a foot ball star, the nervousness of the prom. Then it sped faster and faster. His fights with his father about him not wanting to join the army, his fears of telling Isis, the training, him asking Isis’s father permission to ask Isis to marry him. Her saying yes him leaving for boot camp The explosion the pain, even though he hadnt looked at himself he knew he would look ugly he had seen others after an explosion skin missing, scars


His brain still needed time to heal though. So he remained in a coma, fully away of everything, the endless tests, any one and everyone that was talking to him. But he was still far away. In time his brain would heal though and he would be able to come back to his dear Johanna, if only she would take him back with the way he looked

The squad slowly entered and nodded their heads to Isis "Ma-am" They looked at Andrew but hide their reaction. Their Commanding Officer stepped forward "Ma-am I am Andrews CO, he is a credit to the service" He nodded to his parents "You should all be proud" He paused "I do have some things of his though"

He pulled some items out of his jacket, the first being her correspondences “He slept with these under his pillow when he was at base, and when he traveled he kept them all close to his heart” He handed them to Isis. And next handed her a journal, “I do not know what’s in here, many of the guys use writing to express and unload their frustrations.” He next pulled out the dog tags, “He pulled these off and handed them to someone before he ran to the explosions, he wanted to you to have them, Isis, he loved you, he always talked about you” He gently dropped the dog tags into her hand. Next handed her a small picture album. “There are pictures of you in there, and his buddies.” He looked over at Andrew again seeing one that he had trained so closely, burned on a bed made him feel a little ill. He tuned back to Isis, and his parents “I want you to be secure in the fact that Andrew is going to be honorably discharged, his tour is over and his country of course will not ask any more of him and when his squadron returns there will be a dinner. Andrew will be getting numerous awards.”

Isis looks at Andrew’s CO and takes the journal slowly. “I am glad you all came to see him. I truly am. Right now he is in a medical induced coma so his body can heal. Andrew is not the type of man to show his pain or follow doctors’ orders. So the doctors put him asleep. You and your men can visit as often as you like. I believe he does better when he is around people he is truly close to.”

Andrews men all surronded his bed and began to talk to him telling him to stay strong and keep fighting. Andrew was fully aware of everything around him. Hearing the voices of his men brought even more things into focus. He was beginning to remember everything.

The nurse came in and looked around "He is going to need to have some skin grafting done, but we are low on blood donations" All of the men imeditaly stood "We will donate" Even in his coma Andrew heard this all and was filled with dread. Skin grafting hurt and if he needed it that meant he was badly burned.

Isis looks at the men with tears in her eyes. "Thank you some much." She tenses up as she senses the sadness washing over her lover. She says in his ear, "Come down my love. You are badly but it doesn't matter. You are perfect in my eyes and you always will be." She looks at his parents and says, "I want you both to go home and gather things that calm him."

The men all walked out to Isis "He spoke of you often he was always bragging that he had a angel waiting for him at home, he tresured each of his letters carried them all close to his heart and each carepackage he shared with us that dont get mail. They all smiled and nodded their heads to her. "We will do what it takes, he is very lucky to have you and he is a great Soldier" They all left following the nurse to all donate blood.

Andrew heard her voice and her words and relaxed slightly e wanted to wake up to be with her to comfort her. But the medicne kept him in his coma. His parents nodded "Sounds like a good idea is there anything you need dear?"

Isis looks at his parents and says, “I am fine. I just want him to be comfortable right now.” She watches the men go to donate blood for her lover. When his parents leave, she sits down beside her lover. She checks over his wounds a moment. She says to him, “You are healing up much better now that you can’t fight the meds.” She kisses him softly on the lips. “Your men are donating blood for you so they can work on the skin graphing when you are well enough for the doctors to do so.”

Laying on the bed Andrew could hear his men leave and then his parents. He was alone with her know and he still tried to fight the medicine induced coma. He wanted to be able to comfort her. The kiss on his lips though calmed him

Her voice calmed him and he allowed himself to be calmed and sleep a little bit.

The nurse came in back with the doctor and the Soldiers. "With him being in a coma we think its best we start the skin grafting. We will be taking some skin from his inner legs and with some donated blood here the burns on the face should be lessoned but I do warn you its going some time still before the bandages can come off completly.

Isis looks at the nurse and says, “I understand. Just do what you can for him. The less burns he sees, the more he will feel like himself. I know some creams that will lessen the appearance of the scars he will gain from this.” She looks at her lover and says, “Please watch his heart rate closely during the skin graphing. He likes to scare people sometimes by slowing it down.”

Hearing that he was going to have skin grafts he again grew nervous. But even deep in his coma he had to laugh at himself. Isis knew him to well, he did like to play jokes.

He again tried to force himself out to comfort her but His brain still needed time to heal though. So he remained in a coma, fully aware of everything, the endless tests, any one and everyone that was talking to him. But he was still far away. In time his brain would heal though and he would be able to come back to his dear Isis, if only she would take him back with the way he looked.

The doctors and nurses began the skin grafting useing his extra skin and dontated skin. Those that matched his blood type were given to him
he felt the skin grafts, the utterly painful skin grafts. He wanted to scream out in pain but he was unable to. To far away to ask for anything but not to far to feel the pain, more blood transfusions and more operations to remove the bullet fragments from his body.

Each day Andrew was being operated on for hours a day then had to be kept in ICU so no infections could get to him. Isis could still sit with him. But he had to be kept away from all germs. Two weeks went by and the doctors were ready to begin to bring him out of the coma.

((Hope you dont mind me jumping forward a little bit))

Through every surgery Isis sat and waited for her beloved Andrew to make it through okay. Every day to her was torture seeing him so carved but she made him a promise to stick beside him through it all. She would work on her computer at night so she could watch his vital signs during the day. When the weeks were finally over and they were going to let him wake up, she was so happy. She calls his parents to let them know he will be woken up at noon. Isis goes back into Andrew's room. She says in his ear, "You finally get to wake up today. Now keep in mind some of your surgery scars are not healed yet. So you need to take it easy okay. I am telling you this instead of the doctor because you listen to me better than them. They will start to wake you up at noon. Your mother would throw a fit if you wake up before she gets here." She kisses him on the lips.

The pain was unbelivalbe but he hear his Angels voice his sweet Isis. He world his everything. He heard that they were going to wake up up, finally he was going to be ale to hold his sweet Isis.

Noon came and all of Andrews squad was in there and his parents the medicne was given and Andrew slowly woke up

Andrew opened his eyes seeing his CO there he tried to sit up but the CO held is palm up. “Hello Sir” He looked passed him and saw his sweet Isis “Hey baby come here!” He had no idea how long he was out, but he did remember his Isis, but did not remember not remembering her

Isis smiles some as Andrew begins to wake up. She smiles brightly as he says her name. Tears go down her face as she hugs him gently. “You are finally awake and you know my name again. I am so happy.” She kisses his him all over and very gently. She was so happy that he is awake. She looks at the doctors a moment knowing full well that they would have to do more tests on his legs to see if he would walk again. But she would not worry about that right now.

"Why wouldnt I know your name" Andrew asked confused. "Did you find someone else when I was gone?" He asked with a bit of a pout. As she kissed him he chuckled. "Isis I love you too my Angel" He of course did not remember being in a coma but he did faintly remember being somewhere dark and lonely and hearing her sweet voice.

He turned to his squad in the room "Men, welcome home" They all looked at him in awe.

"Welcome back you" They all said Andrew chuckled


"Thank you" He said softly holding is Isis.

The doctor cleared his throat

"I see all is well for now, I shall leave you for a bit" Andrew looked at Isis "What does he mean for now?"

Isis strokes his cheek and says, "Hun you have been in a medical induced coma for about four months. Before you were put in the coma you had no memory of me or anyone else for that matter." She sighs as the doctor was not helping her explain this to him. She looks at Andrew and says, "Hun you are most likely going to be in a wheelchair from now on. You have almost no feeling or movement in your legs.

As his sweet Isis explained things Andrew shook his head. How could he ever forgot his sweet Isis? They were going to be married. He softly rubbed her cheek. "I am so sorry my love"

But as she went on the real shock hit him. He was paralized? he couldnt belive it. What had happened? He remembered a little bit but there were holes in his memory of his time in Afganistain. His eyes began to tear up but he quickly whiped them clear a Soldier was not suppose to cry. His CO seeing it shook his head.

"Private Hebden crying does not make you weak, you have been through a lot" He paused. "I have been told that you are to be awarded many medals including the purple heart and others" Andrew was shocked. The CO continued "You will be given a full medical discharged with full honours" He then saluted him and turned to Isis "Maam you are a strong woman, Andrew is very lucky to have you. If you ever need anything just let us know" He lightly squeezed her shoulder.

Each of the men came forward to Andrew spoke a little then turned to Isis and said the same thing that she could come to them for anything then left them Alone. Andrews mother gushed over him until his father pulled her away sensing that Isis and Andrew needed to be alone for a bit.

Andrew turned to Isis "My love, you stayed, you stayed through this all" He brought a hand to his face and felt the bandags and saw them on his hands "Whats this?"

Isis looks at the men as they all leave. She says, "I stayed because I love you." She watches him slowly and says, "You got badly burnt while saving your men. We did skin graphing so you wouldn't have to deal with so many scars." She kisses his knuckles. "I didn't want you to think just because you have some scars that I wouldn't want you. I hope I did the right thing." She looks at his legs a moment. "No matter how things turn out, I will stick by your side." She knew this is going to be hard on them both.

The tears came to his eyes again. "Come here my sweet" He went to pull her into the bed. He just wanted to be close to her. "I love you and I think I am the luckiest man, so many of the guys got letters from their women telling them they had found someone else. Dear John letters they are called"

He brougt a hand to her face. "What do you mean the right choice my love, I am here arent I? I am preety sure you made the right choice my love so take heart" He took her hand and tried to kiss her but with all the bandages it was a little more heard.

He shook his head "I am sorry you have to see me like this my love" He swallowed hard he could see the pain and wearness in his face. "Isis how about you call a nurse to help move my legs then come cuddle with me, I think you are needing a rest have you slept much at all"

Isis looks at him a moment and says, “I will get a nurse my love. But it will hurt you a bit to be move.” She goes out of the room and has a nurse come in. the two of them move his body slowly so they would not hurt him too badly. Then the nurse refills the pain med bag just in case he needed it. Then she leaves the two lovers alone. Isis looks at him calmly before getting in the bed with him. “The doctors are going to give your body a few weeks to heal before they work on fixing your legs. They are not sure if the paralysis is here for good or just a result of stress and will go away with time.”

Watching Isis walk out of the room he attemtped to sit up to look at his legs but failed. He looked around for any form of refelctive so he could see himself but it seemed that it had all been moved away from him. He laid back down just as the nurse came in. Being moved didnt hurt has much as he feared partly cause he was paralized and partly cause they were both so gentle with him.

Once he had more meds and they were alone and he climbed into bed with him he snuggled into her "I love you Isis and I am sorry I scared you like this" He licked his lips. "I hope I walk again so we can share our first dance that is if you still want to marry me"

Isis looks at him and says, "Of course I still want to marry you whether you walk again or not." She holds him close to her. "My love you should know me better than to expect me to dump you over such stupid things." She strokes his good cheek gently. "My love for you is true and I shall not abandon you." She closes her eyes to relax.

Andrew grinned "I guess I knew that I just wanted to make sure, I know this isnt what you wanted my sweets" He nuzzled her face "I love you" Then as she relaxed Andrew smiled and relaxed with her. Then smiled "You know something I do remember?" He paused. "All the men were jelous, they all thought I had the sexiest woman waiting for me" He chuckd "I tend to belive" Then he kissed the top of her head then sighed and closed his eyes. The meds took away most of the pain but made him tired as well.

"I love you Isis so much" He whispered again then let her relax in the silence.

Isis looks at Andrew with a smile. “Andrew all I have ever wanted is you. True I never thought things would turn out this way but I am just happy to have you back.” She cuddles into him gently as he talks to her about something he remembered. “Hun now you are just teasing me.” She sighs some as they relax in the quiet room. Not long after and she started to drift into sleep.

Grinning at her words Andrew chuckled "You have me my love" He grinned again when she claimed he was teasing "I am not teasing you" Andrew smilied "They were all jelous but you are all mine" He held her close "I love you" He listened to her until he was certain that he was certain that she was alseep. Then pressed the call botton for the nurse when she came he motioned for her to be quiet.

"Can I have something for sleep, but with out the dreams?" The nurse nodded and returned a couple minutes later with a small cup of a liqud Andrw drank it and snuggled into the sleeping Isis. He slipped into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning Isis wakes up feeling well rested for the first time in months. She gets out of the without waking her love from his rest. She tenses up some as she sees her boss Mr. Hanes out in the waiting room. She goes to his side and asks, “What are you doing here, Mr. Hanes?” He smiles some and says, “I was hoping to find out how the speech is coming.” She says, “Oh I forgot to email it to you last night.”