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Kindle Edition
Amazon
Category:
Family
Publisher: Amazon
ISBN-10: 1980844186
Type: Fiction
Pages: 108
Copyright: April 16, 2018
ISBN-13: 9781980844181
Six months after returning home from combat, a wounded helicopter pilot commands rescue missions in support of crews fighting a forest fire. “One Wounded Pilot” is the story of how that female Army helicopter and her family came to be in that helicopter.
Six months after returning home from combat, a wounded helicopter pilot commands rescue missions in support of local county crews fighting a forest fire. “One Wounded Pilot” is the story of how that female Army helicopter pilot and her family came to be in that helicopter flying rescues through the smoke.
US Army Warrant Officer Second Class Rachel Levine suffers from burns to her face and shoulder. Her leg and wrist have been broken. She has spent the last few months in Army hospitals before being allowed to return home. She suffers from the types of stress disorders one would expect of a combat veteran, but the burns on her face have scorched more than her skin. They have made her question her understanding of herself.
Her road to recovery will involve her extended family, her employees at the company she and her sister have inherited from their father, and a court case where she defends not only her own honor, but that of her new-found friends.
Physical and mental therapy find their place in her busy schedule where she also creates time to make and help new friends with their combat related stress disorders.
Thoroughly grounded in a strongly religious background, she finds that she must forgo one of the most sacred holidays to assist her police officer brother-in-law by piloting a helicopter performing search and recue missions in the face of an approaching forest fire. This is exactly the sort of mission she ran in combat and is the situation she fears the most. Facing her fears with the help of her family and friends, they fly into the smoke to perform the rescues.
This story contains no sex, no violence, no foul language, and it has a happy ending.
This book is suitable for pre-teens through adults, but it is not suitable for evangelicals.
Excerpt
One Wounded Pilot
And the Family that Loves Her
By Robert H. Cherny
4stagewalker@gmail.com
Copyright 2018 by Robert H. Cherny
Kindle Edition.
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon and buy your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this and all authors.
Six months after returning home from combat, a wounded helicopter pilot commands rescue missions in support of crews fighting a forest fire. “One Wounded Pilot” is the story of how that female Army helicopter pilot and her family came to be in that helicopter.
This book, like most of my work, is not suitable for evangelicals.
Chapter One
Struggling with her crutches, recently discharged US Army Warrant Officer Second Class Rachel Levine staggered from the taxi. The seam in the leg of her dress uniform had been opened to allow room for the cast on her leg. She could have worn a skirt, but with the difficulties of moving around, she felt that the pants version of the uniform would be safer. A black wrist brace poked out from the sleeve of her jacket. Bandages obscured part of her face. The taxi driver carried the luggage to the front porch and set the suitcases at the feet of the woman who was waiting at the top of the steps.
The woman on the porch shouted, “Welcome home!”
“It’s good to be home, Sis.”
The woman on the porch turned back into the house, and shouted, “Mikey, Gabrielle, Aunt Rachel’s here. Come help with the luggage.”
Rachel was about to protest that she did not need help when she heard a “two-fingered” wolf whistle from the porch across the street. She turned to see two elderly women waving, and beckoning for her to come to them.
“Hey, Hotshot, get over here!” One of the women shouted. The other giggled.
The trees in the front yard were draped with dozens of yellow ribbons. Rachel wondered how she could have not noticed that on her ride there.
Rachel paid the taxi driver and looked back to her sister. She made a motion for her to go visit the ladies as she, and the kids hauled the luggage inside.
“Hotshot” had been her nickname in high school. She hated it then and was not exactly fond of it now, but the woman who called to her could call her whatever she wanted, and get away with it. The woman’s kids were a few years older than her, and they had long ago moved away, but the woman had always been someone she could talk to. She had been a surrogate grandmother to half the kids on the block. Still, the well-intentioned “Welcome Home” sign over the front porch, and the yellow ribbons did not have the desired effect. Warrant Officer Levine sighed as she attempted to cross the tree-lined street.
In the months since her helicopter had been shot down, Warrant Officer Rachel Levine had become proficient at maneuvering with the crutches when she was on firm ground. The burns had mostly been confined to her face and upper arm. The injury to her wrist and the burns were almost healed. The cast on her leg would come off soon. Stairs were still a challenge and getting into, and out of vehicles was difficult, but her capabilities were improving. Still, her mobility came at a price. Every step hurt. Her leg hurt. Her back hurt. Despite the pain, being home was better than being in a hospital bed.
“Mrs. Overton, Mrs. Bishop, thank you for the lovely sign over the porch, but I am not a hero.”
“But you are our hero, right, Mildred?”
“Yes, Natalie, she is. Does a conquering war hero give a lonely old lady a hug?”
Rachel laughed. “Of course, and since when has either of you been lonely?”
“Since you left?”
“I don’t believe that for a minute.” She held out her arms.
“Group hug!”
The three stood on the porch for a long embrace while Rachel did her best to not fall over.
“We heard you brought home a bunch of wounded soldiers even though your helicopter was on fire.”
Rachel shook her head. “It wasn’t on fire most of the time, only at the end. I was scared is all. I knew that if I crashed into enemy territory, I would not last a week. They don’t treat American women very well over there. They like women pilots even less, and Jewish women, especially pilots, don’t stand a chance. If I wanted to live, I had to come back, and that meant bringing everyone else back with me.”
“But you did bring them home.”
“Yes, I did. I totaled the chopper to do it, but we did make it back to base, barely, and everyone lived to tell about it. We crashed just inside the perimeter fence.”
“Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, right?”
“I didn’t walk away from that one.”
Rachel turned to look inside the house and the source of a strange noise. “What is that I’m hearing?”
“Abigail and Barney are practicing for their Bar Mitzvahs.”
“Is Abigail thirteen already? Have I been gone that long?”
“Yes, and yes. Rachel, you’ve been gone half a lifetime. You can’t expect to waltz back here and find everything as it was,” Mrs. Bishop scolded.
“I understand.”
“Abigail was less than a year old when you joined the Army. She only knows you from video chat, and your infrequent visits,” Mrs. Overton added.
“And those weren’t always wonderful,” Rachel admitted.
“It’s been two years since the last time you’ve been back. That visit was a disaster. You’ve missed a lot. Kids grow fast,” Mrs. Bishop said.
“And it’s not like I’ve written to the family like I should.”
“You did know that your father died.”
“Yes, the doctors wouldn’t let me come to the funeral.”
“That’s what we heard.”
“And I heard that Karen took over the business.”
“Your sister is smart, and she’s done an excellent job with the company. You should be proud of her. You know your dad sold a lot of air conditioners in this town, and most of the towns around here.”
“I remember. He loved his work, and always did the best he could for people.”
“Your dad was the best. We miss him.”
“So why are Abigail, and Barney practicing here? I would think they would be in their own houses.”
“They’re thirteen. They want to be together. Besides, they don’t want to embarrass themselves in front of family. They don’t want anyone to hear them make mistakes. They know we won’t pick on them every time they hit a wrong note. Besides, do you remember what you were like at thirteen? Would you have trusted yourself alone with a member of the opposite sex without supervision?”
“Probably not.”
“Your sister was adamant that they not be left alone for more than a few minutes at a time. We agreed to chaperone. They’re adorable together, and they’re good for each other. You’ll see.”
“Well, Karen comes by her concerns naturally,” Rachel observed.
“You were no slouch in that department either, as I remember.”
“Aunt Rachel!”
A young girl came barreling out of the house, and almost knocked Rachel over before she realized that the crutches were not as much support as they seemed. A boy followed her. Where the girl was excited to see her heroic aunt, the boy kept his eyes downcast and avoided contact.
“Aunt Rachel, this is my boyfriend, Barney. Barney, this is my Aunt Rachel just back from Afghanistan.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” Barney whispered.
“The pleasure is mine,” Rachel replied.
“How was your flight? Was the seat cramped with the cast?” Abigail bubbled with excitement.
“The gate agent upgraded me to first class,” Rachel replied.
“That was nice. Did you sit next to anyone famous?”
“No, but I sat next to a very nice lady who owns a string of car dealerships.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Finding and keeping good salespeople. She said that’s the key to her success.”
“Sounds boring,” Abigail said.
Rachel laughed. “Actually, it was fascinating.”
Mrs. Bishop leaned over to Rachel, “So, Hotshot, how many broken hearts did you leave over there?”
“None,” Rachel replied.
Abigail raised an eyebrow, “Really? Mom seems to think otherwise.”
“I thought you had a relationship with some hunk-a-licious fighter pilot,” Mrs. Overton said. She started to sing “Danger Zone” complete with hand motions until Rachel cut her off.
“Yeah, that didn’t work out, and it was two years ago. He rotated back to the States, and told me that it had been real, and it had been fun, but it hadn’t been real fun.”
“That’s cold!” Abigail said.
“Yeah, well, what can I say?”
Mrs. Bishop offered, “When you were in school, you could have had your pick of any of the boys there.”
“Perhaps, but that never worked out either,” Rachel admitted.
“Not for lack of trying,” Mrs. Overton pointed out.
“So, you’re a footloose, and fancy-free, Hotshot,” Mrs. Bishop said with a giggle, knowing full well that Rachel bristled at her teasing her with the nickname.
Rachel pointed to the cast on her leg that covered from her ankle to her knee and half her thigh. “I would hardly say that I was footloose.”
“But we do need to fix you up with someone nice before someone evil gets his claws into you,” Mrs. Overton said.
Rachel sighed. “Mrs. Overton, with all due respect, you tried to fix me up with a dozen boys when I was in high school, and every single one was a disaster. Don’t do it again. Please?”
Mrs. Bishop smiled, “Besides, there aren’t a lot of available men your age worth having in this small town.”
“Stop it. Please? I need to get healthy. I need to let my bones mend, and the scars need time to heal. I need a lot of physical therapy, and none of that is pleasant. I do not need distractions.”
“Well! Be that way!”
Rachel slowly shook her head as an idea came to her. Rachel assessed her niece staring at her with admiration. This hero-worship thing was going to get old fast. “Abigail, what do you do after school?”
“I’m in a couple of clubs, but nothing I really care about.”
“Barney, what about you?”
“Just chess club, ma’am.”
“I need a favor,” Rachel said. “Except, I don’t expect to get something without giving something in return. I need someone to help me with my physical therapy. I can’t do it alone, and I won’t go to the clinic every day to be treated like some hardship case. I’ve seen the looks in their eyes. They mean well, but I don’t want to deal with it. So, here’s the plan. I’ll assist you with your Bar Mitzvah passages, and your homework. I’ll be your chaperone when you need one, and be the friend you can talk to when you need that.”
“Will you teach us to fly?” Abigail asked.
“Now, you’re pushing your luck, kid,” Rachel replied.
“Rachel was in the top ten in high school, and the top one percent in college before she dropped out to join the Army,” Mrs. Bishop offered. “She would have been valedictorian if she hadn’t been in trouble so much. I am sure she can help you with your schoolwork. But, don’t give up on the flying thing.”
“If we want to go to a concert that our parents won’t let us go alone, will you go with us?”
“If they agree, yes, but I do have rules.”
“Cool,” Abigail said.
Barney smiled for the first time. He asked, “Will you need us to change your bandages? I heard you were burned. The tape across your nose is peeling back.”
Rachel reached up to check the tape.
“Rachel, don’t pick your nose!” Mrs. Overton shouted.
Rachel stood open-mouthed at the two grinning old women.
“Gotcha,” Mrs. Bishop said.
Barney said, “Would you like me to fix that for you?”
“If you can,” Rachel replied.
“We can. We’ll be gentle. I hear burns are very painful,” Abigail added.
“It’s not something I want to do again,” Rachel admitted.
Barney gently smoothed the tape back down and patted it into place.
“Thank you.”
Mrs. Bishop said, “You two run along, or you’ll be late for dinner.”
“Yes, Mrs. Bishop.”
Once they were out of earshot, Mrs. Bishop said, “His mom died two years ago. About a year ago, his grades started to slip. Abigail’s been doing everything she can to help him, but I think he needs more than she can give. Perhaps by them helping you, you can help them.”
Rachel smiled. “I’m up for that.”
Abigail turned on Barney as soon as they were out of sight. “Barney, don’t get any ideas.”
“What? What did I do?”
“I saw the way you looked at her. She’s old enough to be your mother.”
Barney stopped and faced Abigail. His face was red with anger. “I don’t care what you think you saw. She’s in a lot of pain, and we can help her. You are my girlfriend. I like that. Don’t mess it up being jealous of nothing. I’m not that stupid, and I’m angry that you think I might be. Don’t do it again.”
Abigail blinked. This was the first time Barney had spoken to her in that tone. Maybe her mother was right. She just needed to make him angry occasionally for him to bring out his true colors. “I won’t. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
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