Laura Mathews

Best friends having to deal with one of them losing both legs in a war neither of them particularly wanted to fight in is bad enough. Add the fact both of them feel guilt for their emotions following the explosion, and you have the makings of a very dramatic situation. Andre and Billy of this story are stubborn men as well as proud, so it took quite some doing for them to figure out how hey really felts and how to deal with their new situation.

Andre is the one who takes the initiative. He never got over his unresolved feelings for Billy (even though he was dumb enough to reject “more” when it was offered), and seeing Billy vanish from his sight in the medical helicopter was too much. Now that his military commitment has ended, he turns up on Billy’s doorstep, hoping to rekindle, or rather start, their relationship.

Billy has felt guilty for wishing it hadn’t been him, is frustrated with his lack of progress, and to top it all off, he made some mistakes when signing his papers dismissing him from medical care, so now he has to pay for prosthetic legs by himself. And there is only one way to get the money… He hates what he has to do, and asks Andre to come with him for moral support—which is when everything comes to a head and they actually start talking. Finally!

If you like stories about men dealing with a total reorientation of their lives, if you enjoy reading about best friends who have wanted more from each other for years but lacked the courage to ask for it, and if you’re looking for a thoughtful read about dealing with the loss of both legs and rediscovering the joy of living, then you will probably like this free short story.… (mehr)