Because of You: A Loveswept Contemporary Military Romance by Jessica Scott

Author:Jessica Scott [Scott, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780345533869
Publisher: Loveswept
Published: 2011-11-14T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Shane didn’t know what to expect when he rolled into physical therapy. He supposed he expected something sobering and depressing. He hadn’t expected cheering and laughter. The small celebration was for a young soldier—no older than twenty-three—who was standing in her prosthetic leg. The joy was contagious, and it slipped in when Shane wasn’t paying attention, buoying his spirits. His heart caught in his throat when the soldier took her first wobbly steps with the prosthetic. The triumph in her face touched him. Deeply. Everywhere he looked, he saw soldiers in motion. Halting, sometimes hesitant, but in motion nonetheless.

Then a soldier who was using a weight machine tucked away in the corner caught his eye. Osterman. He wasn’t watching the celebration and his face was expressionless as he worked his body. He bent his leg into the motion of the machine, but didn’t seem to be making a real effort—his movements were listless, uninspired.

Once upon a time, Osterman had been hell on the heavy weapons systems, especially the fifty-cal. Now, though? Now he looked like life had beaten him down and had taken part of his soul instead of one of his legs.

“It’s just a damn leg. He has another one.” Carponti’s voice interrupted Shane’s thoughts, but for once, Shane didn’t mind.

“So missing an arm doesn’t bother you?” Shane asked.

“I think we covered the only part that bothers me and using my other hand is more like learning a new position.” Carponti scratched his beard. “It’s not the end of the world.”

“Yeah, well, how the hell do we get him to see that?”

“You could kick his ass … never mind. Bad plan.”

Shane groaned at the weak joke. “What the hell can I say to him?”

“This is supposed to be your area of expertise. I ran out of ideas after dick jokes.”

“Let’s leave those as Plan B for now. Wait here, okay?”

He was surprised when Carponti didn’t argue. Osterman shot Shane a quick look as he approached and then looked back down at the weights he was using. “Finally got out of bed, huh?”

“Something like that.” Shane snorted quietly. “Sorry I haven’t been by to see you earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it. No one else has.” Even Osterman’s voice was flat. Lifeless. “Except my fiancée, who looks at me like I’m about to blow my head off every day, and Carponti, of course, who won’t leave me the hell alone. Not everyone thinks dick jokes are funny.”

“You used to laugh at them.”

“Yeah, well, I think I left my sense of humor back there in the sand.”

Shane tried not to stare at the empty space where the rest of Osterman’s leg had once been. He was grasping at straws, desperate for any topic that might span the space between them. “Yeah, well, it’ll find its way home at some point. Hang around Carponti a little more.”

Finally, Osterman met his eyes. “Feels like we’re not part of the unit anymore.”

Shane sighed. “I know. Hell, I can’t even get Captain Davila on the phone downrange.

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