3: Scars Remain Ch. 05

The scene shifted to an erratic and unsteady video camera shot. Just along the edge of the screen, Luke and Kaylee stood in line at the drive-in.

Kaylee instantly recognized the drive-in; it was the very same one she was at right now. She felt like sobbing, remembering what would soon happen. In her mind she could hear the car backfire a split second before it happened onscreen.

BOOM!

The thunderous sound was enough to cause the camera to shake. Luke jumped, but immediately tugged Kaylee's hand and pulled her downwards, covering her body with his as he crouched down low. He wrapped both arms around her tightly in a protective bear hug.

"STAY DOWN," he yelled at Kaylee, shielding her with his body. Down to his core Luke was shaking but he held his position firm, protecting Kaylee. He was reaching for something along his waist, desperately grabbing for something that wasn't there.

Everyone in the line stared at the couple. Most were frozen with shock, but a few were laughing.

Kaylee gritted her teeth, her eyes puffy and red. It hurt watching, reliving that painful moment once again. If Luke were not with her, she would have bolted from the drive-in.

He could obviously hear her sniffing and see her tears. Luke pulled her gently towards him until she settled onto his lap, caressing her head as it fell back into his chest, looking away from the screen.

Luke squeezed her tightly, knowing exactly why she was hurting, and said, "I'm ok, honey. That's in the past. Haven't I been getting better?"

She paused, sniffing. She nodded her head, still buried against his chest.

"Are you ok? Will you watch the rest of the movie with me?"

Slowly picking her head up, she nodded.

"Good. You don't want to miss the next part. Do you want to stay in my lap?"

Again, she nodded, turning her attention back to the screen.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder manifested within Luke in an ugly way," the narrator explained. "The horrors of war had finally caught up with him at home. Every night his head filled with nightmares and every day things that seemed insignificant, like crowds or loud noises, were enough to traumatize him."

Kaylee desperately tried to get through to Luke. Moving in closer, her nose within inches of his, Kaylee desperately placed both of her hands on his face and raised her voice just enough to get his attention, "Luke, Luke, Luke! Look at me, baby."

Luke dropped back down to his knees, still shaking and confused. He momentarily glanced at Kaylee; it was as if he didn't recognize her.

One of the onlookers laughed, "What the ---- is his problem?" It was obvious which key word had been bleeped out.

"Holy ----, are you seeing this," another chuckled.

Grinding his teeth, Luke tried to look around but Kaylee held his head in her hands, gently but firmly, refusing to let him look away from her gaze. Tears began forming in her eyes, his suffering almost too much to bear for her, his mind clearly stuck in a foreign land.

As calmly as she could, she cooed, "Luke, look at me, no one else. Stay with me baby. I'm right here. You're radiant angel is here... remember me? Stay with me, please..."

His head didn't move, but his eyes were darting all around him, gradually beginning to center. Soon, he found Kaylee's eyes.

The beast was starting to leave him; Luke was returning. As his awareness came back, a look of embarrassment and shame crossed his face. It broke Kaylee's heart. "You have nothing to be ashamed about," she whispered to him, kissing his lips.

Luke's eyes watered and he cast his eyes down. Kaylee gently took his chin and raised his head. "You're a hero, Luke. Even before you went overseas, you were always my hero. I mean it; you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed about."

She wouldn't let him avoid the issue. "Luke, I love you, and that's all that matters to me. Do you love me, too?"

After a brief pause, Luke nodded his head in acknowledgement. She wasn't sure if he believed her, but she still smiled through her tears as she witnessed his confidence returning little by little. The emotion running through her was intense, but she knew it wasn't a fraction of what Luke was feeling.

"Of course I love you. I... I'm sor..."

Kaylee cut him off, "Luke, you do not need to apologize for that. There is nothing to apologize for."

Again, Luke reluctantly nodded.

"We're working through it. You'll get better in no time."

Kaylee stood up, coaxing Luke to do the same. She threw her arms around him one last time. "We can go home if you like; we don't have to stay for the movie."

Luke shook his head, quietly whispering to her, "We can stay."

Watching the affair unfold onscreen, Luke smiled while running his fingers through her blonde hair. "My turn to ask. Now that our movie star couple appears to be doing better, do you want to stay and see what happens next?"

Kaylee giggled weakly, wiping away the few remaining tears and nodded, "We can stay."

The narrator said, "Kaylee, the dream girl that once made fun of the young high school boy, stood by Luke every step of the way. No matter how damaged he may have been, nothing deterred her from remaining by his side. Her love for him was unconditional, and she knew he felt the same way about her. The young girl that once could have never imagined studying with a nerd was now head over heels in love with him and was willing to go any length to make sure he was safe."

Once Kaylee was certain that Luke was within arms reach of his Challenger, Kaylee stormed back towards the crowd. Her once calm and peaceful face, put on display for the sake of Luke, instantly turned into a snarl. Staring down every one of them, she screamed, "What the ---- is WRONG with you people?" Even with a very emotional but absent word, her lips were easy to read. She quickly lurched forward, snatching the recorder out of the hands of the cameraman, and threw it on the ground as hard as she could. The screen immediately went black, but the narrator added, "With love so incredibly strong for Luke, Kaylee became not only his biggest supporter on his road to recovery, but also his protector."

Laughter rose up from the audience; a few whistles and even a "go Kaylee!" went up from the crowd. Luke whispered in Kaylee's ear, "That's my firecracker. And that's also the reason I'll always stay on your good side."

Kaylee bit her lip and smiled despite her red face, shaking her head in disbelief, "I thought the memory card was destroyed when I threw that camera down."

"Well, looks like someone was able to repair it," Luke said nonchalantly. He added, "See? I told you you'd want to stay for that part."

A new face appeared on the screen.

"Are you filming," Cindy asked, nervously looking at the camera and uncomfortably fidgeting in her chair despite the warm and comfortable environment containing a rich walnut bookcase and two thriving houseplants in the background.

"Whenever you're ready; take your time," the voice behind the camera said -- the same voice as the narrator.

Kaylee noticed that unlike most of the footage so far, this wasn't a high school version of Cindy; it looked like it was filmed in the present day.

"Ok, so. Kaylee Reed. What can I say about her? We were... pretty good friends in high school all the way up until senior year. Me, her, and Audrey were pretty tight, kind of like the female version of the three musketeers," she said with a smile.

"At first, anyway. We did everything together; cheerleading, drama, you name it. But," she hesitated, "we were kind of stuck up snobs. We really were; not so much Audrey, but especially Kaylee and I. So, when I found out she was being tutored nightly from Luke Patton," she said, eyes downcast on her guilty-looking face, "I really gave her a hard time for it. I mean, it's amazing how immature we all were back then -- especially me. And it kind of cost us our friendship"

She earnestly looked at the camera and said, "I really regret that. I have for years. I wish we were still friends."

Kaylee was clearly saddened by Cindy's honest confession. If her eyes were wet beforehand, they weren't about to dry out any time soon. She had missed Cindy's friendship too, and wondered why she hadn't tried to reconcile with Cindy after all of these years. Maybe it wasn't too late.

"I guess Luke helped Kaylee mature faster than I did." Shaking her head, Cindy said, "no one could have imagined what Luke would become." She quickly elaborated, not wanting to be misunderstood, "I'm not just talking about him being a hero. I mean everything about him -- who he is, the compassion he displays. Everything. I saw how he bent over backwards to help Kaylee study in high school, and he wasn't really getting anything out of it."

Cindy sighed, "I even had the privilege of... kind of... going out with Luke a few times during the rocky parts of his and Kaylee's relationship. I know, I shouldn't have, but he had turned from zero to hero so how could I resist? I'd like to think I had grown up a little by that time. Maybe not. A-anyway, Luke was the perfect gentleman both times. Although when I made him take me to that pool party, he couldn't keep his eyes off of Kaylee no matter how hard he tried. I hated that."

Her scowl turned into a laugh, "Still, he was so nice and attentive; every girl's dream. It was just too bad his heart was with someone else."

It was Luke's turn to blush. Kaylee turned to him with a smile, kissing him on the cheek. "She's right about you. Every word. Especially that last part."

Looking at the camera, Cindy smiled from ear to ear, "So, Luke and Kaylee, if you are watching, I hope you know I wish you two the best. Love you both!"

The screen quickly shifted to Clint Wayne, formerly Luke's lieutenant, standing in the forefront of a small private poolside bar.

"Airman Luke Patton; what can I say about him," Clint said with a knowing smile. "I really don't even have the right words. I mean, what can you say about the guy who saved your life? Not only that, but he risked his life to do so and nearly got himself killed. I was hit multiple times and he laid down fire, drawing the insurgents' attention off of me."

Clint paused, taking a drink from his chilled glass while he tried to figure out what to say next, "We were already evading; it wasn't like we were supposed to engage the enemy. He could have bolted, or hid, or at least fallen back to take fire from a better covered position, but he held his ground to buy time for search and rescue to show up. They airlifted me out of there, but... Luke was left behind."

The look on his face showed discomfort as he reflected back and said, "I've always regretted that. Before all of that, we at least had each other to rely on, but now he was alone."

His face changed, a subtle smile creeping up, "Still, and I have no idea how, but he made it out of there. I can't imagine what he was going through alone, but he made it out. So, imagine my surprise when several months later he calls me out of the blue, looking for a place to stay."

The cameraman asked him, "Did he tell you why?"

Clint shrugged, "No, but I could tell why. I knew why. I'd been there before."

Stoically, Clint said, "He was in a dark place and he didn't see any way out. Even people in the worst of circumstances find comfort in sleeping, or simply closing their eyes. With Luke, that just made it worse because you can't keep your guard up when you're eyes are closed. I didn't know exactly what he was going through back in California, but I was more than willing to take him in for a while."

Scratching the back of his head, he gave the camera a guilty look and said, "I was ok with it except for the Kaylee part. He told me I couldn't tell anyone he was up here; especially her."

Kaylee scowled at Luke. He turned his head away, rubbing her shoulders as if maybe, some how, it might actually take the sting away.

"I mean, I get it; he didn't want to hurt her anymore. But he couldn't see by that action, he was hurting her even worse. I told him it was a bad idea but when all was said and done he did save my life, so I was in his debt. I still feel guilty for lying." Clint looked directly at the camera and awkwardly said, "If you're watching this: Sorry, Kaylee. I know I've told you before, but I really am," as if he was looking right at her.

With a slight curve to his lip, forming a half-smile, Clint turned back to the cameraman and said, "Still, she ended up finding him, anyway. Smart girl."

Turning back to the camera again, Clint said, "Luke and Kaylee, you two deserve happiness, especially after all you've been through. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more than you two. I wish you the best."

The screen once again shifted. This time, both Audrey and Faith were being filmed side by side.

Audrey asked, "Ready?"

The cameraman must have nodded, signifying he was ready, because Audrey started speaking. Nervously waving to the camera, she said, "Hi Kaylee, your two best friends are here. I don't think there is anything we can say that you don't know. I know you and I were there from the beginning, and I think we've grown up a lot. You certainly have, no doubt. Of course, with the whole sandbox thing, you didn't really have a choice. As much as everything that happened to Luke tore me up, I can't imagine what you felt. I just want you to know how proud of you I am, and how strong I think you are. I know you've told me time and time again that you don't deserve Luke. Well, the old Kaylee... not so much. But the new Kaylee, the one watching this on the big screen; you both are so amazing and have been through so much! You definitely deserve each other!"

Audrey continued, "And Luke? I can't think of a better person for her. It's clear how much you adored her from day one, and how much you still do. Take care of my best friend!"

Kaylee sniffed as she watched Audrey pour her heart out. She couldn't have asked for a better friend.

"Kaylee," Faith said, "you might not know this, but I've always looked up to you, since I was a freshman. Well before you knew who I was."

Luke snickered, "Like you didn't know that already."

Kaylee, choked up, pretended to elbow him, "Be nice! That's your sister! You don't know how lucky you are to have her."

Faith continued, "Even when Luke first started to help you study, well before the fireworks incident, you still made me feel important. You took the time to go shopping with me, gave me fashion advice... everything! You really went out of your way to humor me, and somehow along the way I was fortunate enough that it turned into a real, genuine friendship. I just want you to know that Luke is the greatest big brother ever, and he's lucky to have you." It took Faith everything she had to resist crying. She tried to say something else, but she shook her head and waved off the camera, clearly choked up. Audrey put an arm around her.

The scene shifted to Aaron. It looked like he was at a park; a large lake served as the main backdrop.

"Careful with the camera," he said before clearing his throat and putting on a serious face for the audience. "Luke and Kaylee," Aaron said. "I don't even know where to begin with that one. No one on planet Earth could have seen it coming. The nerd and the angel. The loser and the princess. The...,"

The voice behind the camera -- this time Luke's voice -- interrupted, "I think they get it, go on."

Puzzled, Kaylee blurted out, "That's your voice! Is that you filming Aaron?"

Luke shushed her, "I can't hear anything! Quiet, girl!"

Quiet, girl? Defiantly, Kaylee stared Luke down and seductively growled, "Ruff!"

Kaylee had been overwhelmed with a variety of emotions throughout the 'movie', but no other moment so far found her more amused than she was now. Finding it funny and strange and unexpected all at the same time, Kaylee tried not to giggle too loudly.

"Ok, so, that's like every fantasy come true for guys like us." He shook his head, "I don't know how you did it, but well done Luke. You give all of us underdogs hope. You know, it's like you said; girls like that aren't from the same world as guys like me and you. Then again, you've done some amazing things. I suspect you somehow broke free from that world, just to find hers and not only enter it, but turn it upside-down. You've done what no one thought was possible -- probably not even her. Congrats, Luke."

Aaron smiled, "And Kaylee? With all of that being said, I don't think you could have found anyone better."

Kaylee smiled and Luke squeezed her tightly. "He's right," she beamed.

Aaron reached his arms out to take the camera, carefully flipping it around one hundred and eighty degrees until it found a backdrop dominated with pink. Cherry blossoms gently floated down from the trees like raindrops in slow motion, gathering on the ground while Luke stood in the forefront.

Luke smiled, "Kaylee, I've thought long and hard about what I wanted to say to you. I was never good at telling you how I feel in person, so hopefully this will be a little easier for me. There is so much I want to tell you, and it would take all day. So let me summarize, but I have to start at the beginning.

"I've changed so much on this journey we call life. I owe my foundation to my parents; I was really lucky growing up. They taught me to study hard and to focus on my goals no matter what I wanted to achieve. They loved me unconditionally, and encouraged me to be whatever I wanted to be." He breathed in deeply, "And then came first grade. From the first moment I saw you, even back then, you were the epitome of perfection. And then we went out separate ways, but when I saw you again in high school, I knew my life would never be the same. I never imagined I would ever have you on my arm, don't get me wrong. But the feelings I've had for you... it made me feel alive. I'd never experienced anything like it before or since then."

He hesitated, "Do you want to know the truth? I was terrified when you asked me if I would tutor you. I knew it would not end well. I almost said no, but in the end, I couldn't do that because it wouldn't be right, and it wouldn't be fair to you. You simply needed my help studying, and who was I to deny that? I tried to be myself, even though I was crazy about you. You were with someone else at the time, and the last thing I wanted to do was butt in." Luke laughed, adding, "Not like I had a chance with you. Nonetheless, you made it much more challenging for me to focus on my own homework. You weren't mine, but somehow you made me feel stronger. Somehow, we ended up as friends. And then, to my surprise -- and everyone else's -- we became a little more than friends."

A guilty look crossed his face, "And then I joined the Air Force. You probably don't want to hear it, but you gave me the strength and confidence I needed to do that. It's a good thing, though. The military made me stronger. Of course, you remember the rest. Helicopter crash... Missing in Action... returning home. By the time I made it back to you, I had changed so much I'm surprised you recognized me. I didn't even recognize myself. I'm surprised you even wanted anything to do with me, as damaged as I was. In a way... still am.

"Yet you stayed with me, through everything. Despite showing you my worst. Even though I felt like I had changed into a monster, you never gave up on me."

Luke paused for a moment and said, "You changed, too. But all of your change was for the better. You've developed into the most compassionate, caring, loving person imaginable. One of the best parts about being in the Air Force was realizing that I was making a difference in people's lives, especially being over there in the desert. Even more gratifying was the thought that I was not only protecting them, but that I was protecting you. What I didn't realize was that even though I was protecting you over there, you protected me when I came home. When I needed you the most, you were there."