Crawling off the Edge

Yesterday, I had a bone marrow biopsy and heart scan scheduled that had me on edge, we all know the feeling.  The biopsy was easy.  The massive heart scan plate centered itself over my heart, but I was no longer in the room, I was running, ammo was scattered across the ground, Tommy’s body was next to his overturned jeep.  I knelt, felt for a pulse and started my CPR checks, head, chest, arms…..the lower half of his body was gone.  I lifted his head up and cried.  I have not gone back to my first soldiers death for many years, why today, and then I realized, Tommy had come back to remind me, I’d had lived through much worse days.