The Marine’s Father
A Marine officer patiently sat in a lightly lit army hospital corridor waiting for further instructions from the tireless nurse. She kept going in and out of the room and had requested the Marine to wait outside the ward, in case of emergencies.
After a couple of hours, the nurse accompanied the Marine inside. The room bore the brunt of an effective medical struggle to save the faint old man lying on the bed. Several needles pierced his frail body as he fought to breathe through the oxygen mask on his mouth.
“Your son is here to see you.” The nurse had to repeat this more than a few times before the man could open his eyes to see his son, the Marine. He barely managed to see the young uniformed man standing by his bed. So heavy was the old man sedated because of the heart attack that he painfully reached out his hand to the young officer. He faintly saw the young Marine in his uniform wait outside the oxygen tent. The Marine lovingly held the old man’s weak hand, giving out a message of love and reassurance. …show more content…
He sat there and offered him words of love and strength. Soon the minutes converted into hours and the uncomplaining Marine did not leave the old man alone. Infrequently, the nurse advised that the Marine to move away and rest awhile.
Politely he refused. Each time the nurse entered the ward, the Marine was unmindful of her presence and of the continuous night noises of the hospital. The clinking of the oxygen tank, the voices of the night staff members greeting one another and the endless cries of the other