Nuclear War Club: Seven high school students are in detention when Nuclear War explodes.Game on, they are on their own. (26 page)

“Exactly!” said Liu excitedly.“David has learned leadership from his Father. David puts his team, the Nuclear War Club first, before himself. That’s the best predictor of what he will do for his wife.”

“Have you even thought about the fact David has not
used his leadership position to take advantage of this situation for his own personal pleasure?” Liu asked.

“Karen, Ashley had been certainly ready, willing, and
eager
for David, she pursued David constantly,” Liu said.

“Many men can’t decide if they
ever
want to get married. But David wants to marry you right here, right now. The first opportunity he had. David is offering you the best thing he has, himself,” Liu said.

“And you can’t figure out what to do?” Liu pressed.

“But we are both seventeen,” Karen said.

“David has provided for, and led, six people, the entire Nuclear War Club, and Samuel, and moved across the country,” Liu said.

“When you were shot at the overpass, and blacked out, David told me to leave. He said I could escape, he would provide cover as he stayed with you. The point is David realized we could be wiped out, but he never even considered leaving you. That’s a man. That’s someone ready to get married. That’s a
husband
,” Liu said, staring directly into Karen’s eyes.

“I am just not sure,” said Karen.

Liu thought,
I would
be sure. If David asked me right now, this minute, the answer would be
yes, yes, yes
.

“Are you stuck on stupid?” Liu asked.

“Marry him already.”

Karen reached the clothes line. The wind gusted, tugging at the clothes. The sun beat down, unobstructed by any clouds. Her clothes would soon be dry. A shower and clean clothes were a rare luxury. She looked into the valley, and felt the warmth of the sun drying her hair.

Karen was now certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, she was ready to marry David.

“Yes,” Karen nodded.

61.

“Liu has been helping me, she learns quickly and can already change the bandages. No infection, they should both recover. They will need about three or four days bed rest if possible,” Doc told Zeke.

“ We will make them as comfortable as possible in the truck bed. We should find a hole up site soon,” Zeke said.

“Karen went bad with infection. Her leg rotted like road kill. Will that happen to Doron or Ashley?” Zeke asked.

“Don’t know,” said Doc. “But so far, it looks good.”

“Doc, you will be gone tomorrow. What do you use for gunshot soldier first aid?” Zeke asked.

Doc handed him a book,
Battlefield First Aid for Soldiers
.

“Read this ahead of time. If I get hit, this is what the soldiers will use for me,” Doc said.

The book was thick and heavy. It took Zeke a long time, but he read the first six chapters. He hoped Doron would live, then he could just tell Zeke about it.

62.

Sarge walked up briskly, talking with Ramirez. He paused as he saw Karen and David together waiting for him. Ramirez walked away, and Sarge motioned them over.

“Yes?” said Sarge.

\ “We want you to marry us,” said David.

“I am not a Minister or a Judge who can marry people. I am not even an officer,” explained Sarge. “We had an officer, a Lieutenant. But he was killed, so I am just temporarily in command until we get a new officer.”

“Exactly, you are the best we have, the Commander in the Field,” said David.

“It’s like you are the Captain of a ship, who has always been allowed to marry passengers,” explained David.

“I am certainly not a member of the clergy. I have done a lot I am not proud of in my life. Surely you can do better than me,” Sarge explained.

“Okay, so you are no Dr. James Dobson from
Focus on the Family
to wisely counsel us on marriage,” Karen said, holding her hands out.

“God’s presence makes the marriage, you are just the instrument of authority used,” Karen explained.

Sarge paused.

“My Dad always said, “You salute the rank, not the man,” David pressed.

That made sense, Sarge thought. He obeyed orders from some officers because of their rank and authority, not their ability. He could marry these kids
not
because he was an example of marital bliss, but because he had the rank, and they needed the authority.

“Why are you in a hurry? Why not wait until you find civilization somewhere?” asked Sarge.

“We love each other, and who knows when or if we will find any government?” David replied. Sarge had to admit 236
they had a point. But they seemed so young. Sarge paused for a few moments, then turned to Karen.

“Are you pregnant?” Sarge asked Karen.

Karen blushed and said, “No. And realize some people still get married
before
they get pregnant,” Karen counter attacked.

“And I wouldn’t marry someone I did not love, even if I was pregnant,” Karen finished.

She’s a feisty one, Sarge thought. David found a good one here. He was amazed, it seemed like no one got married these days. He had been constantly having to process child support paperwork for his men before the war.

“Are you over eighteen?” asked Sarge.

“We are both seventeen,” David answered. Sarge tried to suppress a smile, the kid made seventeen sound old, wise, mature.

“What would your parents do to me if I married two minors?” Sarge pressed Karen.

“They are all dead,” Karen said.

“I will go over this with my Corporals for advice. Come back in ten minutes,” Sarge stood up, dismissing them.

Sarge waved to Jefferson and Ramirez, who came over.

“Need some counsel. Those two kids want to get married. She is seventeen, parents are dead. She is not pregnant. They say I can marry them, like the Captain of a ship can marry people,” Sarge summarized.

“They seem like fine kids. They love each other. I guess they are right after all, I am in command since the Lieutenant is dead,” Sarge said.

“Two questions: First, Do I have authority to marry them? Second, should I marry them if I do have the authority?” Sarge asked.

“Jefferson?” asked Sarge.

“You have the authority. With America under attack, and the civil government dead, you can certainly marry them. Your rank is really irrelevant, you are the combat Commander
of an Airborne unit in the field. You are it,” Jefferson said.

“A Sergeant commanding a unit of the Airborne is as least as qualified to marry two civilians as a Captain of a ship,” Ramirez agreed.

Jefferson nodded, then added, “They are old enough. It speaks well of them they want to get married. She is a good Mother, takes care of that kid they found, Samuel. David seems to have his head on straight”.

‘Sarge, they could all be dead tomorrow, like the two wounded. Marry the kids. Let them enjoy what time they do have,” Ramirez said.

“OK, I will think about it. Thank you for the counsel,” he nodded, dismissing them.

Sarge returned their salute.

63.

Sarge walked over to David and Karen, who were sitting on a rock, holding hands.

“I think I have authority to marry you as the Acting Commander of an Airborne Unit. But I could be wrong, we don’t know. If you want me to marry you, let’s do it in thirty minutes, before dark. We move out before daylight, and I have a lot going on,” Sarge explained.

“The two Corporals and I will sign as witnesses to the marriage and certify it in your Bible,” said Sarge.

“Thank you, Sir,” said David, shaking his hand.

_____

“Liu, we are getting married in thirty minutes!” Karen told Liu.

Liu covered her face with both hands and wiped away her tears.

_____

“Zeke, she said yes!” David beamed.

And Sarge is going to marry us in thirty minutes,” David said.

“Congratulations, David,” said Zeke, shaking his hand.

“I need you to be my Best Man if Sarge asks,” David explained.

“No problem. You two were made for each other,” smiled Zeke.

“What do I have to do?” asked Zeke.

“Don’t know, I don’t have a ring. Just be there, probably. Maybe kick me if I forget to say “I do,” David said.

Funny, Zeke thought, you didn’t realize they should get married until they were getting married.

64.

Jefferson spread the word of the wedding among the soldiers, making sure they knew they were invited. He told Thompson, who read his pocket sized Gideon’s Bible every night, to find the marriage verses for Sarge in the big Bible. David asked Jefferson if they could have it in the sick bay, so Doron and Ashley could watch, if they woke up.

Sarge stood up with a Bible in his hand and his M4 slung over his shoulder, with Jefferson and Ramirez on either side with their M4s over their shoulder.

“Today we are here to witness the marriage of Karen Wilson and David Phelps,” Sarge said.

“Private Thompson has shown me one of the marriages in the Bible, when Isaac married Rebekah. It’s in the Bible book of Genesis, Chapter 24, verse 67:

⁶⁷
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

“Notice that Isaac performed his
own
marriage ceremony, and it was legal for the Bible. So with all you witnesses, this wedding is certainly legal,” Sarge said.

“And when Adam married Eve, the Bible records in Genesis 2:24”:

²⁴
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

“Marriage is a man and a woman committing to God, and each other under, to remain faithful under the Bible rules
and regulations.”

Jefferson smiled at the reference to the Bible rules and regulations. You could take Sarge out of the military but you could never take the military out of Sarge, he thought.

“A wise woman told me God acknowledges the marriage by His presence, I am just the instrument used to record the marriage, due to my rank and authority,” Sarge explained, looking at Karen.

“Karen Wilson, do you take David Phelps to be your husband?” Sarge asked.

“I do,” said Karen, holding David’s hand and looking him in the eye.

“And David Phelps, do you take Karen Wilson to be your wife?” asked Sarge.

“I do,” said David.

“By the authority vested in me, as Commander of an Airborne Combat unit, in a time of war, with no available civil authorities functioning, following the marriage procedure from the Bible, I pronounce you husband and wife!” said Sarge.

The soldiers started clapping.

Sarge opened the blue Gideon’s Hotel Bible, wrote “Officiator” then signed, with Jefferson and Ramirez as witnesses.

Just then, two butterflies flittered by David and Karen. Delicate, graceful, butterflies. Everyone was stunned, no one could remember seeing them after the day. Samuel clapped his hands excitedly,

David and Karen signed on the handwritten line “Husband” and “Wife”.

Jefferson took a picture of the Bible marriage entry and signatures on his official cell phone camera. Sarge then handed the Bible to Karen.

65.

Liu had already started cooking a large pot of rice for the wedding banquet. She laid out a self-serve buffet of different canned items people could add to their rice; Campbell’s chunky chicken soup, chunky beef soup, a gallon of Louisiana hot sauce, Goya black beans, Goya red kidney beans, Dole pineapple chunks, Jolly Green Giant peas, Hunt diced tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and corn.

Liu had taken six Snickers bars, stacked them across each other to form a rectangle tower, and stuck birthday candles in each one.

“The wedding cake!” she said as the soldiers laughed.

“Thank you,” Karen said, quickly counting, and cutting slices for everyone. She carefully gave Samuel a slice with a lit candle. Liu noticed Sarge saved two plates for his men on guard detail and covered them with another plate.

Zeke took the CD player and inserted the
Bob Seger Greatest Hits
album, which started booming the high energy song
It was a teenage wedding
from
C’est le vie
.

“Bob Seger?” asked Thompson. “Isn’t he a little old school for you kids?

“David’s Dad listened to Bob Seger all the time,” Zeke explained.

“David would buy his Dad a Bob Seger album for every birthday. One time he asked his Dad if he wanted some music besides Bob Seger. His Dad was truly perplexed, and said ‘Why would anyone want any music other than Bob Seger’ He said the three Bs were, Beethoven, Brahms, and Bob Seger. All about the same age.”

“Also, the CD was in the truck, our only CD. So Bob Seger is the best of all time, it was meant to be,” Zeke finished.

They brought out the prime deserts, Oreo cookies, Twinkies, Hershey’s Kisses, and Kellogg’s Frosted Pop tarts. One of the most popular items was the small cereal boxes, and
powdered milk to mix with water.

Samuel went up to one of the soldiers and asked him to read a Bible Story.

“Sure,” Jefferson said.

“Is that your name on your uniform?” Samuel asked.

“Yes, my last name is Jefferson.”

“Can you write your name on the bottom of the picture?” Samuel asked.

Jefferson carefully printed his name, just like it was on his name strip.

By the time the soldiers left, Samuel had each one read him a story and print their name on the page of “their” Bible story.

Liu felt a profound sense of end, of turning a page, at the dinner. Thompson even called it the last supper. They had bonded quickly in just two days. Liu thought it was because none of the soldiers had anyone waiting at home—everyone was dead. Running into the Nuclear War Club made them realize they were important as soldiers.

Life would be painful, but would go on. They had formed a tribe, saved Samuel, and overcame.

The soldiers would, also, Liu thought.

66.

David watched Karen sleep. He had opened the rain fly so he could see the stars. The sky was clear, no clouds, and the temperature had dropped. He was very glad they had the green military wool blanket inside the sleeping bags zipped together.