Come Back To Us - 37. Chapter 37

He woke up in the same way as earlier, drank and ate a bit.

“You’re really lucky to be still alive. I hope you’re aware of that. You can’t die after going through that.”

Of course. He couldn’t.

“D’ya feel strong enough to stand up now?”

He looked up to meet his gaze.

“Yeah.”

“Good. I’m gonna take you to our leader now. Just one thing. Address him as “Admiral”. Our ranks in the Navy are different from yours in the Royal Air Force.” He put his index finger on his chin as he paused. “I’d say it’s the equivalent of your Air Marshall or something close to it; I ain’t sure.”

He helped him stand up afterwards and made him use him as a kind of crutch. He had a blanket over his shoulders so he wouldn’t appear bare-chested and bare-legged. They reached a room that looked like a command room.

“F- I mean Sir. I’ve brought the shipwrecked. I mean the plane-wrecked…” he glanced at him as he seemed to hesitate. “What’s your name?”

He guessed he could tell him that at least. They were definitely not enemies.

“Karl.”

They approached a man that was showing them his back only with his hands intertwined. He remained still and silent and Karl’s body tensed.

“See, you are not the only youth who has chosen to sacrifice their youth life to join in the fight for liberty.”

“Yes Sir. I do.”

The man finally turned around to face them and he examined him.

He had brown hair too, as well as brown eyes. He was tall, must have been as tall as Mr. Hopkins, Kristian and Arthur. And he somewhat looked like the boy in some facial features, although not entirely.

“I am sorry that you have to go through such hardship. But we are not heading to England for now. Our top priority lies within our mission. But I am sure you can understand as a pilot from the Royal Air Force, can’t you?”

Of course he could. He had been told that too many times to forget.

“Which is?”

“Well, we are not here to knit sweaters for poor children. We are here to destroy the enemy’s submarines and everything inside.”
Of course, why was he asking?

“And as for you, you have taken care of him well enough, so get back to your station right away. You did not come here to behave like a privileged tourist on a high-end cruise.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The boy left without wasting time with fear in his eyes, and Karl felt bad for him. He knew the keyword of army life was ‘strictness’ but a part of him would always rebel against that and disapprove of such a behavior. The way he seemed to be looking down on him just because he was an officer. It wasn’t in favor of that.

“Well, since you probably know nothing about sailing and the Navy, you will not be of any use to help us in our mission. So if I may give you one piece of advice, hug the walls until you can get back to the land who welcomed you. Of course, we would never let down an ally, but we cannot really afford to save all the allies who are in distress every time we see one.”

Or course. He wasn’t asking so much from them.

“Where are you from?”

He guessed he could give this information to them too.

“Denmark.”

“A Nordic land. That’s a good point for you. I have always found their culture fascinating.”

He said nothing else. He only stared at him with passive eyes.

“You may need some more rest, so you should go back to the bunks.”

“Admiral Farnsworth! There’s an enemy submarine coming our way!”

They both directed their attention to the man that was looking somewhat panicked. Karl’s body tensed again.

“Finally. A bit of action. Well, get back to your station then.”

“Yes, sir!” He saluted before he left hurriedly.

“Well, don’t remain standing there doing nothing. Inefficiency has nothing to do aboard this submarine.”

He reminded him of Arthur with that demeanour. The more he would stay away from him, the better.

He went to look for the boy whose name he couldn’t remember but couldn’t find him. He started as he heard the thuds surrounding that thing. This was only the beginning, he couldn’t help reminding himself…

He spent the day observing. That’s all he could do anyway. He didn’t want to remain on that bunk doing nothing, he needed to try to distract his mind, to learn something new that could be useful to him in the future. He had to admit this was another kind of impressive “technology” as they called it. It was as interesting as to see how a plane worked.

Only when the sun faded away did he return on that bunk. He knew it because the submarine resurfaced for a while. And he could go atop of it to watch it.

When he finally found it, he saw the boy sitting on it. He looked concerned and deep in thought as his eyes were glued to the floor.

“Are you okay?”

He looked like he hadn’t expected to see him as their eyes met.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

He didn’t look convinced by his own words…

“It’s hard to get some privacy in such an enclosed place, so I’ve come here.”

He could only feel sympathy towards the boy. He felt like he didn’t belong there for some reason he couldn’t explain.

“Is it because of that officer?”

He came to sit next to him and waited for him to say something. It came after a log while of silence.

“I miss home.” He paused. The pain and sadness in his voice and eyes was obvious. “I miss the land.”

Karl felt a sudden pang in his chest.

“I didn’t want to come here. I was forced to… I’m only seventeen. And I don’t want to lose everything in a war…”

He was scared. He could feel it. And he was even younger than he was…There was a lump that formed in his throat.

“Who forced you to come? Your country?”

“No…It’s…it’s my father.” He paused as he left looking down. “The admiral.”

Wait. He thought for a bit. Was he talking about the man they had seen earlier that day ?

“The man we saw…?”

“Yeah. That man.”

It was his father…?

“But…” he paused. “Why did he force you?”

It wasn’t just curiosity. He wanted to try to help him now.

There was a long moment of silence that followed his question.

He could hear his shallow breaths and see the distressed look in his eyes. He recognised that look. He needed to speak like he had had the need himself. That was the only way to get a weight off his chest

“Promise you won’t hate me if I tell you everything…?”

Hate…him? That word wasn’t anything familiar to him.

“You can speak, I promise.”

He shouldn’t be afraid. He wasn’t there to judge him. He was only a plane-wrecked boy with a tormented mind.

“Fine,” he took a deep breath before he continued. “It started a while ago, before the US decided to join the war. I met a guy named Stanley. Nothing wrong for now.” He paused. “But I fell for him.” He paused again as he licked his lips.“It all started with a smile. And it ended up in a real living hell. I didn’t see it coming.”

He didn’t speak, didn’t think. He only wanted to listen until the end of the story. Even if it was going to take some time. They had all the time they needed.

“I met him at school. I didn’t understand at first…The way he was acting…I didn’t understand what was happening that first time he kissed me…He said I was the most wonderful creature he had ever seen… I had never felt that way for anyone before… he paused for a while and Karl glanced away from him to try to not make him feel ill-at-ease. “My father became wild when he learnt about it….He wanted me to stop seeing that boy… I was so scared. But he would always find a way to see me and try to talk to me. And my father knew about that…” He paused again to breathe, and Karl just let him. “He made me say awful things to him…We even got into a fight…Then, when war was officially declared, he made me go with him.”

He knew English well enough now to understand the situation. And now he was feeling much worse for the boy.

“What’s your name again?”

He looked up at him with teary eyes and looked like he was lost, like someone who needed to be guided by the voice of reason. Someone just waiting for a flame that would light up his dark path and prevent the fall he had been trying to avoid for so long.

“Aiden.”

He gave him a small but sympathetic and sincere smile as an answer.

He didn’t want to imagine how his own father would react if he learnt about what had happened between him and George. He wasn’t even sure he could foresee the slightest detail about it.

And then he realised… It felt weird to imagine going back home and never seeing him again, not Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins, Paul and Emma, or even Kristian…

“He said war would make a real man of me. So I just followed. Anyway, he’s my father. He knows what’s right for me.”

He looked back at him hastily, but not with a reassuring smile this time. A real man? What was it even supposed to mean? He couldn’t see… Not what after he had experienced. Not that he’d like to boast about it, but it seems to him that he couldn’t have asked for a better father. He could never be worse than that, even if he would certainly not be happy about such things…

Now he could only wonder… Did that man really love his son? No matter if what his son did was wrong or right, he was still his child, this should have nothing to do with a parent’s love. No child wanted to be hated and looked down on by the people who gave life to him.

“And your mother?”

He hoped that he wasn’t going to regret asking about it… There was a long moment of silence before he replied. This wasn’t a good sign…damn…

“She hasn’t talked to me since my father told her all about it. She remained lifeless and quiet as if I had killed her inside. You can’t imagine how it feels… I wished none of that had happened…”

His hand squeezed the blanket as his jaw was clenched enough to hurt. All that pain…he couldn’t bear the thought of it, just for things that seemed so trivial compared to that war…

They both remained silent for a long while.

“Do you love him?”

He looked shocked as he met his gaze.

“N-no….”

“Are you sure?”

He glanced down as he bit his lower lip.

“Y-yeah….”

“Do you always think about him? Wouldn’t you like to see him again, to hold him?”

He looked embarrassed all of a sudden and then flushed. He looked like he was having trouble breathing. Karl couldn’t take it to see him like that. He could understand it clearly. He only wanted his parents to love him. He didn’t like the sudden realization that hit him and made his breath hitch.

Could it be that George must have felt that way too?

“It’s alright, you know. You don’t fall in love with a body, a boy or a girl. You fall in love with a person, a mind.”

Probably even a soul.

The boy said nothing for a long while, and Karl only observed him in silence. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. It was heartbreaking…

“Do you not think you’re big enough to make your own choices and know what’s right for you? You’d rather be home, right? To see him again.”

Tears started rolling down his eyes without warning.

“I….I j-just can’t help it…” he had to pause to wipe his tears and breathe. “I’ve never felt that way for anyone before…” he paused again. “But we can’t be together! This is wrong… So wrong…”

Karl couldn’t really agree or disagree with him…He wasn’t sure about what was right or wrong anymore in this mad world…

But there should be nothing wrong in loving someone…

“Look at me.”

But Aiden seemed like he wouldn’t. So he made him do so.

“It does not make you unworthy of your father’s love. To love a boy does not make you any different. I mean you are still the same that you were before knowing him, right?”

They stared intently into each other’s eyes, Karl holding his face in his hands, only a few inches apart from each other. They could easily kiss.

“You’re in love with a boy too, ain’t you?”

He waited for a few more instants before he broke eye contact and let go of his face.
“It’s…complicated…”

He didn’t need to think about it now…

“I do not want you to be hurt…”

He glanced at Aiden who first looked surprised but then became amused for a second only.

“But we hardly know each other.”

“But you saved me.”

He chuckled, and he wasn’t sure why, but he was reminding him of Jørgen.

“You gotta goo’ point.”

There was another long moment of silence afterwards.

“I’m glad all the people in this world ain’t like my father.” He paused and Karl looked at him again. “You know what? You’re right. I wish I could be anywhere with him but here… I miss him. If I die, I won’t even be able to tell him what a fool I am…”

He wasn’t going to let him die anyway. Not after he had prevented him from lingering in endless darkness at his own risk.

“You will not die. And you will go back home.”

He was too young to die. He noticed how anxious he was looking.

“Aiden.”

He looked skeptical.

“I dunno… Look how you coulda died. The enemy is always lurking.”

“I’m here.”

They exchanged another look, and Aiden smiled.

“Thanks for being here. I think you’re the best thin’ that’s happened to me in ages after him. You’re like my guardian angel in a way, ain’t you?”

Karl returned his smile.

“Maybe.”

***

It wasn’t until the fourth day on the submarine that things started to go wrong.

Karl was with Aiden, wearing civilian clothes which he had found for him until his uniform wouldn’t be drenched anymore, but he preferred to keep them on for now. He wasn’t a member of the Royal Air Force on this submarine.

He was showing him the plans of attack which the Americans had been preparing to strike the enemy, things he knew thanks to his father but that should remain confidential.

Suddenly there was a huge bang that shook the submarine. Karl’s shoulders tensed and as he glanced at Aiden, he saw the look of anxiousness in his eyes.

“Dammit…We’re being attacked…”

He wasn’t sure there was something he could do to help… As long as there was only one enemy submarine, it should be okay.

Another bang made itself known and they almost fell due to the tremendous shock.

Karl started shivering and feeling sick.

“Come!”

They started running but running away from a submarine was as hard as it was with a plane…He had a bad feeling once again…

They kept running until they reached a spot where they could see what was happening underwater.

“Wait…We’re not being attacked by another submarine…”

They exchanged a puzzled look. And another bang made them hold onto each other.

They did nothing for a little while.

“It’s not an enemy submarine launching torpadoes…It’s one of their boats…They’re attacking us with depth charges…”

That realization was definitely no good news…

They exchanged another look. And then they started running again, probably to find Aiden’s father. But Aiden was running too close to the edge and another detonation echoed, making them both fall this time.

Karl’s eyes widened in shock and horror as he was sitting up.

“Aiden!”

He got nearer so he could take a better look at him. He was hurt.

Karl’s whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

“Aiden…”

“Leave…” was the weak and hoarse answer. “Don’t try to save me,” he coughed loudly and Karl tried to make him sit up. “No…! The submarine is gonna sink…you must escape… and save your life yourself this time…We need you to stay alive…”

Karl’s heart was breaking at the horrible sight. It was reminding him of bad memories…

“If …you manage to survive… and that this war ends one day, can you go to New York… and find him to tell him I love him…and that…I’m sorry….for behaving the way I did…Please…”

No…he couldn’t give up on him and ran away…He had said himself that he wouldn’t let him die hardly a few days earlier…

“Stanley Marshall…You’ll find him…Tall…Brown curly hair, brown eyes…In Williamsburg…105th…”

Blood was coming out of his mouth and Karl’s stomach was aching even more as his heart skipped a beat.

No…No. No. No. No!

“Aiden!”

He shook him but his body was inanimate, but his eyes were still open…

He let go of his body and remained still for a long while as if he were dead too. He couldn’t believe it let alone accept it.. This happened way too fast… He had failed…

He had just been useless once again…The taste of bitterness in his mouth along with those images were going to haunt him for the rest until his own death.

Another bang echoed and shook him. And that’s when he came to a crucial realization. Aiden was right. Yes, he hadn’t been able to prevent his death, but at least he could respect his last wish. Survive this war and go find that boy.

He stood up swiftly and rushed to find a way out of that hell. Although he was panicking to no end, his survival instinct took over him for the best. Water was already starting to fill parts of the submarine. He finally found a door. This was his chance.

He ended up underwater, swimming for his life, praying whatever God or divinity that was above not to be hit by an enemy’s bomb. He let out a huge sigh of relief when he could finally breathe again. His eyes landed on a boat. He remained still, observing it in his spot for a while, moving his legs back and forth so he wouldn’t drown. He was far enough from it not to be hurt by one of their bombs. He watched as the men dropped one last bomb underwater. He was feeling a bit dizzy, but he was feeling much sicker now, and it wasn’t because of the water. He heard a boom and saw small bubbles form on the surface of the water. At that moment he only wanted to go back underwater, go back to the submarine.

How could he survive now anyway? He was at the same point as he had been after his plane had crashed. The men would surely kill him when they saw him, and there was no more ally to save him this time. He was all alone…

He could hardly breathe.

He could only let himself drown now, and think about his failure and mistakes before joining all those innocent people who had died before him in the endless darkness. His legs were tired anyway.

But before he could get too deep underwater, he ended up in a fishing net, and next thing he knew he was on a boat. He coughed none too gently and needed some time to think straight again.

He looked up to see men surrounding him. They started speaking, but he couldn’t understand even one word of what they said. They were definitely not speaking English. That’s when he realised…he was on the enemy’s boat, and these were the men who had just dropped the bombs on the American submarine, making it sink with so many men inside… It was the only boat around anyway…

“Bist du Amerikaner?”

He must have been looking so distraught, like a living ghost who had no idea what how he had ended up here.

“Bist du Engländer?”

The two words sounded familiar, but all he could do was shake his head with his mouth agape.

Their language sounded awful.

“Dann du bist Deutscher, oder?”

He couldn’t understand…

“Die Amerikaner machten dich zum Kriegsgefangenen?”

“Ich glaube nicht, dass er Deutscher ist.” I don’t think he’s German.

“Mit einem solchen Aussehen muss er Skandinavier sein.”

With looks like these, he must be Scandinavian.

“Svensk?”

He just blinked at them blankly.

“Norsk?”

No reaction.

“Dansk?”

He had to use his brain again as long as he was still alive. Could it be that they understood Danish. He was still clever enough to know he shouldn’t say he was a part of the Royal Air Force.

“Ja, jeg er dansk. Amerikanerne fandt mig og gjorde mig til deres fange.”
Yeah, I am Danish. The Americans found me and made me their prisoner.

“Sehen?”

“Du wirst bei uns bleiben. Du wirst hier sicher sein. Wir werden dich zurück nach Dänemark bringen.”
You are going to stay with us. You will be safe here. We will take you back to Denmark.

The man who had just spoken extended his hand. He looked like he was in his fifties.

“Jeg er Klaus Schneider. Velkommen.”

He kept glancing back and forth between his eyes and his hand and ended up taking it reluctantly.

“Wir haben einen Raum, in dem du dich ausruhen kannst. Komm mit mir.”
We have a room where you will be able to rest. Come with me.

He followed him without any animation. As they were walking, he could only think about one thing.

He would make them pay for killing all those innocent American men.

Hello everyone!
I hope you've all been doing well! Here you go with another depressing chapter.. 😅
Have a good day/evening/night and take care ❤️