Sweet, Then Sour, Then Sweet Again

Chapter V

They struggled to hold onto their blissful sleep, but the sunlight coming through the window gently coaxed them out of bed. "Good morning, Karin. Sleep well?" She sat up and stretched. The blanket slipped off her. "Eeep!" Ryan blushed and covered his eyes. "Ryan?" she said, "What's wrong?" She looked down at herself. "Oh my!" She blushed and covered herself up with a pillow. Embarrassed, Karin said, "Let's forget I just did that, ok?"

"All right. Are you ready for the wedding today?"

"Yes, I just need to pick up my dress from my house."

"Ok. I'll drive you there." Ryan and Karin got out of bed. Ryan put on a tux, and Karin put on what she wore last night. Ryan grabbed the keys to his car on the way out the door. They went to her house and picked up her dress, a black dress with white flower designs around the bottom of the dress. On the trip to the cathedral, Ryan joked around with her about her dress. "You know the people in the pews aren't supposed to look better than the bride, right?"

She laughed and said, "Yes, I did, but thanks for the compliment."

The entire wedding went as planned. The reception was the most lavish dinner he had ever gone to. The cooks were serving fish, steak, lobster, and, to Ryan's delight, lots and lots of sushi. After the food was served, Ryan, being the best man, began the toast. "I've known Aaron and Sarah since high school, and I always knew that they would get married one day. May they have a long, happy life with each other. To Mr. and Mrs. Barraes." All of the guests began to cheer and clap as Aaron and Sarah kissed.

The guests were starting to leave. "Aaron, Sarah, I'm gonna miss you two. Don't forget about me while I'm gone." Ryan and Karin went to their car and went to the airport. On the way to the airport, Ryan asked, "Karin, could you watch my house while I'm gone?" Karin nodded her head and said, "Sure." They pulled up to the terminal. Both Ryan and Karin got out of the car. They hugged and began to cry. "I'm gonna miss you so much." They kissed, hugged tighter, and cried harder. "So am I. Make sure you come back."

"I will. Do you have a picture of yourself?"

"Yes, and you can have it." She reached into her purse, pulled out a picture, and gave it to Ryan.

"Thank you." They hugged one more time, and said good bye. Ryan stepped onto the plane and sat down. He hugged his tail, imagining it was Karin. He hugged his tail and cried the entire flight.

Karin went back to Ryan's house, and went inside. She had decided that she would stay at his house instead of her apartment while he was gone. She went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. She began to softly sob "I miss you" to herself. She cried all night.

Ryan turned off his computer. He rested his head in his hands, and he felt something wet. He had been crying. "Damn it, Ryan, get it together," he sobbed to himself. He walked over to the dark green bed and pulled the comforter off. It was a warm night, so he wouldn't need it. He slipped under the covers and hugged his pillow. He wanted to be home with Karin. He didn\x92t want to be here. He tried to block all thoughts of home and Karin out of his mind, and failed. He quietly sobbed himself to sleep.

The next day, he woke up at 5:30 A.M. It was his first day at the hospital. When anyone said hi to him, he waved and said hi in an emotionless voice. He had an empty look on his face, like he was in shock. All he did the entire day was paperwork and meet the entire hospital staff. He finished half of the paperwork by lunch. He found a few of the surgical staff. He was alone at a table in the middle of the cafeteria, when a lynx in a white coat came up to the table. "Is it ok if I sit here?"

Ryan's expression never changed from the empty look he had that morning. "Yeah, have a seat." He sat down and began shoveling spoonfuls of what looked like lasagna into his mouth. He asked, "You the new guy?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I got the room next to you, and all new guys cry themselves to sleep the first week. You got a girl at home?" He put another spoonful of food into his mouth. "Yeah." "Its harder for people who have some one at home than for us lucky ones who are single." That got a few chukles from both of them.

"You sure know haw to perk up someone when they're down. What are you, a psychiatrist?"

"Well, actually, I am a psychiatrist."

"Oh."

"You play blackjack or poker?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Me and a few of my buddies are having poker night tonight. You wanna come?"

"Sure, why not. What time?"

"Tonight, in room 117, at 8:00 P.M."

"All right." When Ryan said that, the lynx's pager went off. He looked at it and began to stand up and leave. "Well, I gotta go. See ya tonight."

Ryan stood up and shook his hand. "See ya. By the way, my name's Ryan, Dr. Ryan Ricarta."

"Nice to meet ya, Ryan. I'm Dr. Jerome Carteran."

"Nice to meet you, Jerome. I\x92ll see ya tonight."

"See ya." He quickly began to walk out of the cafeteria.

When he returned to his office, there was a note on his desk next to the mountain of paperwork. It said, "You received a phone call from (925)-555-3587. To contact this number, please call 99 ext. 7259." He immediately recognized this number as Karin's number. He quickly picked up his phone and dialed just like the note had instructed him to. The automated service had him listen to the message she had left before he called her. "Hi, Ryan. Just calling to tell you that I've been drafted as well." His heart sank. "I am being stationed at a field hospital as a secretary and storekeeper. Who knows, maybe I\x92m going to the hospital that you're stationed at. I'll find out when I get there. Just calling to tell you that. I love you. Bye." He hung up the phone. He was wondering how she found out he was working at a field hospital, when he noticed that they were sending her to his station. He had heard from the current storekeeper that he was going home soon, but he didn't think it was this soon. He could barely keep focused on his work the rest of the day.

By the time he had finished all of his paperwork, he heard an aircraft land at the airfield near the hospital. His shift had just ended, so he ran outside in time to see the airfield shuttle arrive at the barracks. He saw Karin step off.

He followed her to her room, then knocked on the door. She opened the door, and Ryan burst in. He hugged her, and she, thinking he was another person, pepper sprayed him. "AAAGGGGHHHH!!!" Ryan howled in pain and began to claw at his face (she sprayed him in the eyes). Karin, realizing who she just attacked, had a guilty look come across her face. "Ryan? Oh God, I'm sorry! I thought you were someone else!" She ran and got him some water to rinse out his eyes with. His eyes were watering and red. He rinsed out his eyes with the water and chuckled. "It's ok, just don't do it again." They both began to shed tears of joy. They hugged and kissed like there was no tomorrow. "I missed you so much," Ryan said. "So did I. I\x92m glad we both got stationed here." Ryan looked shocked. "Why?"

"Because we are together now, and if you had never been drafted, we never would have known that we love each other."

"Awwwww, that so sweet. Ya know what? I think we should share a room. You want to?"

"Definitely."

"All right, I'll get started on the paperwork. Until then, how about you stay in my room? "

"Sounds good. Lets go." She grabbed her only belonging, a framed picture of Ryan. "Hey, you took this out of my house."

"Yeah, that's ok, right? I mean, you have a picture of me, don't you?"

"I guess you're right. I wanted you to have it anyways." He chuckled, and she punched him in the arm playfully. He rubbed his arm, pretending that it hurt. "What, you been using my weights, too?" She giggled. "All right, let's go to my room."

They had put the picture of Ryan on the counter in the kitchen, and sat down on the bed. Karin was resting her head on Ryan's shoulder. "When do we have to wake up in the morning?"

"Unfortunatly, at 5:30 A.M., sharp. You just have to do paperwork tomorrow. I have a few surgeries."

"Well, maybe we should go to sleep early to have more time to cuddle."

"I like that idea. I'm ready for bed. Are you?"

"Yes." They both climbed into the bed. Ryan pulled Karin closer to him. He began to stroke her back and run his fingers through her hair.

"Good night, Karin." Life at the base looked like it would be less stressful.