Aftermath - The Quiet Life
#1 of Aftermath
This is the final part of the Kirian Harper Trilogy beginning with The Academy and Task Force. It's hard to believe where this story has ended up. I would never have made it without the devoted support of m watchers. I thank you all for your encouragement, help, and humor. I would love to recognize each of you individually, but that wouldn't be practical. I would however like to recognize some very special users who have put up with me from the beginning. Eveser, Foxmoulder992, Dasher Cheetah, and Avers, you guys are great. These four have some great stories as well so when you're done reading this, be sure to check them out. I'd also like to give a shout out to a few of my more recent followers who have been very supportive. 927shadofox729, Dirty Sam, James Matrix, Lando the Charizard, Motormout, Sanmer, and SgtMG; Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Well, before I start to ramble, I present Aftermath. Enjoy.
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I dreamed a lot while laying in a coma on that hospital bed after the crash. They were always the same. Just faces, the faces of two beautiful women, an otter and a marten. I knew they must have meant something to my life, but I had no idea what. I didn't even know who they were. Eventual I woke up, my life shattered, and the dreams stopped. I will never forget those faces though.
Five years later...
"Coach, can you check these targets?"
I turned to David, a tall athletic badger, who had just left the firing line.
"Sure, just give me a minute. Ears and eyes on, the range is hot! Fire at will. Okay let me see them."
He laid the three targets on the desk in front of me. I looked over the shots and began scoring them. David was one of my better shooters. He wasn't the best, but he had the potential to be, if he put his mind to it.
"These are good. Ninety eight on prone is the best you've shot but I'm still looking for a hundred out of you. With those shot groups on your sighters you should have it soon. You still tend to shift your position half way through the target though. As far as your standing and kneeling, remember your follow-through. Don't rush reloading as soon as you take the shot. On your next target I want you stay on the sights for three seconds after pulling the trigger. I think you will see a definite improvement. Alright, try to get one more set in before the end of practice. You're still sitting at number four and I'd hate to see you bet bumped."
"Okay coach."
I handed him a loaded round box and he left my desk. I watched the other shooters on the line. We had a good team this year. I had high expectations for them. I had taken individuals to nationals before, but this may be the first season we had ever taken a full team. I spun my wheelchair and rolled over to the leader board. Ryan held the top slots with hundreds and nineties. I could shoot exceptionally well myself, but there were very few competitions for paraplegics so I settled for teaching others.
I had no idea why I was so good at marksmanship. As far as I knew, I had never had any formal training. After recovering from the wreck, a friend I had met took me out one day and I had naturally handled the rifle perfectly. Now I was coaching the high school rifle team.
"Cease Fire! Alright, good practice today. It's Friday so let's get the range cleaned up."
"Ah, come on coach."
"No complaining. Get it done quickly, you can go home quickly. And I don't want to find a single piece of brass on the ground when I come back here on Monday!"
After cleaning up I called the team together. They gathered around where I sat.
"Good practice today. I'm seeing a lot of improvement in everyone's shooting. Challenges will continue through Tuesday, but that is the last chance to get on the completion team before Thursday's match. After practice I need to speak with Ryan, Rachel, Paul, David, Drew, and Sarah. Everyone else can leave. I'll see you after school on Monday."
Fourteen of the students shuffled up the stairs and off the range leaving the six I had called behind. I wheeled back over to the leader board. All six of them had at least one target filling the twelve slots.
"Alright, unless something drastic happens, you're my shooters for Thursday. Only five can compete though so Drew and Sarah, I'm still watching both of you. It's going to come down to the wire next week as far as which one of you shoots, and who has to watch."
"Okay coach."
They were both very close friends, but both were also extremely competitive. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them jumped to third trying to beat the other. I knew the challenge would bring out the best shooting in both of them.
"As far as you other four, that doesn't mean you can't still be bumped. You know the rules. Many of you fought hard for your positions, so don't lose them now. Stay focused at practice and stick to the diet for the next week. Alright, I just wanted to let you know so you start preparing. Raleigh High is a tough team. Anyone have questions? Alright, you can go."
David spoke up, "Hey coach, a few of us are going out for a bit tonight. We were wondering if you'd like to join us."
I was taken off guard by the question.
"Well, as long as it's not just to kiss up, sure. I know a good place, why doesn't everyone hop in a couple cars and head out there?"
They seemed to like this idea. Paul said he had to go, but the other five came along. We went to a small pub on the outside of town. The owner, a slightly overweight border collie named Brian, was a good friend of mine. It was one of the towns best kept secrets. The food was good, the atmosphere was good, and it was rarely too busy. Brian greeted me as we entered, his belly protruding over the top of his stained denim apron.
"Hey Eryn! Who are your friends?"
"It's just a few members from the team. I'll keep them in line, you don't have to worry."
He laughed at our inside joke and then turned to a pair of older gentlemen at the bar to refill their drinks. I lead the team to a corner booth and they all sat down. I rolled up to the end of the table and locked the wheels on my chair.
"Where did you find this place coach? I've never been here before."
"I've been coming here ever since I got out of the hospital five years ago."
"Hospital? What happened?"
"I don't really know myself. All I know is what the doctors and a Lieutenant Colonel from the National Guard told me."
"So what happened?"
"As far as I know, I was serving as a helicopter pilot in the National Guard. I was running a mission to rescue two stranded hikers in the mountains when the weather took a turn for the worse. I lost control of the chopper and crashed on the mountain side. The first thing I remember is waking up in the Hospital. It must have been a bad crash because I couldn't, and still can't remember anything after about middle school. I couldn't remember my name, my birthday, my parents' names, if I had a wife or girlfriend, what high school I went to, or were I had gone to college. On top of that, they told me I was paralyzed from the waist down. After I had recovered a little, I was told of the crash and that my name was Eryn Snow. Eventually, I got out and had to start a new life, having no clue what my old one had been."
"So what brought you to Leavenworth?"
"Well, I was in the hospital here. When I got out, I had nowhere else to go. I liked the town, I like the mountains, so I decided to stay. After discovering a small fortune left in my bank account, I bought a house on three acres of land outside of town and my car. I found that I had a strange connection to guns, especially rifles. The gun shop I own now was going out of business so I took out a loan and bought it as well. I figured if I made it or not, what was the point. I had no connection, no family, and no friends. I could always start over again. Well, things worked out pretty well. I did good business and started instructing customers in shooting and gun safety. A year later, one of my few friends told me the school was looking for a new coach for the rifle team. I decided to apply and got the job. I also had to start teaching so I could take the job, so now I teach the advanced math coarse for one hour a day, and run my shop the rest of the time. It's a pretty good deal in my opinion."
"Have you ever tried to find out about your life before the wreck?"
"I did for a little while, but then I decided that there was no point to it. I had a new life now, so why waste my time searching for the old one."
We talked and ate and had a good time for the rest of the night. Finally the others left leaving me alone at the table. Brian came over and had a seat with me. He handed me a tall glass of dark beer, imported from his home county.
"They seem like a good bunch of kids."
"They are, good shooters too."
"And how are you holding up Eryn?"
"Pretty well. We're doing steady business out of the shop, but not quite as good as I'd like. I was hoping to replace the racks, it's becoming a pain to fix them all the time, but we just don't have the money."
"Ah well, that's the business world son. You know what you need? A nice woman to distract you."
Here we go again. Every time I came in her, Brian would lecture me about my lack of a love life.
"I know friend, but I just haven't found the right girl yet."
"Well, that is a problem, but you'll never find her if you don't look."
"I've been looking, for about five years."
"Ha! It must be the fur right? No girls in the market for an albino snow leopard? You'll find her ma' boy. Don't worry. Theres some one out their for all of us. Sometimes there's two some ones, that's what I like to call... Jackpot!"
The truth was, I had been looking. I had been looking for the girls from the dreams. It was probably a foolish endeavor, they probably didn't even exist. I had to know though. If I ever saw one of them, I had to know who they were, and what they had been to me. Brian and I sat at the table talking late into the night. He drank quite a few glasses, but I stopped after the second, still having to drive home. Finally I decided to leave.
"Well, it was nice talking to you Eryn."
"You too."
I swung the door shut behind me. My car was the only one left in the front lot. I rolled out too it and opened the door. The process of getting in had taken a while to learn, but now I had it mastered. I lifted myself out of the chair and slid over into the driver's seat. I reached down and collapsed the wheelchair and swung it into the back. My car had been specially designed and the gas and break controls were integrated into the steering wheel. I turned the ignition and drove home.