Well - Part XXII

The next few days were rough to say the least. The powerful combination of hearing about the positive news of the war and the personally tragic events that took Cheryl’s brother’s life caused a powerful combination of emotions within Cheryl’s family.

Her father was angry and made no air to conceal that fact. The circumstances around his son’s death were going to get investigated; he was going to sue every congressman and the president himself to get restitution for the loss of his son’s life. Knowing that his death was accidental and caused by a member of his own unit’s added to this anger and confusion.

There are never any “right words” for these awful situations. No words that would have any magic healing effects can be conjured up. The only thing anyone can do in this kind of circumstances is to be there, be supportive and to listen. This is exactly all I did for the next four days. I actually commuted back and forth from the city to Danbury during the next few working days to be around and to comfort Cheryl.

The memorial service was a typical military honorarium. The family received the folded flag that would be placed on some mantle somewhere. Following the service was the usual gathering of friends and family in a communal meal before all of the attendees were to depart back to their separate lives.

In the weeks that followed the funeral, Cheryl seemed depressed to the point of distraction. I didn’t get the feeling that they were as close as it appears they must have been given her reaction to his death.

I wanted very much to help her and her family but couldn’t find any meaningful way of accomplishing this. About a month later, I got a call from her Dad telling me that Cheryl was in the hospital and that I should probably come up as soon as I could. I was absolutely beside myself with fear at this news. I tried to get some news as to what was going on from her dad but, I got very few details other than that she seemed stable at the moment.

When I arrived at the hospital, some of my questions were answered almost immediately. When I asked at the nurse’s station where her room was, I was told that I couldn’t go in there right now as the psychiatrist was still in there with her and would need at least another half hour before visitors were going to be allowed back in to see her.