It had been thirty-six hours since Patrick and Dawn had left the forward medic station, and the military still hadn't got a search party together to look for him. Judy continued to work , wounded soldiers still came in the medic station, the war didn't stop for anyone. She was very worried for both of them. She tried not to dwell on it , thinking about the repercussions of their actions didn't bode well . For the Private there was only one outcome, and Dawn , well Dawn could claim she was forced and taken by the Private. Just as she was finished cleaning the blood from one of the operating tables, the rumble of a motorcycle could be heard. She finished quickly and wash her hands and face then ran out back to see who it was. There were armed men already pointing there guns at and yelling at the Private to shut the engine off.
Disembark the motorcycle one soldier said . Patrick reved the engine even louder first a few times then shut it off. Dawn was holding him very tight and whispered in his ear, you just had to provoke them didnt you. I can't tell whom I love more, this damn machine or you. . Patrick turned his head , what do you mean? Nothing , it's nothing she replied. Stop talking and dismount, the other soldier screemed at them. Patrick nodded , put his hands up . The first soldier screemed, her first, you women get off the motorcycle and put your hands up. People had started to take an interest in the commotion,and gathering to see what was going on.
Dawn got off the motorcycle with her hands , get on yiur knees , she complied. The other soldier ordered Patrick to do the same. Judy looked on with a disappointing look on her face, arms crossed and tapping her foot. These stupid kids she thought. What is gonna happen to them . Just then a fancy man in a fancy uniform came walking up in a frenzy. Now we got you , you low born son of a whore. He spit out if his mouth. A look of triumph on his face. He pulled a horse crop out of his belt and shuffle stepped to Patrick. Shoving his head to the ground with his horse crop. Looking over at Dawn , Patrick yelled , she had nothing to do with anything, she was my hostage. I needed her to escape. The fancy man in a fancy uniform, Snarled we well see . He motioned with his horse crop for one of the soldiers to take her away. Now you , you dog shit on the bottom of my boots. He slobber out his mouth. You are gonna hang by your neck till dead. Patrick smiled and said , under the Articles of war im entitled to a fair trial by law. The fancy man in a fancy uniform scoffed, you are , but who's law? You'll hang boy. Patrick just smiled, said nothing. He got what he wanted , they weren't gonna just hang him from a tree and use his corpse as target practice. He'll have his day in court, all the good that will do. But he'll be able to get it on record and be held to military review. He already knew he was gonna hang , no way out of it. All part of his plan. The fancy man in a fancy uniform motioned for two soldiers to apprehend the Private and handcuff him . Throw him into the brigg he shouted as they dragged the Private off by his arms.
Patrick sat in a dark dank hole in the ground, just big enough for him to sit. It was at least three meters deep and had a heave metal grate covering the opening. Some brigg he thought, this doesn't even count as a cell. But he didn't complain, just to himself. This wasn't gonna be easy and it sure didn't start out easy. He worried for Dawn and what was happening to her now. Thay had gone over the plan and made the decision for her to play the victim, also to emphasize his treatment of her. How he used her as his play thing, she had refused at first, but Patrick had made a strong case for it. These are stupid men with stupid ideas, when they here that I fucked you two way from Sunday, they let you go and make him out to be a monster. That's fine he agreed, he was a monster. Dawn had replied , my monster and thay had a good laugh before they headed back to face their inevitable capture. They didn't think they would make it all the way back to the medic station though, goes to show how fucked up and slow military decisions took. Thirty-six hours they still didn't have a search party. Patrick chuckled in his hole in the ground. This is gonna be a shit show. He sighed deeply, better get some rest, as much as I can in here.
It was three days before Patrick was removed from that hole in the ground, dirty , dehydrated and starving. So weak he could barely stand. The fancy man in a fancy uniform held his chin up with his horse crop . Now we can add rapist to your charges, he said in disgust. Patrick smiled, it had worked , it had worked. Take him away he said to the two soldiers holding him up. Thay brought him to a pole out in the yeard for everyone to see, his hand cuffs were slung up over a hook just a few centimeters taller then his reach, and left there for the rest of the day. The weather was actually nice that day in late November. Cool yet not to cold. The sun was high in the sky and the war was way , way away from him . This is standard treatment for doomed soldiers. Patrick had seen it before, especially cowards, or shell shocked soldiers. Soldiers who lost there minds in the thick of battle , the strees was so great that their minds broke. They would hang them up like this as a warning to others. It didnt work, it was just torture and the ones who did it reveled in it. Sick men like the fancy man in a fancy uniform. Patrick didn't even bother to know his name or rank. Fancy pants is what he would call him next time he sees him that should get things started up quickly. What Patrick didn't know was that they were waiting for the captains father to arrive, before starting the court martial. More like a side show. It was getting dark when two soldiers escorting another fancy man in a fancy uniform twords him. The fancy man waved for the soldiers to stop , they did about five meters away. This man had a little lap dog in his arms , Patrick noticed.. Who the fuck was this asshole, he thought. The man circled, Patrick and then said . Introductions are in order, im the Eleventh Duke of Bedford , Sir Robert Hammel. And you , you Rogue who are you . Patrick started to laugh, what? The eleventh Duke of Bedford? Are you playing with me? All Patrick could think of was him and Dawn going at it eleven times in the bed. This cunt had to be a dream or a figment of his imagination. It has been three days with no food or water Then Patrick said, you for real? The Duke stroking his dog in his arms said , oh yes you Rogue I'm as real as you are gonna hang for killing my son. Patrick response was , I killed a lot of sons , even some sons of bitchs, you are gonna have to be more clear as to who I killed. This angerd the Duke who shouted, My son Robert Hammel the second. You shot him without provocation like the swine you are. Oh , oh yes I remember, Patrick said , you mean Junior. He was a real cunt. Just like his old man. This , this was to much for the Duke to take. He motioned for the soldiers to come and he told them , I think our guest here needs a reminder of the situation he is in, can you two fine men help with that. They nodded and said sure we can help him with that. They began to beat Patrick with the ends of their rifles. Loud thuds and cracks filled the night air. The sun had set on them
That's enough the Duke said , we well let him think on this for the night , it looks like he wants to sleep. Thank you gentleman. One soldier hit Patrick one last time in the head. They walked off leaving Patrick bleeding. Hanging there, Patrick began to think , The Dukes last name was Hammel, so was his. Wouldn't it be funny that i was actually one of his basterd sons, and i killed my half brother. Patrick began to laugh out loud , then coughed, spitting blood from his mouth. His lower lip had been impaled by his lower teeth. He tried to move his lip to remove it from his teeth but it wouldn't his ribs hurt again and his head was throbbing, its all just an illusion he said to himself, life is nothing but and illusion. He bled and hung there all night.
In the morning, both fancy men in fancy pants were out in the yard to visit Patrick. Good morning the Duke said, you have a good night sleep? Patrick didn't answer for a minute , the other fancy man , said , cat got your tongue, boy? Looking up through a swollen eye and blood soaked eye lashes. Patrick chuckled, oh look it's fancy pants one and two , here to greet me so early in the morning. Tired of buggering each other? So vulgar, replied the Duke. Have you no shame? Patrick looked at both of the men and spit on the ground, I had a dream last night ,Duke , you see we have the same last name, Hammel. I wonder if I may be one of your basterd sons, in fact I killed my half brother. Thing is we do look alike don't we. You and me .., papa. This was to much for the Duke he screemed, shut you mouth, shut your filthy mouth. To think you and I could ever be of the same blood so preposterous. Patrick nodded his throbbing head, preposterous he said , I like that word. It's a good word , how is it spelled? Enough! said the other fancy man in a fancy uniform. Using his horse crop he orded four soldiers to remove Patrick from the pole and clean him , his court martial was in two hours, then he'll be hanged the Duke added. Patrick just smiled and wondered if these two old coots thought that scared him. That he was afraid to die, when he actually returned to the medic station and turned himself if , that he didn't already understand his fate. Then it crossed his mind, he might not hang , these two old coots might have something else in mind for him, and that scared him.
The clean up process consisted of him getting hosed down out side and powered telk thrown on him for hygiene. He was allowed to fix his hair, wash the blood out of it. He had a gash a few centimeters long where the soldier bash him in his head. He comed it over and his swollen eye , well couldn't do anything about that. It was his lip that he had a problem with, it made him look ugly . He was giving a clean uniform, used socks and boots. Probably came of a dead man not to long ago, was his first thought. Oh well , theses are lucky boots, get to die being worn by two different soldiers. His luck boots. He said outloud. Then chuckled. What a joke . You finished, one soldier hollered at him , just one minute Patrick said need to fix my uniform. Got to look presentable for my court martial. Don't bother another soldier said , you gonna hang and then we gonna recycle that uniform. Oh , Patrick replied, so not just the boots. I'll try not to shit in them when I'm hanged then. Patrick smiled as he said that. Another soldier shook his head , you really don't give a fuck do you? You are about to die and you act like a smart mouth child. Have some dignity soldier. Patrick just looked at him as if he was seeing through him. Patted his lower lip , it was still bleeding. Then mumbled, im going home. The soldiers shook their heads , ready tough guy. Patrick nodded i am. Hand cuffed and ankle chained. They escorted him into a small room , stay here for now. As they locked his hands to a steel table one to heavy to run off with. Your counselor well be in shortly to see you. They shut the door behind them as they left , two remained out from and the other disappeared around the corner. A few minutes had passed , Patrick had is eyes shut and head leaning back . He breathed deeply , fortifying himself for what was coming, he thought of Dawn and how he missed her smell , her touch and her sweet taste. He imagined what their daughter would look like , hopefully like her mother, and maybe she'll have his sense of humor, taking everything not to seriously. How he well be looking over them from heaven, if he gets in, he reminded himself, then the door opened. A smart man in uniform came in , hello he said I'm your counselor, we have a few minutes before this shit show starts, what can I help you with? Patrick smiled , we gonna get along just fine he said. The counselor sat next to him because the table and room was too small for them to sit opposite from each other. Patrick leaned away, sorry the counselor said , tight quarters. Patrick nodded, all I want is that my body be given to Judy the nurse. So she can give it a good burial, someplace nice. Her choice. Why her? the counselor asked. She is the only person I know and I asked if she would beforehand, she agreed. I have no family, no one . I'm just glad to be buried in a real cemetery where my actual body well rest. Not some mass graves piled in like cord wood. Or blown to bits by artillery or some other horrible manner. The counselor nodded, easy enough, just sign her , I wrote your instructions down as you were talking. Is that it? Any special instructions? No , nothing its can think of . Fair enough , we are done then . A soldier well come and get you when this fiasco starts, they well says some words, then convict you for murder, rape and abandoning your post. , them are my charges? Patrick asked , yeppers replied the counselor, then they well hang you by your neck until dead. Patrick laughed, whats so funny?the counselor asked Patrick chuckled a bit more then said , it woukd be funny if they hung me till I was tired and then let me go. This made the counselor smile , he patted Patrick on the shoulder, you sir are a brave man. May God have mercy on your soul, oh i had forgot I'm your priest too, and thing to confess. Patrick looked him in the eye , and surprisingly said , seriously? Naw the counselor said then got up and banged on the door , then did a half soulte to Patrick and disappeared around the corner. Patrick thought to himself, what a proper prick. Then giggled. He leand his head back and breathed in deep . The rest was a blur , fancy people saying fancy words and a fancy man banging his little club down . The only thing he remembers was the judges final words, until dead. Patrick made a point to kiss at the Duke and say goodbye papa. Then he was escorted to the gallows,a hood put on his head , then the noose. It was pinched tight and the knot put at the base of his neck. Patrick breathing deeply in the dark his eyes open in the hood. Then a man said any last words? Patrick said , I'm going home. The trap door was pulled and he fell to his death. It all was very fast and his body was given to Judy . Then to Dawn who buried him in the front yard , under the wonderful tree. She and her daughter would go and water his grave when it was hot out, and her name was, Patricia, after her father, she had a good sense of humor just like him. Her mother always told her. Rest in peace , my love, was etched on his tombstone. Sargent first class , Patrick, J Hammel.