In a tiny, run-down bar on the sketchy side of town, I sit at a booth with a hardened, grizzled war veteran who was drowning his sorrows with cheap liquor out of amber-tinted shot glass. Consequently,—because of Veteran's Day—in honour of those who served, I was asked to interview Colonel William Cohen McAdams—who served in the army, airforce, and the navy SEALs—for an article in the university paper. He was a decent-looking fellow—for someone who was missing an eye. Ironically enough, he catches more with one eye than anyone else does with two. He lost it to a shrapnel grenade during his fifth and final tour of duty—I’d later learn. He got the least of the blast, thanks to his best friend, who jumped in front of the explosive; God rest his soul.
After downing his fourth bottle of bootleg whiskey and adding another $50 to my bar tab, in walked an unshaven young man with a flicker of desperation in his eyes. He …show more content…
It felt as if though my body had a sudden rush of adrenaline, reaching every nerve of my body like a shock. I lifted the injured soldier onto my shoulders in a fireman carry and heaved him out of the bar. Unforgiving gusts of frosty, winter wind and snow greeted my exposed fingers with ice-cold smirk. There were no taxis at this late at night—especially around this part of the city. Frantically, I whipped my head around left and right, assessing my options when a lone pickup truck situated underneath a blinking street light caught my eye. With all my the energy I had in me, stumbling a few times through the heavy dusting of snowfall, I trudged over to the truck. The—once bright-red—vehicle was, old, rusted, and looked as if it was in desperate need of repair. Fortunately, the car door was unlocked and the keys were in the glove compartment. I sat the colonel down in the passenger seat and started the car. As I began driving for the county general hospital, a dark figure emerged from
After downing his fourth bottle of bootleg whiskey and adding another $50 to my bar tab, in walked an unshaven young man with a flicker of desperation in his eyes. He …show more content…
It felt as if though my body had a sudden rush of adrenaline, reaching every nerve of my body like a shock. I lifted the injured soldier onto my shoulders in a fireman carry and heaved him out of the bar. Unforgiving gusts of frosty, winter wind and snow greeted my exposed fingers with ice-cold smirk. There were no taxis at this late at night—especially around this part of the city. Frantically, I whipped my head around left and right, assessing my options when a lone pickup truck situated underneath a blinking street light caught my eye. With all my the energy I had in me, stumbling a few times through the heavy dusting of snowfall, I trudged over to the truck. The—once bright-red—vehicle was, old, rusted, and looked as if it was in desperate need of repair. Fortunately, the car door was unlocked and the keys were in the glove compartment. I sat the colonel down in the passenger seat and started the car. As I began driving for the county general hospital, a dark figure emerged from