[ WP ] As a Space marine you have an allowance of one call home a day . Today 's battle was especially bad and your best friend died I 'm the heat of it all . Time to call home .

`` Hi dad!'' 
 
 The words snap me from my thoughts. I focus on the screen to see my son staring at me. He had a gap where a tooth had fallen out. 
 
 I forcefully pull a fake smile back. `` Hey bud, how's it going! Is mom home?'' 
 
 `` Isaac, finish your homework first!'' 
 
 My wife's voice makes my smile less forced. `` Alright Isaac, go do your homework. I promise we'll talk more soon, alright?'' 
 
 `` Okay, dad.'' He replies, but the tone tells me he's upset. His visage disappears and replaced by my wife's. 
 
 `` I swear, the smallest thing distracts that boy.'' Her hair is in a hasty bun, and judging by the glisten of sweat and the smudge on her cheek she had been in the garden. Her blue eyes show more relief than anything else. `` Hi honey, so nice to hear from you! It's been almost two weeks, is everything alright?'' 
 
 Her question brings me out it for second, and I ca n't seem to focus on anything. 
 
 `` Mark?'' 
 
 I rub at my eyes to clear them, and open them to see my wife's often kind face twisted with concern. 
 
 `` Mark.'' 
 
 `` No, everything's not alright Emma!'' I realized I yelled. `` No, nothing is alright.'' My eyes begin to go blurry again, this time from welling tears. Dammit, marines are n't supposed to cry. 
 
 Emma retained her calm composure. `` What happened?'' Was all she asked. 
 
 I try to think, but it does n't work. Nothing is right, everything is jumbled. `` Jason.'' I'm able to mumble out. 
 
 `` Oh god...'' I hear her get up from her chair. `` Isaac, go do your homework in your room for now. Daddy and I need to talk.'' By the time she gets back my composure is better. `` Mark, what happened?'' 
 
''' We were ambushed. The area should have been cleared, but they must have missed them. We lost four men before we knew what was happening. Jason and I wound up next to each other behind a truck.'' I can feel my heart beating faster. I can still hear the gunfire, the crack of our weapons and the hiss of theirs. `` It looked like we were fighting them off, so we started following them.'' I remember the order from our CO, to kill every one of the bastards, ASAP. `` Jason and I glanced at each other, and I swear I could tell that he smiled at me.'' My voice begins to waver. Emma starts to speak but I hold up my hand. 
 
 `` He did n't even get his shoulders above the ridge. It went through his neck.'' I remember watching, seeing the plasma bolt sear a hole straight through Jason's helmet and out the back. Watched him fall backwards. Crawled over to him. `` He might have lived, the wound was n't anywhere vital in his neck, but his oxygen system was severed.'' I remember looking into his eyes, blue like his sister's. Watched them go from shocked to panicked. Listened to him scream in pain, then start coughing, then gasping. Watched the skin around his eyes turn blue, hear his breathing grow more and more shallow. The fear in his eyes to the last moment as he stared at me, his hands like vices around my arms. 
 
 `` Mark...'' 
 
 `` He asphyxiated before the medic could get to him.'' My hands start shaking, and my eyes blur with tears again. 
 
 Emma does n't say anything, and we sit in silence for almost a whole minute. It seems like hours, and every second I remember it. His eyes staring back, blue like his skin. The medic prying me off of him, me screaming for Jason the whole time. 
 
 `` Mark, it's not your fault.'' 
 
 `` If I had gotten up first, or we had waited just another second, he may be alive!'' I catch myself yelling again. `` When we enlisted, I promised to keep him safe.'' 
 
 `` You did all you could.'' 
 
 `` I could have done more.'' 
 
 More silence. I hate it, almost as much as the sound of battle. Every little sound rings in my ears. I ca n't take it, and force myself to talk. 
 
 `` They asked if I wanted to escort him back.'' 
 
 `` What?'' She looks back, confusion replacing sorrow. 
 
 `` My CO requested it. He knew mine and Jason's connection, and felt it would be better to send him home with a friend. I leave the front tomorrow, I should be home by next week.'' 
 
 I see the relief wash over her. A hint of a smile forms on her face as she wipes her nose. `` Oh, Mark. Should I tell Isaac?'' 
 
 I smile myself. `` No, I want to surprise him.'' 
 
 `` He'll love that.'' She smiles more, then suddenly giggles. `` Oh, god that means I have to actually look presentable for once.'' 
 
 I chuckle. `` Oh, come on. You're beautiful all the time.'' 
 
 `` Promise?'' 
 
 `` Promise.'' I look at the clock on the screen. `` Ah, I have to go. Still need to finish packing what little I have.'' 
 
 Emma's smile fades. `` Mark.'' 
 
 `` Yeah?'' 
 
 `` Be safe.'' 
 
 `` I will, promise.'' 
 
 `` Thank you.'' She blows a kiss at the camera. `` Love you.'' 
 
 I smile and blow one back. `` Love you too.''
