Family Ties

Dearest Mary,

I love you. Sean is dead. Jacob got his letter this morning. I'll enclose it with this letter. Our wounds seem to be healing fine, but there is something going around. Don't worry. We'll be fine. Stay safe and healthy.

Love and God bless you,

Jacob

Jacob put down his pencil. His son was dead. He was wounded. His son had a leg amputated. This war was messing up his family. Then the doctor and a general walked in.

"Okay men, we will be going through the ranks, seeing who can rejoin the army. We still have a few winter months, so we will pick you predicting on how you will be three of four months from now," the general addressed the wounded.

The doctor worked swiftly. When he reached Jacob Senior's bed, his took a while longer, "Hmm, two bullets through the arms... one went through... other we had to dig for... Okay, son, you can go back into the field in... three months."

The general passed by and nodded at Jacob's weak salute. Hallelujah, back into the army I go. Just to get shot at, and possibly killed. Fun, fun, he thought.

The doctor said to Jacob Junior, "Your leg was amputated. I'm afraid you won't return into the service." Jacob Junior saluted the general, then fell weakly back onto his pillow.

The doctor quickly went through the rest of the patients. Then the general addressed them again, "Those of you who are well enough to fight, listen. General Joe Hooker is in command of Union forces now. Now, we think he might try and pull something sneaky on us. So we must be alert. You WILL be called up when you are needed."

With that, the general exited.

Jacob Junior smiled weakly at his father. "Well, I guess you're a lucky winner, off onto the battlefield you go," he barely rasped out. "Now I'm a cripple. I can't do anything. Fight. Farm. At least you can support Mother." He fell back against his pillow, gasping in breath.

"Doctor! Can you come over here?" Jacob Senior asked.

"What's the problem?"

"Jacob Junior," he pointed to his son, "seems to be extremely weak. His voice is raspy. Is it some kind of disease?"

The doctor scanned Jacob Junior, examining his vitals, feeling over his skin, looking for anything. "Sir, why do you want to know?"

"He is my only son. His younger brother died yesterday."

"I think I might have to do a more intense examination on him. We'll roll him into the operating room, nobody's in there right now. Thank God."

"Can I come?"

"Of course you're his father."

So the men wheeled Jacob Junior into the operating room. The doctor stripped him of his clothes. He examined everything. Then he lowered his stethoscope to Jacob Junior's chest. He listened, moved the stethoscope a little. Nodded.

"Doctor, what is it? Is it anything serious?"

The Doctor frowned. He looked over Jacob Junior again. Then he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I'm so sorry. Your son--he has pneumonia."