This part 3 of a 5-part story. Please note that there is no sexual activity in this part and very little in the story as a whole as it is written as a romantic rather than erotic tale.
~~~~~~~~ Chapter thirteen ~~~~~~~~~~
Standing in the grey painted utilitarian corridor outside the doctor's office Jack hesitated and took a deep breath, wondering what the outcome of his meeting would be, before knocking on the door.
Did he actually want to go on leave? He was comfortable at the centre and there was always Stacey to console himself with if he wanted. He knew, if he was really being honest with himself, that he wasn't even sure that he wanted to go back home as he had planned. The closer the possibility of it came the more it raised doubts within him.
"Come in." a deep voice called from inside the office, telling him to enter, moments after he had rapped loudly on the wood.
Closing the door behind him Jack moved quickly to the centre of the spacious room and stood stiffly at attention, in front of the large desk, waiting patiently for the officer seated behind it to acknowledge him.
The senior doctor at the rehab centre, a major, was a substantially older man with greying hair. Wearing dark framed glasses and a white lab coat he didn't look up as Jack entered.
"Ah yes, sergeant Maitland isn't it, please take a seat." The doctor carelessly waved his hand towards a chair in front of him.
"Sir." Jack took off his beret and sat down.
Picking up the clutch of papers in front of him the major took some time to read through them before finally raising his dark brown eyes and studying Jack for a moment.
"How are you feeling sergeant?"
"Fine thank you sir. A little unfit but otherwise I'm all good."
"Well sergeant looking over your progress I think it's about time we let you out of here, don't you?" The white coated doctor sitting opposite him smiled and took a moment to write a comment on his notes, "So, you can go home, providing the physiotherapist gives you your final sign off this afternoon."
"Thank you, sir." Jack said, uncertain if he was grateful to be released on leave or not, "How long will I be taking?"
The doctor steepled his fingers, considering the question "It's difficult to say. Four to six weeks at least, maybe a while longer. It all depends on how things go."
"Sir."
"But you'll be required to come back in and have a check up on a weekly basis sergeant, so don't plan any long trips."
"No sir. I just thought I might go back to my home town for a while," Jack finally committed to a choice about his time off, "catch up with a few old friends maybe."
"Good idea." He smiled, "If the physio gives you the all clear later you can get your travel arrangements sorted with the transport office and go as soon as you want."
"Yes sir." He stood up to leave.
"Oh, and congratulations sergeant." The major added at the last minute, smiling again.
"Sir?" Jack turned back to look at him, puzzled.
"You've been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal sergeant. For your last action in Helmund province." The doctor handed him a letter on MoD headed paper.
Reading through it, Jack couldn't help but remember his two comrades who had been killed; his commanding officer Lieutenant Carstairs and his best friend Colm McElheeny.
"Thank you, sir." He said after a few moments of reflection.
He saluted and left the doctor's office with mixed emotions; happy that his stay at the centre was finally over and about his unexpected award but he would miss Stacey and he was still far from certain about his resolve to travel home.
Spending an hour or so packing his few things Jack deliberated again over his decision to travel back to his home town for his leave period. It had been a long time since he had left there to enlist in the army and he had deliberately stayed away for all that time. The fact his mother had also moved away soon after he had gone, to live with her sister in Liverpool, had removed his one remaining family tie to the area he had grown up in.
It was too late to change his mind now he finally concluded. He would do what he planned and see if any of his old friends were still there. If things didn't work out then maybe he could move on somewhere else, perhaps Liverpool to see his aunt or even take a short holiday.
"I guess that's congratulations on two counts. You're all done here now, that's it." Stacey told him later that afternoon as she finished his final session in the gym, "Just keep on with the exercising regime while you're not here."
"It's all good then?" Jack sought confirmation from her as he stepped off the treadmill in the centre's gymnasium.
"Not really but I can't keep you here against your will." The cute blonde said with resignation, "As much as I want to."
"Stace..."
Stacey shook her head, sniffing back the tears that threatened to start flowing "Please don't make it any worse. I can't complain, you were totally honest with me from the start."
Jack knew there was nothing he could possibly say to make it any easier for her, or for him.
"You're a great girl Stace. The best. If there was any way I... we... could be different...." He left the sentence unfinished.
She looked at him and smiled sadly, "I've said it before, whoever she is she's a fucking idiot to ever let you go."
"I'm not going until tomorrow. Maybe we could have a drink tonight." He suggested half-heartedly.
She shook her head, "Probably best not to. I'm not sure I could cope with that."
"I guess you're right. Bye Stacey and thanks for everything. Take care." He shrugged and kissed her cheek.
She gave him a forlorn smile, "If you do ever change your mind... you... you know where I am."
He smiled back but didn't answer as he turned to go.
"Goodbye Jack." She whispered as he walked away, a solitary tear trickling down her cheek.
Making his way to the transport office at the front of the building he wondered for the hundredth time what he was doing.
He had no real reason to go back home other than a profound need to exorcise the ghosts of his past. Staying here he could try to do that with Stacey but deep down he knew that wouldn't have been fair on her. He liked her enough to make it a clean break, however hard that made it for himself.
No, he had to go back and put his past behind him, he realised that now. Then maybe, just maybe, he could move on and, who knows, come back and find Stacey again. However, before he could think about a return to his home town, he had another two very important stops to make first.
His brief visit to the small transport office took little more than ten minutes and he soon had all the necessary travel warrants and documents he required in his hand.
"Just one thing before you go sergeant." The clerk stopped him as he was about to go out of the door, his pen poised above the form he was completing, "Where will you be staying at your final destination? We need to know, just in case we have to contact you."
"Oh... umm... probably the Royal Oak hotel." He said after a moment's thought, "Yeah the Royal Oak."
