Shortly after the press conference, Jordan and Lawrence get separated to deal with details of being sent home. Jordan is shipped to the nearest hospital but remains with a couple of MPs. Once he arrives and finishes up a final military physical exam, Jordan asks the physician for a favor.

"Hey Captain, I uh, I have a question, and all I need is a yes, or no, answer. Is that guy from the CSH unit who got shot still here? I'd like to know if he is going to be okay."

At first, the Captain is hesitant but finally speaks up.

"He's here resting comfortably on the fourth floor. Mr. Dubois is going home as soon as he can get up and walk. I'm not supposed to let anyone in to visit him. Seeing how you did help save his life, I can give you a few minutes, but it goes no further than the MPs in charge of you." The physician declares with a serious and concerned expression.

"Done!" Jordan says eagerly.

The MPs left in charge of Jordan follow the physician down to Cory's room. Jordan walks in alone to see Cory resting.

"Who are you?" He asks Jordan in a raspy voice.

"I'm one of the MPs that disobeyed orders to save you and your friends. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better, that's for damn sure. I am waiting to head home soon and be with my kid and maybe try to make things better with his mom. We've had a rough couple of years. What about you, man?"

"I'm heading home. I'm Jordan, by the way, Jordan Mitchell, soon to be former Sergeant in a few more days. Then I'm just another resident of Johns Creek, Georgia."

"Oh, my bad, I'm Cory Dubois from RiverCreek, Minnesota. I loved playing hockey; I love my son, who I just found out about when I went to my father's funeral. I have no clue what I'm doing when I get home or who I am anymore."

They both share a laugh, and Jordan takes a seat at Cory's side. They share some stories about their lives. Cory goes about some of the best days of his life.

"Back in high school, I was team captain, and we won the state title. If it hadn't been for me being stupid after my best friend murdered someone, I would've had a free ride to Miami of Ohio. I had my life planned out, and well, Cory Jr., or CJ, was a hell of a surprise, but I don't regret him one bit."

"I don't have any kids, but I did find out when I was in basic training that I have a half-brother who's also in the Army and has a wife. One day I hope to be able to get to know him better. I have a ton more family to meet, and yeah, bigger than I thought." Jordan says with a calm tone.

As they spend another half-hour talking, the two men exchange information before the MPs remind Jordan that they must be on the way back to the barracks to continue to wait for his DD214. Jordan's final discharge paperwork to send him home.

Back in the hospital room, Cory receives a visit from the hospital, Chaplin.

"Good day, young man; it's been chaotic around here. So, accept my apology; casualties are coming in from a CSH from Baghdad. I've heard that a birdy has been busy to get you home, and soon you'll be on your way. Before you go, though, I'd like to give some counsel to you in case there's anything you would like to confess in confidence."

Cory bows his head as the Chaplin begins with a prayer, and they talk for a bit. The Chaplin's primary concern is to help Cory find peace from the mayhem and mental anguish that follows a highly traumatic event.

"Now tell me, young man, what's the one thing you look forward to the most about getting to go home?" The Chaplin begins.

"I want to know my son and make up for lost time with friends and my mother." Cory pauses, "I also want to try to reconnect with my son's mother. She needs forgiveness and closure too. I ran from my problems and used being pissed off as a means not to go home."

"There, there, my son, pain makes us do things we never imagine. Why, I, myself, never thought I would be in a remote region of the world to counsel those who have seen demons the world could never fathom. Life is such a mystery, but we can't run from it. As Joshua of Jericho conquered, so must we as the world becomes more bitter and even so cruel." The Chaplin preaches in his chair, with Cory smiling at him.

Something within Cory connects to the babbling Chaplin and leaves him with a smile. A surprising confession comes when Cory sits up and turns to the Chaplin.

"Sir, if I may, I'd like to make a confession. I'm not Catholic..."

"No one's perfect, my son." The Chaplin interludes to create a laugh.

"Right... Anyway, I ugh I need to confess that I was beyond scared when I learned about my son. At times I wanted to blame him for what happened in my life, my dreams. I know that's just another lie and a cover for a bad decision I made. He's not responsible, I am, and I never got to spend any time with him when I left. One last thing, and I have no one to ask. Is it bad that I'm still angry with his mother?"

The Chaplin sits up straight in his seat.

"Why pray tale would you be angry with her? Has she kept him from you in some way or taken child support and wasted it not on the child?"

"Well, she did, in a way, kept him from me, but she sent me a 'dear Cory' letter while I was in BCT. Tara, my son's mother, lied about a miscarriage. I'm still just as angry at her as the day I found out about our son."

With a hand on Cory's, the Chaplin lifts it a couple of inches in the air.

"Anger can be let go from in time, but tell me this how do you still feel about your son's mother?"

"I love her, sir. Tara has been the light in my darkness since literally the moment we locked eyes. She's an amazing woman, and she's always been so kind and caring. It wasn't until someone killed our friend Kayla and ran away that we all knew that things shifted. After that, I watched my best friend murder the guy that killed Kayla. I didn't know which way was up. I still feel like I'm walking in a valley of darkness."

There's a puzzling glare in the Chaplin's eyes. He sits there and continues to listen while Cory unknowingly spills his grief.

"The day that Frankie hit Kayla with his car, all of our lives changed. My best friend Rick murdered Frankie on the courthouse steps and got sent to prison. My father helped him get paroled early and even gave him a good deal to keep my father's garage open. I ran off the instant I found a way out of town because I hated growing up in such a small community as compared to the big cities. Tara lost her best friend and me and Rick and her father in a car crash, and just yeah. I've held all of this in for so long. Now I nearly died doing what I used to love to help save lives. It's just, you know, after almost being killed, I don't know if I can go back to that. I wanted to become a general surgeon, but I feel lost in the shuffle of life now

With a light squeeze of his hand, the Chaplin dips his head while thinking of a response.

"We all make mistakes, as we both know. To find forgiveness after being misled is a path to finding salvation in the warmth of our Lord. He who forgives finds the compassion they never knew they had before. Our very souls seek redemption, my son. The past is that the past, learn from those errors and move forward. You said you still love this woman who gave you a child to adore and teach about life. Be thankful you were spared to have this opportunity. Purgatory isn't a place you would want to wait for the day of reckoning. You'll be on your way home soon. Take the time to heal, not just physically but emotionally too. There's no telling what you'll experience, but remember the church is always here to help heal." The Chaplin finishes up then heads off after a final prayer.

Cory is left to rest and think about what they talked about and feels a bit better. About four hours go by, and Cory calls for the nurse on duty.

"Sergeant Dubois, is there anything that I can do for you?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm fine. I was wondering when I could talk to my friend Jordan. He was here earlier with the MPs. I wanted to speak to him one more time. Also, any word on my discharge?"

The nurse gives him a motion to wait for a moment while she gathers his information.

"You still have one round of tests to go before we can send you to Germany then on a plane back home. The doctor should be in shortly, but until then, no more visitors. You require rest and relaxation, Sergeant, and nothing else." She informs him before she returns to the nurse's station.

Soon after, the doctor enters the room with the nurse and takes a blood sample. Cory sits there as they discuss the test to run and assist Cory to his feet.

"Gotta get you up and moving a bit. You're going to be a bit tender, but we need to get you upright. Your body needs to move to avoid blood clots and any other future complications." The doctor explains when he uses his strength to get Cory to his feet and holds onto him while he walks from the room down to the nurse's station.

"Looky here, ladies, a strong young man to take home." The doctor teases as all the nurses begin to blush.

"Thanks, Doc, but I'm taken ladies by a beautiful woman back home. I don't think she would appreciate me coming home with another woman." Cory responds with a smirk.

The ladies all give a collective "awe" as Cory continues his boyish smirk. He stands there soaking in the attention and feels strength returning every second on his feet.

"Well, alright, depending on your blood culture, I can sign your release to head home. Your formal discharge paperwork is finished. All that's left to do, Cory, sign it when I release you from my care. From that moment on, you're officially a civilian again. First-class too, and we all heard about someone who called in some favors, someone wants you home." The doctor admits to knowing more than he led on when entering Cory's room.

"Seriously, I'm on my way home?" Cory blurts out.

"Once I see that your bloodwork comes back normal and you can hold down a solid meal, I don't see any reason to hold you. Be safe out there and seek help when you get home for any unseen trauma at the VA."

"I will, sir, thank you!" Cory gets assisted back to the room where he sits in the chair rather than crawl back into bed.

Jordan, on the other hand, sits and waits for his paperwork to set him free. In his mind, the bureaucracy he's witnessed from the time he arrived in Spain before being deployed to Iraq. Jordan's been pissed at the so-called rules and regulations to show compassion where people are repressed and murdered in the name of religion. For Jordan, he feels as if he's being set free from a prison sentence.

Jordan is in love at the chance to be home and feel whole again with a new purpose fuels the fire within. After getting to know Lawrence better and speaking with Cory, it's been an eye-opening experience. The fight to preserve life has been a terrible weight that's shifted throughout his soul. All Jordan wants to do now is take what he's learned and apply it to achieve a new goal.

Jordan uses what he can to work out as he's waiting to get handed a set of plane tickets home. The frustration turns to pushups, jumping jacks, and even shadow boxing to kill time. The near two-day wait is up when the MPs return to take him to the meeting room.

"Good afternoon Mr. Mitchell." A NATO commander greets him.

"It's Sergeant Mitchell, if you don't mind."

"Not anymore; I know this is out of the ordinary, but nothing has been ordinary for a while, has it? Anywho, you are no longer a Sergeant in the US Army. You are now a regular civilian with the stroke of a pen. Just sign pages 4, 12, and 16 and initial on page 16 at the top, and you are set to resume your life back in the states."

Not wasting time, Jordan speed reads through the paperwork to ensure he's not getting tricked, and when it's all in order, he signs the pages and drops the pen on the desk.

"Right..." the commander comments before continuing, "You'll be leaving in the morning, and you should arrive home within a few days from now. It's been quite an experience, and well best of luck out in the world."

Jordan nods and holds a blank expression. On the inside, he's delighted to get home, but he's doing trying to be nonchalant on the outside.

When the morning comes, Jordan gets to his feet as he hasn't slept. The nightmare at this chapter of his life is finished, and now he's anxious to arrive home. It's time for him to step forward and swap out a military uniform for civilian clothes and be on his way. The expectations are now wide open as he hopes to find another great adventure waiting in the 'dirty south' as Atlanta calls.