Major Fouts and James were dismissed with orders not to speak to anyone
until they received word from the Public Affairs office, who would be handling
all the media and interviews. James tried to thank Major Fouts for her support,
but she brushed it aside as her duty and nothing more. Once back at Mach One
she called a meeting of all squadron members present and explained the
situation. She made it clear that this was as much about the Academy as it was
about James. She also made it very clear that she expected them to give total support
to the efforts to enhance the image of the Academy. The meeting had been over
for only a few minutes when the public affairs office contacted them and the
madness began. It was indeed madness too.
The next week was one constant interview as far as James was concerned.
By the end of the week, a clip of his last sprint during the Ironman, the one
up that last grade to the finish, had been released to the media. It was a
grainy, phone camera image, but it showed things clear enough to see Aadila's bandaged
feet. It also showed them walking across the finish line and him collapsing. It
cut off shortly after that just as those at the finish line rushed in to help.
The only good thing was that the sound was almost useless. All that could be
heard was noisy chatter from the other cadets watching. Nothing that James or
Aadila had said could be heard on this video. James had seen the one that Candy
had managed to get. It showed everything from well before the last sprint
started and the voices were very clear. It had been easy to hear Aadila's
prayer and maybe worse a lot of the comments from the other cadets. If that had
made it into the hands of the national press it would have been disastrous.
James wasn't sure how Candy had obtained her copy or why she had withheld it,
but he knew that he now owed her a debt. She was one of the few members of the
press James had actually hoped to see, but she had never showed any interest in
coming according to Public Affairs.
At first, the local press had focused attention on James. They wanted to
hear his story, but that didn't seem to satisfy them and the national news
wanted a lot more. The national news media wanted to meet Aadila and hear her
side of the story. Aadila had just arrived back on the Hill, but she hadn't
really been aware of everything that had been going on. Thankfully she was
willing to work with James to try and get past this as quietly as possible.
Aadila had faced far less after the Ironman than James had faced. Once she left
Mach One after her first year the entire issue had faded away for her. Oh
people still knew who she was and what had happened, but James was the one that
everyone remembered. Aadila had seldom even been reminded of it. Now, without
any warning, she found herself back at the very center of attention. She
handled the interviews with the same casual acceptance that James did. That
served very well with the individual interviews with the local press, but
things didn't go as smoothly during the big interview with the national press.
The
Public Affairs office had given many short private interviews with James at the
start of things. Once it became apparent that Aadila would have to be
interviewed to satisfy the press the private interviews halted. It was decided
that the two of them should face the media together so that they would be aware
of what the other actually was saying. One good thing about all of this was
that it hadn't come out until after the last of the cadre who were there during
the Ironman had graduated. Since they were scattered all over now, the press
wasn't able to talk with them. In fact they didn't show any real interest in
them after finding out they had already moved into the main Air Force. James
and Aadila were the center of attention. The Academy grounds still remained
primarily closed to the public and the press. The cadets that were on the Hill
had all been instructed to avoid speaking with the press. If they couldn't
avoid it they should just say they were aware of things, but it wasn't that big
a deal on the Hill. That had worked surprisingly well.
Public Affairs had quickly realized that
the only way to have any chance of controlling the press and not have someone
start digging would be to give one major press conference with the press
allowed to ask any questions they wanted and just hope for the best. James was
convinced that simply telling the truth and not getting too detailed would
satisfy them. He managed to convince the Public Affairs officer, with Major
Fouts helping him, that any attempts to avoid a question would be blood in the
water among a school of sharks. The only way to deal with this was directly and
honestly. They just had to hope that the press didn't dig too deep or sense
that something was being hidden. If that happened the real story about the
treatment of the Doolies and of religion at the Academy would come out. If that
did happen there was no way to be sure where it all might end or what the
results might be for the Academy and those involved. This big open press
conference was the best hope they could see for avoiding any further
complications with the press.
The big press conference went well. They had cameras and were even
recording the conference for a spot on a major network news show. James handled
most of the questions and Aadila was ready to answer anything the press did
think to ask her. That is until one of them focused his attention on Aadila for
several questions. His name was Bill Deans and he was with NBC. They were the
ones who planned to air a full segment about this on one of the major nightly
news shows. His first question was a simple one, but one that nobody else had
asked Aadila. Bill had asked, "Aadila, can you tell me why you were
selected to run in this Ironman? I mean you don't exactly look like a runner to
me, especially not an Ironman runner." Aadila had been ready for that
question and laughed when he finished speaking before she answered him. "I
was selected for that very reason; that I wasn't ready to make that run."
She quickly held up her hand to stop more questions before she was done.
"Let me finish. I believe they were attempting to help me see what I could
do. I had to complete the run to remain in good standing, but once I completed
it I would have proven to them and to myself that I could handle the Academy.
It was a brutal run and I wasn't sure I could do it, but it had a very real and
important purpose for me too. It helped me to prove myself. I was selected to
help show me what I actually could do. I needed to know that, before I started
classes here. There is no place for weakness at the Academy. I was selected so
that I could find out if I was too weak to be here. I wasn't."
Bill and the rest seemed to be ready to accept most of that, but he had
more questions for Aadila. "Alright, I guess that makes some kind of
sense. You will be going into a very active military and may see combat duty,
so any weakness could be a threat to you and those around you. It would be good
to know that you could handle difficult situations, but I still have to ask.
What about your feet? As I understand it they were in very bad shape. How did
that happen and why didn't the cadre in charge step in to stop you sooner?
Aren't they supposed to be monitoring you and ensuring your safety and well
being?" Again Aadila laughed. "Yes they are, but as with many things
in life there are limits to what others can do to help you. It was my fault
that my feet got in such bad shape. My boots didn't fit like they should have
and I made no effort to get that corrected before starting the run. I didn't
want to be seen as a whiner or trying to get out of the run. I made the
decision to run and I paid the price for my pride. They didn't help me, because
I didn't ask for help. I neither asked for help nor wanted it. I thought I had
to do this on my own. They were aware of my struggle, but I hid as much as I
could from them. They let me decide when to say enough. I am to blame for my
feet and for refusing to let them help me."
Bill nodded. Then he asked the questions that almost blew everything up.
"Okay, I can understand that too. But you did let Cadet Cooper help you.
Why did you do that? What did he do that was different? Why let another Doolie
help you and not the cadre?" Aadila sat there just looking at Bill with no
expression at all of her face. Her smile had vanished as Bill had asked his
questions. After a moment she shook herself and tried to answer him. "I am
not sure I can explain why. Mostly it was simply because I could have gone no
farther. It was also because of James himself." She looked over at him and
smiled as she continued. "James wouldn't let me refuse his help. I tried.
I tried very hard, many times, but he wouldn't be refused. That was what was
different. He wouldn't leave me. He just sat down and slowly convinced me that
I must let him help. He can be very convincing." Then she turned back to
face Bill. "I saw the cadre as my enemy. I had to prove myself worthy to
them. I didn't have anything to prove to James, so I gave in and let him help
me."
Bill was watching Aadila closely now, a lot of the people were watching
Aadila closely. Bill continued. "Can you tell me how you felt about James
helping you? What was it like for you to have someone who you didn't even know
refuse to leave you? How did you feel about all of this while it was going
on?" Aadila was clearly stunned and shocked by his questions. She had
talked with James about those questions and how to answer them, but for some
reason she seemed to be unprepared now. After a moment she dropped her head and
shook it slowly for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and looked up
again. The calm, collected face she had
shown all along was gone now. She looked almost confused as she looked at Bill.
When she began to speak her voice was softer and there was a slight tremor in
it.
"How did I feel? You are asking me how it feels to be a failure, to
know that you aren't tough enough or good enough, that you don't deserve to be
here. You are asking me to explain how I felt while watching a stranger do for
me what I couldn't do for myself. To explain how it felt to watch, hear, and
feel him driving himself beyond his ability just to help me when I had
failed?" She suddenly shook her head fiercely and almost screamed her
answers. "I will tell you! I was ashamed and furious! I had failed at my
dream! I was too weak and too foolish! Then as I sat there crying I heard
someone speaking softly to me, asking me if he could help me. I tried to refuse
him, but he refused me instead! He wouldn't leave! James just remained there and
talked softly to me. He introduced himself and asked my name. He refused to let
me be a stranger to him." Aadila choked off her voice as she closed her
eyes and tried to recover.
The Public Affairs officer was about to step up and stop things, but James
raised his hand and motioned him back with a shake of his head. When the
officer stepped back James returned his attention to Aadila. She opened her
eyes again and with a deep breath continued. Her voice was back to normal and
she seemed to have more control of herself now. "I was hurting. I was
angry, and I was ashamed. Then as James spoke to me I became calmer and more
determined. I would finish the Ironman. I wasn't going to let anyone help me
though." She smiled. "But James knew I couldn't do that, just as I
did in my heart. He just kept on talking and working on my feet. He cleaned
them and wrapped them as tenderly as he could. I could see him flinching from
the pain he was causing me and he was hurting with me. Then he explained that
together we would finish the Ironman. He talked about his faith, his faith in
me, and his faith in God. Now I was amazed and confused. Who was he? Why did he
care? He knew I was Muslim, but he didn't care about that. How could he hope to
do what I knew was impossible? Why would he try, when it would mean he would
fail too?" She laughed.
"Then I watched him put my pack on and I felt him take me in his
arms." She shrugged as she continued to speak. “He lifted me as gently as
a father would have lifted his injured child. And then he began to run with me
in his arms." Aadila stopped and turned to look at James for a moment
before she spoke again while still watching him. "That is when I knew that
we were fools, while he was running at the start of our journey together. I could
hear him as he ran. I could hear him groan. I could hear him trying to breath.
I could feel his muscles trembling from the strain of what he was doing...
doing for me!" She looked back at Bill with tears in her eyes. "I
felt him giving everything he had for me, a stranger, knowing that it would
cost him his own dreams to attend the Academy. I have no words for what that
felt like."
Aadila hesitated and wiped tears from her eyes before she continued. Her
voice had grown softer and everyone in the room was absolutely silent, so that
they could hear her as she spoke. "Finally he stopped and I begged him to
put me down. He had done all he could do for me. We had miles to go and I
couldn't believe he had carried me so far. I didn't believe he was still able
to carry me. I could feel his entire body trembling beneath me. He was soaked
in sweat and gasping for air. I knew that he would never be able to finish the
run with me in his arms, but he refused me again. He wouldn't leave me. He said
let me rest, that we would finish together, that we weren't alone. He said that
we could win, that we could defeat those who doubted us."
Aadila dropped her head and sobbed for a
moment before she continued. "When he started to run again... I couldn't
take it anymore. I buried my head on his chest and I wept. I was not only a
failure. I was making him a failure. I just wanted to die, so that I wouldn't
have to feel him dying as he carried me." She managed a slight smile
again. "But as I wept I heard something. I heard his heart. Mine was
pounding and racing, but his wasn't. It was steady and constant. I wondered how
that was possible. How could he do what he was doing and his heart remain so
steady, so calm? As he struggled to continue and I listened to his heart, I too
became calmer. In time my shame and anger were replaced with hope and
determination. The miles passed and I began to wonder if he really could do it.
As he ran I encouraged him and prayed for him. We fell many times, but each
time he refused to stop. He would twist around so that I landed on top of him.
Each time the cadre would try to make him stop, but each time he would get back
up and continue again. He didn't speak. He had no strength left for that. He
just continued to jog and stumble forward with me in his arms and our packs on
his back. I have never seen anyone fight so hard to just take one more
step."
She stopped and wiped at the tears on her face again. "When I saw
the finish line I could hardly believe it at first. I told him about it and encouraged
him. I truly began to believe we could finish the Ironman together." She
smiled and shook her head. "You all know the rest. You saw what he did,
what we did. I think I felt every emotion that I have ever felt at different
times as we made that run together. I know I didn't actually do the running,
but I promise you that I was a part of it. Anger, shame, fear, pain, sorrow,
and joy, I felt all of those and more. I was a part of something beyond words
to explain. I cannot answer your questions better than this."
Bill was silent for a moment and then he spoke very softly. "So...
he really was a hero." Aadila stunned everyone then. She almost shouted as
she looked up with defiance on her face. "NO! There was nothing heroic
about what he did. He wasn't being a hero. James did what he felt he had to do.
I didn't understand that then, but I do now!" Bill recovered quickly.
"Wait, what do you mean? The way you just spoke of him, well he sounded
awfully heroic to me. Can you explain why he isn't a hero?" Aadila smiled
and spoke quickly. "Yes, I can explain that. James didn't want to be a
hero. James just wanted to finish the Ironman and get on with life at the
Academy. James did what he had to do, no more, and no less. James saw me in
need and he answered that need. It was his duty as a fellow soldier. He
couldn't, he wouldn't leave me behind. What he did was done, because to him it
was his duty. To Cadet James Andrew Cooper, doing his duty was a matter of
honor." She smiled again. "He is a man of honor. He had to honor his
duty, not only to his country but also to his God. James simply did what he saw
as his duty to both. He did his duty with faith and with honor. He showed me
and the world his faith, his faith in me, and his faith in God."
Aadila stopped and looked directly at James. "He was never trying
to be a hero. If you ask him, he will tell you now, he isn't a hero. He did
only his duty. He honored his duty and his God. He did the same things when he
ran the relay race. He honored his commitment; he did his duty. He did it for
his teammates, and for his God. James walks with faith, and with honor. They
are a part of him. He did nothing that he didn't feel he had to do. James did
nothing that he wouldn't have done for anyone... even his enemy. Duty and
honor, those are what he showed the world. Those are what I saw, not heroics. I
saw only duty and honor as they are meant to be seen."
The room was silent. More than a few members of the press were wiping
tears from their own eyes. Aadila stood up and spoke quietly. "I am sorry,
but I can say no more, if you will please excuse me." She turned and
hurried out of the room. James said nothing as he simply came to his feet and
ran after her. Nobody had a chance to react before they were both gone. The
Public Affairs officer stepped forward and spoke before anyone could do
anything. His voice was a little shaky and there were obvious tear stains on
his cheeks as he spoke to the press. "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that
says it all. I don't think you could get a clearer or more honest story if you
stayed here for a year. Now I think we owe that young woman and that young man
our respect. I think you have seen and heard all there is to see and hear. I
don't think we need to continue this further. Aadila just poured her heart out
to you." He stopped and straightened himself before continuing.
"Cadet James Andrew Cooper has done exactly what she said he did. He has
done his duty. I think you need to tell this story, but I think you owe it to
them to tell it right. This wasn't and isn't a story about something heroic. It
is a story of duty and honor. All of the cadets live those daily here at the
Academy. She just explained what duty and honor really are to you who don't
live with it daily. I suppose that duty and honor does look a lot like heroics
to you, but to the people who serve in the military, it is simply a part of
their daily lives."
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