The Phone Call ....

.... did not come last night. It did not come this morning. At 12:30 p.m. I called his CO. And left a voice message. And then my cell rang.
It was the officer who's under the CO. He had Son #2 outside his office. He spoke briefly, making sure I knew what was going on and then asked if I would talk to him. He said that many times moms can get through to their sons when no one else can. I said I hoped so, but that I wasn't going to be nice. He chuckled and said, "Nice doesn't work here. We don't do nice." I said good and he called Son #2 in and put me on speaker.
Here's pretty much the conversation:

S: Hi, Mom.
M: Hi, Son #2. What's going on?
S: (very matter of factly) I chose to disobey a command so they moved me to ______ Company and are sending me home.
M: They're not sending you home.
S: (sounding stunned)What?! That's what they told me yesterday.
M: They are not, and will not, send you home. You're not in a club you can just quit. It's the U. S. Govt. You signed a pledge, to your COUNTRY! They'll just keep putting you back to the beginning of Boot Camp. But, if you somehow manage to get on a plane, you can't come here. This will not be your home. No car, no computer, no phone nothing. I'm done. You'll have a dishonorable discharge for the rest of your life. It will humliate you forever and you'll never able to get a good job.

I went on to read him what his girlfriend wrote on my FB(thank you, S) and how upset she was and everyone was. He has over a thousand people praying for him and everyone knows he CAN'T quit. That would be the worst thing he could do. I told him I love him, though he might not think so, but one day he'll get it. I told him it's time to be a man and make his dad, and his Marine grandfather proud. He has no choice - only the choice on how he does it and how long it takes him.
Then I asked him if he was going to do it. He wouldn't talk. The officer commanded him to talk to me and he said, "I guess I don't have a choice." I could barely hear him but I agreed that he did not, other than how he does it.

I said a few more of the same things (like thanks for the $1,000 loss,& I hope he doesn't keep doing this and going back to week 1 or he could be there for 12 months! I
only softened my tone at the end (it was nowhere near soft before that ... I know that stuns most of you) when I told him I look forward to seeing him later in April (& not 6 months later when he finally pulls his crap together).
He said ok. I said I loved him and I hope he does his best. He may have muttered "I love you, too.", but I think it was just another "ok".

The CO ordered him back out in the hall and then thanked me. I said I hoped it works. He then
said Son #2 looked pretty crushed when I told him he would not be coming home and playing video games, which is good. Crushed is very good at this point.
I think he was mostly surprised that they won't let him just quit ... & that I won't let him come here.

There's a slight chance he'll be able to stay in his company, but only slight, and he doesn't know that. I should find out late Monday what they decide.

So that's all for now. Vern (yes, that's his name .... he hates "V" because I already have a V & he thinks it's confusing) has been a rock. Through this and every other crappy thing that's gone on around here the last few months. I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for him. I keep telling him he should run away. He keeps refusing.
:) I love him.

Thanks for your prayers and comments. PLEASE keep them coming. I/we need them.
And please excuse any typos ... this is from my cell. Ugh.