The sounds of gunshots and terror echoed in my ears. I couldn't control the intense fear rising inside of me. Pain shot through my body, numbing my senses. My vision was tunneling, slipping away from me. From what sounded like a hundred miles away came a voice, "Branson! Branson! Ah, come on you little Irish bastard! Stay awake god dammit." I felt a sharp, pinching pain near my knee and a groan escaped my lips. "HA! I knew you were in there somewhere you little leprechaun you! There's a good chap. Stay with me." The blurry, unrecognizable face said more but his words slurred together in my mind to form an odd lullaby. My eyelids grew heavy and my body ached. Oh just a few minutes of rest couldn't hurt anything, I thought to myself. Then the world went black.
I woke up with a jerk, sweating buckets. I panicked, I was in a bed, no longer on the forest floor. Scents of blood, burning flesh, and death hit me full force. I turned to my right and vomited into a perfectly placed bucket. My stomach convulsed uncontrollably and I shook as the remnants of my last meal were heaved violently into this poor little metal container. As soon as I was finished I rolled onto my back, officially spent of all of my energy. Everything hurt and my stomach was in knots and I was sweating uncontrollably. I looked down and saw a large yellow puddle that had formed between my legs. It seems that my body had rid itself of everything at both ends. I was sick with myself. C'mon Branson! What's the matter with you? I thought. I startled at the sounds of groaning and crying on both sides of me. Nurses rushed around in a blur. Men lay in beds on all sides of me, each battling their own levels of death. Each one had some cast or bandage. I must be in a hospital! But why? There's nothing wrong with me. I called for a nurse but no one heard me. This was ridiculous. I attempted to swing my legs out of the creaking, dingy cot but I couldn't move my right leg. Oh what now! I threw back the sheet. My right leg was missing below the knee. Flaps of skin came to jagged ends with nothing to connect to and blood was spreading everywhere. Pieces of broken, white bones were openly exposed. A deep, disturbing animal-like sound escape my throat. I felt my eyes roll back and I felt my stomach flip. Once again, I vomited violently all over myself and all over my cot. Then blackness closed in for the second time that day. The next time I woke up, I must have not been gone as long. I stared down at my disgusting stumpy excuse for a leg. I had to force myself to look away. I attempted to push myself away from that mangled thing but with no result. I buried my head in my hands and sobbed as I rocked back and forth. I wished that whoever was screaming would just shut up. I took a breath and the screaming stopped. I realized that I had been the one screaming. I picked up my head up for just a second to wipe my eyes and that's when I saw her. Lady Sybil. I melted with relief at the sight of a familiar face. It helped that she was also the love of my life "Lady Sybil!" I croaked. She saw me and her eyes filled with tears. She practically jumped the hospital beds as she sprinted to my side. As soon as she was next to me, she grabbed my face gently.
Tears streaming freely down her beautiful face, she happily sobbed out, "My dearest Branson, I'm so happy you're here. I thought I would never see you again once you enlisted and left Downton Abbey." She placed a deep, emotion-filled kiss on my sweaty lips. "Don't you ever leave me like that again," she pleaded.
"I'll be at your side forever more and will never leave it. I will do everything in my power to ensure your happiness. I want to be with you forever Sybil. I love you. Always." A sob of happiness escaped her lips. I laid my heavy head in her lap and she stroked my face.
"I love you too, Branson." She whispered. I fell asleep in her arms, tears of happiness streaming down my face. I woke up, my eyelids opening slowly. Sybil was still holding my head in her lap, gently dabbing my bloodied, sweaty face with a nice, cool cloth. It felt so good to wake up this time. I reached up and touched her face gently with my left hand, stroking it with my thumb. She smiled at me.
"I'm sorry to keep you Sybil. I know how busy you are. Go if you need to." I said weakly.
"I told you, I'm not leaving you again and I meant it. I prepare to stay here with you until you are as healthy as possible given your situation," she said with a glance at my leg. I grimaced at the image of the gut-wrenching thing. There was a painful throbbing that it was creating. I realized with embarrassment that I was still covered with blood, urine, and God knows what else. My cheeks went red.
"I'm so sorry you've seen me in this state." I whispered.
"Branson, there is nothing to be sorry for." She said sternly. "But, if you feel strong enough to move, I can move you to another cot until I get you and this cot cleaned up." The truth was, I didn't think that I would ever feel well enough to get up but I let out a puff of air and assured Sybil that I was ready. After all, I didn't want to be sitting in vomit and my own waste all day. "Okay, Branson, I need you to put your right arm over my shoulder. That's it. Now put your other hand flat on the bed. Good. Now this is going to be extremely painful, I'm not going to lie, so brace yourself. When I say now, swing your left leg over the side of the bed and push up with your left hand. Okay?"
"Okay." I said hesitantly.
"Now!" I did my part as fast as I could and Sybil stood up. I was in an awkward position where I was almost fully standing up and leaning heavily on Sybil but with my right stump still stuck on the bed. "Okay, this is the painful part. I'm going to pick up your right leg and move it off the bed." She gingerly placed her hand of the remnants of my shattered leg. Instantly, searing pain raced through me causing me to cry out and for my stomach to flip. "Hold on for just another minute." She said supportively. She took my leg quickly with both hands and picked it up. I screamed. This was agony. She gently placed the stump down and it fell into its normal location.
"Do you mind if I just-" I was cut off as I released yet another wave of vomit all over the floor. The pain, dizziness, and fatigue had set it off. It was too much at once. The whole time I vomited, Sybil was right there, rubbing her hand across my back. Once I was finished, I suddenly collapsed and sagged to the floor.