For all of those who are waiting for the first chapter to the Man Within in the Smile, I'm working on it, so if you have any ideas just shout them out. I just got over writer's block for my Harry Potter story so that is probably what I'm going to be working on for a little while.
Blood
He was crying. She could tell from here. She could see the tears streaming down his face as his hands pounded furiously at the water of the river. That's were he stood, dressed in army greens, in the middle of the freezing river: crying.
He didn't even notice her as she trudged in after him, that's how she knew something was wrong. He was muttering, words that were barely coherent until she was right behind her, "it won't come off, damn it, it won't come off." The words were repeated over and over until she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
He spun around….he looked like a lost child or a pet left in the rain, "it won't come off." He lifted his hands and stared at them in horror.
Her stomach clenched and her hands traveled up to clutch his. He instantly tried to wrench them away, but she refused to let go. Slowly she lowered them to the waist high water. Sobs wracked his body, "I couldn't…" he choked out shaking his head in denial, "I couldn't…."
"Couldn't what?" both their hands were now submerged.
"I could save him."
She wrapped him in her arms and felt him tremble under her touch, "nobody's perfect." She whispered softly, "you can't do everything."
At her words Hawkeye jumped away, "he trusted me!" he screamed at her, "he trusted me with his life and I couldn't save him. I wasn't good enough! Don't you get it? I failed him. He didn't deserve that!"
"But it's over now!" she screamed right back, "you can't just fall apart, there are other kids depend on you."
He froze and stared.
Then, in one quick movement spun around, the water splashing, drenching the already wet Margaret.
"No." he said simply.
"What?"
"No. I won't do it anymore. I'm killing them and I won't do it."
He trudged his way towards the shore…she could still see the tears glistening on his cheeks.
When he was only a few feet away she began to follow, calling out his name desperately, but he refused to acknowledge her, "Hawkeye, don't make me…." No response to the threat so she stepped back, then as moving as fast as she could through the waist high water, launched herself onto his back.
They both went tumbling; she landed on top of him, both of them now submerged under water. They sputtered to the surface; even sitting like they were the water was still to their shoulders.
His hair hung limply in his eyes, his clothes clinging to his thin frame. He stared at her and she stared at him, both a little confused about was going on.
At first she thought he was going to yell again till a joyous sound filled the air. His laughter. He was doubled over, tears pricking the corners of his eyes, his arms clenched around his sides to stop the oncoming stitch.
Margaret desperately tried to maintain a straight face, but she was failing…miserably. The corners of her mouth twitched and her shoulders were shaking until finally all she could do was burst. They sat like that, laughing manically for a good five minutes until they all calmed down.
"The conversation isn't over yet." Her response to the situation was simple.
"I know." He agreed.
But he was lying. It was just one of those days, she decided. The conversation would never continue, it was just a little reminder to every one that he was human. Now he would go back to the swamp, drink, play cards, drink some more and then spend the night squashing all thoughts of this memory and these feelings only for the cycle to start over days from now, maybe even weeks, months, it all depended on the next time he would loose a patient.