My tenth story for the 100 SSSS-fic challenge, this time inspired by the prompt Breathe Again.

Emil was pulled down. Sigrun had told him about when this happened to her, but he never thought it would happen to him. He figured it would be easy enough, just stay away from any bodies of water. But of course faith wouldn't let him get away that easily.

He hit his arm on a large rock and then there was water everywhere. Whatever had taken hold on his ankle let him go and he swam upwards but before he got to the surface it grabbed him again, pulled him down and let him go. He made a new attempt, broke the surface, but was pulled down just as he was taking a breath, causing water to fill his mouth.

Emil coughed, tried to kick. His lungs was burning, his throat as well. Darkness was creeping in on him and then he was released once more, managed to get to the surface, managed to take a breath and then back down into the cold water. He screamed when the monster pressed harder and harder around his ankle, he could feel the bones moving around and then it loosened its grip. Emil thought he was free, kicked to get to the surface, but the tentacle-like thing grabbed his leg again, hard, and Emil heard a snapping sound echo through the water.

He would have screamed if he had any air left in his lungs. He opened his mouth to fill them, but water rushed in. Darkness surrounded him. He felt something wrap itself around his chest.

This is it, I'm dying...

He saw the light coming closer, he prepared himself to walk towards it. There was no use staying behind if he was dead anyway.

Then he broke the surface. He gasped, coughed, gasped again.

"Mikkel, the rope!"

Sigrun's voice. She was the one holding him. He felt something land on his face, and Sigrun grabbed it.

"Don't faint, Emil, stay awake."

Water rushed around them, darkness was slowly going away, slowly fogging up his mind. Another set of arms grabbed him, pulled him out of the water. Mikkel. He placed Emil on his feet, and Emil felt his leg giving away under him. Mikkel caught him, set him down, and then Sigrun came into his view.

"He's alive?"

"Yes."

"He's going to stay alive?"

"If we get him warm."

Emil shivered slightly, didn't fully hear Mikkel's words. He felt the Dane's hands grabbing his coat, pulling it off, before proceeding to press around his legs. Emil tensed up when Mikkel touched his ankle, almost fainted again. Sigrun's voice stopped him.

"Surstrømming."

The word felt surreal in this environment and Emil's mind went blank, went alert. It was familiar. Mikkel grabbed him again, pulled him up. Sigrun grabbed him under the other arm and he winced, cursed. He felt them exchanging glances and Mikkel moved aside, let Sigrun take that side instead, and Emil leaned against his captain, careful not to put weight on his foot. Mikkel pulled at his arm.

"Dislocated shoulder."

He looked at Emil, half-smiling.

"There is no end to your hardships, is there?"

Sigrun ruffled his hair.

"At least your hair is still nice!"

Had he not been in so much pain he would have pulled away, walked away from them. He tried breaking free of the captain's grip, but she was stronger than he was.

"You're in no shape to walk on your own, little viking. Don't worry, we'll get you back to the tank in no time."

He wanted to protest, but Mikkel yanked his arm again and he screamed, felt his shoulder slide into the socket again. Mikkel hrrmed, then took Sigrun's place again.

"We are going back to the tank now."

Sigrun nodded, took hold around Emil again, careful not to move his arm around too much. Emil could feel her shivering slightly under her coat, but he didn't say anything, didn't really know what to say. He tried not letting his foot touch the ground, but occasionally it did, he was tired, it took a lot of him to hold it up. Eventually Mikkel simply proceeded to carry him.

Emil blushed slightly as the Dane positioned him in his arms. Sigrun laughed a little, ruffled his hair again. Emil wasn't sure how long they had been walking, how much further they needed to walk. He almost fell asleep, but Sigrun made sure to say weird words whenever she noticed it and he woke up again, looked curiously at her.

He could understand what she was doing. She was keeping him awake because she knew that if he fell asleep while still in his wet clothes he might not wake up again. That knowledge made him feel even worse. Should it made him feel any other way? He couldn't tell. He didn't want to die, of course, but sleep was calling for him and he wanted to acept it, accept the darkness.

Then they were inside. Mikkel put him down on the floor, took off his cold and wet clothes before wrapping a towel around him. He then continued with the procedure they had to follow when they came back from the field. Emil coughed, yawned. Wanted to skip the procedure but was glad he didn't have to do much.

Mikkel threw a sweater onto his lap, gestured for him to get dressed, before helping Sigrun go through the decontamination as well. Emil carefully slid into the sweater, winced as he moved his arm. Sigrun gave him thumbs up when he emerged from it and he closed his eyes, leaned back.

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing to worry about, little viking! Everyone needs some battlescars!"

He couldn't stop the smile spreading over his face, but then Mikkel knelt down infront of him again, examined his leg. Emil winced again and Mikkel put it back down.

"Broken. We have to amputate it."

Emil's eyes widened and Sigrun crouched infront of him.

"Hm, I don't like it, but if that's what the medic says... We'll find you a nice wooden leg so you can still follow along to pick up books."

"But... what? No! You don't need to amputate for a simple break! Mikkel, if this is another joke it's not funny!"

"Sorry Emil, there is nothing else I can do out here."

"But... but... Sigrun, tell him!"

Sigrun carefully pulled him back up, he tried to protest, but her grip was still too strong for him.

"If the doctor says he needs to amputate, then there's little I can do."

"But you disobey him all the time!"

"Yeah, but that's me."

Mikkel opened the door to the sleeping quarter. Lalli had rolled in under Emil's bed and Mikkel put his hands against his sides and let out a sigh, got ready to pull him out.

"No! No, let him stay there."

Mikkel stopped at Emil's call and stepped away so Sigrun could help him to his bed. Reynir and Tuuri looked curiously at them from where they sat on Tuuri's bed. Emil laid down, taking care not to do any unnecessary movements with neither his arm nor leg. Mikkel ushered Reynir and Tuuri out, told Sigrun she should get some rest as well and then walked out. Emil watched as Sigrun climbed into her bed and slid down beneath the blanket.

"Sigrun... ehm... Thanks for saving me. I thought I was a goner."

"Nothing to talk about. You just hurry up and get better."

Mikkel came back inside, carrying a first aid-back and a couple of sticks. Emil bit his lip, certain that the medic would cut off his leg. Mikkel started with putting his arm in a sling, so he couldn't move his shoulder around, explaining that he needed to keep it immobile for a couple of days to give it time to heal. Then he put the bag on Tuuri's bed, left it open so he could get into it quick enough, before investigating Emil's broken ankle the best he could with his hands.

"Bite down on this", Mikkel said and handed Emil a piece of leather. Emil looked at it, looked at Mikkel, then looked at the leather again, taking it from Mikkel.

"...why?"

"I do not want you to bite off your tongue. On the other hand..." Mikkel stretched his hand towards Emil. "...it is not that much of a loss."

Emil put the piece of sturdy leather between his teeth and Mikkel smiled.

"Okay, this will hurt."

He placed one hand around Emil's heel and another on his shin. Emil bit down hard on the leather and his eyes teared up as Mikkel started moving his bones around. Then he stopped. Emil fell back against the pillow again, breathing heavily. Mikkel put the two sticks on each side of Emil's leg, tied them to place.

"This is the best I can do."

He folded one of the spare blankets, put it under Emil's leg. Sigrun peeked down at them from the top bunk.

"See Emil, wasn't that bad, was it?"

Emil didn't answer and Mikkel took back the piece of leather Emil was still biting, offering him a cup with something that looked like water, but smelled like wet dog.

"It should help relieve the pain a little."

Mikkel helped Emil settle up, noticed the younger man was still quite out of it. Probably not very used to pain. Emil took hold of the cup, chugged down the water-like substance and then laid down again.

"I will go prepare dinner. Meanwhile, both of you get some rest. I will bring the inedible sludge inside once it's done."

He smiled towards Sigrun, draped a blanket over Emil and left the room. Emil could feel Sigrun still looking down at him, and looked towards her.

"...he didn't amputate."

"Of course he didn't, it's just a fracture. You'll be up and running again in no time."

Emil didn't know what to answer. He closed his eyes, tiredness creeping over him again. His non-tied up arm fell down towards the floor, rested near Lalli's hands and Sigrun looked at them for a while before closing her eyes. Both of them fell asleep within seconds.