I found myself waking up again to find a blurry room, my head ached and
throbbed, but all I felt was the horror of looking into those eyes. To know
something was missing and then to realize what it was that was missing,
thinking about it made me sick, the life was gone. I could have thrown up
if my body had allowed, but I just lay upon what must have been a bed
staring at the still blurred wood ceiling, reflecting on the chaos.
I'd never been in any real war, in any conflict I was normally far removed sniping with a crossbow or perhaps just a simple bow and arrow. Now I had seen it close up, the splash of blood upon the ground, the screams of agony, it was all just too much. I fell off the bed as I regained some control over my body and vomited uncontrollably upon an area rug and fell into a limp heap.
"Why?" I heard a soft muttering from across the room, my vision began to clear a little and I could see her, beautiful even in her tragedy sitting on a bed crying. Her eyes were red from tears, I wished to get up and comfort her, but all I could do was stare up from the floor. She wiped her tears quickly and got up, she knelt by me and propped me up against my bed in silence, I just lay limp in her arms as she cleaned me off again.
"No beast knows Celeste." I saw her mother come in to comfort her daughter, they hugged and cried into each others fur for a few minutes as I slowly felt my body again, weakly I climbed up into my bed away from the foul smelling mess upon the floor.
"Why Jerome, he never hurt anyone." She cried out and she was right, although we were good friends, Jerome had been too young to fight in any battles, he'd never seen battle before at all. At least I took comfort in the fact that he never would have to suffer.
"I know baby." Celeste's mother held her on her lap as she sat on a bed comforting her gently. "But he wouldn't want you wasting tears on him. He'd want you to be happy." Celeste nodded and wiped tears from her eyes and tried to rise weakly. As she regained her composure her mother left the room, my eyes clear I could see that we were in the infirmary alone.
"She's right you know." I told her as she bustled around the room, distracting herself as I felt the strength flowing back into my extremities.
"I miss him so much." She broke down upon my bed shaking with grief, crying softly into my fur; instinctively I put my arms around her and held her as her mother had. She slowly stopped shaking and lay still in my arms nearly sleeping, silent tears felt from her eyes still. I softly cooed to her, reassuring her that everything would be all right, I hoped I would be right.
"I love you Hale." She whispered softly and snuggled into my side still crying softly.
"And I you Celeste." I whispered back as I kissed her softly upon the cheek, I felt her chest rising slightly with each breath, I sat stroking her fur and then laid her down to rest. Sleep overcame me and laid down next to her our hand intertwined, she felt so soft, so fragile next to me I was almost afraid to break her. Like she was some beautifully fragile flower I had in my arms. I wish I hadn't been so wrong and yet so right about her. At least we had some time left.
I'd never been in any real war, in any conflict I was normally far removed sniping with a crossbow or perhaps just a simple bow and arrow. Now I had seen it close up, the splash of blood upon the ground, the screams of agony, it was all just too much. I fell off the bed as I regained some control over my body and vomited uncontrollably upon an area rug and fell into a limp heap.
"Why?" I heard a soft muttering from across the room, my vision began to clear a little and I could see her, beautiful even in her tragedy sitting on a bed crying. Her eyes were red from tears, I wished to get up and comfort her, but all I could do was stare up from the floor. She wiped her tears quickly and got up, she knelt by me and propped me up against my bed in silence, I just lay limp in her arms as she cleaned me off again.
"No beast knows Celeste." I saw her mother come in to comfort her daughter, they hugged and cried into each others fur for a few minutes as I slowly felt my body again, weakly I climbed up into my bed away from the foul smelling mess upon the floor.
"Why Jerome, he never hurt anyone." She cried out and she was right, although we were good friends, Jerome had been too young to fight in any battles, he'd never seen battle before at all. At least I took comfort in the fact that he never would have to suffer.
"I know baby." Celeste's mother held her on her lap as she sat on a bed comforting her gently. "But he wouldn't want you wasting tears on him. He'd want you to be happy." Celeste nodded and wiped tears from her eyes and tried to rise weakly. As she regained her composure her mother left the room, my eyes clear I could see that we were in the infirmary alone.
"She's right you know." I told her as she bustled around the room, distracting herself as I felt the strength flowing back into my extremities.
"I miss him so much." She broke down upon my bed shaking with grief, crying softly into my fur; instinctively I put my arms around her and held her as her mother had. She slowly stopped shaking and lay still in my arms nearly sleeping, silent tears felt from her eyes still. I softly cooed to her, reassuring her that everything would be all right, I hoped I would be right.
"I love you Hale." She whispered softly and snuggled into my side still crying softly.
"And I you Celeste." I whispered back as I kissed her softly upon the cheek, I felt her chest rising slightly with each breath, I sat stroking her fur and then laid her down to rest. Sleep overcame me and laid down next to her our hand intertwined, she felt so soft, so fragile next to me I was almost afraid to break her. Like she was some beautifully fragile flower I had in my arms. I wish I hadn't been so wrong and yet so right about her. At least we had some time left.