This is Prompt No. 97-Sound
Shane Grey was sure that his heart was going to break. As he stood behind the lines, watching as Jason felled the girl who had seemed to awaken him, he could practically hear the sound of her breath being forced from her lungs as she fell backwards. He could practically hear the moan of pain she must have uttered as her head rolled to the side, and his hands clenched at his sides.
The few men that were still left in the camp were scattering, running for their lives, and Shane felt no reason to continue the fighting. What needed to be done was done. Now, he had to get to Mitchie. When he was sure that the coast was clear, he and Jason and a few other men stepped forward and started up the hill, guns in hand in case anyone was still around. Shane could hear the sound of his breath and the sound of his boots crunching the dirt as he tried to maintain an even, controlled pace. He was the first to reach Mitchie, the first to see her eyes open slowly, as though the very action pained her, and the first to hear the sound of her gasp. "You!" she cried, and then she lost consciousness.
The way she had said, "you" gave Shane hope. She remembered him. There had been recognition in her eyes before they had rolled back into her head. He slowly picked her up, cradling her in his arms as he made his slow descent back down the hill. "Shane!" Jason called from behind him.
Shane turned and eyed his friend. "Yes?" he asked.
"I know you're trying to be careful with her, but you have to get her back to the base as quickly as you can. Caitlyn's waiting for her there. If you take too long, an infection, or even worse, gangrene, could set in." Jason glanced from Mitchie to Shane and back again, searching both faces as though he could find a possible infection in one and understanding in the other.
Shane nodded. "I'll do that," he said softly. He turned to go, but turned back around again. "And Jason?"
"Yes?"
Shane smiled weakly at Jason and said, "Thank you." He looked down at Mitchie and looked back at his friend. "For everything," he clarified.
Jason nodded. "No problem," he assured him. He nodded to the girl in Shane's arm. "Better get going. You'll want her to be comfortable."
Shane nodded and turned back down the hill, heading at a slightly faster pace. The world seemed surreal now that the battle was over. As Shane made his way through the ranks on men recollecting themselves, he could hear the faint buzzing left in his ears thanks to the explosions of the guns. He could hear the groans of the few men that were wounded. He could hear the crunch of his boots, now on dried grass, as he lifted Mitchie into the saddle before swinging up behind her.
He nodded to the men in Commanding General Scott's regiment and wheeled his horse around, grimacing as he urged the animal into a gallop through the woods. He winced as he heard the almost inaudible groan that came from Mitchie's mouth as the horse jumped a log and landed on the other side, jarring her.
The sound of Caitlyn's calling was one that Shane would be forever thankful for. There she was, standing outside the dilapidated cottage, ready to receive Mitchie. "Bring her inside," she called to Shane.
He nodded and swung himself out of the saddle, reaching up and pulling Mitchie close once more. He hurriedly jumped the steps of the old porch and dashed into the main room. Caitlyn squeezed into the "cupboard" with him and his bundle and then all three were descending down into the heart of the base. "Which room?" Shane asked as he and Caitlyn stood up.
Caitlyn's eyes flickered to Mitchie's face for a moment, examining her out of frank curiosity, but then she answered, "Take her to the one next to your room." They ran through the base, dodging around the occasional person, weaving in and out of tunnel until they came to the correct room. "We have everything we might need," Caitlyn informed him as he came through the door and laid Mitchie gently on the bed. Shane felt as though his heart was going to tear as he saw Mitchie's head loll to the side, almost lifelessly.
"Is she going to be okay?" Shane asked, turning to his sister-in-law. His probing eyes met hers and she nodded.
"I hope so," she said. She motioned towards the door. "I have a team coming right now to help me, but you need to go and get some rest. Go on, shoo." She herded him out the door, but paused right before she shut it. "Shane, she'll be fine. Please don't worry."
"Please don't worry," Shane muttered as a few women moved past him and entered the room. He shook his head dazedly and strode into his own room muttering, "Easier said than done."
For the next few hours, Shane could only focus on the sounds he heard around him. He heard the creak of the door rotating on its slightly rusted hinges and knew without poking his head out that door that more people were coming to help in the room next door. He heard whispers, their syllables barely reaching his ears as though they were tendrils of smoke seeping out and getting swept away by a breeze, and he knew by their tone that something was wrong.
Tense as he was, Shane could not help but doze on and off, falling fitfully asleep for only a minute or two before waking up again, straining to hear if he could discern any of the words that were being spoken. When he could not, he fell once again back to sleep. In the middle of the night sometime, the sound of a scream ripped through the still air, causing Shane to vault out of bed. He tore out of his room, but before he could enter the one next door, Caitlyn stepped out, having anticipated his intentions.
"Go get some sleep," she ordered. "We're just digging out the bullets and cleaning the wounds. There's nothing for you to do." She laid a friendly hand on Shane's arm and gently pushed him back towards his own room.
Her words made him feel helpless, but Shane knew that there was nothing he could do. He slunk back to his own room, wincing each time he heard a groan or a scream and wondering why he had ever let the general suggest such a plan. Each sound that came from the room endeared Mitchie a little more to Shan's heart, making her more special, and even more loved.
Finally, the best sound of all reached his ears: silence. Shane listened for a moment longer, but there was nothing. His mouth, set in a grim line, curved into a smile and he rolled over, suddenly finding that he was exhausted. He was able to sleep now, for he knew that where there was silence, Mitchie slept.
A/N: See, she's alright! Everyone who was worried can calm down now! :D Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Over 100 reviews now! You guys rock!
