I can't really say anything now that won't spoil the story, so just:
READ ON!
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BLU's Scout grumbled where he slept. The bunk above him housed a smelly Scotsman, but he had learned how to ignore the smell when sleeping. It was something else that was bothering him. Just across from him, on the other side of the sleeping quarters, BLU's Soldier was grumbling and hissing in his sleep. Scout wondered how the Texan above Soldier could keep asleep. Scout remembered hearing something from his teammates when he first joined: "Never awaken Soldier from his sleep."
But how could they not care about his annoying noises? It wasn't like it was low or soft grumbling. If anyone in his family woke another up during the night, he'd get the crap beaten out of him. Scout struggled to get up out of his cot and he shambled over to Soldier, his walk similar to the living dead.
"Wake up, Soldier…" Scout groaned lowly. The man growled in response, but Scout couldn't understand him. Was that… another language? What was he talking about, anyway? "Soldier, come on, I'm tired…"
Scout tried to keep his tone down to keep the others from waking up, but nothing was working. The Bostonian cursed under his breath, and reached out to touch Soldier's shoulder and shake it. "Soldier…"
The reaction was too fast for Scout to register just what was going on; before the young man could let out a squeak of surprise, in a split second, Soldier was up out of his cot, his thick, rough hands wrapped around Scout's neck.
The young man opened his mouth, but he couldn't breathe, much less speak. Soldier was crushing Scout's windpipe while still asleep, and the young man couldn't do anything to stop his teammate. This was… Soldier didn't realize… who Scout was…?
Scout's mouth opened and closed in horror, his jaw flapping ineffectually. He grasped at Soldier's arms, but there was no way he could overpower the man like this…! Someone…! Someone, wake up…! Help…!
Scout struggled with the man, and Soldier dragged him around as easily as if he were handling a doll. He worked to slam the young man to the floor, intent on crushing his lungs as well as his throat. Scout kept on his feet by grasping the cot's post and struggling to keep up. He stared into the whites of his assailant's eyes and fought to keep conscious. His head swam from lack of oxygen, and his eyes zipped from Soldier's face to the tiny end table near the cot. He thanked his lucky stars, and with his last bit of consciousness, he grasped the water pitcher on the table and brought it down on Soldier's head. There was a huge "CRASH" as porcelain hit a thick skull, and the young man was dropped to the floor.
Scout grasped his throat and coughed loudly. He curled into a ball and coughed violently. The young man would need a new pair of underwear after this…!
He heard the rustling of the others. "Wut in God's Green Earth?"
"Zcout…?"
"Ain't this the werst time fer a wakeup?"
…And the Soldier's incoherent screaming in another language. Scout looked up just in time to see the infuriated, unconscious man preparing a punch for the young man…
…A European held the one arm back with both lithe ones. "Mon Dieu! Scout, you…!"
"Ya woke the wanker up?" BLU's Sniper roared as the men immediately rushed to subdue Soldier.
"Are you bruized?" BLU's Medic worked on Scout as Soldier was finally brought down by the others. He was screaming at them in that other language, and Medic scoffed. "Polish. I should have known."
"Polish…?"
"Ja, Zoldier fought in zee war, and learned it zere." The German twitched in anger at the shouting that resulted from the others on Soldier. He whirled around to face the only one who hadn't woken up yet; "Heavy! Vee need you now!"
The Russian growled, removed himself from his cot, and slammed his fist on Soldier's head, effectively knocking the man out for good. He pointed at the sleeping man. "Stay down." He ordered. Satisfied that Soldier was listening, he wiped his hands off and returned to his cot. Everyone stared after him, and then they struggled to drag the second heaviest man to his bed.
"Bah, you're fine for now," Medic said to the young man, "Go to zleep and do not vake anyvahn elze up."
Scout frowned as he massaged his throat. Medic batted the young man's hand away so he didn't hurt himself any more than necessary. "How was I supposta know he'd go all bats in the belfry?"
"We just assumed ya'd listen when we told ya NOT ta do that."
BLU's Demoman scoffed. "When ya assume…"
BLU's Spy stretched lightly and fought a curse from rising up when his back cracked harshly. "Child, you know nothing of war, of course."
Scout raised an eyebrow. "What's that got ta do with anythin'? I haven't been ta any wars 'cept this one…"
"You think zis place iz bad enough?" Medic said lowly. He stood up and wiped his sleep slacks of the water from the floor. "Zis iz nozink compared to zee Great War. You vould do vell to remember zat, Fraulein."
Scout opened his mouth and, in a moment of thought, turned to the grumbling and hissing of the Soldier in his cot. Every night, he returned to those days…? "Heh, I guess for a moment, I was one of those 'Commie Bastards', huh?"
"This isn't a laughing matter, Child," Spy said, "Go to bed before someone decides to finish the job."
Scout smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Sorry, everyone."
They all flipped the young man off and clambered back into their cots. Scout sighed and ended up in his own bed, trying to get the entire ordeal out of his mind. Man, they were all so screwed up in the head; it scared the child to think that tomorrow he was supposed to work with the man who nearly killed him.
It took the Bostonian an hour before he finally began to drift off. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath…
…Soldier growled in his sleep, and Scout sighed. He'd really have to learn how the others managed to sleep through his dreams…
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This was based off of a story my grandmother taught me. She attempted to wake my grandfather up during one of his PTSD nightmares. She was nearly strangled to death by her own husband in their bedroom. I really don't think I was able to convey the fear that anyone would have had during that time, but I did my best. I hope that it at least set you on edge.
I also wanted to write the part about "this war is nothing like WWII" because I know that my stories aren't even have as gritty as an actual war and I wanted to show that this isn't... REAL real war. I couldn't ever show it realistically, and it bugs me that people who are not veterans try to. No one can ever understand the horrors of war except for someone who was there. Nearly all the men in my family have been in a war, so I have lots of stories from them, but it's just not enough, you know? So I'm going to hide in my little box here and pretend I know what I'm talking about even though I don't. I hope no one minds.
Either way, I hope you liked it; reviews would be nice. Thank you.
