Chapter 12- slowly falling apart
So this is a moderately short chapter, but the impact works better on its own. I thought about joining this one with chapter 11, but that would make it over 4,000 words, which is too freaking long.
Once again, the discretions in this might be a little unsettling, but they aren't as bad as before. I really don't know where this all is coming from. Probably from the description in the period documents my apush class and being forced to read," all quiet on the western front" and "lord of the flies last year.
I don't own liberty kids, but I'm willing to negotiate. My best offer's $100. Call me up to talk stop.
Sarah pov
The eco of musket fire boomed in Sarah's ears for the second time that day. Instinctively, she dung her nails into the tombstone until her fingers turned white. Down below, militia men and regulars played out their dispute, buzzing and attacking like two groups of enemy bees. Unlike the last time, Sarah took in the sight with clear eyes. The strategy behind the battle was primal. Men darted into danger uncovered, rolling the dice on life, and when they did not fall, they charged again. Nearby trees were ripped apart with astray pellets.
Tearing her eyes away from the battle, if only so they might forget the horror they witnessed, Sarah caught a glimpse of a boy with straw colored hair peeking out behind another gravestone. "James" her heart sang out. It danced with joy at his safety. Not think of the consequences, she dashed down the hill to join her dear friend.
Sarah kneeled next to him, taking in the battle at a much closer range. From here, the men looked less like insects and more like humans, if you could call them that. Sarah winced at the bombardment of noise that the muskets made. From her former perch, the musket fire sounded as far off and distant as thunder but down here, the roar was as constant and deafening as a waterfall. The cries of men rang out just as they had before. An arm wrapped around her. She looked, and saw James peering down at her with an express of pure care in his eyes. Sarah offered him a slight smile and moved closer into his embrace. A wave of safety washed over her as he held her with all his worth.
They stayed like that for the rest of the battle, a small circle of safety in the middle of anarchy. Finally, the battle stop, and an air of silence swept over the fields, broken only by the quiet rush of the river. Sarah stood to fully take in the desolation crafted by the battle. There were fallen men everywhere, much more then regulars than militia.
Sarah entombed her head into James' shoulder. She couldn't look, not now. For this moment, the horror vanished. The soldier's bodies, broken and bloody, disappeared. All that existed was James. His arms tightened around her, shielding her from the battle. She instinctively buried herself into James' chest. She felt James lips kiss the top of her head. Moment by moment, time passed. Then Sarah felt her strength return to her with a passionate fever. She lifted her head, and turned toward the battle, still in James' arms.
Her blood ran with an arctic fever when she recognized one of the men lying broken on the bridge itself. Removing herself from James, She flew towards the suffering man, giving no thought to the fallen men around her. James hurried after her, stopping occasionally to give a small amount aid to a lucky few wounded men.
After a few minutes, Sarah finally reached the bridge. Kneeling down, she took the former soldier in her arms. He groaned, in pain and surprise. His uniform was turned a sickly crimson. A pool of ominous liquid surrounded him, spelling doom.
"Tom, tom. Dear lord! It's everywhere." Sarah sobbed. Hot tears were spilling down her cheeks. She felt James' hand on her shoulder. Tom made an effort to sit up, but pain overcame him.
"Sarah, my dear cousin. Everything will be okay. You don't need me to watch over you. Your friend will do that." Tom gasped, his words broken by blood soaked coughs. Finally, he lay still.
James pov
James stood deafly, not sure what to do. Sarah knelt, not caring about the blood surrounding and covering her. Tom lay in her arms, once a man, but now simply a husk. They stay, frozen in place for an eternity. Finally, two officers came and pried what was once tom from Sarah. Silently, they fallowed, James for a moment no caring that he was going into enemy territory
A large hastily set up tent served as a makeshift infirmary. An elderly surgeon took one look at tom, and pointed behind him.
"He's as good as dead. Not much more I can do for him." Then, noticing Sarah's distress, he added, "Bury him somewhere nice, where his sweetheart here can visit him." James started to protest the mistaken identity, but the hopelessness on Sarah's face caused him to hold his tongue.
Wordlessly, they followed the group of men to a nearby knoll. There, the men began their morbid work. Sarah turned and wandered back to the medical tent. James followed, trying to guess what was on her mind. She finally reached one of the beds. In it was a handsome man, with bandages around his chest. A nearby loblolly boy, not much older than 9 came up to them.
"don't look so glum ma'am" the young boy reasoned," your friend here will be up and fighting for his majesty again soon, just as long as the infection doesn't set in." then, heeding his master's call, the loblolly boy moved to another bedside.
Sarah took the injured man's hand, causing him to stir out of his stupor. Looking around, his eyes fixed on James and Sarah.
"Sarah…water" was all his parched throat could choke out. She grabbed a nearby glass and handed it to the strange man. He spoke again, in a better tone, after draining the glass.
"Thank you. These surgeons are as stingy with the water as a Jew with a coin. Who's the lad? Your sweetheart, I should think. All the pretty girls have them, unfortunately. I'm Luke walker, by the way. Now Sarah, tell me: Where's tom?"
James could tell that the mention of tom reopened the freshly cut wound in Sarah's heart. Tears sprung anew from her eyes, with a vigor unseen before. Luke's expression fell through the floor.
"No, no, no. it can't be. Sarah, tell me he's not…" sobs racked Luke's body, with twice the fever of Sarah's. The loblolly boy, hearing the upheaval, called out for some opium to calm the injured man. Luke drank the glass that was brought in a flash and was soon back in the claim of sleep. The boy gave an apologetic look at Sarah.
"Sorry miss. Opium's only for the wounded men, and your friend was making such a fuss we had to give him double. You can stay a little while longer, if it helps." The loblolly boy then went on his way.
Sarah and James stayed there until Luke woke again. He turned his head towards them, and pleaded with them," Sarah, please, help me up. I want to see tom again, if only for this one last time." James placed one of his arms beneath Luke's left side, while Sarah took the other. Together, they half walked, half dragged Luke to tom's place on the hill. Luke sank to his knees once they were there. Sarah and James backed off a little, in order to give Luke some privacy.
"Tom, you dear one, you jackass. I always told you that I was going to go first. Now you've gone without me. You never listen. I don't know why I put up with you." Luke uttered. His words were broken only by the howling wind and the lingering sob. He stayed a few moments more, before collapsing again.
James and Sarah carried Luke back to the medical tent, and snuck away before the surgeon could yell at them.
"I know it may seem cruel," Sarah whispered as they made their way through the silent camp," but I don't think I'll ever see Luke, or visit tom's gave again. There's just no heart in the matter. I'd rather keep Luke and tom, the way they were before, smiling and joking, than two corpses."
"I understand. I haven't once gone to my home town after doctor franklin took me in." James admitted. Emotions flickered across Sarah's face. Shock. Disgust. Regret. Understanding. She positioned herself nearer to him. He unsurely wrapped his arm around her waist. When she didn't slap him, he pulled her close.
The walk to Lexington was a slowly one, but much improved by having Sarah in his arms. James retrieved Cesar from the place where he left him, and after helping Sarah on, the two shared a silent, heavy ride back to Rosie's house. Sarah rode behind him this time, clutching his torso, more of want than need. Rosie stood out front to greet them.
"Well, did you two have a fine time at the battle? Must have been a find spotting time! Tell me…" Rosie's excited prattle stopped spot when she finally got a good look at them. Both James and Sarah were covered from head to toe in grime, due to squatting in the mud for most of the day. In addition, Sarah dress was coated in dried blood.
"Oh, look at you two! I don't think I'll be able to get those stains out. Well, come in and I'll see what I can do. Honestly, you two should try to take better care of your clothes!" Rosie scolded. She ushered James and Sarah in and began her work
After a short bath, a clean change of clothes, and a warm meal the two fell back into the bed they had shared the morning before, where millennia ago, the day started.
End
Yes, I did take the setting of the second battle directly from the show. I'm not sure whether or not there's a graveyard near the old north bridge, but since liberty's kids is usually so accurate, I'll take my chances.
A loblolly boy was the lowest position in the British navy. They were often lower class boys, anywhere from 7 to 14. They delivered officers' dinner, carried powder to cannons during battles, and assisted the ship's doctors during surgery. I'm not sure if they were used in the army, but I couldn't resist using one here.
Opium was used as a painkiller in colonial times. It was usually used as powder, and mixed with alcohol. Because the colonies were far from Indian, the British Empire's source, (and the fact that opium was pretty expensive) medics would only give a small amount to the gravely injured. Later on, doctors would only give opium to dying men to ease their passage.
Rosie isn't being weird when she asked if they enjoyed the battle. In the days before mass media coverage, people would sometimes go out and watch the battle (although, I'm not sure if they did during the revolution). During the battle of bull run, some 300 southern families traveled from as far as Richmond to ,"see our boys whip the Yankees". Some of them even brought picnics. It wasn't until WWI that the shiny, glorious view of war was swapped out for the grim and gruesome one we have today.
I was debating whether or not to have James kiss Sarah at the end, but I think that a hug really means more in these kinds of situations. And besides, I like to tease you guys with the possibilities. I already have James' and Sarah's first real kiss all planned out. You all just have to wait until I get there.
So anyway, please comment and fav! Every time you comment/fav, my English teacher forgets an assignment, and I have more time to work on this story to please you lovely people!