A/N: How've you all been? did you like the little oneshot I did for the D-Day anniversary? (shameless plug)

So this week we've got some Fluffy backstory after all the combat the past two weeks, and yes it's UmiMaki again. (sorry fans of other pairings)

Enjoy


Muse Section Chapter 6

18th June, 1943, Otonokizaka army base near Tunis, Tunisia

"You're all crazy! I've had it! I signed up to fight for my country! I didn't sign up to put up with this!"

Umi drew her hand back from the tent flap, hearing the shouts emanating from inside she decided not to get involved. Their medic had been on edge all month; as far as she was concerned it was only a matter of time before she went the way of all that had come before her and transferred.

It takes a certain person to put up with Honoka, Umi sighed just seems like the medical profession is thin on the ground with those people.

The tent flap opened and a blur of black hair and blue eyes barrelled out of the tent.

"Good luck with your new posting Private Kiriyama!" the blue-haired girl shouted after the shrinking dust-cloud that was their now ex-medic.

Umi sighed once more ducking inside the tent, seeing her friend and Sergeant Honoka and the bird like figure of her other friend Kotori standing there slightly shell- shocked.

"So Honoka, don't tell me…we lost another one." Umi rubbed her eyes. Taking off her beret and placing it on one of the chairs in the tent.

"…"

"Hey Honoka" Umi waved her hand in front of the ginger's face.

"Oh!" Honoka jumped "Sorry Umi-chan I didn't notice that you were there." She rubbed the back of her neck.

"Did we lose another one?" Umi pressed her question.

"Yeah, word's starting to spread amongst the Medic's" Kotori leaned against the table in the middle of the tent. "People are refusing to be transferred to us."

"Captain Minami said that any transfers after this one have to be requested by the person in question as well." Umi remembered the conversation they'd had after their last medic had just left.

"At this rate the section might be disbanded." Kotori said, staring at her feet sullenly.

"And we'll be split up…" Umi voiced the concerns of her friends. A solemn silence descended on the tent.

"It's not over yet guys." Honoka jumped up, wrapping her friends into a comforting hug. "Umi-chan, you're the most collected of us, could you try to find us a new medic?"

"Wait a second, Honoka." Umi tried to protest, damnit dealing with people isn't my strong point

"Umi-chan please!" the ginger haired girl bowed before her friend clasping her hands.

"Please Umi-chan, I don't want to be split up from you two." Kotori joined Honoka in her display.

The blue haired corporal sighed "fine…I'll try talking to some people around the base. But don't expect much." She cautioned. Sighing once more she grabbed her beret and strolled out into the heat of the North African summer.


Two hours had passed since then and Umi had had no luck, unattached medics were in short supply for a start and their sergeant's reputation meant those available refused to join her! It's enough to make a girl go mad.

Amber eyes blinked sleepily as the dusty pathways around the base all blended into one long blur of heat and rejection. Umi collapsed by a jeep frustrated and exhausted, yet another sigh of annoyance escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and tilted her face upwards.

"Corporal Sonoda?" Umi awakened herself, seeing a lithe ginger haired girl and a shorter lilac eyed girl standing over her.

"Private Koizumi, Private Hoshizora, what is it?" Umi yawned,

"Rin heard that you were looking for a new Medic ~nya."

"We thought that we might be able to help, otherwise your section will be disbanded." Hanayo added.

"Rin and Kayo-chin know someone who just arrived from the old days ~nya. She might be willing to join you."

"Thanks you girls, but…" Umi admired the concern of the other girls, yet it was hopeless "…even if she does join us she'll leave like the rest."

"You never know until you try Corporal." Hanayo smiled, "I thought that I couldn't be a Para until Rin gave me the courage."

"Your right Private Koizumi, I suppose that it's worth a try…" Umi sighed, what have I got to lose

"Yay! Follow me Corp."

"Wait Rin-chan! That's not the right way…"

Rin ran off at the speed of a bullet before either Hanayo or Umi could stop her.

"Private Hoshizora really is energetic isn't she? She keeps us on our toes." Both girls looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"I should go after her though, our sergeant asked us to run errands while we're out here as well."

"But what about this medic you know?" Umi asked concerned

"You'll find her in the field hospital on base; just ask for Doctor Nishikino, tell her I sent you."

"Ok thanks Koizumi." Umi smiled a little.

"Y-You're welcome. See you Corporal" Hanayo blushed a little before running after her friend.


Umi wandered past the quartermaster's office, arriving outside a large tent plastered with red crosses Amber eyes stared at the green canvas apprehensively. Umi had never liked these sorts of places; they always reminded her of death, and that was something that she'd had enough of recently, what's more on the battlefield you could block it out, the screams of the dying the pain the blood…in here it was a different story.

She didn't have a clear reason to be there as well, several doctors had already shot her questioning looks as she lingered outside the tent flap, which didn't help as she wasn't very socially adept or comfortable in these situations.

Come on Umi you've been through North Africa you are one of the Roten Tefuel the Red Devils…so you can do this… Umi slapped her cheeks building up her courage, before stalking into the bustling hub of medical orderlies.

The hospital wasn't at full capacity due to the lack of combat, and safety of the base yet it was still unusually busy. It looked as though they were training the new arrivals so over half of the beds that lined the side of the tent were full with volunteers as well as a few real injuries. Doctors and orderlies buzzed around them like vultures over the dying, the smell of disinfectant hung in the air, and even though most injuries weren't real, most of the doctors looked like they had been on call for a long time. Most of them looked shattered and those that didn't were showing visible signs of tiredness.

Umi took a deep breath and tapped the shoulder of one of the orderlies who looked less busy. "Excuse me I'm looking for a Doctor Nishikino…Private Koizumi sent me…"

The orderly turned around peeling away her face mask and hair net, Umi let out a small gasp. The girl in from of her was a pure vision of beauty. Her tresses were as red as the poppies of Flanders and fell about her head unruly and wild having been cooped up under the burning heat all day. Her eyes were of the deepest violet, tired like the rest of the staff but with a burning passion like the sweltering sun outside that didn't appear anywhere else. The girl was like a cool breeze on a summer's day an oasis in the middle of the desert lush and overflowing with life. She was a reminder that things could always get better.

Umi was so completely enchanted by the ethereal attractiveness so rooted to the spot she didn't hear the orderly ask. "I'm Nishikino. How do you know Hanayo?" her brain was operating on auto-pilot unable or unwilling to process anything other than one thought.

"Beautiful."

Umi was smitten.

A few surprised gasps brought Umi back to the world of the living when she noticed that the doctor had started blushing furiously and visibly shocked by something.

"What did you say?" the orderly demanded as her face turned ruby red.

Umi's smile fell and rapidly turned into an expression of horror as she realised that she had said out her thoughts out loud. The blood rushed to her face making both girls look like they had spent much too long outside in the sun.

Why, Why, Why did I just say that? Oh god this is the worst…she's going to hate me after this! Embarrassment, shame and panic all swam around Umi's head as she increasingly felt light headed.

"Are you Ok? You don't look so good…" Nishikino said reaching out to the flustered NCO.

Umi hid her head in her hands in shame as she fought against an ever increasing feeling of panic. suddenly the bluenette felt her legs give way as she fell to the floor darkness descending on her. As the orderlies around her yelped, and the beautiful flower that was Nishikino rushed to catch her.


Umi groaned as she blinked open her eyes, the light headedness of earlier still there in part. She lay on the bed for a moment still enjoying the softness and the airy feeling of the sheets that she had covering her now. Her eyes flicked around the room, registering where she was. The blue haired girl had clicked that she was in a hospital bed that much was obvious. But what happened exactly?

Her was uniform folded neatly on a chair beside her the two dusty white chevrons staring at her from out of the khaki fabric the maroon felt of her beret rolled up just behind them. A rustling from the foot of her bed caught Umi's attention.

"Oh you're awake Corporal Sonoda." Umi's breath hitched as she saw the crimson haired doctor from earlier watching over her from the foot of the bed, writing on a clip-board that she clutched close to her chest.

"What…What happened."

"You fainted, I caught you so you didn't suffer any external injury, we're not sure exactly why yet but I think it might be due to mild heat exhaustion. apparently you were running around the base all day in the hottest part of the day. Do you not know how dangerous that is?" the doctor plopped herself on the foot of Umi's bed lightly touching the sheets, her concerned violet orbs met with Umi's tired amber.

"Y-Yes, I'm sorry to have caused trouble for you." Umi bowed in apology worried that she'd angered the girl in front of her by her actions, her head her fringe obscuring her face as she apologised.

Nishikino blushed as Umi apologised, she appeared taken aback slightly as she started to play with the tips of her crimson hair.

"I-It's fine, no trouble at all really. I'm just not used to those kinds of compliments being thrown at me that's all."

Umi froze as she heard the doctor utter those words. The earlier embarrassment rising once more.

"That's not what I was talking about. I meant that you had to take care of me and all. What happened earlier, forget about it, it was really out of character for me. I probably didn't mean it…like you said I've been running around in the heat." Umi laughed nervously

"Oh I see…" the doctor's face fell slightly at the admission. An awkward silence fell upon the pair, the hospital seemed to quieten down adding to the tension, as Nishikino hit her mouth behind the clipboard

"It's just that I thought you were cute as well" Nishikino whispered inaudibly.

Both girls blushed at the awkward silence, the doctor's hair twirling speeding up considerably as silence reigned again. The tension became nearly unbearable for Umi as she stared at the sublime face of the doctor in front of her.

"I-I know, Corporal before the*ahem* incident where you fainted you said you wanted me for something. I believe you said that Hanayo sent you." The redhead shifted uncomfortably as Umi's gaze snapped up.

"O-O-Oh…yeah that's right. I know this might be asking a lot of you Dr Nishikino but could you please consider joining my section as a medic? I was told that as anew arrival you might be able to help, plus you've got your wings so clearly…you're fit for combat" the bluenette fiddled with the sheets nervously as she babbled on averting her gaze from the beauty in front of her.

"I-I'm not entirely sure how to respond to that…" the doctor shuffled up the bed closer to Umi her white coat exposing the khaki beneath. "Is this something Hanayo or Rin needs?"

"No they were just helping me find you that's all. I…no…we really need a medic to transfer in. our current one quit on us and the captain says that the next one has to volunteer otherwise we could be disbanded as a section."

Umi felt the emotions well up inside her as she balled up the sheets in her fists. "I'm afraid I'll be split up from my friends, they say we're going into Sicily soon as well, what if I don't gel at my new posting..?"

The Corporal felt something clasp her hand that stopped her tirade. She looked down at Nishikino's hand that was holding her own.

"I'll do it." The firm reply came.

Umi looked up shocked at the sudden declaration from the cool and collected Nishikino. "Why? I haven't even explained what battalion I'm from or even why the other girl quit on us."

"I want to get away from here anyway, my mother is so overbearing here. I feel like I need to escape or else I'll go insane. So I'll join you as your medic." The redhead suddenly blushed and averted her gaze twirling her hair around her fingers again. "Anyway if it means I can be complimented more by you, I don't mind" she whispered into Umi's ear teasingly.

Blood rushed to Umi's face as she tried meekly to hide her rising blush at the words. Hearing the flowery laughter erupting from her new comrade in arms at her reaction Umi couldn't help but giggle at the odd display of affection from the purple eyed girl. The infectious sound drifted throughout the hospital signifying a new bond that had been formed.

"Thank you Nishikino, you've no Idea how much this means to me. I can't begin to think about how to repay you."

The doctor waved her hands in front of herself frantically, "No, No it's fine, it's fine you don't have to worry about something like that Corporal…"

"Please call me Umi, everyone else does. We're very informal in our section."

"Really..? Are you sure Cor-I mean Umi?"

"No I personally think we should follow regulations" Umi sighed "but my friends are a little free spirited, so it's easier to go by first names. So yes Call me Umi."

"Very well then Umi, I am Dr Nishikino. But considering how we're on first name terms now; please call me Maki." Umi looked up at her new subordinate, only to be blinded by the effortless smile that exposed rows of lily white teeth. It was as though her presence was drawn to her, the sweet scent of primroses drifted on the air from Maki's position all culminated to form one thought in Umi's mind

She really is something else.


One Week later, Maki was standing outside the barrack tent for her section. Her stomach was tying itself in knots, today she would finally meet her section, the people she would fight alongside for a long time. Yet the apprehension wasn't the only reason she was tying herself in knots. The reason poked it's head out of the tent-flap in a flurry of blue hair that would put a bluebell to shame and amber eyes that looked like the brightest marigolds.

"Oh Maki…you're here, come in you need to meet the gang." Umi said Maki nodded in acknowledgment

It had taken a while for the paperwork to go through but Umi had visited her every day in order to prepare her, the description 'free spirited' came up a lot when the NCO was talking about her friends, but as long as she wasn't too standoffish Umi had promised her that it would go smoothly.

Maki blushed at the thought of her senior for a moment, lately she hadn't been able to get the girl out of her head, her breathing was always heavier when she was around, and her heart always beat faster. Her insides tied themselves in knots when Maki merely thought about her. The way her eyes penetrated her soul, boring into her heart forever.

Is this love?

Maki wasn't too sure but all she knew was, that a smile came to her face a lot easier ever since Corporal Umi Sonoda had walked into her life. She shook her head at the thought and took a step through the tent flap.

Here we go then.


A/N: I am exceedingly cruel aren't I? making you all wait another two weeks to find out if Umi made it or not?

On a lighter note (for you lot) I am being punished for my cruelty in the form of exams :(

thank you all for your support and to those new people among you if you liked what you read, read and review please.

Next week we have some NozoEli for you all, so stick around.

Glossary:

QuarterMaster: the Soldier (usually senior commisioned officer of Captain or Major for the British) in charge of distributing supplies and stores on the base.

Red Devil: nickname for the Paras given by german units in North Africa, it stuck because it sounds cool.