Good morning/day/evening! :)

I'm truly sorry for vanishing like that – and not updating for months. I was up to my neck in assignments and exams. With the lack of free time, fanfiction just had to wait. I hope the new chapter won't be disappointing after such a long break.

But, firstly, I have to mention these fantastic people, who keep me smiling and inspired to write more about Jess (and the charming lads from Easy). Thank you for not giving up on me – even when I don't write anything in ages. :)

Veyrona (Thank you! Enjoy the new chapter! ;) )

beth-rodrigues.77 (Thank you so much for the review! You may be right, the latest chapter was quite tense. (And, to be honest, it was really challenging to write it. ) I'm glad that you like it. :) As for your big question about Mike and Jess, everything will be revealed in the near future. Just be a little bit more patient, okay? You won't have to wait too long. That's all I can say for now. ;) And there is the attack... well, you'll quickly find out how Gene and Ralph are. I wish you a lovely day! )

ablesierra (Thank you for the lovely review. I couldn't stop smiling while reading it. :) I'm thrilled to hear that you like Mike's character. In that case, I have news: he'll appear a little bit more in the chapters to come. ;) As I said to beth-rodrigues.77, what happens between him and Jess will soon get in the limelight. Speaking of the future, don't worry – Bill and Jess will see each other again. I can guarantee you that. :) But, as for Gene's and Spina's fate, I can only say that you'll find it out here. Expect some tense pages coming this way... ;) )

Ava Nova (Thank you very much! :) It's always amazing to find another reader who follows this story. I'm truly honoured. Enjoy the latest chapter! )

Cayendoenelolvido (Oh, you're not the only one who loves Eugene. I love him very much, too. ;) You'll see him more often in this chapter, I promise! )

XxBlackbird12xX (Hey, welcome to the story! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it so far! I'll do my best not to delay updates too much. )

Amanda (Hi! It's so good to hear from you again! :) Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate them. As for Gene, you'll just have to wait and see what happened to him… )

Dustori (Thank you very much! )

AwesomeBlonde89 (Oh, welcome back! Thank you for the compliments! I wish you a lovely, sunny day, too! :) )

Also, many thanks to everyone who decided to follow this story! You're amazing!

And one more thing: this chapter will have a bit more swearing. I apologise in advance for the language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers. This is purely of entertainment. It is based on the HBO miniseries and no disrespect is meant towards the real men of Easy Company.

I was looking for a breath of life

A little touch of heavenly light

But, all the choirs in my head sang:

"No, oh, oh, oh"…

Florence and the Machine, "Breath of Life"

Chapter Thirty-Four: Fight Hard, Fly Fast

Once you get airborne, the plane engine is all you can hear.

Its drumming followed me ever since I had taken off. I couldn't escape it. Even with my headphones on, I felt as if that sound was resonating from the back of my head. Looking for a way to ignore it, I focused on the sky around me… and one Messerschmidt, flying far below me.

It was gliding parallel to a dyke, alone and unaware that I was coming closer. It had parted ways with its companion, which was now a silhouette on the horizon. But, although that seemed far, it really wasn't. If anything happened, that plane could fly back in minutes and open fire.

I had to be quicker than that.

To get out alive, I had to engage the first plane and take it down before the second one arrived. Fight hard and fly fast – that was the whole plan.

My heart began thumping in my ears. There was no turning back now. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I tightened my grip around the control stick. But, I didn't make my move. Not yet. I held my nerve the best I could until I got just where I wanted to be. That was when I did it. I tilted my hand.

The engine belted out.

The Spitfire took the plunge.

However, as the space between us shrunk, the German plane turned. I fired at it, but it was too fast. It plummeted through the air and stormed off southwards. Ceasing fire and switching course, I went after it in hot pursuit.

It was far at first. But, I soon gained on it. Its greenish tail quickly came into sight. The plane tilted to the left, trying to shake me off, but I stuck with it. Forcing the Spitfire into an abrupt turn, I stayed right behind the plane. I held my breath while my finger slid down the control stick. Taking my chances, I fired again. However, the Messerschmidt jerked away and avoided the rounds.

Shit. I was running out of time. I couldn't let that bird get away. Keeping my gaze locked on its tail, I prepared to open fire. It was now or never.

Pat-pat-pat-pat.

All of a sudden, there were shots. Series of cracks riddled my windscreen. I keeled my plane over, getting out of the way.

What the…? I turned my head and looked through the glass. And then I spotted the attacker. Its wings had a too familiar shape – and it was approaching fast. My stomach had already twisted when I heard the rumbling.

The second Messerschmidt was here.

Oh, fuck.

At first, nothing happened. We just kept moving, while our engines droned on. But, then time decided to accelerate. The German plane went after me, sending more bullets in my direction. I swore out loud and made a quick barrel-roll. However, as I turned, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. The first plane – the one I had been chasing moments ago – was now running away.

If I let it go, I would be facing two birds at once. And I would be dead.

I had to take it down.

But, before I blinked, the plane careened and vanished from my sight. Yet, it didn't stay away. The thundering at my tail instantly became as twice as loud. That meant only one thing. The sodding plane had got behind me.

That was when they both opened fire.

Bullets zipped past me. Struggling with the control stick, I yanked myself out of the Messerschmidts' range. However, they didn't give up. They both stormed after me.

I felt nauseous. Bile welled up in my throat. Swallowing hard, I lifted the nose of my plane. And then I turned to the right, avoiding another spurt of bullets. But, I couldn't run away from the plane engines' rumbling. No matter what I did, those two stayed on my tail, pursuing me. Hunting me. I had the urge to glance back at them, but I didn't dare to do so. Instead, I gritted my teeth and led the Spitfire into a loop, hoping to escape.

It didn't help.

They were still after me, despite everything. Their rounds zipped closer than before. One of them grazed my plane with a harsh, metallic ping. There was no time to think – only to do. I had to keep moving and nothing more. And so I did. As soon as the loop was done, I pulled off the first thing I had on my mind. I clenched my fist and jerked the control stick with all my strength.

The clouds disappeared a second later. The sky switched places with the earth. In the meantime, the Spitfire's nose dropped, sending the plane into a spiral dive towards the ground.

For a few moments, everything was peaceful. There was only that strong force, which kept me pinned against my seat, and the world spinning around me. But, then the two Messerschmidts came back. I could hear them.

But, I didn't pull up.

Meanwhile, the fields were growing faster by the second. The roads were expanding. The dykes were now clearly visible. By then, my heart rate must have tripled.

I still didn't pull up. I continued to plummet, closing in with the muddy ground. The dark soil was closer with every heartbeat… until I tilted back the control stick. In the next second, the Spitfire's engine roared and I was flying up again. My bird whooshed through the air, barely avoiding ruins of a farmhouse. I flew just above its roof before I moved on.

The Messerschmidts followed suit. However, while I was climbing, an ear-splitting blast echoed behind me. One of the planes hadn't escaped the farmhouse after all.

But, a series of bangs shoved me out of my thoughts. The other plane was still here. Applying rudder, I angled so sharply that my insides jolted. Despite that, I descended quick enough to avoid more bullets and leaned a bit more, trying to outmanoeuvre the German bird. Unfortunately, it was soon back on my tail and it fired at me in short, but lethal bursts.

And again. And again.

I couldn't help but gasp. For a split-second, the thought of dying got into my head. I was bound to get hit, sooner or later. It was a fact.

But, not today. I'm not dying today… Hauling myself to one side, I spun again. And then I started to climb. Gravity took its toll very soon, dropping my speed, but I brushed that aside. When I slowed down enough, I moved again. I made another roll, gazing at one spot so I wouldn't get dizzy, and firewalled the throttle. In seconds, I found myself right behind the Messerschmidt. Its tail seemed closer than ever on the other side of my windscreen.

Got you.

I took the shot. However, the bird was bloody swift. It moved and I only managed to hit a part of its left side.

Nevertheless, that did the trick. The Messerschmidt dropped out of the blue. When it disappeared, leaving a trail of thick grey smoke behind, a sigh of relief escaped my lips.

It was over.

XXX

No sooner did I land at Randwijk than my stomach lurched. I barely pulled the hatch open and scrambled out of the plane when my breakfast came back. I coughed and fell to my knees, retching into the grass.

I didn't know how much it lasted. My stomach kept twisting, forcing me to heave. I clutched the grass below and struggled to breathe deeply, to calm myself down. But, my heart was still thumping hard, as if it was planning to break through my ribcage.

Holy smoke… that was fucking close. I had been in fights before, surely, but, not like this. One of the planes I had taken down could have easily been mine. I could have been the one in flames right now. The sheer thought of it was enough for me to shudder.

But, then my breath hitched. The image of the aid station, riddled with bullet holes, flashed in front of my eyes.

Gene.

My heart thumped as twice as fast when I pushed myself off the ground. I wanted to sprint. But, there was no way I could do it. I could only make a fast limp to the village.

However, keeping a clear head was out of the question. While I trudged among the farmhouses, I kept imagining Gene during the attack, with only a canvas tent flap to protect him. I bit my lip so hard that it stung. But, I kept walking. Rushing past a few replacements and avoiding a speeding Jeep, I went across a road… and ran smack into Malarkey.

"Hey, where's the fire?", he asked.

"In the…", I wheezed out, "The aid station…"

I was about to make a run for it, but he grabbed my arm and stopped me. When I turned back at him, his eyes seemed slightly darker than before.

"No. Jess, you can't go there."

"What?"

He hesitated. His jaw clenched, as if he was finding it hard to explain why. Eventually, he only managed to say:

"Nobody's there."

"What do you mean 'nobody's there'?", I shouted. I tugged off my goggles, glaring at him. And then I realised. The sombre look on his face had told the whole story. A cold feeling started to spread inside me. "Oh, shit… did anyone make it?"

"Jess…"

"DID ANYONE MAKE IT?!"

The sound of my own voice startled me. I was begging. Don blinked, taken aback, before he pointed somewhere down the village road.

"I heard they took a few wounded to the…"

I didn't hear the rest. I just turned in the direction he had shown and kept running, as fast as my legs allowed me.

The commotion was the first thing I spotted. The house was the second. Actually, it used to be a village pub of some sort. Men were rushing in and out of it, while somebody's groans were coming from the inside. This must have been the new aid station. Almost out of breath, I staggered through the door.

There was blood. Its harsh smell lingered among the walls and tall windows. Praying that I wouldn't faint on the spot, I decided to look around as briefly as possible. My eyes darted through the room and across the bar, searching for an armband with a red cross and a familiar medic wearing it.

He wasn't in the first room. Nor in the second one. I checked every corner of it. He wasn't even in the small yard in the back of the building.

I didn't see him anywhere.

I started shaking. If Gene wasn't among the medics here, and if he wasn't among the wounded, that meant… that meant…

Oh, God... My hand flew to my mouth. But, I wasn't sure whether I was about to sob or vomit again. A lump began to grow in my throat, so large that I was slowly running out of air. I had to get out of here. Almost panting, I turned on my heel and made a run for it. However, I didn't get the chance to reach the door. Instead, I stopped dead in my tracks.

He had just made it over the doorstep. His shoulders were clearly sagging underneath his jacket. A part of his face was smeared in dirt, but that was undeniably Eugene Roe. I couldn't help but gawp at him as he trudged through the pub, already rifling through his bag.

My lips parted. I wanted to shout after him, to call him over, yet I couldn't think of a single word. In the end, I was standing completely still, while my jaw was hanging slack.

Perhaps there was nothing left to say.

I caught up with him in four long steps. And then I grabbed the hem of his jacket, making him turn around. He looked at me in bewilderment. But, before he could say anything, I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his shoulder, letting out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

Truth be told, my nose scrunched up a bit. Gene smelt terribly, of sweat and sulphur powder, but that didn't matter now. All that mattered was that he was there, that he was alright and that his arms were really enveloping me in return.

"Gene?", I muttered in his neck.

"Yeah?"

"I want to punch you for scaring the hell out of me." After some time in silence, I had to confess: "But, I also want to kiss you."

He didn't say anything. I was certain that things would stay like that, without answers, until his accent reached my ear.

"How 'bout leavin' da punch fo' later?"

I playfully smacked his arm and stepped away. He chuckled. But, for some reason, he soon became quiet again. That was when his hands raised and gently cupped my face. Still silent, he slowly leaned closer to me and his lips brushed against my forehead like feathers. I was smiling at first, but, in the next moment, one thought made me fall back into reality. I bit my lip, suddenly feeling morose.

"What is it?", Gene asked.

"I saw…" I hesitated for a while. "I saw the attack. At the aid station. Did someone we know…?"

Not sure how to finish, I trailed off. But, he understood me.

"Toye got hit, but he's gonna make it. Same goes fo' Spina." I sighed in relief again when he added: "He sure was lucky."

"And Denham?"

"Hit in da leg. But, he'll make it, too."

"Holy shit…" I blinked in disbelief. That was when a corner of my lips bitterly curved. "Well, you can't have all things in life, can you?"

He shrugged. "Somethin' like dat."

"Doc! Doc, we need some help here!"

Gene was on the move before I even turned around.

"Take care", he muttered, gripping his bag strap.

"You, too."

He dashed right past me and ran to the source of the shout. On the other side of the pub, a man had just been carried in on a stretcher. In a hurried voice, Gene started talking something to the stretcher bearers as they all moved to the back room.

What a way to start a morning… Jesus. I turned away, running my fingers through my hair. Perhaps this was the time for me to get out. I quickly went to the exit, trying to block off the memories of the last few hours by thinking of something else. But, the moment I got outside, a sight of two lads made me stop. Sitting just behind the corner, one of them was staring off somewhere, with his arm in a sling. The other, thinner lad was quite dishevelled, but he didn't seem hurt.

"Ralph. Joe."

Snapping out of his daze, Ralph smiled and made a mock salute with his uninjured hand. Meanwhile, Liebgott raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Jess Prichard, still in one piece? I'm shocked."

"Oh, shut up", I retorted, "Don't you need to cause trouble elsewhere?"

"How can I answer that? You told me to shut up, remember?"

"Git."

He smirked at my frown. "Had a nice flight?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Lieb's smirk slowly disappeared. He solemnly nodded and moved for a bit, making free space for me. Plonking myself down beside him, I leaned my back against the wall and closed my eyes for a moment.

It was odd, really, sitting here and not hearing any gunfire in the distance. Yet, it was a welcome change, too.

"You okay, Speen?"

"I'm fine, but my shoulder ain't." He sent me a short, lopsided grin. "Don't worry. I'll be back on my feet in no time." Fumbling with his cigarette pack, he took out one stick and wedged it in the corner of his mouth. Barely did he pick up his lighter when he looked at me again. "Wanna smoke?"

"No, thanks."

"You sure? You look like you need one."

I waved that off. But, then I glanced down at my hands, which were resting in my lap.

They were shaking. Actually, they didn't stop shaking since my encounter with the Messerschmidts. I turned my left hand slightly, flexing my fingers and clenching them into a fist, in hope of making them still. However, as soon as I spread them, my hand continued to shudder uncontrollably.

Oh, well. I almost kicked the bucket. One smoke wouldn't mean a thing.

"You know what? Hand those over."

I snatched a stick out of the pack. Ralph seemed stunned by this. But, despite that, he gave me his lighter. Sticking the cigarette between my lips, I brought the flame closer and lit it. And then I took a long drag, just like I had seen the lads doing it.

That was a mistake.

If I had to choose one word to describe the taste, it would be – awful. I bent forward, spluttering and coughing like mad. However, a couple of more drags, things became a little better. Well, at least my hands shook less this time.

"Jeez, and I thought I heard a faulty engine", Lieb muttered.

"Hilarious…" I looked up and glared at him, when I noticed something strange. His shirt had been cut open near his neck. Something white, a bandage probably, was peering behind the olive fabric. "What happened to you?"

"Nothin' too exciting." He shrugged. "But, I wouldn't say the same about the village next to ours."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard the Krauts took out the HQ there."

"Whoah…" Ralph straightened up suddenly with wide eyes. "Anyone hurt?"

"I dunno." Lieb rested his elbows on his knees, more sullen than I had ever seen him. "But, I know this. Something's fuckin' wrong."

"Well, we're in a war, Joe. Something is definitely wrong!"

"Except that." His voice quickly lowered, almost to a whisper, when he added: "You see, the HQ was hit by planes, too. And guess what? They're the same ones that peppered the old aid station! The Krauts just started from the godddamn neighbourhood and moved on to here!"

"You're joking", I said. However, his look told me the opposite thing. "Damn it. How do you know that?"

"I heard Winters and Welsh talkin'. They didn't sound too cheery. But, they said one thing that doesn't make any sense. Do you know how many farmhouses got hit? How many barns?" After both Ralph and I shook our heads, he answered: "None. Not a single one. I ain't a plane expert, but I swear that those two had a lot of chances here. I saw it with my own eyes. They missed everything except for two things."

"For chrissake, be glad that they didn't kill more men!"

"Well, it's a bit hard to be glad when something is loomin' over us."

"When… what?"

"Nobody's sayin' nothin'", he said, almost in a conspirative tone, "But, some weird shit is going on out there. And it's big. Mark my words."

I rolled my eyes. "Joe, do you know how paranoid you sound?"

"When the Krauts hose the two most important buildings in this place and miss everything else, that ain't fuckin' paranoia, Jess! Now, quit messin' with me and listen!"

Ralph furrowed his brow, becoming completely solemn.

"So…" He paused for a while, as if he wasn't sure whether to continue. "You think the Krauts are making a move? That they're planning to get the Island back or something?"

Cold chills moved up my spine.

"I hope not", Lieb replied. I thought that would be the end of the conversation. Yet, as time passed, an eerie grin started to spread over his face. "Unless the Kraut boys have a death wish, that is…"

Swallowing thickly, I did my best not to think about that. I took a moment to glance around and find a spot where I could throw away my cigarette. But, the only thing I saw was a reddish cooking pot, placed under the nearby drainpipe. It was almost full of rainwater.

Someone will chuck that out anyway. I closed one eye and raised my hand, aiming for the pot.

However, the water moved. Its surface rippled, sending ring-like waves towards the edges of the pot. I thought it was nothing. But, soon after, the water rippled with a greater force. A few drops jumped out and spattered the ground.

And then something thudded.

It was far away. But, the hairs on the back of my neck were already standing up. In the end, Lieb was right.

This was far from over.

Oh, God, not again…

We jerked back when a cloud of smoke soared in the distance, along with a deafening blast. All of a sudden, a window behind us cracked like an egg.

Fuck. "GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOWS!"

Ralph was about to say something. But, I was already too far to hear him. I was back on my feet, storming into the aid station and shouting warnings. Screeches of chairs and tables came from all directions as the lads started moving the wounded to safer corners.

"Move, move, move!" I pushed a dazed replacement out of my way and bolted further. Making a turn at the bar, I ran towards the ajar door to the next room. "GET-"

There was a flash of light. And then the thundering came, shattering all windows. Glass flew in all directions. The pub suddenly tilted and I crashed into something hard.

Silence.

For a moment, there was nothing except silence and darkness. But, as if someone decided to flip a switch, the lights came back on. The pub flickered a few times before it re-appeared, blurry and wavering. I was lying on my stomach… or at least I thought so. However, I didn't hear anything. Every sound was pushed away by an endless high-pitched ring in my ears. I blinked fast, drifting in and out of focus.

I couldn't hear myself groan. But, I could surely feel it. My stomach was sore like two hells instead of one. After I tried to move my arms, I realised that they hurt, too. Everything hurt. I screwed my eyes shut, hoping to block the pain away, when some sort of thudding came from outside. It must have been quite loud, since I could hear it now…

Holy smoke, we're under attack! Suddenly coming back to my senses, I struggled to move. My arms felt strangely heavy, besides being sore. I could barely move them. In the meantime, another thud resonated, much closer than the previous two.

You've got to get up. Come on, Prichard, get up. Get up! I dragged my hands over the floor as quickly as I could – which was only a few inches at a time. Every time I made a move, I was so exhausted that I had to pause and get my breath back. I almost cursed myself for being so sluggish. But, finally, after what seemed like hours, I managed to place my hands close to me. Picking up all the strength I had, I grunted and pushed myself to my forearms.

However, I stopped. Something wet and oddly warm was spreading across my shirt. I could feel it. The part covering my stomach was soaked, as if I had spilt a cup of hot tea on it. As the stinging under the fabric shifted into searing pain, my vision blurred. I started to whimper.

Shit… my stitches. They were torn. My wound was open. On the verge of groaning out loud again, I grasped a nearby table and tried to haul myself up. However, I wasn't strong enough for that. Although I tried it hard, I couldn't move.

"…got ya. Hold on, Jess, I got ya…"

Somebody's arm wrapped around my shoulders. I didn't know who it was. Holding me tightly, the stranger pulled me up and I suddenly found myself on my knees.

"…I swear to God, you do attract trouble…"

I barely heard his voice from the ringing. Yet, I recognised it.

"Liebgott?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's my name. Now, hold on…"

I didn't plan to whimper. And I didn't. But, once he pulled me to my feet, I screamed in pain. Lieb muttered something under his breath while he half-led me, half-dragged me through the pub. Shards of glass crackled under our boot soles as we moved further. Blinking the haze away, I lifted my head to see how far we were from the exit.

My jaw dropped soon after.

The space on our right was buried under debris. The roof above that part of the pub had collapsed, sending a huge pile of wood, slate and dust on the floor. George and Lipton, covered in dust, were kneeling beside a fallen support beam and chucking smaller pieces of debris out of the way. However, that wasn't the thing that left me stunned.

It was the lad who was lying motionlessly under the debris. The massive beam had crashed down on him, pinning him against the floorboards. It took me a split-second to realise who I was staring at.

"Gene… GENE!"

Wrenching myself out of Lieb's grip, I staggered to the wreckage. When I got to it, I fell to my knees… and my heart plunged as well. There was blood on Gene's forehead and in his hair, while more oozed from the thin line of his mouth.

My vision began tunnelling.

Jesus Christ, this can't be.

I crawled closer to him, sinking my teeth into my lower lip so that the pain could keep me conscious. I couldn't pass out. Not now. As soon as I stopped, I gulped and leaned over him, dreading what I might discover. That was when I felt it – a short and faint breeze tickling my ear. He was breathing.

"SOMEBODY HELP US!"

While George bellowed from the top of his voice, I moved my hand to Gene's neck and checked his pulse. It was weaker, but it was there. In the meantime, the sound of rushed steps told me that Lieb had ran to help.

"On two!", somebody shouted, "One… two!"

George, Lieb and Lipton each grabbed a section of the beam and, with a loud grunt, tried to lift it. However, nothing happened. The giant piece of timber refused to move, not even by an inch. One more lad sprinted out of nowhere and placed his shoulder under the beam, assisting the lift. Only when I heard his accent did I find out that it was Mike.

"Again!", Lipton ordered, "Put your backs into it!"

The beam released a groan before it shuddered and finally separated from the floor. Bit by bit, it was going up. But, then it slipped from George's hold. Without his part, the timber slowly went down again. While Lieb and Mike struggled to stop it, I heard someone's agonizing cry.

My heart clenched. It was Gene's voice.

"George!", Mike exclaimed.

"Jesus, I'm sorry!", the radioman shouted, stepping back, "I'm so sorry…!"

"Luz, get back here! This thing is slipping!"

"Don't you let go!", Lipton warned. Moving his gaze from the beam, he looked right at me. "Prichard, can you pull Doc out?"

I blinked, feeling more than a bit dazed. "I… I think so."

"Okay. You three, heave now!"

They tried again, this time harder. The beam gradually went up and halted, a foot or two above Gene. I was hissing in pain so far, but I grabbed him and pulled him back as hard as I could. We moved for a few steps before I lost my strength again, as well as my footing. I dropped on my back, while Gene slumped in my lap. The second that happened, Lipton, George, Lieb and Mike let the beam go and it crashed down, sending a small cloud of dust in the air.

However, something was left behind. It was a streak of dark red on the floor, connecting the enormous timber with the place where Gene and I were lying. It looked like thick paint, but it wasn't. I found the source of it the moment I propped against my elbows. That redness was seeping through Gene's trouser leg, turning the olive drab almost into black.

I froze.

Unlike me, somebody swore. Lipton appeared beside us on his knees. He remained like that for a second, completely stunned by what he had seen. But, a moment later, he snapped out of it and pressed Gene's thigh with both hands, doing his best to stem the bleeding.

I saw everything, but I just couldn't believe it. I didn't know how to. Only minutes ago, Gene had been alright. He was smiling the last time I had seen him, unscathed in the attack on the former aid station. Now he was fading away in front of my eyes. His breaths became ragged as I held him, while his head rested in the crook of my elbow.

"Jess, would ya stop staring like that?", Lieb asked, "Do somethin'!"

I furrowed my brow at him. "Like what?"

"You're seriously askin' me that? You were a goddamn nurse before this!"

Swallowing hard, I tried to look at something else, and not Gene's leg. I flicked rapidly through my memories. I had been studying for that job for a while, long before I decided to become a pilot. There had to be some tip from my nursing days that I could use. How did that lesson go? To stop the bleeding, I needed to… I had to use a… wait a second. Firstly, I ought to…

Nothing.

There was nothing.

I couldn't remember. The steps in Aldbourne and the instructions in France had all become blank. Before I was aware of it, dark spots appeared in my sight. I had never felt anything close to this. I should know exactly what to find and how to use it. However, at this moment, I couldn't be more helpless.

Lieb's eyes bulged.

"Jeez, have you lost your damn mind?"

I stared at him, but I had no idea what to say. With every passing second, he seemed to be more furious. Lipton, however, asked no questions. He only took one glance at me, before he nudged Lieb with his elbow and said:

"Go get a medic. Sullivan, you got with him! Luz, get that radio working!"

"But, she…", Lieb began.

"Now."

Mike looked at me in concern. But, as another blast echoed from outside, he jumped to his feet and ran off after Lieb. George had already stepped aside and started working on his radio, leaving Lipton and me with Gene.

"Prichard. Hey, Prichard."

I whirled around. It had dawned on me that the sergeant was talking. He sent me a solemn look from the spot where he was kneeling.

"Don't dwell on what Liebgott said, okay?"

I shortly nodded. "Yes, sir."

Nodding in return, he moved his gaze back to Gene.

"Okay, Doc, I ain't gonna lie", Lipton said, "This will hurt."

Gene nodded without a word. Lipton frowned and gradually added more pressure on Gene's leg, causing him to groan in my sleeve. I flinched from that sound. Listening to it was horrible, let alone watching. Swallowing thickly, I stroked his cheek and hoped that it would keep his mind away from the pain.

However, even though he seemed to have relaxed a bit, this wasn't enough. His neck and forehead were now covered in beads of sweat. I could hear his teeth quietly gritting together and his breathing becoming shallow. And the only thing I could do was hold him close and pray for help to come sooner.

I couldn't despise myself more than I did now.

"Jess…" He struggled hard to speak.

"Shhh", I soothed, moving my thumb down his cheekbone. "It's okay. You'll be fine."

"You… hurt?"

I gawped at him, suddenly gobsmacked. If he hadn't had a heavy beam lying on top of him, and if he hadn't been bleeding, I would have sniggered. However, I didn't. Instead, I felt something constricting inside my chest.

"Jess, you hurt?", he repeated hoarsely.

"No", I lied.

"Good." A weak smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He nestled in my arms, letting his eyelids slide down. And then he added in an even lower voice: "That's good."

If there was a breaking point, I was standing quite close to it. I was now using all my strength just to keep myself from sobbing. Tears threatened to spill, but I did the best I could to keep them at bay. This was not the time for crying. No matter what happened, I had to stay strong.

"You'll make it, too", I muttered, "We've seen worse problems back in Normandy. And we got out of it alive. Am I right?"

He didn't answer that. His eyes were still closed. I felt his forehead and winced at how cold and clammy his skin was.

"Gene. Eugene, wake up. Wake up!" I patted his cheek once… twice… three times. A tiny crease appeared on his brow and his eyes slowly fluttered open. "That's it. Just stay awake. Mike and Joe are on their way here." What on earth is taking them so long?

I turned around, but I didn't see Mike and Lieb coming in through the door. Instead, I saw Lipton struggling. His once clean hands were now coated in red. By the way he was grimacing while hunched over Gene's leg, something was terribly wrong.

Gene's fingers clutched my sleeve and held it tightly. But, there were no words from him. Looking down, I realised that he was simply gazing at me. His dark eyes were fixed on my face and his brow was furrowed, as if focusing on me would keep him anchored in the present. However, after a few moments, his concentration started slipping away from him. His head lolled to the side and he coughed, spattering the front of my shirt with more crimson.

That was too much.

"No… no, no, no…" I bit my tongue to stifle any sob, but that didn't prevent the tears. They slid down my face as his every breath became an uneven sigh. I shook my head, praying like anything to wake up from this and find out that it was all a nightmare. "Please, don't do this to me. Stay with me. Gene…" I swallowed the next pair of tears that trickled down my cheeks. "...please."

He remained quiet in my arms. That was the only answer I received.

Hopefully, I'll upload the next chapter a bit sooner...

Until then, please leave a review and tell me what you think!