survival;
1) the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances. "the animal's chances of survival were pretty low"
2) an object or practice that has continued to exist from an earlier time.
plural noun: survivals
"his shorts were a survival from his army days"
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Alex moved towards Gibson angrily and took an hold of the dog tags that were hanging around his neck the gun still pointed at Gibson.
"Alex." Ava said and moved forwards but someone grabbed an hold of her arm, making her look up at the person only to see them shake their head at her decision of going to stop Alex, whilst he was this mad.
"Tell me, Gibson." Alex said mockingly the gun still pointing at Gibson's head, whilst the sea water kept coming into the boat now knee high, mid thigh for Ava.
"Tell me!" Alex yelled again making Gibson's eyes widen more and he backed away slightly from the furious soldier ready to shoot him any second. "Tell him, for God's sake!" Ava yelled at Gibson who looked at her scared out of his mind.
"Français. je suis Français." Gibson said making everyone calm down and look at eachother but Alex on the other hand was still pissed off, the gun still pointed at Gibson. "A frog." Alex said making everyone's gazes land on him. "A bloody frog." Alex continued and glanced back towards the soldiers.
"A cowardly little queue-jumping frog." Alex said angrily the gun still pointed at Gibson. "Alex, that is enough." Ava said to him firmly and went to stand in front of Gibson so the gun was now pointed at her, which made Alex quickly lower it down, whilst looking at her with furrowed eyebrows.
"You're on his side?" He asked angrily from her whilst pointing towards the frog. "He is scared, afraid, alone, what would you do in this kind of situation when you know it's either get home along the Brits or stay here?" Ava asked angrily from Alex whilst his gaze softened.
"Who's Gibson?" A Highlander asked from somewhere. "Some naked, dead Englishman lying out on that sand?" Another Highlander asked and moved towards him, so did everyone else, closing the three in a corner.
"Did you at least gave the decency to bury him?" Alex asked and lifted his gaze to Gibson, who gulped not wanting to speak at all. "He did. I helped him. I thought it was his mate." Tommy said to Alex who handed the gun to a Highlander that stood behind him, who then pointed the gun at Gibson from his spot.
"Maybe he killed him." Alex said making Ava look up at him with squinted eyes but he didn't look back at her. His angry gaze was locked onto Gibson. "He didn't kill him." Tommy said to Alex whilst his eyebrows were furrowed.
"How do we know?" Alex asked again and looked behind him to all the other soldiers who nodded their heads in agreement. "How hard is it to find a dead Englishman on Dunkirk beach?" Ava asked her eyes still squinted at Alex whose gaze locked onto her.
"He didn't kill anyone." Ava said through her gritted teeth, keeping her gaze locked onto Alex who yet again calmed down when he saw how angry she was. "He was just looking for a way off the sand, like the rest of us." Ava said and lifted her arms up only to let them slam on the sides of her thighs.
Suddenly a gun was fired again, making everyone squat down in hopes of not getting hit by any of the bullets. "Haven't they had enough practice by now?" A Highlander asked whilst he had an hold on the ropes keeping himself up.
"They're trying to make sure she won't float." Another Highlander said and Ava's gaze snapped up at Alex who looked back at her with the same expression on his face, sadness. They all just wanted to go home and another way was just thrown out of the window.
"Will she still float?" A Highlander asked the person who owned the ship. Everyone slowly stood back up taking an hold of something to keep themselves up cause of the pressure of the water that streamed into the boat from the bullet holes.
"Float, yes. Yes, with less weight." The owner said whilst looking from the Highlander from soldier to soldier, his gaze staying on Ava knowing damn well she was the only one to convince anyone to leave.
"And we know who's getting off." Alex said his voice cracking slightly. Ava's gaze snapped at him, seeing that his eyebrows were furrowed and he looked angry again. Ava sighed and glanced at Tommy and Gibson and then back at Alex.
"No, you can't do that." Ava said whilst shaking her head at the soldiers. "He's French. He's on our side." Tommy continued for her keeping his hands gripped onto the ladders that led down to the are they were in.
"Go on. Up you go." Alex said and gripped onto Gibson's jacket making Ava put her hand on Alex's hand trying to peel it off of his jacket, Gibson taking an hold of his wrist trying to peel him off.
"As soon as he pokes his head out, they'll slaughter him." Ava said to Alex, making his gaze snap at her and then to Gibson and then back at her, seeing that her eyebrows were furrowed and her breathing was slightly faster.
"Better him than me." Alex said and nodded his head at Gibson and then looked at Tommy and then back at Ava. "It's not fair." Ava said to Alex whilst a soldier had his gun pointed at Gibson. Alex had let his grip fall off of Gibson's jacket, letting him stand on his own. His face was in pure fear and his eyes were wide.
"Survival's not fair." Alex said and looked from Ava to Tommy again, his gaze landing onto Gibson this time. "No, it's shit." A Highlander who had his gun pointed at Gibson said, his voice wavering slightly, his hands also shaky, either from the cold or fear.
"It's fear, and it's greed." He continued to say his gaze not leaving Gibson's figure. "Fate pushes through the bowels of men. Shit." The man continued for a small amount until he stopped and gulped loudly.
"He saved our lives." Tommy said, referring to the ship that they almost drowned in, if Gibson hadn't opened the door for them. "And he's about to do it again." Another Highlander said and took an hold of Gibson's jacket and started to push him towards the ladder.
"No, no! Don't!" Ava yelled trying to pull Alex's and the other soldiers hands off of Gibson's jacket. Alex walked towards her and stood in her face whilst his face stayed angry and his voice lower than it normally was.
"Somebody's gotta get off, so the rest of us can live." Alex said to her making her push him back, looking straight at him whilst walking through the water towards the ladders. "Then I'll go." She said and put her foot and her hand on the ladder and looked back at the soldiers who had stopped fighting and were now looking at the young nurse standing at the end of the ladder, ready to get off if it meant that the rest of them could go home.
