Ad Astra Per Aspera [2] - Band of Brothers

6 | memories

" Every night her thoughts weighed heavily on her soul but every morning she would get up to fight another day, every night she survived."

- r.h. sin

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When Hazel opened her eyes that morning, she saw bright light streaming in through the window Amelia had opened by her bed. Hazel craned her neck toward it and saw sun rays slowly filtering in through the window, reflecting onto the ground. 

It was whimsical. 

Hazel slowly flipped off the covers of the bed and grimacing only slightly, sat up with a groan, holding a hand to her aching chest. The wound pulsed, but every morning it did that until she got some medicine in her system. 

Hazel had been moved to a field hospital in France; one much bigger, much cleaner and much nicer than the one behind the front lines in Belgium, but she the bed still held memories of nightmares and the fears that pulsed through her brain each and every night. The bed wasn't a cot, and the nightstand wasn't damp or old, it was new it seemed. 

Amelia had been moving from field camp to field camp and had traveled with Hazel, making sure she would be alright. Amelia had been there for Hazel in the early days, when the pain had caused hysterical crying fits or the flashbacks became to unbearable to even think on. Hazel took the pill and the water, as if it were normal by now, which it was, and slowly sighed looking towards the silent soldier. 

The silent soldier, she had yet to learn a name, had been lying on that bed for ages by now. She never saw him eat or drink, yet he was still alive, curled into a ball, barely moving under the covers. There were times where Hazel had almost convinced herself to stand up, walk over and try to see if he just wanted to have a normal conversation, but she held herself back, thinking of what might possibly be going through his own mind. 

What would it be if she just walked up and asked him a question? She didn't want to startle him. 

Hazel slowly stood, on shaky legs and slowly walked towards the entrance to the room where an influx of soldiers constantly rotated in and out of. Her and the silent soldier remained the only constants. Some died, some got better and some weren't willing to stay and went AWOL. 

Hazel would've went AWOL a long time ago if it weren't for the fact she could barely brush her teeth by herself. 

Amelia helped her out; she was a good nurse. 

Hazel stepped towards the doorway and pulled back the tiny curtain to see the other side. There was a fine line between Hazel's side and the other side. 

Hazel's side was for men who were taken care of, who were nursing their injuries before going back to the line. 

The other side was for new members coming in, hanging onto life or death, people bleeding out, the screaming the cries.