The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

80: Proof of Aliveness

"Autumn, I need you to get me A-negative blood and equipment for a transfusion." Charlie said. "Now!"

Autumn left without another word.

"Someone else hold his legs!" Charlie went on.

"Jackson, stay calm," Webster was saying as Charlie sprinkled more sulfa over Jackson's face and neck. "You're gonna be fine, buddy. Charlie's gonna help you." He stepped back from the table and demanded of Charlie, "Why the fuck aren't you doing anything?!" as though because he'd taken a step back that meant Jackson wouldn't hear him.

Charlie didn't take her eyes off of her work as she replied, "Shut up, Webster! You expect me to perform a blood transfusion and cut him open with my bare hands?!"

"Doc's here!" someone near the door announced.

Gene checked over Jackson's face as soon as he was standing by the table. "All right, Jackson, take it easy, okay," he soothed, and from him, the reassurance actually worked. "Okay," he said gently as the tension in Jackson's muscles started to ease, as his heaving sobs started to abate.

"Internal bleeding," Charlie told Gene quietly, pressing a bandage to Jackson's chest. "Nothing I can do until we have a surgeon and blood for a transfusion."

Gene nodded.

Henry shouted down the stairs, "Surgeons want him in the hospital!"

Charlie's jaw popped open. The whole point of the nurses waiting in OP-1 was in case anyone needed emergency treatment. The surgeons' insistence to stay in the field hospital instead of coming here might just cost Jackson his life.

"Alright, let's get him out of here," Gene directed as he and Spina lifted Jackson onto a stretcher.

Jackson's sobs resumed. "I don't wanna die!" he cried as men rushed from all directions to help with the stretcher.

"We only need two people on the stretcher, everyone else is holding us up!" Charlie shouted above the sudden noise.

"I don't wanna die!" Jackson pleaded with anyone who would listen.

"It's okay," Babe was saying. He pressed a hand onto the bandage Charlie had previously had pinned to Jackson's neck while she was pushed back by a man trying to get past her. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay, take it easy."

Jackson's invocations only got louder as he was carried towards the door.

Charlie and Boo were close on Gene's heels.

"I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!"

"Get him out of here!" Gene was shouting. "Get him out!"

Men pushed each other to get out of the way faster.

Artillery fire made the basement shake. Dust came pouring out of the walls.

Jackson's stretcher nearly hit the floor as the men were knocked off balance.

"I don't wanna die!"

"You're not gonna die, Jackson!" Boo insisted, pushing to get back to the stretcher.

Jackson started to gurgle.

Charlie shoved a man out of her way.

"Jackson!" Gene shouted, hastily wrapping a fresh bandage around his neck.

Charlie threw her hands upon Jackson's chest, applying pressure to as many of the wounds as she could at one time. "Keep breathing, Jackson, slow and steady!"

"Hey, it's okay," Babe went on reassuring Jackson. "It's alright. You're alright."

"Doc!" Jackson choked out.