after the big storm there's great calm // band of brothers

reunion - b. guarnere

reunion

Bill Guarnere x OC

Snow had swallowed Philadelphia in one bite. The streets were almost impossible to cross, trees bend under the heavy weight they had to carry and schools had to be closed. The cab driver had a hard time to get their passenger to the desired destination; the military hospital on Castor Avenue.

The woman looked tensed, as if she wasn't visiting someone she held dear but was being brought to her own death. Her hands gripped the handle of her purse so hard her knuckles white bone shone through her pale skin. Her black coat made her skin look even lighter.

When the telegram came in, Kate wasn't sure how she should take it. Her Bill was coming home after being badly wounded in battle. The telegram didn't say how bad it was, but it had to be worse enough for him to be sent off the line.

Together with pure happiness about having him back she felt fear nagging at her. She was afraid that it was not the same Bill she was going to see in mere minutes from now, but a stranger. She saw other men, kids returning from war. They weren't the same. They were older, robbed of their youth by seeing hell.

What if Bill had gone through the same process?

Too soon the car ride was over and Kate had to enter the hospital in front of her. She dreaded hospitals like these, death lingering between the walls and wails of injured men. These institutions were a silent cry for justice. Justice for men, children who had had to endure pure violence all because a crazy man wanted to enforce his crazy visions.

Her feet dragged her slowly through the halls, closer to Bill's room. The door stood open and she could hear an unfamiliar male voice talking loudly. She had hoped to have Bill for herself, but she knew that would've been a miracle. There were no such things as single rooms in these hospitals.

Standing three feet away from the door, she braced herself. She didn't know what to expect. Deep down she knew that no matter what, she'd always love him. But would he do the same?

Upon entering the room, a loud whistle occurred, followed by Bill shouting "Aye, that's my wife you're whistlin' at!" A huge smile spread across Kate's face and she basically flew to Bill's side, hugging him tightly. His arms flew around her and pulled her even closer.

"You never told us just how hot she is, Gonorrhea."

"Shut the fuck up, Joe." Bill's voice was muffled by Kate's dark hair and she could feel his lips brushing her scalp as he spoke. How she had missed this, him.

Tears slipped from her eyes, but this time not because she feared for her love's life, but because God had brought him back to her.

Looking up, she saw that her husband's eyes too were watery (not that he was ever going to admit that). He then pressed his lips onto hers, putting all the love in this kiss he had to store inside him for the past years.

"Get yourself a room, this is disgusting." The man in the bed next to Bill grumbled and turned his face away from them.

"Jealous, huh, Joe?" Bill laughed. How she had missed his laugh. "Doll, can you get me the wheelchair over there?" Kate nodded at the same time the question as to why he would need a wheelchair arose in her chest.

The second he pushed the covers away, she saw that he was missing a leg. She froze. Her hands clenched the handles of the chair as she held it still so Bill could climb into it.

Bill saw her stiffened figure and delicately caressed her cheek, giving her a sad smile. "We were hit by a shell. Pretty much destroyed my leg beyond repair. It had to be amputated." He sighed. "Took me a while too to get used to it."

"Bill, I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. It's not your fault. Though I can understand if you don't want to spend your life with a disabled man." It was unlike Bill to say such things. Where was the man who would make a joke out of it?

To see him looking down, balling his fists in frustration and fear of what she was going to say hurt her more than she liked to admit.

Kate went around the chair and got down in front of her beloved husband. He lifted his head and looked at her with hope glimmering in his eyes.

"Stop saying that! I love you, and no one else. We are going to work this out. "

She kissed him tenderly. Satisfied, she saw his mischievous smile reappear.

"Have I ever told you what a great woman you are?"

"A million times, Bill."

"Welp, that's not enough."

"Now you have the time to do it over and over again."

"I sure do." They kissed again, lightly.

"You do realize I'm here too, right? And if you don't stop right now, I'm going to vomit."

"Shut up, Joe." Bill replied simply and then scooped Kate up in his lap, slowly wheeling them out of the room and telling her how much he had missed her and how she was the one who gave him the will to survive.