𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒃𝒔

Dick Best | Building yourself back up

1945

Inhale, and exhale. Inhale. Exhale. One more time.

Inhale, again.

More.

The staggering air rebounded against the walls of his throat in spasmodic waves, until, in one downward leap, it reached the chest in a gulp of deliverance — a split second of ecstasy, which clutched the man's hope in a tight grip —, before the lungs themselves folded under the bliss they craved so deeply, and imploded as the cure was thrust away, as though finally being the weapon to defeat the insufferable itching at the base of his trachea. For long seconds, he could not breathe. He suffocated; fought back, relentlessly, belligerently; and, sometimes, the metallic taste accompanying his endeavour would materialise in the form of scarlet stains, there, in the hollow of his palm.

However, though hitherto intense and frequent, these fits of coughing would thankfully come to an end after no more than a minute of torment, and his time was not different from the others. Dick Best wiped his moistened lips with the back of his hand, inhaling swiftly as he progressively regained control of his body. In, out, in and out, murmured the echos of his exhalations in the bathroom.

The man straightened up, his reflection glancing back at him over the sink, and seconds later the warm water flowing from the tap was engulfing his hands and washing the soap bubbles away from his calloused fingers. After a few nights of slightly better sleep, the folds of repressed exhaustion having darkened the blue of the former pilot's iris had lightened, meaning that he had somehow started to recover; though falling asleep would not always be easy, Dick's eyelids bearing the inevitable marks of everything that he had seen and experienced — memories that only time could wear out, pictures of a young man crashing into swirls of black water, dement orchestras from the hellish warfare he had played a part in —, loving arms made it easier for the soldier to dive into the depths of the blank canvas of unconsciousness. After all those years, the softness of Ann's kisses and the tightness of her embrace had turned his worst fears and insecurities, from stinking cuts that he could never reach to stop the bleeding, to healed scars, and were always there to hold him whenever the seams would threaten to tear appart.

The couple's love had even brought a wonder into the world. A wonder whose innocent gaze was fixed upon Dick from the doorway where stood her small frame.

'Daddy,' the little girl spoke as she took a few steps closer, a concerned, pure expression having found its way onto her face. 'Are you okay?'

A moved smile making the corner of his lips tremble, the father fought back the tears having impulsively welled up in his eyes. Oh how lucky he was, just to have her in front of him. And even though the guilt of not being able to help further in the war was still tied to his throat, the happiness sprung from those rushes of egoism, from the mad luck that had crossed his path, would eclipse everything but this that he was back home. Finally home. Damaged, but somehow whole, only his lungs having been poorly struck. He would be able watch his daughter grow and get older by Ann's side, which, to him, were the only things able to make it up for his inability to fly ever again.

'It's alright, sweetheart,' he whispered, the girl wrapping her arms around his legs as he softly stroked her hair. 'I'm fine now. See, you always make me feel so much better.'

'Did that war you and mommy told me about do that to you?' she inquired in a little voice, crooking her head to look him in the eyes once again. In spite of being too young to fully understand it, Dick could feel commiseration through her daughterly love.

'Yes, it did,' he whispered honestly. 'But I was one of the lucky ones. I was able to come back to you.'

Nonetheless, before the child could ask another question the scuffing of familiar footsteps reached their earshot, and it was Ann's turn to appear in the doorframe of the bathroom.

'What are you two doing here?' the brunette woman chuckled softly, approaching her husband and daughter. 'You're not conspiring, are you?'

'Do you want to conspire with us?' their daughter smiled, her eyes regaining their shine.

'Yes, I do,' Ann shot Dick a loving look, caressing the girl's head. 'But don't you want to come with me and conspire in the living room? I'm not sure the bathroom is the best place for that.'

'Mommy's right, we better get to a more inviting space,' the former pilot approved, gently leading his daughter out in Ann's wake after having turned off the lights in the bathroom.

The family's entry in the living room was welcomed by the soothing melody of a record Ann had put on, the music mingling with the warm atmosphere within and bringing Dick back to reality. His fit of coughing appeared more distant now that he was in that part of the house, surrounded by two of the people he cherished most and had always kept close to his heart, no matter what terrifying scenery was unfurling outside of his cockpit.

As their daughter ensconced herself on the couch, Ann took Dick's hand, her red lips stretched into a tender smile; last time they had danced was at the officer dinner night, the previous year. She led him in the middle of the room, wrapping her left arm around his back while their right hands were locked together, and his lips pressed against her forehead, the man closing his eyes after having taken an admirative look at beautiful face, her fluttering eyelashes. Slowly, lovingly they danced; his taller frame pressing her again his torso, her feet effortlessly in harmony with his and her finger running through his hair.

And even though the war cost Richard Best a best friend, the possibility to fly a plane and the clearness of his conscience, forever marred with the mistakes that he had made, he would build himself up again. With Ann and his daughter, he knew that he had to go on.

—

i'm never going to stop writing about soldiers coming home from the war, so since i've watched midway today and really loved it i had to write something about dick, whose character and development moved me a lot and whom i've grown to absolutely love throughout the film ❦

they own my entire heart