Paradise Lost

Chapter 6

Apologies in advance for how long it took to update the book. I have more time to update now.

30th January 1917 – Private Daniel Murillo's point of view

Today marks two weeks since we started training and we can now send letters to our families. Also, I am going to be assessed by the nurse to see if I am physically fit enough to be able to exercise with the rest of them. I am the first one up since I have had another nightmare. Rigo is the second one up and he sees me. "Are you okay Danny?" he asks me, and I nod. I don't want to worry my big brother more than he has been by me lately. "Yeah, just had a nightmare is all," I tell him. He sits on the edge of the bed and frowns at me, he doesn't like it when I have nightmare even though it's not my fault. "Poor bear, do you want to have another rest day?" he asks me, the two weeks can go on for longer if I need it too.

"I'm not sure yet, let's see how the medical evaluation goes first," I tell him. The nurse might tell me that I do need another day or two off and then I will have no say in the matter. I will make sure if they let me do it that I will not overdo it. "Okay Danny, just as long as you know that you can rest if you need to," he tells me. I don't think we have to get up right this moment. I could fall back to sleep because the others are not awake. "Can I go back to sleep?" I ask Rigo, I am still not sure what the schedule is yet. My older brother knows the schedule like the back of his hand he has been living here for so long. "Yeah sure, I'll wake you up when it is breakfast time," he tells me. That's good, I trust him with my life. "Can you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone," I tell him.

"Sure thing Danny, I can stay with you," he tells me. I budge up in the bed so that Rigo has more room to lay down with me. I snuggle up with him and I close my eyes so I can fall back to sleep soon. Rigo starts rubbing my back just below where the cuts used to be and just healed. "I missed this Rigo," I tell him. When we were both at home we would often lay in his room and cuddle up like this to get away from father. It helps that there is a ten-year age gap between us. When I was very little I used to cry a lot because I was terrified and Rigo would cuddle up to me like that in the furthest room he could get me in, and I would eventually fall asleep. It quickly became the only way you could get me to sleep as a kid.

"Me too Dan. At least now we can both naturally feel relaxed without worrying about anything," he tells me. Like I mentioned before, all of our brotherly time usually had the motive of getting away from our father because we were scared. For some reason when we were hidden like that he didn't really bother us, but he would wait until the second one of us will leave the room to harm either whoever is still in the room or whoever left. Basically he was an opportunistic bastard and it is not hard to see why my family and anyone who hears about how he treats his children hates his guts. I'm still transitioning I feel. It is hard to really comprehend that I am free from him for now. Like I am still expecting him to show up and to ruin things like he always does. This is a nice change though; I like the peace.

"I have got to say that the last month or so has been really weird. It has been a good kinda weird though," I tell him. Then I yawn, I was surprised I didn't wake anyone up. I make sure I am still snuggled up with him. This time I am laying my head on his chest. "Yep, I never thought that my little brother would be in the army. Here you are in the same military camp as me and it is the best decision you have ever made. I did have my doubts initially about whether or not it was time for you to be here, but I do think you are better off here," he tells me. He's right, I am safer right here in the army than I would be if I was still at home with our father. "Yeah, long may the happiness continue," I tell him, just as I fall asleep.

I was expecting Rigo to still be angry about me being here if I was being honest. I know that he was not happy with the state my health was in when I first got here and then I almost died already and that was all because of one man. It wasn't like oh I got attacked for being his brother or anything like that. Although I know for a fact that if something like that were to happen then Rigo would start a riot because he is a super protective big brother and would probably murder someone to protect me. If it ever boiled down to it I am pretty sure that he would murder father if it came to it and they got into a fight with each other. It does scare me sometimes that it could become kill or be killed, especially when it is Rigo and father because they are equally as strong in my opinion.