-
fluff - fem oc "Claire"
tw: mentions blood and some violence
-
"On your left." Claire whizzed past Eugene Roe, her hands covered in blood. She went to the wounded trooper's abdomen and pressed down with gauze.
"Okay steady pressure, Claire." He instructed while injecting the trooper with a syrette of morphine.
This had been Claire and Eugene's thirtieth patient of the day. They worked in a small hospital - originally a french château.
Claire was exhausted, her muscles ached but her body wanted to keep fighting to help out.
After they finished their shift, they aided the other nurses and doctors with getting supplies ready. She carried boxes of gauze and antiseptic wipes into a storage room and heaved a heavy breath when she set them down.
"Ça va, mademoiselle?" (Are you alright, ma'am?) A nurse asked as she watched Claire with concern.
"Oui, ça va. Merci." (Yes, I'm fine. Thank you.) She replied, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
"I, uh, think that you should rest, mademoiselle." The nurse offered. "There is a couch in the other room."
"Thank you." Claire smiled, albeit tiredly. She went to wash her hands off for the twelfth time that day before resting.
The room was small, quiet and secluded, rare for the environment that the nurses and doctors were used to. Claire plopped down on the couch with a sigh. She just realized then that she hadn't slept for over a day or two. Maybe she had a few hours of naps to account for, but they hardly helped when considering the dark circles under her eyes.
A knock at the door frame interrupted Claire from dozing off.
"Hey Gene." She yawned, urging him to sit beside her. He trudged over, just as sleepy, and sat next to her.
"Rough day, huh?" Eugene asked as she yawned again.
"That obvious?" Claire joked, rolling her head towards him.
"You look terrible." He laughed.
"I could say the same about you, Gene." Claire rolled her eyes, playfully.
They sat like that, appreciating the silence and the coziness of the couch.
"I leave tomorrow." Eugene suddenly said, causing Claire to look at him.
"I know." She mumbled, sympathetically.
Eugene Roe, Claire's friend since Toccoa, was leaving with Easy Company to secure the frontlines of Bastogne. It was a harsh environment, from what's been told, and the cold was a second hand killer.
"You'll be okay." Claire assured him, nudging his shoulder with her own.
"How do you know that?" He asked.
"Cause I will be too." She said, looking into his eyes.
Eugene's heart warmed when she rested her head on his shoulder.
"I'll miss you." Eugene admitted. It'll be a long couple of months out there in the frozen barren lands.
"Maybe I'll visit you, Gene." Claire murmured.
"No. Whatever you do, just stay away from that place, Claire." He shook his head.
Claire raised her head again. Eugene took her hands in his own, eliciting a tingling sensation on her skin.
"I can't lose you. I've lost so much already, so don't let me lose you." He whispered as he searched her eyes.
"You won't, Eugene." Claire stated, holding his hands tighter.
"Promise?" Eugene asked.
"I promise." She smiled.
-