1917 SPOILERS
* recreation Tom's death scene from the film, with a few additions *
"They got him..." Came Blake's young voice, it was a blend of shock and satisfaction, they'd seen the same planes earlier and were both massively relieved that their pilots had managed to take down the German fighter
Schofield inched forward a few steps, he'd seen the plane dip beneath the horizon and was expecting a crash to fill the temporary silence, however no such sound came, there was an unpleasant sensation of mutual unease shared between the two soldiers as the moments of silence dragged on
Schofield stopped, the distinct putting sound of a failing plane engine was suddenly audible, the very same plane that he'd thought had crashed a few moments ago reappeared on the horizon, heading directly in their direction
Schofield began to back pedal feverishly, trying desperately to get out of the line of fire of the crashing plane
Blake, seeing Schofield retreating, took the hint and did the same, struggling to move with the heavy gear on his back
Both boys threw themselves to the ground as a last defensive, the plane crashing directly behind them causing both their ears to ring
The barn behind them took the blunt of the crash, crumbling and catching fire almost immediately
The pilot inside screamed and cried in agony as the flames scorched his skin
Blake quickly rose to his feet, hearing the agonized cries he rushed to the plane, disregarding how hot the metal was and burned his hand in the process of trying to free the German pilot
Blake let out a loud cry at the scorched sensation of his hand and in the process freed Schofield from his temporary state of shock, he quickly rushed to Blake's side and grabbed the pilot out of the plane, careful not to make the same mistake as Blake
Both boys dragged the frantic German away from the burning barn and towards the house
Blake slightly faltered seeing the poor man's legs on fire...he knew he shouldn't feel compelled to save the enemy, he'd been told countless times his big soft heart was going to backfire on him one day, but he couldn't bare to stand by while the poor man suffered
Blake and Schofield dropped to the ground, both utterly useless trying to unscramble the foreign cries of the German
Blake gently cradled the German's head in his lap, hoping he could ease the pilot into a state of calmness
Blake looked around trying to find anything to try and aid the poor man's agony, his eyes fell upon an old water pump a few yards out
"We should put him out of his misery..." Schofield suggested, seeing how deeply affected Blake was by the suffering German, Schofield knew it wasn't right to help the enemy...this was dangerous but Blake was too naive to understand
"No...get him some water he needs water" he pleaded as he pointed toward the water pump in the distance
Schofield looked at the water pump and felt a feeling of unease seeing how far away it was, in reality it was only about fifteen to twenty yards but given the situation they were in it might as well have been a hundred yards, he reluctantly stood and looked at Blake's face, seeing a pained look of desperation
Schofield quickly turned and made his way to the pump, trying to be as quick as possible but turning his back to Blake and the German pilot in the process
Schofield reached the pump and looked back to find Blake trying to console the German, he was always such a soft man...always putting others safety before his own
"It's alright, you're alright. Stay still. Stay still..." he heard Blake's faint voice
Schofield returned his attention back to his simple task, he took off his helmet and began to pump the water, it was loud...deafening almost, and the water being pumped was a ripe orange colour
The sounds behind him began to fade away as the creaking of the pump overtook everything
However, he was still able to hear a scream...a scream that caused his heart to drop and time to slow
"Stop...stop!" Blake cried out and let out a scream of agony
Schofield turned around and dropped his helmet, finding a scene that he hoped to never see, he took a few steps forward trying to find the source of the younger man's discomfort
He couldn't see anything until....until the German retracted his arm revealing a bloody knife freeing itself from Blake's abdomen
"No, no, no!" Schofield cried out, feeling himself become overtaken by fear, he quickly reached for his rifle and fired two successive shots directly into the pilot's chest, killing him instantly...a move he should've done earlier
Blake clutched his abdomen, clearly in a great deal of pain, he struggled to his feet and staggered, his legs becoming weak and wobbly
"Bastard, bloody bastard" he spoke through heavy breaths
Schofield dropped his rifle...he watched Blake stagger around on his unsteady feet, he felt his blood go dry watching his friend struggle
He took a few steps closer to Blake who was now clumsily fumbling with his dressings trying to see the true damage that the German had done to him
He opened his tunic to reveal blood seeping down his front and onto his white undershirt, turning it a violent red colour that brought back horrible memories of the Somme to Schofield
Blake looked up at Schofield, a horrified look plastered on his face upon seeing the true extent of his injury...a look that suggested maybe he realized his precious life was coming to a quick end
"Oh, god no. Oh, god no" Blake cried out, falling to the ground, his legs now too weak to support him
Schofield felt himself become overtaken by fear, he quickly rushed to Blake and collapsed by his side, he reached into Blake's tunic, fumbling about in one of the pockets for the bandaging his friend needed
Blake continued to let out heartbreaking cries of pain and agony, he strained his neck to get a look of his blood seeping wound
"Jesus. Jesus, no" he said, shocked at the sight of the masses of blood he was rapidly losing. His legs had begun to shake as adrenaline kicked in
"We have to stop the bleeding" Schofield said, tuning out his fearful emotions and channeling a focussed approach to dealing with the issue, something he'd learned to do through his years
Schofield pressed the bandage against Blake hard, trying to suppress the wound which was pissing out blood incessantly
Blake shouted out a cry of pain and tried desperately to push Schofield's sturdy hand away from him, he was clutching at Schofield's arm, so desperate to push it off of his body
"Stop! Stop it! Stop it!" Blake cried out, the way his voice pleaded was heartbreaking but Schofield didn't relent the pressure on the boy's wound, in fact he pressed harder
Blake's legs kicked and he desperately squirmed trying to free himself of the painful pressure Schofield was applying
Schofield snaked a hand under Blake's head, both supporting and trying to console him with a soothing touch,"It's alright, it's going to be alright" Schofield said softly trying to calm the panic ridden boy
Blake let out a small whimper and slowly calmed, both from the sound of Schofield's voice as well as the presence of his hand supporting his head
"We're going to stand up" Schofield suddenly said, standing up and straddling himself over the smaller boy's body
"Yes...yes" Blake agreed looking up at Schofield in weak determination, he felt vulnerable and exposed and scared...so bloody scared
Schofield grabbed onto Blake's webbings and heaved him off the ground, however upon being risen, Blake let out a loud cry and tried push away from the older man and back to the comfort of the ground
"No! I can't, I can't" Blake cried desperately
Schofield felt his grip on Blake's webbings begin to falter and he dropped himself and the younger boy to the ground causing Blake to let out a squeak of pain
Schofield immediately reapplied the pressure onto Blake's wound, ignoring the heart wrenching feeling of Blake's smaller hand weakly placed on top of his, desperate for him to free him of the pain
"We have to get to an Aid Post" Schofield said suddenly, he tried to ignore the paling face of Blake...but it was hard, the poor boy's lips were already grey
"I can't" Blake said in frustration and fear
"I'll carry you, it isn't very far" Schofield said quickly, trying to deny himself the fact that as each second passed, Blake was closer and closer to leaving him forever
"Just bring a doctor here" Blake pleaded, clear desperation both in his voice and on his face
Schofield hesitated, it was so hard to remain calm seeing the boy he loved suffering and knowing there was nothing he nor anyone else could do...if he'd just shot the fucking German like he'd been trained to do none of this would've happened
"We can't" he finally said, noticing how laboured Blake's breaths were becoming, time was ticking at an unfairly past pace, "we have to go together" Schofield walked behind Blake, heaving him to a sitting upright position
"We're going to get up, we're going to get up" Schofield repeated, half trying to calm himself, and half trying to calm Blake
He grabbed Blake under his arms and lifted with all the strength he had, however Blake was unable to support his weight and his legs buckled immediately
"Stop, please! Stop!" Blake pleaded desperately trying to dig his feet into the ground and push away from Schofield
Schofield continued to drag the crying boy, holding him in a tight embrace...however he begun to notice that the more Blake struggled, the more blood he lost, a realization that was so unsettlingly painful
Blake continued to flail and squirm in Schofield's strong arms, "put me down! Put me down you bastard please! Put me down!" He cried out miserably
Schofield, suddenly unable to handle it all collapsed to the ground, Blake let out a relieved sigh at the feeling of being on the ground again
Schofield quickly moved himself to a position where he could tend to Blake's wound
Blake was laid out on the ground letting out small groans of pain with each breath, the most simplest task seemed to becoming difficult for him
Schofield quickly reached for Blake's hand and gently took the bandage away from the lethargic boy's hand, he suddenly froze seeing the amount of blood now stained into Blake's clothes, his once white shirt was now a deep crimson
Blake continued to let out small groans and huffs of effort and pain, Schofield noticed the bandage had become soaked and ineffective with the amount of blood it had absorbed, he quickly reached into his own tunic and pulled out his bandage, pressing it down firmly onto Blake's wound
"You have to try to keep moving" Schofield pleaded, desperation and fear now creeping into his voice for the first time
This time there was no protest from Blake upon feeling the pressure of Schofield's hand on his abdomen, Blake was no longer lucid...his eyes had begun to glaze over and the pain on his face melted away as the effects of blood loss began to show
"Let's just sit...let me sit..." Blake said weakly, his words slurred and his mind clearly becoming fuzzy and unclear of the severity of their current situation
"We can't" Schofield said sternly, frustrated that his friend was becoming so far gone so quickly, he carefully slipped an arm behind Blake's head for his much needed support, he'd become as weak and useless as a baby
"We have to find the 2nd, remember?" Schofield asked looking into Blake's face to see if there was any recognition to what he was saying, "your brother, we have to go now..." his voice was considerably softer, hoping that Blake would regain his cognitive functions
He continued to apply the pressure to the wound and gently squeezed Blake's shoulder looking into his glazed over eyes with an intense desperation
"You can start on without me, I'll catch up" Blake said trying to sound as strong as possible, he clutched onto Schofield's sleeve and continued to struggle with each breath
"You can't stay here, we have to move, alright? We have to move"
Schofield removed his arm from the back of Blake's head causing the boy's weak head to slump backwards without the support, he then removed Blake's limp hand from his sleeve and pressed it on his wound
"Come on come on...that's it" Schofield said as he wrapped one arm around Blake's back and the other under his legs his legs
He sat Blake up and heaved with all his might, Blake screamed in pain, Schofield let out a groan of effort trying desperately to lift, but Blake had become dead weight, there was no way he could carry him
They both dropped back to the muddy ground where Blake let out a whimper of pain
"Your brother, we have to find your brother" Schofield pleaded as desperate as ever, he wrapped his arm behind Blake's head once again in support and used his other hand to press Blake's hand harder onto his wound
Blake was now breathing in short quick bursts, "you'll recognize him...he looks like me...and he's a bit older" came his exhausted and drained voice
Schofield looked around, hoping maybe he'd get lucky for once and someone would come to his aide, however, the only company was the crumbling barn behind him, that and the small embers floating in the air
"What are they? Are we being shelled?" Blake asked softly, his eyes widening and travelling aimlessly across each floating ember, Schofield slipped his hand underneath Blake's useless one and applied more pressure to the wound which continued to leak a seemingly endless amount of blood
"They're embers...the barn is on fire" Schofield said through a denying frown upon the realization that Blake was past the point of no return
Blake's glance shifted down to the bleeding hole in his abdomen, "I've been hit" he said confused, clutching at the wound weakly, "what was it...?" He asked quietly, allowing his small hand to rest on top of Schofield's larger one
Schofield was unsure of how to answer, he figured he better tell the truth....but it was easier said then done
"You were stabbed" He said as softly and as gently as he could
Blake's initial response was surprise...but that quickly morphed into a look of the utmost sadness
His lips quivered and he struggled further to get air into his body, his hand gently squeezed Schofield's, a small gesture which broke the older man's heart
"Am I dying?" Blake stuttered out, his eyes welling up with tears, he already knew the answer to the question but part of him was still clinging onto a wishful hope of life....after all, there was so much he still wanted to do with his life
The long pause from his friend confirmed the dreaded knowledge of his fate
Schofield once again found himself unsure of how to answer, words didn't come naturally to him and having to tell his best friend, the man he loved, that he was dying was not something anyone should have to do
He stuttered and swallowed, trying to regain control over his emotions, however Blake's innocence and youth only made it more difficult
"S-sco?" Came the tiny voice of Blake, his voice choked up and battling to be heard through his struggled breaths and sniffles
"Yes....yes I think you are" Schofield finally managed to say, finding himself struggling to hold his tears back
An 'oh' formed on Blake's lips, followed by a wave of the most profound sadness
Blake was now holding Schofield's hand as he was wracked with small sobs
Schofield gently squeezed Blake as he weeped in his arms, he didn't know what to do anymore...he'd become lost in his own emotions
Blake weakly moved his hand to point to his tunic pocket, Schofield guessed the meaning and quickly reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a small wallet
"This?" He asked
"Inside..."
Blake reached for the comfort of the older man's hand but didn't find it, Schofield's bloody hand was instead holding up a photo of Blake with his family
Blake studied the photo, trying to take in every detail of his mother and older brother
Schofield studied Blake's eyes and was able to read the look, yes, that's what I want
Blake sluggishly reached up and held the photo, taking one last look at his family, he held the photo over his heart and slipped his other hand back down his abdomen, hoping to have it meet with Schofield's
Schofield squeezed Blake's shoulder tightly, wishing he could hold him forever, wishing the war wasn't so brutal and greedy in claiming the lives of so many innocent young boys
"Will you write to my mum for me?" Blake asked, his voice a heartbreaking combination of sadness and pain, tears began to slide down his ghostly pale face making Schofield's throat tighten with
sadness
Schofield was slightly surprised by the request, "I will" he considered it a small task, anything that would make Blake happy he'd do...even if words weren't his strong suit, he'd do it for Blake
"Tell her I wasnt scared" Blake said through a shaky emotionally weak voice
Schofield nodded, he felt sick seeing Blake in this state...the boy he'd fallen in love with was happy and cheery, not sad and in pain...it hurt
And on top of that, he truly was just a boy...a boy of just 19 years thrown into a battle with men, the softest boy Schofield had ever known and he'd suffered the most tragic fate...if only Schofield had just shot the bastard German without hesitating
Schofield slowly removed his hand from pressing into Blake's abdomen and instead held the smaller boy's hand, entangling their bloody fingers and gently caressing his thumb over Blake's small knuckle
"Anything else?" He asked quietly, he could see Blake slipping away...tears welling and rolling down his soft round cheeks
"I-I love them...I wish that...I wish..."
His voice was strangled to silence by both sadness and the loss of control over his body, Schofield just held him closer trying his best to comfort him
Schofield pulled his gaze away from Blake, unable to look at the dying boy any longer...life wasn't fair, it should be him dying, not Blake...Blake had only just begun to live his life, there was so much he'd never get to experience and it wasn't fair
"Sco..." Blake more-so breathed out his name
Schofield shut his eyes and nodded, he didn't have the strength to meet Blake's eyes
"I -I love you.."
Schofield tensed and opened his eyes slowly meeting Blake's weak ones
"Tom...you-you don't even know what love is..."
Blake's bottom lip quivered again and he choked back a sob
"It's you...it's you Sco..." Blake breathed out weakly and squeezed Schofield's hand a little tighter
"Talk to me" Blake suddenly pleaded, desperate to not leave the earth in an eerie silence
Schofield was lost in shock, he had no idea what to say...there were so many things to tell Blake, so many things he'd like to tell the younger boy...yet he couldn't think of any in that moment
"Tell me you know the way" Blake practically begged as he forced his eyes to meet Schofield's
Schofield hesitated, he then squeezed Blake tightly, "I know the way...I'm going to head south east until I hit Ecoust, I'll pass through the town and out to the east, all the way to Croisilles Wood"
Blake sniffled and sobbed as his friend spoke, "it'll be dark by then" his voice was faint and weak, with each word he seemed to drift farther and farther away
"That won't bother me" Schofield said softly and reassuringly, "I'll find the 2nd and I'll give them the message and then I'll find your brother...just like you, a little older..."
Schofield froze...Blake had stopped breathing, the boy in his arms seeming even younger without the lines of pain and stress on his face a true child had just died in his arms
Schofield was frozen with sadness, only able to cradle the head of the man he loved
He leaned forward, and placed a softy gently kiss on the boy's forehead, the war had taken so much from him...his freedom, his happiness, his youth....and now the man he loved the most
He realized then that he never told the boy he loved him back...something that surely would haunt him forever
Schofield choked back his emotions and looked down at Blake feeling his heart break, a tear trickled down his cheek slowly
He carefully took Blake's rings, struggling to contain his emotions
Blake had barely experienced life, at sixteen he joined the war, missing out on so much that a young boy like him should've been doing, Schofield could recall Blake telling him he had yet to have his first kiss...and that he wanted to one day raise a family of his own on his family's farm...
Schofield squeezed Blake's lifeless body tightly, Why did the kid's heart have to be so damn big? Why was he so stupidly sweet?
Schofield shut his eyes, why didn't he just shoot the damn German...he knew he should've, if he'd just listened to his instincts, Blake would still be here
"I'm sorry Tom..." he whispered, sorry for not saying he loved him, sorry for not saving him, sorry for not shooting the German, and sorry for failing to do the one thing he'd promised to do for Blake...protect him and get him back home to his mum safely
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