#eugene sledge x medic!reader
Text
See the Good
Eugene Sledge x Medic!Reader
Masterlist
A/N: Merry Christmas @iceman-kazansky!! I literally squealed when I saw I got you as my giftee! I loved your prompts, and I hope you like what I did with them!! I'm going to post one gift per day so that they'll be a little spaced out! hbo owns the rights, and this is about the fictional portrayal of k company on the show. nothing but love and respect for veterans on this blog!
Prompt: “You always see the good in people. Even me.”
Word Count: 5.7k
Summary: When Gene can only see himself as the terrible things he's done in the war, (y/n) is right there to remind him who he really is.
Warnings: descriptions of dead bodies (non-graphic)
OKINAWA, JAPAN: MAY, 1945:
The ground beneath their boots trembled, and the deafening whistles of mortars filled the air as (y/n) and the rest of K Company ran for cover. They sunk into the muddy sludge below them, turning each step into a battle against the sucking earth. Gripping her corpsman pack with white knuckles, (y/n) followed Gene, not daring to stop in the barrage.
“They have us targeted!” Burgie yelled, hurdling over a giant boulder in his path. “Get to cover!”
Just as (y/n) ran past the remnants of a demolished shed, a sudden blast threw her violently to the ground, sending a cascade of mud in all directions. Her ears rang with disorientation as she blinked slowly, struggling to regain her senses. The ringing faded into a muffled whine and a face appeared in (y/n)‘s vision. Although the figure’s face was blurred, she knew it was Eugene. His mouth moved rapidly, but she couldn’t understand a word he said. Realizing this, he quickly grasped the front of her uniform and hoisted her to her feet, throwing an arm around her waist to keep her upright as they bolted for cover.
Reaching the rocks, (y/n)‘s hearing slowly faded back, and the sounds of booming artillery reached her ears.
Sledge pulled on her arm, helping her over the rugged terrain. “Come on. We’re almost there!”
Finally reaching the safety of cover, the company continued farther into the rocks to escape the barrage. Snafu was in front of them and on the verge of a panicked breakdown.
“This is bullshit!” he cried, plopping down on a rock. “If I ever find the FO that called that arty, I’ll shoot him!”
Gene maintained his hold on (y/n) as he led them toward a big rock, his frustration evident. “They’ll just do it again,” he huffed, gritting his teeth. “All because some asshole officer read a map wrong and nobody gives a shit about us!”
After he sat (y/n) on the boulder beside Snafu, Eugene took a deep breath and sank beside her. He turned to the dazed woman beside him, her once white corpsman armband a brown and muddy mess. “You alright?” he asked her, knowing even he himself wasn’t alright after what happened before the shelling.
The woman and her baby…
(Y/n) nodded slowly, her eyes rising from the ground to meet his. ”Yeah. Just got my bell rung. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” Sledge persisted.
“Yes, Gene. I’m okay,” she murmured wearily, rubbing her eyes. “Really.”
Removing her helmet, she threaded her fingers through her (y/h/c) hair, wincing at the dried mud that pulled at the roots. Over their time on the dreadful island, they all discovered that the jungle was just as much an enemy as the Japs.
Snafu stared wide-eyed at the ground below him, hands on his head as his chest heaved. His expression was the same one that each marine wore as they grappled with the massacre they’d just witnessed.
What country uses its own civilians as shields for a surprise attack?
As a corpsman, (y/n) had seen more death than the average marine, and after the fierce fighting on the islands of Peleliu and Pavuvu, she was struggling to remain afloat in the vast ocean of numbness that threatened to drown her. The only thing keeping her above water were her boys, the men of K Company: Sledge, Snafu, Burgin, and De L’eau, although Jay had been transferred to intelligence. They’d lost so many good men, and it made her even more thankful for the guys who had always been there for her.
“Corpsman up front!”
The call snapped (y/n) from her thoughts, and she quickly rose, momentarily losing her balance until a strong hand grasped her upper arm, holding her steady. She felt the warmth of his hand through her thin ODs as he held her in place, accompanied by a blush creeping up her neck.
“(Y/n)-” Gene started.
Shrugging him off gently, she turned toward the call. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Be careful,” he whispered after her, watching her form disappear into a sea of olive-green uniforms. With another deep breath, Sledge sat back down, trying to calm his still-racing heart. She had been right behind him…until she wasn’t. Panic had gripped him when he saw her motionless figure in the mud as the artillery rained down around them. When she opened her eyes, he felt a weight lift off his chest.
Rain drenched the marines through the night as they held their position looking up to the ridge. Around 2000HRS the next day, (y/n) trudged back to her squad, eyelids heavy with exhaustion. Dried blood clung to her cracked hands, refusing to wash away, no matter how many times she’d scrubbed them raw. The casualties were unending like the rain that constantly poured on them. Luckily, the downpour had come to a stop in the early morning.
She’d been at the BAS since the previous afternoon treating and evacuating wounded marines from the already bloody battle. Continued artillery and fire throughout the day brought a steady stream of bleeding men through the tent’s entrance. One of these men had been Bill Leyden. He wasn’t in good shape, and when (y/n) saw the damage on her friend’s body, the air rushed from her lungs. After pushing away the panic, she quickly helped other corpsmen stabilize him, before sending him off to a hospital ship. As she watched him go, her heart sank at the realization the company had lost another man…another friend.
“Hey Doc,” Snafu called out gently as she approached.
She looked up from her feet at the man with a tired smile. “Hey, Snaf,” she whispered. “You seen Gene?”
Motioning over his shoulder, Snafu replied, “He’s right over there. But, Bill…“
“Yeah,” she sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We got him stabilized. He should make a full recovery. Lost a few fingers, though.”
In a trance-like state, Snafu nodded, his gaze fixed ahead. It was something they all did. A way to escape the horrors they lived through. With a gentle squeeze of his shoulder, (y/n) moved to find Sledge, but the Cajun’s voice stopped her.
“Eugene. He got a letter…his dog died.”
She turned to face him with raised brows. “Deacon?”
“I guess,” the man nodded. “I think he’s bothered more than he’s letting on. You know how Eugene is.”
“Yeah. I’ll talk to him.”
She found him staring into space ahead of him as he sat up against one of the island’s many rocks. Before she approached, (y/n) simply watched the man before her. She could see his growing stubble and the mud that splattered his cheeks, but what worried her was the blank expression on his face. She longed to see the lopsided smile that used to hang from his lips. (Y/n) didn’t know how long it had been since she’d seen that smile…too long.
Pulling her satchel off her shoulder, she quietly approached him and slouched down beside him. They sat silently for a moment, the warmth of their touching shoulders spreading through them. Gene was the first to break the silence.
“Did you see Bill?” he asked quietly, his eyes still glued on the rocks in front of him.
(Y/n) nodded, looking up at him with a small smile. “Yeah, he’s gonna be okay.”
Gene leaned his head back against the ground with a thud, his eyes closed as a shuttering sigh escaped his lips. She sat up off the rock and turned toward him, gently taking his hand.
“I’m sorry about Deacon.”
The second her fingers intertwined with his, Sledge’s heartbeat accelerated, and the man felt heat spread through his body. He took a moment to compose himself before he opened his eyes. He looked down at their intertwined hands before meeting her concerned gaze.
In that moment, Eugene could have sworn she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. It didn’t matter that she was coated in blood, mud, and sweat. She was there for him like nobody else had ever been in his whole life. Sure, he was close with his parents, but he felt they never completely understood him.
Who’d have thought that he’d have to travel almost eight thousand miles to find someone who could do so?
Eugene’s eyes flashed down to her lips, unable to control himself as their closeness made him suddenly bold. He always wondered what they’d taste like. How they’d feel against his. They were chapped, just like everyone else's, but that didn’t matter. The young man wanted a way to show her how much she meant to him. Sure, there had been moments where he told himself he was going to kiss her, but the moment ended before he had the opportunity. Something in the moment felt wrong, though, and he decided to wait once more.
“Thank you,” he whispered, swallowing thickly as he tried to regain his composure and keep the memories of his beloved dog at bay. “He was a good dog.”
“How old was he? 10? 11?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “10.”
The woman’s eyes searched his face, trying to get a read of what he needed from her. She saw pain in his hazel eyes. Pain from the loss of Bill. Pain from the loss of Deacon. Pain caused by the war.
She decided he needed some hope. Some laughter.
“Did I tell you about the time Snaf and I almost got caught stealing from an Army captain?”
Later that day, Gene and the rest of his squad sat among the rocks, each lost in their mind. (Y/n) was beside him, writing in her journal, and they were doing the same…all except Peck, who was attempting to dig a foxhole in the soaked ground. Since the day they arrived on the wretched island, Sledge kept up with how many days they spent there with tallies in the back of his Bible. With the days running together, they rarely knew what day it was or how long they’d been there.
“What’s the date?” Burgie asked, putting down his small journal.
The group turned to Gene, who took a deep breath. “June 5th, maybe. Might be the 6th.” He turned to (y/n). “(Y/n/n), which one you got?”
“I have no idea,” she sighed. “I gave up keeping track a while ago.”
Peck decided to chime in as he dug. “We’re never getting off this island.”
Everyone was thinking it, but he was the one person who dared to speak it aloud.
(Y/n) rolled her eyes, glancing over at Gene with an annoyed expression. If looks could kill, Peck would be six feet deep from the redhead’s glare. His jaw clenched tightly, and his chest began to heave as he stared at the replacement.
Sensing his rising anger, (y/n) reached over and placed a hand on his thigh. His eyes moved to meet hers, and her (y/e/c) irises seemed to whisper, ”He’s not worth it,” and, “It’s okay. I’m here.”
Gene took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Beating the crap out of Peck wouldn’t bring Bill back, and letting anger consume you was a dangerous game. Every time he was tempted to let it in, (y/n) was right there, a soft presence telling him that hate was not the answer. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted daily. Sledge had seen what men could do to each other. He had seen what the Japs did to his friends.
Looking away from Gene, she was met with a strange stare from Snafu, who was smoking a cigarette and sitting on their makeshift toilet. His gaze was questioning, but not criticizing. When the man’s eyes drifted down to her hand, her stomach dropped, and she felt like she was caught red-handed. (Y/n) quickly removed her hand from Gene’s leg and shot to her feet.
“I’m gonna go-uh-do some rounds,” she announced, not daring to look at Gene or Snafu.
A few seconds later, she went treading through the sludge, her corpsman satchel pressed tightly to her side. The men all watched in confusion as she left, unsure what had made her so jumpy all of a sudden.
“She alright?” Hamm asked once she’d disappeared from view.
Burgie, always an observer, glanced over at Sledge to watch his reaction. He looked somewhat like a kicked puppy. Wrapping up his Bible, Gene began to tuck it into his pocket without a word.
“Don’t worry about (y/n), Hamm,” Burgie replied with a nod.
Hamm raised an eyebrow at his sergeant. “But did you see her-”
“She’s fine,” Snafu interrupted, pulling up his pants and rejoining the group. “Besides, she’s already got someone to worry about her.”
At the statement, Eugene froze, a cold chill running through him despite the heat. A million thoughts ran rampant in his mind.
Is there someone else in her life?
Does he know something I don’t?
Does he know how I feel?
Groaning, Burgie smacked the Cajun’s shoulder. “Shut up, Snaf. Don’t go starting crap.”
The sergeant first noticed the bond between Sledge and (y/n) back in training, but especially when the company landed on Peleliu. They always stuck by one another when they could, and she seemed to help calm the Marine amid his anxiety. As time went on and their relationship changed, Romus knew they had feelings for one another, even if they didn’t admit it. He’d never spoken about it to anyone, fearing it could become a rumor that would possibly get the pair in trouble if they ever acted on their feelings. Hearing Snafu insinuate something between them sent a pang of panic through him.
“We all worry about (y/n),” he continued. “But she’s a great corpsman. She can hold her own.”
Before he could finish his sentence, Eugene rose to his feet and went to take a leak. He did have to relieve himself, but he also wanted to get away from the conversation. If Snafu knew about how he felt, the man would never stop tormenting him. Even if it was in a joking way, Gene didn’t want to be the subject of Shelton’s teasing.
Just as he made it to a somewhat secluded spot, he heard Mac’s voice ring out from above him.
“I need a stovepipe boy up top!” he yelled, coming down from the ridge.
Gene slightly ducked his head behind a rock, hoping the lieutenant would miss him. To his dismay, Mac caught his movement in the corner of his eye.
“Sledge, that’s you. Bring some comm wire.”
Sighing when his superior disappeared over the ridge, he muttered, “Yes, sir,” and went to follow his orders.
The stench of excrement and death permeated the air as (y/n) walked through their temporary camp checking on the men. Her eyes watered from the smell, and it took all her willpower not to gag. Even though she’d built a great tolerance to gruesome sights and smells over her time as a corpsman, sometimes it all got to her.
Snafu’s stare replayed in her mind, and she hoped that she didn’t accidentally give herself away to the group. Worry buzzed in her stomach like the disgusting flies that seemed to be ever-present among the mud and filth of Okinawa. (Y/n) tried to busy her mind with the long list of men to check on, but she couldn’t focus more than a few moments before getting lost in her head again.
Spotting a man on her list, she called out to him.
“Hey, James,” she greeted, approaching his muddy foxhole. “How’s the ankle?”
He groaned and shook his head. “As good as it’s gonna be, Doc.”
In the barrage the day prior, the private slipped and rolled his ankle in the mud trying to get to cover. He insisted he was fine, but some of his squadmates sent (y/n) to check on him. Henry James was a stubborn young man who wasn’t even old enough to drink, yet he was on a foreign island in Southeast Asia fighting for his country…fighting to survive. She crouched beside his hole, inspecting the ankle that was elevated above the entrance.
“Were you able to stay off it much?” (y/n) asked, gently prodding the bruised skin.
“A buddy of mine took my OP shift so I didn’t have to walk around on it. It’s more stiff than anything.”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “That’s how ankles are. They’re tough-”
Her voice came to a stop as yelling filled the air. It wasn’t cheers of victory or anything of that nature. They were cries of attack…of desperation…of death. The second the sound registered in her mind, she was darting toward the ridge, hoping to get there before the shooting started in case someone got hit. The rapid beating of her heart filled her ears as she ran through the mud and past battle-weary marines. A few of them called out to her, but she didn’t hear them.
The first ping of an M-1 being fired echoed through the air as she made it to the base of the rocky ridge. Cursing under her breath, she quickly began her ascent. Finding the most solid footing, she climbed the hill, using the jagged rocks as handholds. Gunfire filled the air, silencing the screams of the enemy. (Y/n) was out of breath when she made it to the top, but she didn’t stop. Most of the fire had stopped, but a few shots still rang out.
At the moment the corpsman reached the other marines at the top of the ridge, her heart sank at the sight of Eugene unholstering his revolver and aiming at a wounded Jap.
“Cease fire!” Mac cried from the other side of the ridge. “Cease fire!”
Gene didn’t care.
“Damn, Sledge. Leave him,” Hamm muttered to the redhead.
Whipping around to face him, Eugene scowled. “What for? He’s a Jap, ain’t he?”
(Y/n) watched in horror as Gene opened fire on the man already wallowing in the mud. He missed the first two shots, but the third hit its mark, hitting the Jap just above his hip. The soldier sunk into the mud face down, his writhing coming to an end.
“Cease fire!” The Lieutenant repeated as he neared them. “Cease fire, damn it!”
Satisfied with his work, Sledge grabbed his rifle from beside Hamm and turned to descend the ridge. When he noticed (y/n) a few yards away, he froze for a moment, his eyes resembling a dark storm cloud that could start down pouring any second. Guilt seemed to cloud his usual hazel eyes, and he looked away, unable to stay steady beneath her gaze after what he’d just done. He then continued down the ridge.
Mac was quick to confront him, gripping his carbine in one hand with white knuckles.
“I told you to cease fire. What are you doing?”
The private spun to face Mac with gritted teeth.“Killing Japs,” he seethed, turning to go down the hill again.
Before he could get far, the lieutenant spoke again. “You just gave away our position!”
“I think they’ve got a pretty good idea of where we are,” Gene chuckled bitterly.
Mac pointed toward the dead Japs. “I told you to cease fire. You’re supposed to be observing, and then I see you with a damn sidearm!
“We were all sent here to kill Japs, weren’t we?” Sledge screamed, climbing back up to be nose-to-nose with his lieutenant. “So what the hell difference does it make what weapon we use?”
(Y/n) couldn’t help but flinch at Gene’s sudden outburst. She’d never seen him like this before, and she wondered what made him finally break. What was the straw that broke the camel’s back? What had happened in the five minutes she was gone?
A tear streaked down her cheek seeing the man she cared about more than anything giving in to the war. Seeing a man be reduced to a shell of who he once was was always heartbreaking, and (y/n) didn’t realize just how much until she witnessed him finally crack.
“I’d use my damn hands if I had to,” he whispered to a frozen Mac, who clenched his jaw and slowly walked past him. (Y/n) was quick to try and follow Gene once he stormed down the hill, but a gentle hand on her shoulder held her back.
It was Burgin, his face scrunched with concern. “Let ‘em cool off, (y/n/n).”
“Romus, he-”
“I know what he means to you,” he interrupted in a whisper as he glanced around them for any eavesdroppers. “But trust me. You need to leave him be for a little bit. Let him think.”
(Y/n) swallowed thickly. “Please don’t tell anyone, Burgie. I could be-”
“Your secret’s safe with me…He needs you, (y/l/n), but give him a few hours.”
Releasing a shuddering breath, her gaze dropped to the ground. “He was fine when I left. What happened?”
“I don’t know. But we did hear him hollering about something right before he went up top.”
“Thanks for everything, Burg,” she sighed, patting his shoulder softly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you and the guys.”
A sheepish smile grew on his face, and he chuckled under his breath. “You’d be a lot more ladylike, that’s for sure. The other day, I’m pretty sure I saw you smoking Sledge’s pipe.”
“Whatever,” she groaned, rubbing a hand down her dirty face. “A lot of women actually smoke, ya know?”
The rest of the afternoon did not go according to (y/n)‘s plan, and she was unable to check on Gene after he cooled down. Within an hour of his outburst, she was called back to the field hospital to assist in an all-hands-on-deck emergency following a Jap ambush. The corpsman was up to her elbows in blood, bowels, and every other bodily fluid from vomit to urine. It was a hard night, and it got even worse when a terrible rainstorm moved in, trapping her from returning to her company due to poor visibility.
(Y/n) spent the night, and most of the next day, helping around the hospital. She dressed wounds, administered pain meds, and helped transport men to the hospital ships on a Jeep. A radio call was received that told of the 1st Marine’s plans to take the ridge, and (y/n) knew she needed to be there.
She caught a ride to the ridge just in time for the assault. The men were checking their weapons and quietly conversing with each other as she walked through the various companies. When she reached her squad, however, silence filled the air. They all had thousand-yard stares, and the group was missing two guys who had been there the day before. Her pace slowed as she approached them.
“Hey, guys,” (y/n) said softly, her eyes flicking from man to man. When none of them acknowledged her, she knew something bad had happened. “Where’s Hamm and Peck?”
Silence.
She took a deep breath, trying not to imagine the worst. “Please, guys, whe-”
“Gone,” Gene interrupted harshly, his gaze snapping to hers. “Hamm's dead and Peck’s gone. He cracked.”
(Y/n) felt the all-too-familiar punch of grief knock the air from her lungs. Eugene’s hazel eyes were dark and stormy, even more so than the previous day. She swallowed thickly, attempting to push down the emotion that clogged her throat.
“What happened?” she asked shakily, her eyes never leaving Gene’s.
Before he could respond, Snafu spoke. “Doesn’t matter. They’re gone.”
“Shelton’s right,” Burgin added. “It’s hard, but we’ve got other things to focus on.”
(Y/n) nodded once and dropped her gaze to the group, blinking away the tears that burned her eyes. Two more of their group were gone. Sure, Peck wasn’t her favorite person by any means, but he was still part of their company….on their side. And Hamm…he was a kid. A kid who deserved better than to die in the mud on some foreign island.
They all deserved better.
“Let’s move out!” Mac announced, waving for them to follow.
Each man followed suit, but Eugene hung back to wait on (y/n). Seeing her tear-filled eyes, he instantly regretted opening his mouth. The anger within him seemed to dissipate momentarily as he joined her side.
“Remember, you’ve got a bullseye on your arm,” he murmured, gesturing to the red and white medic brassard on her arm. “Please be careful.”
“I will.” (Y/n) lifted her helmet to look up at him through her lashes. “You take care of yourself, too, alright?”
“Yes ma’am,” he whispered, admiring her features. His eyes trailed from her eyes down to her nose, and then to her lips before flicking back to her (y/e/c) eyes. They stayed locked in each other’s gaze for a few moments, their eyes seeming to have a silent conversation communicating everything that was left unsaid. Gene slowly reached up to cup her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone. The racing of (y/n)‘s heart wasn’t from the artillery that had begun hammering the ridge, but Eugene’s warm caress against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed at the gentle touch.
They both wished the moment could last forever.
Another yell from Mac shattered the moment, leaving (y/n) missing the tenderness of his hand in its absence.
“I’ll find you after,” he said, turning around and backpedaling to catch up with his squad. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
The corner of her lips quirked into a smirk. “I’ll leave that to you.”
Once the battle had died down and all the remaining Japanese were either killed or taken prisoner, (y/n) went searching for Gene. When the bullets began to fly, she couldn’t get the boy from Mobile off her mind, and anxiety churned in her stomach as she looked for him. The stench of gasoline, blood, and burnt flesh filled the air along her ascent to the ridge. Bodies of both marines and the enemy lined the narrow path up the hill, and her eyes scanned each one, praying that none of them were the men she’d come to love dearly.
“Burgie, you seen Sledgehammer? He was just over here.”
Hearing the familiar Cajun accent, she spun toward the voice and sighed in relief when she saw Snafu atop an old bunker, his legs swinging as he sat on the edge with a cigarette hanging from his lip. Romus was talking to another sergeant a few feet away, his rifle swung around his shoulder.
“There you are!” (Y/n) called out, reaching up and slapping Snafu’s foot. It was all she could reach from his elevated position on the concrete bunker. “You alright?”
He smiled and raised an eyebrow, blowing a puff of smoke into the humid air. “Not a scratch on me,” he mused. “I don’t know where Eugene is, but don’t worry, I just saw him. He’s okay, too.”
With this news, a wave of calm washed over her, and she let out the breath she’d been holding since they parted. “Thanks, Snaf. I’ll find him.”
“Have fun,” he laughed, waving his cigarette around in front of him. “And do me a favor and fuc-”
This caught Burgie's attention. “Hey!” He interrupted, scolding Snafu like he was a parent whose child was acting up in public. “Cut it out.”
Busting out laughing, Snafu winked at (y/n), who could feel the embarrassment creeping up her cheeks at his intended comment. She raised a hand and flipped him off with a grin before continuing her search for Gene.
It took her a few minutes of wandering to spot his familiar frame among the sea of dirty green uniforms, but when she did, a huge smile painted her face. (Y/n) almost called out to him, but something stopped her.
He was sitting alone on the busted remains of a bunker with his helmeted head in his hands, his weapon lying idle in the dirt beside him. She continued toward him slowly, observing the gentle shake of his shoulders that told her he was crying.
“Hey, Gene,” (y/n) murmured with a softness that matched the gravity of the moment, lowering herself onto the earth beside him. He reacted quickly, averting his gaze and hiding his face as he wiped the tears from his dirt-covered cheeks.
Reaching over, she softly turned his face toward her. After a moment of resistance, he gave in to her gentle touch. His eyes, glistening with unshed tears, met hers. (Y/n)‘s fingertips traced the dirt-streaked paths on his cheeks, her touch a soothing escape from the horror they lived in.
“It’s okay,” she whispered, ducking to meet his eyes. “I’m here.”
Gene’s lip began to quiver, and a stifled sob escaped him as he covered his face with trembling hands. “I’m a monster, (y/n). The things I’ve done…” he strained, moving away from her comforting touch.
(Y/n) watched the play of emotions on his face as he stood up abruptly, throwing an arm out to point to a bombed-out building. The skeletal remains of what once was a home loomed in the smoky haze. “There was a family in there. Now a baby with grow up without a family! I called in the mortars up there! I did that! I’m a monster!”
“No,” she shot up, her voice cutting him off. “You are not a monster, Eugene Sledge. We are at war. We’ve all done terrible things here, but it does not make you a monster. The fact that you’re feeling like you are proves you’re not. It means you’re human, Gene.”
Another tear streaked down his cheek as he clenched his teeth. “After Bill and everyone we’ve lost, I wanted to get them back. I wanted to. You saw me yesterday!”
“Eugene! Look at me!” she ordered, cupping his cheeks as she implored his attention. His gaze wandered everywhere but her face until she spoke again, her tone much softer this time. “Hon, please look at me.”
Tear-filled hazel eyes met hers, and she tugged him a little closer, they’re faces only inches apart. “We all want to get them back. You are not a monster.”
“I don’t know who I am anymore,” he croaked, more tears spilling down his cheeks. “What if this is who I am now?”
“I know exactly who you are. You are Eugene Bondurant Sledge. You’re still that same boy from Mobile, Alabama who loved his dog more than anything, the same one who loved to fish with his father, and the very same one who I fell in love with before we even stepped foot on foreign soil.”
A sob escaped his lips, and his eyes squeezed shut, overwhelmed by her words. “There’s no way you can love me like this. You deserve someone else who-”
“I don’t love anyone else, Gene!” she urged, tears stinging her eyes. “I love you, and I’ll say it over and over, every single day, for as long as it takes to make you believe me.”
Shaking his head, he tried to break free from her touch, but she held on. “I’m not a good man.”
“You are good, Eugene. You are a good man. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, but it’s how we respond to them that makes us who we are. This right here? It proves you’re a good man.”
Her words seemed to break through in his mind, and he froze for a moment. Pulling off his helmet, he moved (y/n)‘s hands from his face and cupped her cheeks, his red eyes still glossy. “I love you,” he murmured, voice wavering. “And I will spend the rest of my life working to be worthy of you if you’ll let me.”
The tears (y/n) had been holding back filled her eyes, a few of them trickling from her waterline. She nodded in his gentle hold. “You already are.”
He wiped a few tears away softly, a lopsided smile forming on his lips. “You’re too good for this world, darlin’,” Gene cooed. “You always see the good in people. Even me.”
With utmost care, Gene reached up and removed (y/n)‘s helmet, her tousled (y/h/c) spilling out. The fading sun added a soft glow to their faces, emphasizing the exhaustion etched in their features. As he delicately held the helmet aside, Eugene’s eyes met (y/n)‘s, a silent understanding passing between them. He closed the gap, his breath mixing with hers as his eyes lingered on her face, taking in every detail-the mud smudges, the fatigue-as if memorizing each nuance.
With a gentle touch, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was a tender blend of longing and comfort, a quiet promise to stay by the other’s side. In that moment, the world around them ceased to exist. Time slowed as they embraced, finding solace in the simple act of being together at last. The sounds of war faded into the background, replaced by the gentle symphony of two hearts seeking refuge in the warmth of each other’s touch.
#hbowarsanta23#i hope you liked it!!#hbo war#the pacific#hbowar#the pacific x reader#the pacific imagines#the pacific imagine#eugene sledge#eugene sledgehammer sledge#eugene sledge x reader#eugene sledge x medic!reader#gene sledge#sledgehammer#eugene sledge imagines#snafu shelton#merriell shelton#ww2
70 notes
·
View notes
Text
Masterlist
Requests for one-shots are OPEN! ❤️
🖋️🖋️#bobcollab
About me:
My name is Kate I go by she/her pronouns, I’m 23, just happy to be here really this fandom is so supportive! Have a look around, and don’t be scared to message me!
My OC's
Lemonade (Eugene Sledge x Fem!OC):
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
MEDIC! (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC): Moodboard 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie: (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC AU)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
BoB x Reader
Ronald Speirs:
Green-eyed Monster
Edward Tipper:
Warriors part 1
Warriors part 2
Joseph Liebgott:
Goody part 1
Goody part 2
Goody part 3
Bull Randleman:
He's the Boss Part 1
He's the Boss Part 2
He's the Boss Part 3
He's the Boss Part 4
David Webster:
This is for you
Eugene Roe:
Come Away With Me
Lena Riggi:
Lie with me?
#masterlist#band of brothers#band of brothers fanfic#my oc character#My OC#My writing#My work#donald malarkey#fanfic#band of brothers imagine#Edward Tipper#ronald speirs#the pacific x oc#hbo war#Eugene Sledge#the pacific#I finally made a master list#I wanted it to be more pretty but idk how#please help me lol
107 notes
·
View notes
Text
MASTERLIST
Contains my writings for:
Band of Brothers
The Pacific
Criminal Minds
Band of Brothers
Joe Liebgott
I Have Always Loved You (Female Reader)
Coming Soon: Modern AU feat. PTSD & an ESA
Short, Assorted Lieb Stuff
Albert Blithe
Taking Care of Blithe (Platonic Female!Medic!Reader)
Foxhole Checks (Platonic Female!Medic!Reader)
Ron Speirs
Ok. It was me. So? (Female!Reader) (Requested)
Touch (Female!Nurse!Reader)
Johnny Martin
The Patrol (Female!Medic!Reader)
George Luz
The Darts Game (Female!Medic!Reader)
Early Mornings (Female!Reader) (not exactly requested, but inspired by)
Eugene Roe
The Scissors (Female!Reader)
The Nightmare (Female!Medic!Reader)
Ten Minutes (Female!Medic!Reader)
The Breakup (Female!Reader implied)
David Webster
Harvard’s Back (Female!Medic!Reader)
Chuck Grant
Taller S/O Headcanon (Female!Reader) (Requested) (Lime/M)
The Nurse and the Soldier (Female!German!Nurse!Reader) (Requested)
Donald Malarkey
Quality Time Headcanons (Female!Reader, I guess) (Requested)
Various/Multiple
Fun Times with the Mortar Boys and the Radioman (Malarkey, Skip, Penkala, and Luz x Reader (Platonic))
D-Day (Day of Days) (Platonic Various x Female!Medic!Reader)
Protective (Platonic Various (Liebs, Bill, Bull and Dick) x Female!Medic!Reader)
The Great Transfer Debacle (Platonic Various (Speirs, Luz, Liebs, Roe, and Nix) x Female!Medic!Reader)
They’re My Sanitary Pads, Sir (Platonic Various (Guarnere, Toye, Liebgott, Malarkey, and Winters) x Female!Medic!Reader)
The Aid Station (Platonic Renée Lemaire x Reader, Eugene Roe x Reader)
Out From Rachamps (Various x Female!Medic!Reader)
The Female Medic (Various (mostly Winters) x Female!Medic!Reader)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Pacific
Snafu Shelton
Are My Eyes Yellow? (Female!Corpsman!Reader)
I’ll Wait For You (Female!Nurse!Reader)
Chuckler Juergens
Marine or Woman…or Both? (Female!Corpsman!Reader)
Robert Leckie
The Writers (Female!Reader)
John Basilone
Untitled (Female!Corpsman!Reader)
Eugene Sledge
Coming Soon: Mobile (Female!Corpsman!Reader)
Various/Multiple
Coming Soon: Sledge/Reader/Burgin Platonic
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Headcanons
How the different boys from BoB and TP would react to you being insecure
Part 1 (Dick Winters, Lewis Nixon, and Eugene Roe)
Part 2 (George Luz, Joseph Liebgott, and Ron Speirs)
Part 3 (Robert Leckie, John Basilone, and Eugene Sledge)
Coming Soon: Part 4 (Carwood Lipton, Bull Randleman and Floyd Talbert)
Special Edition: Freckles and Dimples (Requested)
Freckles and Dimples pt. 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preferences
BoB boys interrupting you in the shower
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 2022 Writing Prompts (based off of the prompt list below that I found in Tumblr)
MASTERLIST
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Barely Coherent Christmas
MASTERLIST
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARVEL
Loki
The Unkillable God (WIP)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criminal Minds
Spencer Reid
It Was Always You
Nightmares and Coffee
Lovesick Idiots
You Are My Sunshine
The Ditch
Baby Fever
Pretty Boy/Girl
Trick-or-Treat (18+) (MDNI)
Silence Speaks Volumes
More (18+) (MDNI)
Home (18+) (MDNI)
I Hesitate to put “Wife Guy” Here (18+) (MDNI)
The Librarian (basically PG-13) Part 2
Who Needs Statistics When I’ve Been Promised Kisses?
NSFW Thoughts
Plans (16+ I guess)
Anxiety Comfort
How Far Have I Fallen? How High Shall I Soar? (Violence Warning)
Surprise (18+) (MDNI)
Just The Tip (18+) (MDNI)
Making Do (18+) (MDNI)
Be Careful What You Wish For (18+) (MDNI)
To Drown in Your Love (18+) (MDNI)
Stress Relief (18+) (MDNI)
The BAU’s Whore (18+) (MDNI)
Dislike (no explicit smut but still community label is on because it has sexual themes) (MDNI)
Not Some Innocent Kid (18+ MDNI)
Not Technically Mine…But Still Unequivocally Mine (some canon like uncomfy suspect behavior)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criminal Minds - Spencer Reid Screencaps
#band of brothers#masterlist#joe liebgott x reader#Albert blithe x reader#ron speirs x reader#band of brothers x reader#johnny martin x reader#dick winters x reader#george luz x reader#bill guarnere x reader#bull randleman x reader#lewis nixon x reader#eugene roe x reader#ronald speirs x reader#the pacific#the pacific x reader#robert leckie x reader#john basilone x reader#snafu shelton x reader#david webster x reader#spencer reid x reader#criminal minds x reader
148 notes
·
View notes
Text
his gaurdain angel
Eugene sledge x nurse reader
Part one of a mini series
Summary: nurse y/n y/l/n, was the only female nurse on Peleliu Island. Having been transferred there when the island was in dire need of medics. After Eugene sledge gets injured and sent to the medic tent he finds his heart laying in the hands of an angel.
Warnings: language. strong mentions of death I suppose. mentions of blood. War. And of course a splash of fluff.
Peace was a privilege most couldn't afford, only the fortunate new what it was like to sleep in a nice warm bed at night, mind at ease while not having to sleep with one eye open. Not having to worry about being snuck upon and killed in their sleep. The fortunate knew what it was like to be surrounded by a glorious silence, the only noise around being that of the singing birds and chirping insects. The fortunate had the privilege of living in a peace and Tranquillity.
But the unfortunate? They were the brave souls fighting for that world peace the fortunate bathed in. They were the one's who spent night after night trying hard to get some sleep on the cold hard ground with a rifle in one hand and a prayer in the other, hoping that they wouldn't be slaughtered in their sleep like a helpless pig in a sty. The unfortunate tried using old lullabies their momma's sang to them when they was young just to erase the sound of gunfire and the cries of dying men out of their brains for at least a few minutes. But it never worked, nothing could bring the soldiers peace in a cruel world like the one they lived in. Perhaps that's what made them fight so hard, fighting for a world full of peace...
The unfortunate was the young auburn haired man who sat in the sand, brown eye's squinting do to the suns harsh light beating down on the soldiers. The said auburn haired soldier held a old pencil in his dirt covered hand, his brows netted in thought as he stared down at the piece of paper, until finally he slowly drags the pencil across it writing words of his bogus journey on this God forsaken island...
"who you writing to sledge? Is it A mystery woman back home or something?" the voice of his friend Sydney spoke, the blonde letting the ghost of a smirk dance across his face.
Eugene let's out a breathy laugh and shakes his head, "nah... Just figured I'd write my parents, ease momma's worrying a little bit" Eugene said lowly as he focused on his writing. Sydney nods in understanding, having known Eugene before the war.
A silence falls over the two, the silence foreign to Eugene considering it was a rarity on Peleliu Island. But of course the silence is broken by a face Eugene hasn't seen in days, his new found friend Snafu. Who gained a major concussion after a surprise visit from the japs. Eugene puts his pencil down with a relieved smile, Sydney standing up to greet the grinning man.
"shit, you look awful damn happy to have just gotten out of the med tent all the way back in the tree's" Sydney commented on the grin snafu was giving them.
"man if you saw what I opened my eyes up to then you would be walking out here with more then a grin" the dark haired man spoke with a smug smirk. "that nurse sure is a gorgeous woman, nice too but if you get on her nerves she ain't afraid of letting you have it man" he says while sitting down beside Eugene who chuckles.
"hell maybe I should twist my ankle and visit the med tent" Sydney jokes.
"you two are a handful" Eugene spoke amused at the men. Snafu lightly pats Eugene's shoulder.
"she's a angel sledge, the only damn beautiful thing out here on this damned island" Eugene picked his paper and pencil back up, not paying his friends words any mind... But soon he'd understand what the soldier was talking about.
"we need more gauze!" a gruff voice yelled, the male nurse hovering over a soldier who had a bleeding wound on his left shoulder. The screaming of pure pain emitting from the soldier peirced your ears as you grabbed the gauze and ran over to the male nurse.
"this is our last roll! Use it carefully because I have a bad neck wound over here that's in dire need of coverage!" you frantically exclaimed, making sure the nurse understands the importance of saving the gauze.
"yes ma'am" he grunts out and began fixing the soldier up, who screams in pain. You rushed back over to the soldier with a neck wound, cleaning it as best you can with how much the soldier moved and cried in pain.
"don't you fucking touch it you bitch!" the soldier yells huskly, tears streaming down his dirt and blood covered face. You let out a sympathetic huff and delicately rinse the wound off, resulting in louder cries and insults. After that you placed a hand on one of his shoulders while the same male nurse as before hands you the gauze back hurriedly before attending another poor soldier.
"if you don't hold still sir this will only hurt worse!" you say scolding, yet voice as gentle as always. The man holds a tight grip on your wrist, the one you had placed on his shoulder. It was painful but you bared through it as you began to wrap his wound, curses and cries escaping through his chapped lips as you done so.
But you finally done it and soon the soldier released your wrist and began to snooze off. You sigh and look over the tent, everyone taken care of. It was a rare moment for you, a moment to were you could take a break, sit down and breathe. And that's exactly what you done. Sitting on a empty wooden crate you let out a deep breath, closing your eye's and taking in this moment of peace.
Until it was shattered by three voices yelling for help. You shot up faster then lightning, leaving the tent and outside into the suns relentless heat. That's when you spot one familiar soldier and a blond boy, both carrying a unconscious auburn haired man, his face burnt and shirt soaked in blood. You hoped it wasn't his own, for it was a lot of it.
"we need help! Please!" the blond rushed out, the familier dark haired man spots you with a relieved look before the concern takes over once more. You rush to their sides.
"take him inside Shelton! Take him to the same cot you was in, it's the only one available!" you ordered your former patient, he nods and him and the blond take the unconscious man inside.
You soon followed them and watch how the placed him on the cot. The blondes hands was shaking, a terrified look on his face. You stride over and look over the unconscious man, from the looks of it, his face was mildly burnt which would heal over time. But whenever you took his shirt off exposing a gash across his abdomen... You felt a wave of fear wash over you. This gash meant it was easy for him to gain a infection, and many soldiers died in this tent because of that....
"is he gonna be alright miss y/l/n?" the dark haired man asked, the one you knew as snafu from attending his concussion weeks ago. You and him spent late nights talking, by talking he flirted shamelessly while you scolded him for doing so.
"I can't predict the future Shelton, but I can do my best to help him" you say truthfully, quickly looking over the tent. The two other nurses were busy.... You quickly turned around to look at snafu. "I need you to get me some water, boil it for at least ten minutes! And you" you look at the blond, "try and open me that crate over there!" you point at the last of your medical supplies. The two nod and do as you say. You quickly grab your damp cloth, carefully cleaning the blood off his abdomen.
"it's open!" the man yelled. You look over at him with a little smile.
"I need the gauze, cotton pads and stitch kit out of it" you say, to which he complies and grabs everything you asked for. Once he hands them to you instantly open the stitch kit. Grabbing the needle from the box. "do you have a lighter on you?" you ask the soldier. He starts going through his pockets and finds a box of matches.
"will these work?" he asks, causing you to nod and take them. Now all you needed was snafu to get you your water.
After a while snafu returned with the water, hurriedly handing the little kettle of water to you. You take it and set it down on the ground beside you. You was currently on your knees beside the unconscious man, getting a better look of his wound. You take the kettle and slowly dip a cotton pad in the water, cleaning the dirt and blood off his gash. After that you take the matches and lit one up, holding the flame to the needle.
"snafu hold him down, he'll most likely wake up during this process and I can't stitch him up while he's thrashing around" you muttered while focusing on the needle. You blow the match out and start fixing the stitching process.
Snafu and the blond both hold the man down, snafu holding his shoulders while the blond hold his legs. You take in a deep breath and placed your hand on his abdomen, right above the wound. Then you carefully stick the needle in his flesh and start sewing up the wound. And like you predicted, a pained yell was heard from the man after you was halfway through stitching him up. The sudden movement of the poor soldier squirming around makes you poke the needle into your finger tip. But it didn't bother you much as you was souly focused on the man's stitches.
"hold him!" you scold the two soldiers holding him as you try and move faster. A broken yell from the auburn haired man ringing through the tent. A cry soon followed. But just when you finished stitching him up he passed out once more. You stand up with a sigh and wipe the blood from your hands. Grabbing the cotton pad and gauze to cover the wound.
"you both can leave, I appreciate you're help" you said, looking at the men. Snafu looks at the auburn haired soldier before nodding his head.
"thank you miss y/l/n...." he murmured before leaving the tent, the blond following him out. You look down at the unconscious man and sigh. He had soft facial features, his nose sharp yet cute... This man was young, probably the same age as yourself. Much to young to see the things war played out for a man. You pushed a strand of hair off his sweat covered forehead. He was a handsome man, a beautiful contrast to this horrid island.
The night fell before you knew it, the sound of insects enough to take your mind away from where you were, humming a small tune as you washed any remaining blood from your hands. The insects heard outside reminded you of home, all those nights in the summer you spent outside as a kid playing before it got to dark out.
Home... Somewhere you long to be. But then again you wouldn't be able to live with yourself knowing there was brave souls fighting for the world while you sat at home doing nothing. That's why you volunteered to be a nurse, helping soldiers recover from horrible accidents. Although your mother hated the thought of you being out here, your father supported your decision all the way.
You rid your mind of thoughts of home, knowing it would only make your time here longer. So you gently place your hand against the auburn haired soldiers forehead feeling for any signs of a fever. Luckily he felt fine. Just when you went to move your hand the man's eye's fluttered open, the coffee colored orbs flickering across your face. You stopped humming the song you was humming and give him a little smile.
"am I dead?" he asks, voice low as his southern drawl breaks the sound of insects. "I have to be... I mean this ain't exactly what I imagined heaven would look like but the angels are far more prettier than I thought... At least this one is" he muttered, looking up at you. You felt a blush faintly paint your cheeks as you let out a little chuckle at the man. His compliment making your heart do a flip.
"you aren't dead soldier, just a bit beaten up is all..." you replied with a smile. The man let's a little grin tug at his lips.
"that explains the immense pain I'm feeling" he grunts while trying to move, but you placed a hand on his shoulder and give him a stern look.
"don't even try to move soldier, you'll tear you're stitches" you watch how he let's out a little huff.
"my names Eugene" he spoke quietly, you sit on the end of the cot beside him and give him a soft smile.
"I'm y/n... It's nice to meet you Eugene" you murmur while looking over his burns. They had to be painful. Eugene smiles a small smile before his eye's land on the harsh bruise that had formed on your wrist from earlier today.
"how'd you get that?" he questioned with furrowed brows, his eyes flickering up from the bruise and landing on your y/e/c eye's.
You simply shrug and look at the bruise, "a soldier earlier today... He didn't mean to actually, he was in pain and I was trying to clean his wound" you explained. Eugene nods in understanding while letting a little sigh escape his chapped lips.
"it must be hard dealing with a bunch of rough patients, especially since... Y'know, the only girl out here - well not girl - woman! Because you're a woman..." he rambled nervously, his cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. You giggle at him and shake your head, finding his rambling adorable.
Adorable? Jesus christ y/n get your shit together, you can't be finding this man adorable. You couldn't fall in love... Because then you would be distracted and that would lead to you screwing up work and that would result in serious consequences....
You banished those thoughts quickly and give Eugene a soft smile, "it's not as rough as you'd think, most men listen to me and the ones who don't? Let's just say they quickly learn how to" you say with a grin. Eugene chuckles, his amusement slowly turnes into a coughing fit though. You are fast to grab a canteen full of water and hold it by his mouth, your free hand cupping his jaw as you held the canteen by his mouth letting him drink. He gulps the water down until finally he finishes. But as you pull the canteen away, ready to remove your hand from his face. He softly places his hand over yours, keeping it we're it was, his hand sending a warmth and comfort through you that you didn't want to end. You furrowed your brows in confusion, not that you was complaining about his actions. Like said before he was a handsome man, but you didn't want to fall in love during the middle of war.
"what are you doing Eugene?" you whisper, but he doesn't respond. He closed his eye's and leans into your touch. It caused your heart to melt at the sight, you was already falling....
"that song you was humming earlier... Will you sing it to me?" he asks so softly that you couldn't deny the man. You nod and run your thumb over his soft skin. You wasn't one for singing for people though, you was naturally a shy person but for some reason, you didn't feel as shy around this man.
" sometimes I wonder why I spend... My lonely nights.... Dreaming of a song" you started singing stardust, the Tommy dorsey song your mother listened to every day, the melody one you couldn't forget.
He slowly falls asleep, a small smile on his face as you lull him to sleep. And that's how you spent your night, singing to the soldier you found yourself falling for....
___________________________________________
A/n: I felt the need to write for joe, and then this was floating around the drafts so I decided to post it hehehe, it's a mini series I'm working on, probably gonna have 3 or 4 parts. So my radical joe mazzello /Eugene sledge lovers.....here you go!
#joe mazzello imagines#joe mazzello x reader#joe mazzello fanfic#joe mazello#eugene sledge#eugene sledge x reader#Eugene sledge x nurse reader#Eugene sledge fanfic#Eugene sledge imagine#the pacific
103 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Lily of Death Valley // ES!JFM
Pairing: Eugene Sledge x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 7.5K
Style: One-Shot
Warnings: Fatal injuries, wartime discussions, angst, language, cat-calling/unwanted sexual advancements (nothing explicit but some general talk), fluff at the end (because remember, I can’t end a story sadly)
Summary: World War Two. A terrible time for all. Bloody. Not the most obvious time to make friends, but it happened anyway, at least for Leckie and Sledge’s crews. They’d also befriended you, begrudgingly at first, and who’s to say the battlefield is not the most obvious place to find love, either?
Permanent Author’s Note: To clarify, I write because I get bored. Nothing is meant to be professional in any way, nor is meant to offend, cause anxiety, cause anger, cause sadness, or promote disagreement among readers in any sort of (semi)permanent way.
A/N: Couple things to be mentioned up front: 1. Yes, I am completely aware that women were not allowed to enlist back during WWII, and 2. Yes, I am also completely aware that Eugene and Leckie’s crews did not serve together in real life or the show, but for the sake of this fic, imagine that. Also, special thanks to Lena for helping me hash out a title for this for like 15 minutes lol.
Masterlist
~
It never got easier. That part was simple to admit. But you never lost hope that maybe one day it would, or better yet, you would get to go home. Based on how things were progressing, though, you could not see that day coming anytime soon. You always remained hopeful, though. Hopeful that one day men would stop treating you like you were worthless, or just a sex object. Hopeful that eventually you would get to be part of a squad that appreciated both your strengths and your weaknesses in stride, knowing that your weaknesses do not define you and your strengths make you a better person.
You were hopeful that he would not die that day, like so many people did not hours before. You were hopeful you could save him from that damn hidden grenade. You were hopeful that you would never have to talk about the most heart wrenching day of your life thus far to anyone ever again.
All of those things happened.
~
[4 months ago.]
All you could hear was the wind moving the foliage around you. No one was moving, not an inch. They knew better. You lot had been fighting this war for almost 5 months at this point, and this specific stand-off was heading on to hour 7. It was tireless and relentless work, but it had to be done, for the safety of your country.
You and about 6 other men, one of which was your twin brother, were plastered up against a makeshift mud wall with rifles lined up in front of you. Ready to fire when needed. You had been like this for a while, listening to the occasional distant gunfire from another location and some various screaming, too. Some of the new recruits were sick to their stomachs from it, but not you. Everything that had happened had made you numb. All you thought about, and all you allowed yourself to think about until the moment you set foot in your home again, was war. Killing Japs. It was your sole purpose on this hellhole.
“I’m going to get us some water, anyone need anything?”
Your brother was the one who spoke, barely audible, but you all had trained to hear someone speaking that quietly. You had to, otherwise your positions would be given away. The 6 of you that were still leaning against the mud gently shook your heads, hearing your brother inch backwards on the ground. He was not allowed to stand, either, because he would be extremely obvious amongst all the trees.
It stayed silent for a few more moments, but once your brother had moved back about 10 feet from his original location, everyone in the area heard it. That distinct hissing sound that could only come from one thing. A grenade. None of you had moved, so none of you could have set it off. There were also no signs of Japs around. By process of elimination, you all knew who had triggered it. Your brother.
Everything happened quickly. First, there was the instant whiplash created in all of your necks as you whipped your heads back in the direction of the sound, eyes all locking onto your brother, who was frozen in fear and had a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face. Then, you all scrambled to removed yourselves from where you were seated to get as far away from the blast as possible, but your brother did not do the same.
Next came the explosion.
Shrapnel everywhere, screaming all around you, ringing in your ears and blood running from your neck and cheek. Instantly, your gun went to the ground, an instinct you did not know you had in you taking over. You went and took out as much debris as you could from the few men scattered around you, including the piece that had wedged itself in your neck. You made sure as many men on your squad as possible were fine, despite the shit they constantly gave you for simply being female. Then it hit you – you had not taken care of your brother, assuming there was anything left of him to take care of.
Frantically, you ran through the dust and smoke radiating around his body, dropping to the ground next to him, staring at the injuries he had sustained. If it were not for the gaping hole in his torso, he would have barely had a scratch on him. But you could see it – a literal hole on his lower left side, so bad to the point where his uniform had gone almost completely black with blood, and a small portion of his intestines were visible without close examination. Made you want to vomit. And scream. You held back on the prior, but not the latter. After letting the surface layer of your feelings out, you began your attempt to fix him. Trying your absolute best to do exactly what the small amount of medical training you had gotten had taught you, but in your haze, basically just attempted to restuff his abdomen with the parts it had lost. There was absolutely nothing you could do about the blood, and your guess was that he had lost over a gallon in that short time. He was going to bleed out, and there was nothing you could do.
“Y/N s-stop.”
“Harry, no, don’t. Don’t fucking tell me to stop. You’re bleed-bleeding out, and-and your guts, they’re-”
“It’s…too late, baby…sis.”
“It’s not, don’t say that to me. You’re gonna come home with me. I fixed those assholes, I can fix you! I only joined this damn army because I couldn’t bear being apart from you! We fought for this! Harold, please. Please!”
But you could feel his body already go cold.
“Harry?”
The sound of gunfire was piercing your ears as you spoke to the corpse of your brother.
“Harry… please…”
Your body slumped over. Heart completely wrenched from your body. You had lost a part of you. The part of you that helped you beat the system. The part of you that when it was gone you thought would surely take you with it.
Yet here you were. Sitting on a dirt floor, next to the corpse of your 1-minute-older twin who always insisted on calling you his baby sis, not caring if a bullet went through the back of your skull and through your brain. All you wanted was to see his smiling face again.
[Present day.]
Most people would think that after going through something like what you and your squad went through that day, you would all be discharged and sent home. The 5 men who survived had that happen. You? Not so much. The men had talked to your captain about how diligent you were in taking care of them after the explosion, and apparently done so well enough that your captain thought it would be a terrific idea to send you for more medical training. To hone in on the skills you clearly had rooted deep within you that had to be coaxed out. ‘For the better of the entire US Army,’ he had said once.
Bullshit.
You just wanted to go home. To rest. To not see any more blood for the rest of your days. It was enough. You had been through enough. Yet your captain did not think so.
You had completed about 3 months of new medical training, and was given your army doctor certification. You were given all the possible utilities you may need, including a personal staff to help you with amputations and other surgeries. You were also taken off of active-duty and were to simply travel around with whichever squad you were placed with, to take care of them and the people around them. Truth be told, it was not the worst gig within the army you could have gotten. It still pained you, though, knowing that Harry would no longer be around to see you help people.
Initially, your captain had bumped you from place to place, before getting the call that the men needed a permanent doctor on Seipan, as the old one had been, well, shot to death. So, you packed up your belongings once again and set a course for Seipan, where you were told you would basically be spending the rest of your time in the military. Whether that ended in death or coming home, you could not tell, but that was the deal.
Unbeknownst to you, the men were informed about your scheduled arrival, and the group of men you would be bunking with were given special instructions.
“Listen up. I know what you’re probably thinking. How the hell did a woman make her way into the army? That, is her business and her business alone. If she ever tells you on her own accord, fine, but if we hear about any of you hassling her in any way, there will be serious repercussions. Do you all understand?”
“Yes, sir.” All 6 of the men seated in the bunk responded at once.
“Question, sir,”
“What is it, Private Shelton?”
“How’s it that woman made it into the army? Who’d she have to get off?”
“What the hell did I just—”
“Sir.” A private none of the men in the bunk knew popped his head in, ceasing the light chuckles that were floating about the bunk. “Nurse Y/L/N is here.”
As if on cue, the curtain to the outside had been swung open and you, carrying your giant backpack and all belongings, entered the bunker. All the men in the tent, including your new captain, were staring at you.
“What? Y’all ain’t ever seen a woman before?”
Your new captain stood to address you as you tossed your bags onto what would become your new cot. You turned around to face him, knowing that despite how unhappy you were with the living arrangements, you were in no position to argue.
“Madam, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Captain Richard Johnson, and the 6 men you see behind me will be your new squad. I know you are no longer active duty, but in order for you to remain as a member of the army given your specific circumstances, you are required to still be a part of a squad, even though you will be attending to all injuries on all men.”
“Yes, sir. Now, may I have a moment to put my stuff away before one of these boys gets a papercut I have to kiss better?”
“As you wish. I’ll let them introduce themselves. Welcome to Seipei, Nurse.”
With that, Captain Johnson walked out from the tent, leaving you alone with the men behind you, all of which were just staring at the back of you as you started to put your stuff away. You were seriously hoping that you could postpone talking to them as long as possible. You knew what type of people they would be. All men treated you the same. Like an object. You were given no reason to think that any of these men were going to be any different. Your suspicions were confirmed when one of them began to speak to you.
“So. Young, gorgeous, smart enough to be a doctor, a sharp tongue, and a delightful southern accent to boot. Golly, what don’t you have going for you?”
Instantly your hands dropped what they were holding and fell to your sides. You had an immense amount of trouble believing that they were already treating you like this. Hell, you were not even sure they knew your first name yet. You spun around in the attempt to address whichever one had spoken to you directly, but you could not tell which one it was, so you addressed them all.
“What don’t I have going for me? The ability to put up with your bullshit. If you don’t mind, I would prefer it if you did not treat me like some kind of object for you to mess around with. That goes for all of you little shits. You’re new to this whole thing, I’ve been around the block with this whole ordeal for over 6 months now, so I know a thing or two that you don’t. But I’m also not the type of person who likes to start relationships off on a bad foot. So, let’s start over, shall we?”
The 6 men were all looking at you intently, some of them with smirks on their faces, some of them clearly believing in the intensity you presented yourself with.
“I’m Y/N Y/L/N, former PFC, active nurse. Maybe one day, if y’all can learn to be gentlemen, I’ll tell you my story. But it’s earned, and hardly anyone has earned the right to know it. You’re turns.”
Each of the men rattled off their names and titles. The one who had spoken to you earlier was PFC Robert Leckie. Also part of your squad was PFC Eugene ‘Sledgehammer’ Sledge, PFC Sidney Phillips, PFC Lew ‘Chuckler’ Juergens, PFC Merriell ‘Snafu’ Shelton, the one who had made the rude comment you had not heard, and PFC Wilbur ‘Runner’ Conley. You had given them the nod of approval at their good behavior before continuing.
“Like I said before, I’m an active nurse now. Meaning, if you ever have a problem with anything, you need to come find me. I may have a tough outer shell, but if you seriously need me, trust me, I won’t be an ass about it. Maybe once you’re better I will be, but not in the moment. I know when to be an ass and when not to be. But right now, I’m exhausted, so I want to lay down. Assuming none of you have any pressing issues at the moment and no one comes bursting through the door with a limb barely attached, I’m going to do just that.”
“Well, there is one thing.”
“What is it, Snafu?”
“My dick is unusually soft considering I’m in the presence of a woman, do you know why that might be?”
You threw the first metal thing you could find, which happened to be a metal comb, directly at his head before covering your body with a blanket and facing opposite to them. You heard them laughing a little bit, and you could not help the tears that welled up behind your eyes. You tried to be hopeful again that these boys would be different. You were beginning to give up on the prospect of hope.
~
Little did your roommates/squad members know, but despite the tough demeanor you presented yourself with, you had always had a soft heart. The tears that had welled up eventually fell, but you drifted off to sleep not long after. How they had treated you did hurt, but you had put up with it for so long from so many people that you knew how to act like it did not. You had a shell, a tough one, and it took quite a bit to break it.
When you woke up the next day, all your squad members had already left for the morning, leaving you in peace. Truly at peace, considering no one had rushed in needing your assistance yet. You had decided to pull out the book you had been reading for the last few weeks and lay back on your bed, prepared in case anyone needed help.
Then you saw the curtains pull back carefully and cautiously, revealing one of the members of your squad.
“Mobile.”
You looked up at Eugene, confused as to why he brought up the name of your hometown out of nowhere.
“What?”
“Mobile, Alabama. Your accent, madam. Is that where you’re from, Miss Y/L/N?”
“Y-yeah, actually. How’d you guess?”
“I live on Serenity Drive, off the center of town. I’d recognize the sound of home anywhere, especially after being in a place like this.”
“…Juniper Street.”
“We’re practically neighbors, then! What a small world this is, Miss Y/L/N. Please, don’t let me keep you from reading.”
Eugene went over to his cot to grab something before making his way back to the entrance. You were so in shock at how much different this boy was from the rest of his squad, you could not believe they all got along so well. Your mind could not help but wonder what his real reaction to what had been said to you last night was.
“Y/N.”
“Wh-what?” Eugene spun around in the entryway, not expecting you to willingly talk to him after being associated with the idiots he was with last night.
“Y/N. That’s my name, remember? For you, it’s just Y/N.”
Eugene gave you a bashful smile, which you returned. It was your way of showing him that you truly had a soft side, like the one he had just shown you. You just hoped he understood.
Later that same day, you had helped out with a few injuries people had that needed to be rewrapped or bandages needed changing. You even got to take out a few happy men’s stitches, scolding most of them for letting them rip. You had been working on someone’s bandages in a tent maybe 100 feet from where your bunk was when Chuckler walked in. He was the only other one who had not laughed at Snafu’s joke the night before, you eventually found out. Except you did not quite feel you could show him your soft side just yet. Something about Eugene brought it out of you, and you could not quite explain why.
“Chuckler? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Leckie, the asshole. He’s been having a problem that’s clearly affecting his mental state but refuses to come to you about it.”
“What is the problem, exactly? Because I have a lot of people to get to today and—”
“He refuses to leave his bed and we need him to help with drills and in weaponry. He’s being a nuisance.”
“That’s not what I asked you, Chuckler.”
“Just come with me when you’re done with him, please. None of us can take his bitching and moaning anymore.”
“Fine, give me 5 minutes. Wait there.
After you had finished changing the man’s bandages, you stood up and cleaned up all your equipment, and followed Chuckler from the tent. You had made it to your own and saw that Snafu, Eugene, Runner, and Sidney were all talking amongst themselves in front of where Leckie was laying. All their heads turned in your general direction when you walked in, and you were completely mentally prepared to put up your shell, even with Eugene in the room. Except the way they were all looking at you told you that it was not the time. They seemed extremely concerned for their friend. You looked at Chuckler, and he now had the same expression on his face. So, you felt as though that was your cue to walk over and see what you could do.
When you started to move over to Leckie, the four boys cleared out the space to let you in. You gently placed your bag down to the floor and kneeled down next to Leckie’s cot. You knew he could hear you, but was clearly ignoring you. You felt as if there was only one thing you could do in order to get his attention. As much as it made you nervous, you felt a stronger sensation for the need to help than the need to be an ass right about now. He looked tense from the back. You placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and rubbed lightly, trying to coax him.
“Leckie?”
No response.
“Leckie, I want to help you, hon. Could you roll over and face me?”
You felt him shift a little bit. You were getting somewhere.
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, honey. I promise I’ve heard worse. You really don’t have a reason to be embarrassed.”
You could feel him let out a sigh, whether it was one of embarrassment or one signaling he caved was up in the air, but then his body shifted. You had won, and he rolled over to face you. First you noticed how red his eyes were, and how puffy his cheeks had become. He had clearly been crying, probably while you had been speaking to him. It broke your heart a little bit. A tough soldier, so broken down over something that more than likely is not his fault. Made you wonder what would happen to the men who made it home.
Then you saw his problem. What the boys were all concerned about. His pants had become a darker shade of green all down the front.
“Oh, honey… how long has this been goin’ on?”
“Few days. Maybe… maybe a week.”
“I think I know exactly what this is. Assuming you aren’t in any pain, that is. Does this happen frequently? And when it does, is there pain involved?”
“No pain, but usually once, sometimes twice a day.” He was talking so quietly. You could easily tell why he did not want to tell you. It was not pain or fear of loss of masculinity, since apparently everyone else knew but you.
It was because all of them respected you and they did not want to seem like they could not take care of themselves.
“Well, the good news is that it is probably exactly what I’m thinking it is. People who undergo extreme stress and traumas can develop issues with their pelvic floors without knowing it, except when their bladder decides to completely empty itself without any warning to you. You just need a little bit of rest and I’ll need to teach you how to do some pelvic floor exercises to bring it back up to strength. If that doesn’t seem to work, I can have the proper paperwork drawn up to send you over to a rehab facility on an American territory nearby. We’ll get you fixed up, pumpkin, I promise, okay?”
Leckie just nods his head and sniffled gently. You place a hand on his cheek to help steady his breathing before grabbing something out of your bag. Something you think will help him. You also write up everything you said on a prescription sheet so he can remember everything you told him, plus wrote down the basics for the therapies he will be starting.
The five boys had watched the entire scene unfold with you and Leckie. Clearly, despite the impression you first gave them, you really did care about them, and was willing to put aside their buffoonery and idiocracy for the sake of their health. What was an army without its men, anyway? An unspoken promise was made through the looks they gave each other, one that said they would no longer be assholes to you. Clearly, you did not deserve that. Not after how nice you had been to all of them despite what they said to you. How they laughed at you.
Plus, it had been burning in the back of their minds that you had a story they could earn, and that spoke numbers to them about what kind of life you had before them, that it probably was not good, and interesting to boot.
They wanted to ensure that the bad half of your story ended with them and the good part started with them, too.
~
A few more days had gone by since you had treated Leckie, and the techniques you had been teaching him were working. He had not had an accident in almost three days. You were really proud of him for doing what he needed to do, and clearly, he was thankful for you. He practically waited on you hand and foot. The other boys were doing the same. You honestly were not really sure what had changed, but you were not complaining. You were finally working with men who did not treat you horribly. It was a nice change of pace, and one that you were not about to jeopardize.
Other things you had done included helping the boys out with small injuries they received through various things, and you even helped them out in weaponry once since you knew about it, having been a soldier yourself.
After a particularly grueling day, you had all returned back to the bunk for the night, and you had just crawled in to bed. You were about to turn off your oil lamp when you realized all of them had been staring at you. But in the low light, it was hard to read their expressions.
“What?”
They all looked at Eugene, who they had apparently selected as the best person to ask you the question they so desperately wanted to know the answer to.
“Y/N, we were… just wondering… have we earned the rights… to your story yet? You know about us. We’d love to know about you.”
You took in a deep breath, shakily exhaling it, internally debating if these 6 boys were worth the trouble. Clearly, Eugene was. There was no debating on that. Chuckler was also nice, considering, and Leckie had shown his appreciation for you after helping him. The other three had gotten significantly nicer, too. And they had never seemed like the type of people to abuse the knowledge, anyway.
You started with the catcalling. Something you were prepared for in some degree, but not for how much of it you really got. It had never happened back home, people in Mobile were extremely nice. You knew that things would be different in the army because these men had been starved of their natural preferences and instincts the moment they arrived at boot camp. You told yourself you could ignore it, and for the most part, you did. It was always just out-there, lewd comments you knew had no foundation or real threat behind them.
Except for the one night that it did. There was one night, about a month before your brother had died. You had been given your own bunk, despite the wishes of your old captain, and there was a night where you and almost every squad were on patrol for nearly 16 hours straight, with almost nothing to show for it. Sitting still, feeling stiff, tired, hungry, and downright frustrated. You all eventually made it back to your bunks, and you decided not to shower. You just wanted to lay down on something that was not the rock-hard ground. Despite the fact that the cots were not the most comfortable, it sure as hell beat the soil. You did not know how long you had been laying there, but you were in and out of sleep, that stage right before you truly drift off. You were finally comfortable. So comfortable that you never heard the opening of the doorway to your bunk.
He had made no noise, having taken off his shoes, and kept his breathing as quiet as possible. You never even heard him start to take off his clothes. You only knew what was happening when you felt him press his front against your back. As soon as you felt him, you pushed him to the ground, screaming bloody murder. He crawled off of you, and tried to leave, but your brother had gotten to the doorway in time. Beat him to shit. Made sure you were okay. You were not, and your captain only made it worse by not transferring the guy away from you. You never went a day without waking up in the middle of night anymore out of pure fear.
You then told them how your brother was the only person who managed to keep you sane while you were still on active duty, but you only had that peace of mind for another month. Because you had to watch him die. You had to take another deep breath before talking about the story, because you were fighting back tears remembering how it felt to lose him. And then you told them how your old captain did not even give you the decency to leave and return later so you could go see his funeral.
“I… never even got to say goodbye. They buried by own fucking twin and I wasn’t there! I never got to tell him I loved him again! He was just gone! Fucking gone!” You had started weeping and screaming. You refused to talk about these events with hardly anyone, and now, it was like you could no longer hold back.
You pulled yourself together as best you could, wiping away the streaky tears adorning your face, and when you looked up, all 6 of them were looking at you with such sadness you thought they might start crying. Through some heavy breathing, you managed to allow a bit of your sass to come through.
“… are y’all happy with yourselves? You made a gal cry.” You had smiled a little bit, letting them know that you were going to be okay, despite how you currently looked.
They all remained silent, which made you concerned that you had said too much. You remained convinced of that until you saw Eugene move to stand up. Your smile faded as you watched him move over to your cot. When he reached you he simply stopped and kneeled to the ground. He let his head hang for a moment before looking up at you with glossy eyes. He did not speak right away.
“…what?”
“Lily.”
“I’m…sorry?”
“Yeah what are you going on about, Sledgehammer?” Snafu piped in for surprisingly the first time that night.
“Lily. Your new name is Lily.”
“Why, Gene?”
“Like…” He was caught off guard by the affectionate nickname. He had not thought he had earned something like that from you yet. “Like the lily of the valley flower. They grow in my front yard, back home in Mobile. It’s a beautiful and delicate flower, one that germinates and spreads its beauty wherever it is planted. But they aren’t what meets the eye. They’re actually extremely dangerous. You don’t want to mess around with them if you plan on keeping ‘em around. …just like you.”
You were taken aback. You knew the boy was quiet and sweet, but you never took him to be the smooth type. Even if that was not how he intended for it to come across. You felt your face flush, and began to get bashful. You dropped your head lightly, and you felt your face heat up even more when you heard the ‘damn straight’s’ coming from the other 5, completely in agreement with Eugene.
“…shut up, you fuckers. I could kill y’all in your sleep.”
“Just like the flower!”
You threw your pillow in their general direction, and you all broke out into laughter. You were in such a state of shock and disbelief at what was happening to you. You were beginning to believe in hope again. Then Runner spoke up.
“How about we push our cots together for the night? Lily, you can be in the middle. We can keep you safe from all the assholes that are littering this island.” (in this house we support the idea that guys can do this and not feel the need to crack a joke because fuck toxic masculinity)
“I’m great with that, s’long as Leckie keeps his problem under control.” Sidney chimed in, always ready with the jab.
The boys all goofed around with each other, while you just watched them with bemusement. You were completely unaware that Eugene was just staring at you. Awestruck. Dumbstruck.
Lovestruck.
Quite frankly, he was not sure when the feeling started feeling that way about you. Might have been when he first told you about being from Mobile. Could have been just now seeing you laugh and light up bright. Could have been from the first moment he laid eyes on you. It did not matter. All that mattered was that he got to spend his time on this hellhole with you, and he would not have changed it for the world.
He was brought back to reality when he felt you grab onto his arm so he could help you guys move the cots. Once they were all in place, they made you get in first and then decided what order they were going to lay in. Their main concern was not the men they laid next to, so much as who the two would be that got to lay next to you. You made it very apparent that you did not care about the other side, so long as Eugene was to one of them. He was standing at the head of your cot, unsure of what to do like the others, but he turned his head down to face you when he saw you lean your head backwards to look up at him, and you lightly grabbed the fabric of his pants. Eugene crawled into the cot next to yours, and you just looked at him with a tired smile. His heart swelled and started beating wildly.
Once everyone else had clamored into bed, Chuckler being the one to your other side, you all settled in for the night. Before anyone really tried to fall asleep, Eugene said something only loud enough for the 7 of you to hear.
“You know we’re gonna protect you, Lily. You know that, right?”
You looked at him in the dark, his face barely visible with hardly any moonlight entering the bunk. He was not looking at you, he was looking up at the ceiling, that much you could see. You reached up with one of your hands to pull his face to face yours.
“I know, Gene.”
~
A few more days and plenty of emergency surgeries and bandage changes later, you were starting to feel really burnt out. Plus, the boys had been away for those few days, so you had hardly anyone to talk to it about. Even Snafu and his ways would have been better than nothing. The boys did return earlier than expected, and when you got back from your most recent emergency surgery, you were more than thrilled to see them back in your bunk. But what made you the happiest was telling them to stay put so they could watch your equipment while you went and showered for the first time in a few days. That way, when you got back, they could block the entrance to your bunk so you could change peacefully. They made no objections, seeing that their few days were uneventful and you clearly needed the shower more than them, you looked like you had been to hell and back.
You took as minimal as possible over to the shower, which including not carrying your spare uniform. The thing weight more than it looked like it would, so you opted for just a tank top and a pair of shorts. As you were walking back to the bunk, you managed to make it within eye sight of your bunk, and you were met with a really sweet sight. The boys had all sat outside and played cards while they waited for you, ready to block the entrance while you changed just like you had asked them to.
You were about to call out to them to get their attention, when another squad beat you to it. For the first time since you had been with this squad, you were catcalled by another group of men. Their bunk was visible from where the boys were sitting, and the second your name left one of their mouths, all their heads shot in that direction. You just kept walking to get as far away from them as possible. Turns out that was not the best option, since that gave them more ammunition to talk about your ass as it moved. You jogged the rest of the way back to your bunk, fighting off tears as you did so, and the minute you were safely back in your own territory, Eugene, Leckie, and Chuckler all went running off to the group of men who were hassling you. They did not see it coming, but you knew that you would be tending to some serious injuries tomorrow by the looks of it.
When they make it back to you, they are out of breath and lightly sweaty. You are worried they got hurt, but when they smile at you, you knew they were okay. You walked over and hugged each of them. Somewhat unintentionally, you let Eugene’s hug linger a little bit longer than the other boys. He wanted to act like he did not notice, but he completely did.
“Do we get hugs too, Lily?”
“Now, why would y’all get hugs, Sid?”
“Um, because we’re your friends, too? And we made a promise to protect you, so the next round is on us?”
You just chuckle at them, and lean down to give them all hugs too, before retreating into the bunk to change.
All of them turn to look at Eugene, because like him, they saw his hug linger a little bit. They knew about his little crush – he had told them about it when they were going on a day straight of no sleep and getting delirious. At one point, one of the men had said something to the effect of ‘honestly, she’s so tough she’d probably break you but someone like you was meant to be with someone like her – she’s broken and needs someone who can love her properly, and none of us are really qualified to do that. Plus, she’s from Mobile so go for it, Sledgehammer.’ Little did he know though, is that they were hatching a plan to get him to admit it to you.
~
You had been cleaning some of your smaller tools in the bunk when Snafu runs in with Eugene at his side, and Snafu is trying to frantically tell you what happened but all you register is that you see Eugene and his blood pouring out of his arm. You push Snafu aside mindlessly telling him ‘yeah, yeah’ as you pull Eugene down to sit on your now back-in-its-original-place cot. Eugene clearly looks like he is in pain, so you want to help him as quickly as possible. But you know how painful it can be to clean an open wound, so you come up with a way to distract him.
“Gene, this is really going to hurt. Both parts, the cleaning and the stitching. I want you to talk to me, okay?”
“About what?”
“Anything. I just like hearin’ you talk. But… how about books? You’ve loaned me a book or two before. Tell me about things you’ve read about. Talk through the pain, honey.”
As soon as he comes up with a topic he knows he can talk about for more than two sentences, you start to clean the wound as best you can with him writhing around from the pain. Once the area is clean, you tell him he has to sit still while you stitch him up, otherwise he will have a needle where it does not need to be.
He talks as best he can, but with every poke of the needle, his voice would get hitched and stuck in his throat, and you started to feel awful. At one point he was starting to look a little pale, and he had stopped talking, so you just looked at him so he would look you back in the eyes.
“Genie, lay your head down on my shoulder. Close your eyes. I don’t want you passing out on me.”
He did as he was told, his head plunking down onto your shoulder. You could immediately feel it through your uniform that he was sweating terribly. You felt awful for doing this to him, but he would thank you later when he did not have to lose his arm from an infection.
You had finished stitching him up, and you just let him rest his head on your shoulder for a little while longer. That way he did not make himself dizzy when he stood back up. You even laid your head on his to try to bring him back to you. To calm him down.
Eventually he looked back up at you with eyes that spoke for themselves. He was wiped out.
“Let’s get you into bed, hon. You need to rest.”
You helped him walk over to his cot, very shakily, and laid him down and gave him a glass of water. Once he was comfortable, you got up to clean up your cot. And you heard him weakly ask you something.
“What in God’s green earth did I ever do to deserve meetin’ someone like you?”
You just chuckled lightly at his accent, accentuated because of how tired he was.
“I should be asking you that, Gene.”
~
Another round of emergency surgeries happened over the course of the following day, 8 to be exact, and all you wanted to do was go back to your cot and read. Eventually, you practically crawled your way back to the bunk, but was met with what, in that moment, was the worst site you could have been met with. Someone had broken into your bunk and tore the book Eugene had loaned you to shreds. The only people who would have had any motive to do such a thing would be the jerks who catcalled you earlier in the week. You assumed it was them. The assholes.
You were feeling so burnt out, though that all you could do was sob. You were sobbing so intensely that you fell onto your cot. And you just laid there, crying your entire soul out. The boys had been coming back from dinner, wanting to invite you, but knew you were still in surgery. So, they went without you. When they were back standing in front of the cot, they could hear you crying before they walked in. They all wanted to barge in and make you feel better, but instead they practically shoved Eugene in there to help you.
He first sees the book on your bed, shredded beyond repair, scattered around your heaving body. Then the adrenaline kicks in and he is on his knees by your side in an instant, rubbing circles onto your back. When you finally can breathe normally again, you roll over to look at him through red eyes.
“Want to talk about it?”
He opened the doors to a floodgate. You start rattling off all the surgeries and how something went wrong in every single one, and then you tell him all you wanted to do was read his book but now that was ruined and you promised somewhere in there to replace it, and then you were overcome with happiness when he places a book you never saw him grab by your side as a replacement. All the emotions eventually just cause you to stop in your place and stare at him, completely overwhelmed. The look in his eyes tells you something that your body felt before your brain registered it, and before you knew it, you leaned in and kissed him.
It was not much, and you instantly pulled back, realizing that you could have just made a huge mistake based on a huge misunderstanding. You start blubbering to him, saying you were sorry and asking him to not report you to your higher ups, and in the middle of it, he just throws himself at you. Clearly desperate to taste you properly, almost sobbing himself at just how soft your lips were compared to the harshness of the war going on around him.
While he was relentless in the moment, eventually you both pulled away to breathe, just staring into each other’s eyes, pupils slightly larger than usual. The moment would have been perfect if it were not for your friend, Snafu.
“Is it safe to come in there or are y’all screwing each other, already?”
You both break and laugh, and the boys outside take that as their cue to come in. They look thrilled for you. Once Eugene had had enough of the looks they were giving you, he looks at you and not-so-shyly says,
“This is only the beginning, darlin’, just wait until we’re back in Mobile and can be together properly. I’ll treat you like a queen.”
~
A few close calls later with Eugene being on the front lines more often than you would like, you two finally come back home. Initially, you went to your house first, the joy of having their other child home being more important than discussing the elephant in the room. You introduced the man you brought home, and to your happiness, he fit right in. Your parents loved him.
Then, he takes you to his home, where you get to meet his family. You imagined you would be liked enough by his parents for them to want him to keep you around. Especially after the way Eugene introduced you to his doctor father.
“Dad, meet Y/N. She’s the one who causes all my heart murmurs now.”
Permanent Taglist: @bensrhapsody @chlobo6 @gardnerlangway @xtrashmammalstefx
Eugene Sledge Taglist: n/a
// If you want to be added to either taglist mentioned above, or the one for another character I’ve written for, send me an ask here! //
#eugene sledge#eugene sledge x reader#joe mazzello#joe mazello x reader#the pacific#joseph mazzello#joseph mazzello x reader#fanfiction#angst#fluff#wartime discussions
78 notes
·
View notes
Text
Snafu x Female!Reader: Period Help
@technicallyvirtualmilkshake I did get this request done. I hope that somehow it helps. I know how annoying these damned things are. However, I can also imagine Snafu secretly being a giant cuddle monster. Thank you so much my friend for having requested this! I hope you have a nice rest of your weekend. -Freddie
“Hello?” Eugene answered his phone.
“Sledge!” Eugene could hear the relieved sigh in his best friend’s voice. “Need yo’r help with somethin’ that migh’ be medical.”
“Alright. What’s up?” Usually, Eugene didn’t get too worried when Snafu called with this sort of introduction. Most of the time, these calls were just basic ‘you have a cold, drink some tea’ sort of issues.
“I think somethin’s wrong wit’ Y/N.” Snafu sounded more nervous now.
“Well what’s been going on, Snaf?” Eugene was more patient and gentle than he was with most phone calls when it came to Snafu. Snafu was more of a texting person (which worked fine with Sledge and his minor, but slowly worsening, anxiety). While these were light and confused questions for Eugene, they could sometimes be life and death for Snafu.
“She keeps grippin’ her lower stomach an’ she keeps curlin’ up weird. What’s she doin’?” Eugene tried not to laugh as his friend spoke. The Cajun would rattle off some of the crudest jokes you never wanted to hear but the man didn’t know the slightest thing about female anatomy. “She says her legs feel ‘eavy. Does she got cancer or somethin’?” Snafu was almost in hysterics now.
“No. She doesn’t have cancer, Snafu. She’s got her period.”
“What?”
“Her menstrual cycle. It’s a monthly thing that happens for about a week.”
“So it’s normal?” Snafu was calming down slightly.
“Extremely. Every woman goes through it. The holding her lower stomach? She’s getting cramps and the light pressure can help.”
“How d’ I help?”
“Uh...chocolate helps some women. A heating pad might help, some caffeine maybe.”
“Chocolate, heating pad, and coffee. Got it.”
“You good?”
“Now that I don’ think m’ boo’s got cancer,” Snafu said honestly.
Waking up from a nap, Y/N opened her eyes to find Snafu coming in the door with a shopping bag. Snafu was pleased she didn’t wake up alone while he was at the store for 15 minutes.
“Boo, have I got you set.” Snafu had a triumphant grin on his face a glint in his eyes to match.
“What do you mean?” Y/N rubbed her eyes a second as she sat up on the couch. Snafu quickly filled Y/N in on his call with Eugene and she tried not to laugh.
“So I got th’ee diff’ent kinds o’ chocolate; I got a heating pad, an’ some ice cream. And…” he held up a bottle of Y/N favorite chilled coffee.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” Y/N asked as he handed her the bag. “This heating pad is about to become my third best friend.”
“Third?” Snafu questioned. He went to the kitchen to put the ice cream in the freezer for later but left the chocolate and coffee with Y/N.
“You and Gene are obviously first and second,” she said. She leaned over the armrest of the couch to plug the pad into the wall.
Snafu walked back to the living and unlaced his boots, leaving them off to the side of the front of the couch and got a blanket from inside the ottoman before joining Y/N on the couch. Y/N moved so he could lay down and she laid on top of him, the heating pad between their bodies. Snafu got the blanket over the two of them before he wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled into his chest and Snafu smiled fondly.
Carefully, Snafu slid his phone from his pocket and set up a playlist- some calming music one you had set up when you figured out his pass-code. He didn’t mind and found himself listening to it sometimes.
Between the music, the gentle warmth of the heating pad and each other’s bodies- as well as the softness of the blanket- it didn’t take long for Y/N to fall asleep with Snafu’s hand playing gently with her hair. It didn’t take long for Snafu fall asleep himself.
#Snafu Shelton#snafu shelton imagine#the pacific#the pacific imagine#rami malek#rami malek imagine#snafu and freddie's imagine shoppe#read your imagines
90 notes
·
View notes
Text
My Darlin' Angel - Eugene Sledge x reader
-Authors note! So I just recently watched the pacific and I've never been so soft for someone, and that someone is Eugene sledge. So I decided to write this lovely fan fic, and this is only part one! I hope you enjoy it and please give me feedback!-
-
The war was not kind to you. It was not kind to any body who had to endure it, Yet you kept pushing through and became a nurse on the island of Peleliu during world war II.
The medical center is always the same. Wounded soldiers coming and going, constantly writing letters to familys about their injured or deceased family members. It's always the same on Peleliu, Dark and depressing.
You were packing up your things so you could settle in for the night. Until you heard someone call for a medic, you instantly grabbed your tools and ran towards the call. Once you got close enough, Your eyes were met with two men, one helping the other.
"Are you a nurse? Cause sledgehammer needs some help here." A darker haired man said. The amber haired man scoffed "Shut it Snafu, and Hello Ma'am." He said politely. "I am I nurse, and it's a pleasure to meet you too. Now let's get you inside" You said as you ushered them inside the medical tent.
You had the darker haired man, Known as Snafu, Help the injured man down, known as Sledgehammer or Sledge. You spotted a dark spot on the injured man's shirt, near the shoulder. It didn't take you long to know it was blood, You looked to the dark haired man, "Help him take his jacket and shirt off while I get gloves" You said as you went to go put on some rubber gloves.
-
-And I'm going to leave you there so you can be excited for part two! I hope you like it so far and please give me feedback! Bye bye-
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
ywmiiaty
YWMiiATY
squadronbaked
Squadronbaked
just-a-writer
Just a Writer
takechas
Takechas Records Blog
stupendousfishbiscuiteclips-blog
♥️ Gabitoxx ♥️