Brothers

William and Henry

It first felt cold, then warm. The warmth felt comfortable. It got hotter. It got hotter and hotter to the point it was unbearable. He wanted to scream. He was screaming. His ears felt numbed. He couldn't hear his own screaming. The ground under him trembled up and down. He was too busy with the pain he felt on his arm. He was shocked by his shoulder. Someone was trying to talk to him, but the words didn't make it through the barrier. He felt how the person grabbed his left arm, the arm where half of it was missing. The pain started painting his already blurry vision. His entire body was vibrating. His eyes gave up, he fell unconscious. He couldn't hold on anymore.

...

When he woke up, he was leaning against the railings of a staircase. It looked like he was in a church. He spotted injured people all over the place. Nurses rushing through the gaps, or nuns, he couldn't tell the difference. Next to him was a young-looking man, he didn't seem injured. He was putting new bandages on his arm. The man looked up; "I saw you injured, brought you here. Name's Henry". The man looked at the young named Henry. He thought for a second what his own name was. "William, pleasure". Then he let his eyes wander around the place again. Just now he was able to smell the blood in the air, but it didn't bother him, he was used to it. "William. Do not worry, its only after the under arm. Your hand is gone though. Your leg made it entirely". William looked at his leg. It was covered in bloody bandages, poorly. His clothing was ripped and full of dirt. His face was halfway covered in dried mud. He looked back at Henry. He was missing a foot. "I lost it when bringing you here, but a knife through the foot is lot more bearable than a grenade next to your face. That dude was hiding underground". William took the bandages out of Henry's hand; he started nursing himself. Henry looked around 20 years old, William was over 30.
A nurse came over, "we need that space, since you two are awake please go sit outside. I'll come back". She rushed right back. Her clothing was full of blood too. Her eyes wider then the opening the missing arm had left on William's arm. William helped Henry up while Henry held onto the railing and they both moved outside.
Outside, William let himself plump next to a small puddle of dirty water. He bowed down and took a sip. Henry also took a sip before both cleaned their faces and hands in it. William let out a grunt. He was hungry. Henry looked over to him. "Do you think we will get our hands on something in this state?" William didn't bother looking at him. "You could've kept that foot if you let them take my head, right?" Henry's grin fade, not that it was real, but it had been the only thing with traces of hope on his image. "I would've let your head, but also my honor. A real man isn't scared of loosing couple limps". He picked up a broken boot nearby and started filling it with stones and dirt. The he put it on top of the stump on his leg. It looked like a perfectly in place foot. When he lifted it, it fell down.
He picked it up and placed it gently to his side.
William felt tired, those soldiers who lost limps usually were sent back. They were useless on the front line. He had to wait until the next train and take himself back. He looked into the sky. It was dark grey. He hadn't seen a red sky at sundown or sunrise in years. Henry was also looking up now. "That reminds me of a grandmother's hair which hasn't fully turned white yet" he grinned again. The youth was the only one who could grin in this place.

William woke up, and noticed being carried by two men he didn't know. It was loud when he was brought into the train. The two men noticed him waking up, so they let him loose and ran to get someone else. William struggled into a wagon with corpses. Every last space was being used but since the wagon smelled, men would rather try to squeeze in the other ones. William sat down and leaned against the walls. He tried to fall asleep again, the symptoms of his wounds started kicking in. He felt tired, so tired he didn't even notice Henry coming in. Henry had the same idea. He peaked in and saw William with closed eyes. He sat next to him.
"It's been while". "I thought you were dead, next to the corpses, eyes closed". William turned his eyes to Henry, he felt insulted, but he was right. Henry took out a messy and slightly ripped map. He widened it on his knee and pointed to a red marked city. "This train is going here, that's also where my wife and son wait for me". "You have a wife?" Henry nodded; "Isabella, very nice and beautiful, shy too. That's her cutest part" he looked over to William. "If you're gonna ask if I have one, no. I've never touched a woman in my life, not interested". He looked back forward. The corpses were covered in white fabric which was stained red and brown mostly. William could've had a wife. He had only once appreciated another human, but she had died of sickness when they were 13 years old. After she left him, he lost interest in others. William looked back at the map and lifted his right arm to point at it. Henry was sitting to his left, so he had to stretch a bit, Henry understood and held the map closer to him. William pointed to a spot close to the marked city, but more outside. "I'm from the land, sheep's, the only thing I've known". Henry packed the map back in. "You can stay at my house, and then take off to home. Have some tea and rest first". William thanked for the offer; he had no choice but to stay with Henry until he had found a way of transportation. And it's not like the train would stop to let him go any time before the actual destination.
They both slept for the rest of the ride.

The sounds slicing into his ears, William woke up. The train slowed down and people were already jumping off. He heard crying from mothers receiving their sons' corpses. He looked to his side; Henry was still there. He stood up. Henry opened his eyes too. He grinned, then he took the walking aid to stand up. William jumped down to the ground. He held Henry's hand before he jumped out too. They were both somewhat able to walk, so they ignored everybody else and left the station. "I live above a bakery; we can get something to eat there. I know the owner". "You're pretty far for your age",William was supporting Henry with his arm. "No, I just got her pregnant early,and took her away. Started a new life with 17 years".
They walked until they reached a busy city center. Henry looked around and moved forward to the left. William looked at every bakery on the way and thought,that might be the one, until they passed it. Soon, Henry's steps got faster, he saw it. They both entered smaller bakery then all the others, nobody was inside. William let go of Henry and sat on a chair. Henry was walking around looking for someone, he even dared to go behind the counter.
"Seems as nobody is home. I'll have to check upstairs, will you wait?" Henry looked over to William through the door into the back of the bakery. William just nodded and stood up after Henry had been out of sight. The counter was barely filled with bread, William took a piece, and placed a coin on the other side that he had found on the floor. It'll have to do for now. He sat back down and started eating. It was weird to eat without the taste of dirt. He was halfway finished when a little boy rushed in. He was out of breath, and his hair was messy. He was surprised by William sitting on the side, he looked at him while running towards the door Henry had disappeared to. He was almost there but noticed the bread in Williams hands. William, out of instinct,offered him a piece, but the boy didn't say anything. William placed the piece of bread on the table for the boy and stood up. He passed the boy who was still looking at the bread and followed Henry's path. He started hearing yelling. He went up the staircase behind the kitchen of the bakery and landed next to a stairwell.He went up the stairs to find an open door, he knocked. The yelling was coming out of that door but that was no reason for him to enter. Steps got closer. He saw a woman walking towards him with her jacket in her hand. She looked worried but still pretty. Henry struggled to follow her; he was leaning against the wall still. He looked like he was about to cry, like a child.
William rushed to him and helped him get his walking aid. He took Henry downstairs where the woman was arguing with the boy. William figured that the woman was Isabella, and the boy their son. She was trying to get her son to come with her. William looked at Henry. Henry glazed  and then joined the argument of his family back.
The argument was about how Isabella barely was able to feed her son. She had worked during the time Henry was gone. She hungered so she could feed their son, but now that Henry was back and not able to work, she had to feed both.She wanted to go, away from here, probably to people she knew, leaving Henry behind. Henry didn't want to part from his family. He was hurt when Isabella said she loved her son more. She was trying to stay logical but had hurt Henry's feelings along the way. Their son was still being held by the arm, standing in the middle, not showing a sign of emotions in his face. The mother sat down to calm herself, she couldn't stand anymore. She had put her head on her hands,looking down. Henry saw her in the position, he was still on his one feet and support. His eyes were still full of anger and disappointment. Grabbing the knife behind him on the counter, she was laying on the floor just seconds later,Henry hovering on top of her.
William had slicked from behind and dragged the boy out of the bakery. The way he knew Henry from the few conversations, he used to be a nice guy who was now messed up by what they showed him. He'd not be able to live with himself. And he was right. William had sat with the boy on a bench at the side of a park,but even for hours, nobody came in and out of the bakery. William stood up and got closer again. Henry and Isabella laying on the floor. He took the bike the boy had arrived at the bakery with and returned to their bench. It was almost night.
"You little wait here now, I'll get you a little something". William entered the bakery and went upstairs. He entered the single room apartment. Looking around he found a photo of all three family members smiling. He took it and put it into his jacket. He packed all clothes and blankets he could find, along side with all kinds of edibles he found. He came back down and was surprised the boy hadn't run away.
"What's your name?". He sat back down next to him. "Vincent. Is my mom still there?", "No, sorry". William didn't know what to add to that. They waited until they found a large cart passing them by with a farmer leading it. William held the horses and switched a couple words with the farmer. Then he motioned the boy to take the bag and his bike on the cart.
William was sitting, leaning against the walls of the carts back. Vincent had covered himself in a few blankets and was sleeping. William couldn't sleep, every single little stone the wheels met, every single little sound, it all reminded him of when he was smelling corpses and still sleep whenever he had the chance to. He watched the night sky above before he also fell asleep. The moon looked pretty.