The Golden Soldier (Call of Duty: WW2 Fanfiction)

Chapter 32

"I have to help him!"
"You need to stay where you are and recover," Pierson ordered, his voice deep and rough like the situation the platoon was currently in.
"Pierson!" I snapped at him and his dark eyes found my teary ones. "He needs help!"
His eyes flickered over to the Lieutenant and he slowly dipped his head. Returning to firing back at the Germans, Pierson ignored whatever else I decided to do.
I managed to gain a sense of my directions-left was further down the hill, right was back towards death-as I scuffled over towards Turner. He was sitting up against the same tree, heaving as he held his gushing leg, and not even attempting to fight.
"Turner!" my voice was scratchy as I choked on the dryness of my throat.
My hands landed on his wound, attempting to stop the blood as I found a tourniquet. He winced as I dizzily tied his upper leg off, slowing blood flow. My hands released the wound as I tried to wipe up the blood, a puddle forming at my knees.
"It's no use," he heaved, his voice drenched in pain.
"The fuck it is!" I bellowed, my chest tightening. "You're getting out of this sir. Daniels!" The man looked my way. "Help me with him!"
We lifted Turner together, rushing further down the hill as Pierson, Stiles, and Zussman covered us. It was only ten feet further when we had to take cover once more; fire came from not only the front but the right. Pierson let out a curse and then furiously shot at the Nazis to our right.
"Hang in there," I begged Turner.
"Ava..."
I frantically blotted at the wound, spilling my med kit everywhere. "Shit."
"Ava."
I lifted morphine in the air, trying to squeeze the jammed cap off. "Come on, come on!"
"Avaline," his hand came to rest on my knee.
I gave up on the morphine, looking straight into Turner's teary eyes. He squeezed my knee and I clutched his hand, my eyes watering. Something in my chest twinged with guilt.
"This is all my fault."
"It isn't," Turner whispered. "You...prolonged the inevitable."
I shook my head. "Inevitable of you dying? I told you, you're getting out of this alive dammit!"
"No," Turner painfully shook his head. "It's too deep. I'll bleed out before we get anywhere."
"Turner," I glared at him more determinedly, "it's going to be all right."
"No Avaline. We both know it's not."
My heart dropped in my chest, cracking at the shell. I swallowed and opened my mouth, closing it again. I panted as I shook my head in refusal. There was no way I was going to believe him.
"Come on," I tried to get him up.
Turner fell limp against me. "Let it...happen Avaline."
I released him, raising my gaze to meet Daniels' pained gaze. His eyes were welled with tears that refused to escape. Mine, on the other hand, were already streaming down. I let out a shaky breath.
"You need to go," Turner raised his voice, gaining the attention of the other boys, "all of you."
"What?" I spat, touching his thigh. "No!"
"You gotta them outta here," Turner's panting became more sudden, his voice more panicked, as he looked to Pierson.
"I'm not leaving you here!" I shouted, grabbing his face.
"No, we can still make it," Pierson agreed, his voice solid as always.
"Y-You have to retreat," Turner fiddled with his gun and Pierson snatched it away from him.
"We aren't leaving you here," I hissed, shaking my head. "No way in hell."
"Get me up and I'll hold them off," Turner ordered, making Pierson glance out to where the Germans were pressing on our position, shooting other platoon members.
I shook my head, a whisper escaping my lips. "No."
"You have to go!" Turner shouted at Pierson. "Go! Now!"
Pierson stared into Turner's fierce eyes, his voice shaky. "It was an honor."
He handed the weapon back to Turner's muddy hands and I looked at the Sergeant like he'd made the worst possible decision of his life. Turner couldn't be left here. He didn't deserve to die like this...he didn't deserve to die at all.
"No sacrifice too great," Turner struggled to say more words, blooding pouring from the corner of his mouth. "Go."
I shook my head multiple times, mouth gaping as tears fell down my muddy cheeks. "No, I won't! Turner, stay with us. Please."
Pierson's pained gaze hardened and he let out a loud: "Fall back!"
I grabbed onto Turner, glaring into his eyes as I cried my damn eyes out. "TURNER!"
"You keep wearing that red number well," Turner managed to squeeze my hand as he clutched his rifle and moved to stand. "Just remember your promise."
"Grab her," Pierson ordered a soldier. "Move, move!"
I let out a scream as someone's stronger arms trapped me, dragging me away from Turner. "No! Please! I can save him! NO!"
"Come on Ava," Zussman sounded like he was sobbing as he endured my wiggling struggle of elbows and leg kicking. "We have to go!"
"No!" I shouted, my throat burning from the loudness of my voice. "We can't just leave him here!"
Turner stood, raising his rifle to shoot blindly at the enemies advancing. There was a loud thwap and then Turner flung down to his knees, another bullet in his body. I struggled against Zuss as we moved backwards, watching Turner glance to us.
His eyes held fear, held pride...held peacefulness. He looked back to the Germans about to kill him and then back to us once more. Tears welled in his eyes between the pain and relief he was experiencing. I let out another, soundless scream as he was shot a second time.
Turner was dead before his helmet hit the muddy ground, his glossy open eyes on us. I screamed into Zussman so loudly I swore my eardrums, my voice box, everything would burst. Everything exploded in my chest like a firework, breaking down every hardened piece to my very soul. I felt like puking.
My head spun worse than the first time, completely disorientating my senses. I clutched onto Zussman like it was the last thing I would ever do in my life. It was then I noticed more than just the pain inside from Turner's sacrifice. I felt a searing hotness through my right wrist, an ache in my temple.
Everything became so much more heightened. I suddenly felt the wetness in my boots, my damp socks. I noticed a lot of my bun had fallen apart, leaving long strands of my hair to stick to my face. My muscles ached, my legs were numb, my nose tingled, my fingers were cramping.
Then there was nothing.
I felt empty. There was no light or cheery attitude anywhere in my entire being. No smile, no laugh. There wasn't even a damn smirk. I felt like death itself had caved in on me. It was attempting to suffocate and choke me out.
"Come on," Zussman spoke supporting words in my ear as we jogged next to each other, his arms around me.
I barely heard any of it.
Ahead Pierson was leading the platoon to safety, back to a place of retreat. I should've clarified...it was his platoon now. It was his decisions and his power we now had to follow.
And he knew nothing Turner had about me. He would ship me off, send me far from the dangers of war. Or maybe he would place me behind the front lines as a nurse or kitchen maid. Yes, he'd like that. It would make him feel very good about himself.
The thought made a sour taste in my mouth form. I would've rather turned around and gone straight into the bullets of the enemy. It would end everything quickly, perhaps get me home.
Just remember your promise.
I had to. I had to always remember my promise to Turner. Never would I try and purposely get myself killed or hurt to the point of death. I had to fight to find a way home, not use cowardice.
I would follow and respect that promise no matter what, because it was my fault he was dead. I was the one who'd shot him through the damn thigh and caused him to bleed out. It was my fucking fault.
Everyone was going to hate me. I looked around at the boys, imagining their glares surrounding me at camp. Aiello would be the most pissed, or at least the most intimidating. No, Daniels would be the most upset. Zussman and Stiles would simply ignore my presence. And Pierson, oh, he would make sure I never lived it down. He would make a miserable piece of hell out of my life.
All of my thoughts hammered me at once, causing me to grow weary. Zussman's arms flexed around my waist, squeezing and then slightly shaking as we took cover for a fifth time now. I felt blind by everything, merely seeing his face enter my field of vision.
"Ava?" he shook me. "Ava, you have to stay with me!"
I opened my mouth to reply and only imagined blood coating my tongue and teeth. It was what Turner had done before he'd passed and I was sure many others had too. Was it my turn or was I imagining the hot liquid pour down my chin?
They're tears you dumbass. You're still crying.
"Ava," Zuss' voice was drowned out and lengthened into a long call.
Then the moment I'd been waiting for came and everything went black around me.

--•--•--•--

Don't hate me for following the campaign...I love Turner so much, it hurt me too. But it had to happen my readers.
Sorry it's short. Not every chapter can be lengthy unfortunately.
Doing a double update because last week was missed ❤️
Song: Remembrance by Tommee Profitt (ft. Fleurie)
~MS~