Ad Astra Per Aspera [2] - Band of Brothers

2 | true friendship

" Be grateful for the wound that pushes you towards God."

- Unknown

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Hazel shifted a bit, and immediately let out a grimace at her side, at the pain that masked her again, but it was centered to that one area now. Hazel went to sit up but suddenly stopped at the feeling of a cot beneath her, and a blanket, an ounce of missed warmth. 

Then there was a hand on her shoulder forcing her to lie back down. Hazel looked over and saw a nurse sitting by her side, in the darkness of the night, her eyes tired, with dark rings around them, looking right at her. 

Hazel's first instinct was to cry. 

Where was she?

" You're awake," the nurse said, turning to grab something from the ground and offer it to her. It was water from a canteen. Hazel laid still as the nurse gently brought it to Hazel's lips for her to sip from. Hazel sat with tired, pained eyes as she let herself swallow the liquid and then stare up at the roof of the medical tent.

" What happened?" Hazel whispered, her voice shaking.

" From the information I gathered from your company medics, they said you took a hit from the mortars and got shrapnel in your side. We removed it and we've sterilized you and cleaned you up." the nurse explained to her as Hazel looked towards her.

" When can I go back to the line?" Hazel asked her and the nurse smiled sadly.

" You're still severely wounded at the moment," the nurse said, " you can't go back to the line anytime soon." Hazel stared at her and her mind spiraled in fear as she then looked around. 

The company. 

What were they thinking? 

She hoped they didn't think she was dead, when she was very much alive and kicking. She thought of Catherine and Lizzie first, almost automatically. 

What were the two of them thinking? She thought of Joe and her heart tore from her chest, as she bit back her lip and shut her eyes. Then she thought of Shifty, George, Tab, Johnny, Lip, everyone. She thought of everyone still there. Her heart ached. 

" It hurts," Hazel whispered softly, meeting the nurse's eyes again. The nurse's warm smile fell.

" You'll need pain meds daily until you start getting better, let me grab those for you." the nurse said slowly standing and hurrying away. Hazel stared at the ceiling, her heart rate picking up. 

Then she heard it, the explosions, racking around in her brain and she squeezed her eyes shut. It was like a move scene playing out. She could envision the mortars going off around her, the way the trees exploded, caught in the crossfire of the shellings tour branches limb from limb. She remember the feeling of the shrapnel lodging into her side and her eyes shot open like a bullet. She was breathing heavy, her heart racing, her side aching.