I Never Told You What I Do For A Living | Bucky Barnes

4. Left For Dead

Chapter 4
Left For Dead

    It seemed like it was just a normal day at the one-oh-seventh. Wake up, shower, breakfast, and then wait for orders from the commanding officer, who happened to be Colonel Chester Phillips. But this was anything but an ordinary day. It was so far from it, that America was probably closer than ordinary.

    Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes was joking around with Dum Dum Dugan when he noticed the two officers walking towards the Colonel's tent. What stuck out most about the men, was that they weren't wearing the United States military uniforms, but British Army ones. From what he could remember, there weren't any Brits in the camp, only Americans.

    The soldiers knocked on the side of the tent, before entering at the command of Colonel Phillips. They didn't stay for very long and were leaving his tent after only about ten minutes. It couldn't be good new though, not if they were leaving after such a short time.

    "What do you think that was about?" He asked Dum Dum, sitting on one of the wooden crates and eating an apple, "It's the first British soldiers I've seen since being here."

    "Dunno." Dum Dum leaned against the same box Bucky was leaning on, "But it could be anything."

    Colonel Phillips didn't come out of his tented office for quite a while after the British soldiers visited him. Somebody else took over his morning briefing, telling them what their jobs for the day were. That meant that, whatever he was told... It was bad. Bad enough to make him delegate his jobs to somebody else, and that hadn't ever happened in all the months that they'd been stationed here.

    When he finally did emerge from his tent, his eyes were rimmed red, like he'd been crying, and he wasn't carrying himself how he usually did. Everybody was so used to him being this unflappable and unfazed person, it was almost weird, seeing him a little unkempt and trying not to show any emotion.

    "Barnes, my office." He turned round, and walked back into the tent that served as his makeshift office. Everybody in the camp knew it was bad if you got called to Phillips office, and so far, it had never happened to Bucky.

    "What you do, man?" Gabe walked up to them, having heard Phillips call Bucky to his office. Gabe was just as curious as the others who'd heard their Colonel call the Sergeant in for possible punishment.

    "How should I know?" He replied, sliding off the box he'd been perched on since the morning, and starting to walk towards where Phillips had disappeared, "But there's only one way to find out. Wish me luck."

    Out of respect for his superior, he knocked on the side of the tent before entering. Even though he'd been summoned, he still knew how he had to act. The army was all about routine and discipline. And he also didn't have a high enough Rank that he could just walk in.

    The desk was neatly organized. Papers were in a neat stack, the typewriter was in the middle of the table, and letters that had yet to be opened were placed on the hardwood with a letter opener next to them.

    "Take a seat, Barnes." Bucky did as he was told; sitting in the chair in front of the Colonel, who was holding a small piece of paper, "This was delivered to me today. I'm sorry."

    Bucky took the piece of paper that was being handed to him, dreading what it was going to say; especially with the way, his Colonel was looking at him, with pity in his eyes.

    Post Office Telegram

    Sergeant J B Barnes = 107th, Azzano, Italy.

    Deeply regret to inform you that your fiancée, Regina E Larson, Lieutenant, has been Missing In Action since March 11th, and presumed Killed on War Service. Letter follows shortly = Colonel Arnold.