Unfixable

Snapped

"Nines, another letter!" Nines looked up, still listening to the steady thud of Sixty's heart. It sounded good and strong. He'd be able to head back out to the front again within the day. Markus held out the envelope to him. It was different from usual. It seemed cleaner. Less crumpled. What's this? A courier stamp? Couriers wouldn't bring mail all the way to the front, but it had likely been delivered it to the nearest town. That meant it could have left England as little as three days ago. Nines took it with thanks and turned it over. He was unsurprised to find Chloe's neat writing. But why the added expense of a courier?

"Well? Go ahead and open it," Sixty encouraged with a grin as he shoved his shoulder. Nines nodded absently, suspicious of the contents. He doubted it could be anything good if it had been sent with such urgency. He sat on the edge of Sixty's bed, expression grave as he read Chloe's letter. His jaw tightened as he read it a second time. "What is it?" Sixty's grin dropped as he watched. He knew Nines well enough to know when something was wrong, and he'd clearly just gotten a dose of bad news. Nines steeled himself to answer. He wasn't one for showing emotion like this while on duty.

"Gavin's sick...He took a fall from his horse during a storm." Sixty's eyes widened at that. Falling from a horse wasn't always a big deal, but for Gavin? He'd already lost one leg. "He's fine, physically; just a sprained wrist and perhaps a cracked rib...The real problem is the fever. They believe he was unconscious in the rain for some time. He was delirious when Elijah found him, and has been sleeping since their return..." He couldn't help the creeping negative thoughts. What if he didn't wake up? A fever could be dangerous, especially when combined with other issues. His physical injuries. His fragile mental state.

"He's in a hospital, dummy. He'll be fine!" Sixty seemed a lot surer of that than Nines felt. If it wasn't that serious, Chloe wouldn't have couriered a letter all the way to the frontline. He sighed in resignation. There was nothing he could do, whatever the case. Sixty was right about one thing. Gavin was in a hospital. One of the best. There were nursing staff available around the clock, and he knew both Elijah and Chloe would do everything they could to see him through. I just wish I could be there..."Put in for emergency leave or some shit!" Nines huffed at the suggestion.

"We only just got back, and I've taken more leave than I'm owed already...Besides, it wouldn't be considered. It's not like Gavin and I are family or share any recognised affiliations." Sixty knew what he meant. He scowled at the thought. They'd been relatively lucky within their circles that people didn't care, didn't acknowledge it, or were too scared to open their mouths. Openly acknowledging it could start all kinds of shit. None of it good.

"Can't Elijah summon you again?" Nines' expression softened a little. He appreciated Sixty's suggestions, but there was really nothing to be done.

"I'm quite certain Elijah called in all his favours last time...Besides, with rumours of another assault coming and the lack of reinforcements, they can't afford to let able-bodied men leave." There probably wasn't anything that he could do there that the nurses weren't already doing. Nursing a fever wasn't the same as trying to rebuild Gavin's confidence and self-worth. So long as he ate, drank, and rested well, he should pull through. He couldn't say as much for his mental state, but hopefully the delirium would clear with the fever.

"The coming assault is even more reason for you to get out of here! I don't want my little brother getting killed, not on my watch!" Nines softened a little at Sixty's caution. They were close. All three of them. Sixty and Connor shared a somewhat unique bond as twins, but he knew they both doted on him as their younger brother. They'd always been overprotective. They'd been against him joining up in the first place, but conscription had started less than two months later, so they'd had no choice. Being part of the war effort wasn't a bad thing, of course, but he'd never been military minded. Luckily, with his medical knowledge, he'd been drafted for the medical corps. His job could be dangerous, but he was mostly out of the fighting.