Friendly Fire

Lieutenant Willow's POV - (5) The Aftermath

The minute my feet planted on the ground, I ran straight into my barracks and slammed the door closed behind me. I threw my helmet on the ground and watched it bounce a couple of inches off the ground before rolling under my bed. Next to be thrown off my body were my weapons. My daggers ended up sticking out of the wall like darts on the oak wood walls. My gun, however, just clattered to my feet, and I soon followed as my knees faltered and sent me to the ground.

Tears rolled down my rosy cheeks. Private Bane. My sister-in-arms. My friend. Dead. Dead, all because we cowered. We all left her behind. I should've been at her side to make sure she got out safely. If only I carried more magazines. If only I was more careful and precise about my shots. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have run out of ammo and been able to fight beside her. But no. The smoke swallowed her up, and all that I could hear were gunshots.

She's dead. She's dead. She's dead!

The room suddenly felt suffocating, and before I knew it, I was now on my hands and knees as I continued to cry. My breath became short and fast. At some moments, I could've sworn I held it for what felt like hours as the walls came closing in on me. Even the ground beneath me started to rise closer to the ceiling.

My head swirled back to my door, where I saw Lieutenant Davis drag Private Riley. He quickly let Private Riley go and fumble to his knees beside me. His warm arms embraced me, and the walls started to back away, allowing me more room to move and breathe again.

"Lily... look at me, you need to breathe. In 1... 2... 3... and out 1... 2... 3..."

Lily... I haven't heard my first name in a while since here within the military everyone is addressed by their last name. My first name hasn't been used to address me for a good long 8 years now. Regardless, I still listened to his voice and followed his guidance. My chest rises and falls steadily after each inhale. Once my mind was clear again, I quickly wrapped my arms around him back and looked softly up at Private Riley who seemed to be leaning up against the corner of the room, smoking one of his cigarettes again. I know he's doing it as an escape. We all need to escape our minds. Yet. Lieutenant Davis seems to be the only person in check.

"Th-thank you... I'm okay..."

I tried to reassure him, but we both knew I was lying about how I felt. But what else can I do? Nothing. Sure, I have lost comrades before, but none who I had a great connection with. The six of us were family at this point. Only five of us made it back.

"We can't sit here and sulk... and Private Riley. Put that thing out before Colonel Hitchen catches you smoking in the barracks again." Lieutenant Davis protested.

"Give us a break. We just lost Private Bane. There is nothing we can do to change the past unless we have a time machine. Extraction isn't an option either. She'd be dead before we loaded up the transport again if she already isn't."

He drew a long breath from the cigarette before throwing his head back to release a big cloud of smoke that escaped through his mouth and nose. He is right, though. And I hate it.

"Then... let her death not be in vain. We will stop this rebellion in Private Rin Bane's name. After this feud is over then we can settle down and grieve. I'm sure Colonel Hitchen and Sergeant Collins are planning for us to go out there again. That will be our chance to get revenge."

I could hear Private Riley growl at Lieutenant Davis' words.

"And what the fuck do you expect to do in the meantime?! Sit around all day and wait to be dispatched to another suicide mission?! Who are we going to lose next?! You? Me? Lieutenant Willow? Our Colonel or Sergeant?"

Tears rush back to my eyes as I think of losing another one of our members. I withdrew my arms from Lieutenant Davis and hugged myself instead as that fear... that... panic rushed to my head again.