On a Wing and a Prayer

Airman Down

As Gale approached the officer's hut, his mind reeled trying to come up with the best way to tell John. He was barely keeping it together, and he knew the second he told Bucky, all bets were off. Anything could happen.

But how was he supposed to react to news like this?

Stopping outside the door, Buck took a deep breath and blinked away the tears stinging his eyes. He had to be strong.

Gale opened the door slowly and the sound of Johnny's loud cackling filled the air. He was lying on his bed, his nose in his book as the rest of the men talked quietly around the room. Noticing him enter, Johnny sat up against the wall, grinning from ear to ear.

"Buck," he started, holding up his book. "Who would've thought something named 'The Odor of Violets' would be even better than Guys and Dolls? I didn't think that was possible."

Gale's eyes were glued to the floor as he placed his hands on his hips and spoke lowly. "Could I have a minute with Bucky?"

The rest of the officers shared confused glances, but soon exited the hut, leaving the best friends alone. Johnny placed the book on his nightstand and stood to his feet with furrowed brows, watching everyone walk by his bed and out the door.

"Buck, what is it?" he asked skeptically, slowly approaching Gale.

Gale's eyes finally rose from the floor to meet his. "It's Ruth, John."

A small smile appeared on his face at the mention of the woman, but it quickly faded when he noticed Buck's slightly reddened eyes. "What about her?"

"We just got word that...," Buck paused, swallowing thickly against the emotion that threatened to close his throat. "That, uh, the Angel is missing."

Bucky stared at his friend for a few moments, blinking slowly. "What?" he whispered, his deep voice strained.

"We don't know any details...just that they didn't make it to England."

Mirroring Buck's stance, John's lips pulled tightly together as he tried to keep his composure despite nausea rising in his throat. "When?" he asked, taking a deep breath.

"Yesterday."

The older man's eyes flicked around the room, his racing mind trying to come up with something, anything, to explain why the nurses failed to land at the Grove. He thought of every possible scenario, but only a single explanation involved them being alive, being safe, and John clung to it.

He refused to believe anything different.

"They could've stopped to refuel, right?" Bucky nodded quickly, his worried eyes meeting Gale's, who could tell he was trying to convince himself more than anything. "That's why they stopped here the first time, remember?"

John moved his hands from his hips and paced around the hut. "What if they don't have a radio or had to go radio-silent? They might be-"

"John," Gale whispered, his already heavy heart sinking as he watched Johnny try and keep it together. "They're not refueling."

Bucky's movements came to a halt with his back facing Gale, and Buck had to fight with everything he had not to let the tears begin to flow down his cheeks.

"Then there's another reason!" Egan exploded, his throat constricting and causing his voice to crack as it echoed inside the small metal hut. "There has to be!"

"There isn't."

He shook his head and spun around to face Buck. "No. I won't believe it. They can't...W-where's Hugh?"