To Be Loved // Masters of the Air

9: Small Grazes

 Nobody knew that the recent mission would end up with more casualties than expected. Aircrafts had their engines corrupted and blown up into flames with barely enough time left to get back to the base. A single plane had gotten shot down, losing a crew full of men. Not to mention multiple wounded, including yourself. Every time men were lost, it was like the world stilled for a second. As if time had stopped before ticking on again.

Capt. John Brady, the pilot who you gunned for pulled you aside once you'd gotten out of his plane, pushing your way through the latch and settling down onto the runway. He slung an arm around your shoulder as he brought you close to him. You were out of it, your eyes adjusting to everything in front of you. Not seeing how Cleven and Egan had gotten closer with each step in tow behind the other.

The slight tilt of Brady's head made you realize the two had now stood in your way, their eyes immediately scanning for any other visible injuries besides the one currently near your eye.

"She'll need stitches above her left eye but no permanent damage to her cornea itself. When we were surveilling in the sky, a German aircraft had made itself known out of nowhere. Thankfully she was able to gun them down and blew their engines to bits but not without an injury to take back home. She needs to go to an aid-station to get it patched up."

When Brady finished the story about your graze on the skin above your eye, you took the chance to scoff. It's not like you were dying. You'd merely gotten a gash that was caused by a bullet grazing across your helmet, that just so happened to puncture the skin.

"I'll go to the aid-station by myself. It's just a cut anyways."

It wasn't needed for anyone to come and join you, watching to see you get patched up when it hadn't really affected you one bit. But with a hand that made its way around your left one to grasp it, you knew you weren't getting out of this situation by yourself without the pair of men you'd been with for the past few weeks accompanying you along.

"No, you won't." They'd instantly shot down the idea of you heading there alone in the first place. You might not have needed someone to go with, but one always needed to have emotional support close by. And you had little to no energy to fight them on this, even if it was the stupidest thing yet.

"Okay," With a plain mumble towards the both of them, their concerned expressions were met with your exhausted one. Just wanting to plop onto the grass and take a nap.

Neither of them had taken their eyes off of you when all three of you had walked towards the aid-station, not even to look up in case you might bump into someone. Deep down, they knew they'd been overreacting. Should've just been happy that you'd only gotten this graze on the side next to your eye and nothing more than that.

You eventually made it to the aid-station, heading through the tent flaps as Egan held them open for you. One of the nurses of many that had been occupying the space pointed for you to come forward and for the other two to stay at the entrance. But they could come inside if they really wanted to.

With a nod of agreement, both had stepped inside as they watched the nurse scramble through her equipment to figure out what she needed, taking a closer look at your injury. Taking out bandages, needle and stitches, and a bacteria cleaner to wipe away the wound from getting infected, you muttered out a thank you.

"No problem whatsoever Private. Just make sure to stay still for me, this may hurt a little bit."

Her words were kind as she spoke them to you in a soft well-mannered way, bringing the alcohol wipe to the cut near your eye before continuing with the stitches. A hiss leaves your lips as the alcohol makes contact with the wound. "It'll sting for now, but just bear with me and I promise it'll be over before you even know it."

When she finishes cleaning the cut to take care off any unnecessary bacteria, she moves to the metal table next to her, taking the needle and thread. All you could do was look ahead as she began working on your eye, stitching and weaving through the skin. You'd taken a closer look at her and realized she'd only been in her mid-twenties, close to your age.

As simple as it could have been, she clapped her hands together to look at what she'd finished.
"See! Easy peasy. I'd suggest placing a bandage on it so the stitching doesn't come undone and so it won't be as noticeable once it comes off later on. If you care about that?"

"A bandage would be perfect, thank you again." 

With a toothy grin and a dip of her head, she steps aside after she places the bandage on, admiring her work once more. "No problem, sweets. Make sure no reckless activities for a couple of days that might make the wound become irritated. That way you're not getting injured further than you already have."

It was more of an order as she told you this, and you politely nodded as you stepped aside as well before heading back towards where the guys had been talking.

"Ready to head back?"

~

Walking aimlessly through the base after leaving the aid-station, you'd held a conversation with the two, thinking about heading towards the barracks after. You'd all still been in conversation which turned into what your plans were for the weekend ahead as you turned in their direction, meeting their gaze.

"I may not be able to do many exciting things for the next few days, per nurse's orders, but I'm sure as hell going to use one of my weekend passes I've been saving."

That part about using one of your weekend passes caught Cleven's attention as his head perked up, turning over towards you. 

"Does this mean that we'll be getting to spend a whole weekend together?" A big, dumb smile couldn't help but make its way onto his face and it made your heart stop before realizing what you'd planned for them both.

"Well actually.." You trail off to let yourself come up with a quick excuse, sweat-dropping as you stop in your tracks.

"I'm heading over to London because of the pass extension I have. I'll be meeting with someone who's going to take the train down with me tomorrow morning, but I'm sure you two could meet me Friday morning at one of hotel's."

A white lie. What you actually had planned was something more than just going to London. You'd hope this moment you planned wouldn't necessarily disobey the nurse's orders, yet the more you thought about it the more you cringed internally. The idea you had would definitely break a few rules.

Nonetheless you'd specifically picked out this moment to go and you didn't want to waste a weekend pass, wanting to take Biddick along for the train ride. You kept thinking the idea you master minded in your head was brilliant, but clearly not thinking it through as smartly as you could've. You kept shoving those thoughts off to the side though.

Looking deflated, Cleven only nods as Egan narrows his eyes. You were acting a bit strange and by how well they've known you, they could tell from a mile away.

"Who's joining you in London?" With the question being asked by none other than Egan himself, you tried to keep a poker face not knowing if it played off or not.

"Just one of the Nurses from the aid-station I met when I first joined the Air Force."

Falling quiet, Egan only raised his eyebrows with an amused expression. Neither wanted to think too much into it, especially if their suspicions about what you'd be doing and who you'd be with were wrong. The two did wouldn't jump into conclusions and regret saying something dumb that'd make them look like complete assholes.

Though, with the way you're acting about the whole weekend and the way you're trying to sugar coat it, they're sure that you'll be with Crosby or Biddick tomorrow.

Yet they shoved those thoughts down, telling you to enjoy your day with your friend before they agreed to meet you in London Friday morning with a quick kiss to your cheek from each of them. Letting you nap for the rest of the evening. It would definitely be one hectic day.