The Nightingale || John Egan

XVII

The morning of her mission, she had woken up back in the bed, Buck's arms over and under her, keeping her tightly to her chest and she had held the hope she had on top of her heart.
She did not know that morning what her upcoming mission would procure in her life, but she did know she mustn't worry.
But now that she loved and was loved by someone new, a different kind of fear sat on top of the hope, weighing it down.

Bucky had burried his face in her stomach as she stood and he sat down o the bed, her hands held his head as he looked up at her, his chin resting on her stomach.
"Iris" he managed to say, she leaned down to kiss his forehead and spoke "I'll be safe" she reassured him, and her words tried in their own to reassure her racing heart.
He stood up before she could leave and cupped her face before he kissed her kindly and delicately, filled with passion and love as if a lot of time would pass before he would see her again.

And only when she was long gone did he realize she had left her grandmother's pearls on the bedside table.
He glanced at them, and took them into his hands, the pearls cold compared to his warm hands, he sighed, something weighing down on his heart and put them aside, knowing there was no way they would be staying here.
He would keep them with him and give them to her when she came back.

She was on another plane, with a crew she knew quite a lot.
The plane she was one was on the lower level, where flaks hit first.
Luckily, she hadn't met any as she sat at the back of the plane, but still it shook violently. She didn't ask what was happening as she feared she might bother the pilots or the others who could hear her.
But she knew something was wrong as the plane shook aggressively even before flaks started coming up.
They were over France, and although not an enemy, enemy occupied most of its territory.
And, it wouldn't have been a good place to land in whether you bailed out or not.

And one thing she had on her mind was Bucky.
And the thought brought her a bittersweet feeling as despair replaced the hope on her heart. As if she felt sweet for the time with him but bitter for the time she wouldn't have with him.

She breathed through the mask she wore, a heavy jacket around her as her hand clutched tightly the rescue bag besides her.
She stared at the two bombardiers, whose hands clutched tightly the guns, their eyes heeding the the sky and down to what lay below.
She often heard one of the pilots, William or Ronald, speaking through the earpieces, asking whether or not things were doing good back here.
And through the violent shakes, she responded that all was fine.
There weren't any German fighters, but the flaks began and everyone could do nothing but hope they wouldn't hit their planes.

Because death was too early. For most.
But, at the same time, most hoped that death would welcome them in its embrace in difficult situations, but they knew that was no way of thinking.

And when something hit the plane violently she knew she was not going back home.

She felt a sense of anxiety expand in her chest, as she was ready to stand up.
And that was when she felt the plane lose control as Ronald spoke vee the earpiece "Bail out. Iris help everyone bail out, Anderson and I will follow."
"Roger" she said and stood up completely.
She immediately went to open the turret and found the young boy with eyes widened.
She reached at hand and helped him out as he went to grab a chute. The rest of the crew did the same and so did Iris as she waited for all to bail out before she did.
She watched them fall down, their chutes expanding as thankfully no one got hit. She let out a breath of relief and spoke over the earpiece "Everyone's out".
"Go Iris" she heard William over the earpiece.

She knew they would go down after her and that they weren't foolish enough to stay back.

So, she held onto her chute, looked down at the clouds beneath. Wind hitting her face.
She placed her hand over her heart, where the picture of George was placed and prayed to God all would be fine as there was nothing to place her feet on any longer.