A War Has Many Casualities

Chapter 5

The trip back to New York had been delayed for a few more days, which got a collective groan of annoyance from everyone. They all sat bored out of their mind in the tent in the early stages of evening, playing cards had become tiresome. A soldier entered the tent which caught the attention of everyone as they sat up from their uncomfortable beds. "Sargent Barnes?" he asked looking around the tent, he held an envelope in his hands. Bucky shot up from his bed, "Right here" he said with enthusiasm.

The soldier passed the envelope to Bucky who quickly looked at the envelope t was addressed to him, but the writing wasn't familiar, teared the envelope open to look at the piece of paper inside. The soldier exited the tent; they all looked at Bucky attentively. "Who's sending you letters?" asked Dum Dum. Steve looked at Bucky intrigued; he also got up from his bed and stood beside Bucky looking over his shoulder to see what the envelope contained.

Bucky's POV

The letter read,

Dear Mr Barnes

We deeply regret to inform you that Connie. Elizabeth Williams was killed on 18th October, 1943. A bomb hit the hospital where she was stationed and there were no survivors. Connie would often talk about you, about how happy she was with you and I quote "I would never leave my knight in shining armour". It is a tragedy that this war causes so many deaths, and we all hope for your well-being and all the others soldiers, Connie will be greatly missed and all our condolences to you and her family.

Matron, Jane. R. Robertson

The words kept rolling in my head, unable to process what I had just read. I've lost her, I thought. All I wanted to here was her voice and her laugh that could bring joy to anyone, to see her smile. But that would never happen; no matter how hard I tried nothing could bring Connie back. Tears rolled down my cheeks, my hands were shaking. Before I knew it, the letter was falling to the ground I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest.

I only stared at the fallen letter on the dusty ground. Silence rang around me, my body felt as if it had been frozen. It felt like a nightmare and I just wanted to wake up, I wanted to be in a world where Connie was there, no war, Steve and I were at home living our lives. But that dream was nowhere in sight, only this bleak, bloody world where men, women and children were dying around him and nothing he did fixed it.

Without realizing it my feet were moving out of the tent and they weren't stopping and I didn't intend to stop either. I wanted to escape this infinite darkness, but wherever I looked nothing changed. I jumped the fence and headed into the large forest filled with trees. I kept running faster and faster, until I was out of breath and my legs gave way. I fell face first into the dirt ground, my muscles were aching and tears streamed down my face.

I sat up slowly, and felt all the emotions that I had been keeping in rushing out of me in a scream of anguish. I wanted so badly to leave and never come back, but I didn't have the strength to do so. I felt a gust of cold wind hit my body; I sat against a large tree in a huddle, trying to keep warm. The tears had become cold on my cheeks and my body was numb as I tried to get warm. I couldn't move, I was isolated by my own emotions.

I heard large footsteps heading towards my direction; I didn't bother looking up to see who it was, my eyes were glued to the ground in front of me instead. I could see a familiar boots standing in front of me, the man crouched in front of me; I looked up at him, my brown eyes met his clear blue eyes. He gave me a sympathetic expression as he placed his hand on my shoulder; I looked at him with glassy eyes.

He sat more comfortably next to me resting his back on the tree. We sat shoulder to shoulder for a while silently. Soon the stars had come out and lit the sky as it began to fade into a darker shade of blue. "One day Steve, we will be flying in the sky" I said out of blue.

"Yeah, why would we be up there?" he asked

"Beats being down here, at least up there it is peaceful and calm whereas down here is chaotic and a mess" I answered

"True, but you would miss out on everything happening down here" Steve said

"Well that wouldn't entirely suck; there isn't a war in the sky"

I felt myself becoming colder as it became darker and darker, and I knew Steve noticed when he put his arm around my shoulder.

"Okay, I promise one day we will steal a plane and fly it into the sky and never come back down" Steve said

"Sounds like a plan" I said with a hint of a smile

"We should head back otherwise we will freeze" Steve said as he began to stand, but I didn't move, I starred at a patch of dirt on the ground. I felt a cold tear run down the side of my face.

"I miss her Steve" I said, I bit my lip as I felt more tears spill from my eyes. Steve moved his hand in front of me waiting for me take it.

I did and as I rose to my feet, I realized I had a cramp in my knee. "I'm so sorry Buck, for everything that has happened to you" Steve said as he wrapped his arms around me in an embrace. His body was warm which heated my body. He let go of me and put both of his arms on my shoulders and stared into my tired eyes.

"Buck, I will always be with you" he said with a small smile.

"Until the end of the line" I finished his sentence putting my hands on his shoulders.