Far away // Unbroken

13. Callus

D E J A

"You boys can sleep here." A man by the name of Clift directed us, "You two over there." He said in is Australian accent, Louie and I walked over to the benches along the wall..

"This is the end, mates." He sighed as we sat down on the hard benches.

"No one knows your here. It's best if you just resign to your fate." Clift said as Louie caught his breath.

I laid my braid on my back before wiping my face.

I looked up at Louie to see him closing his eyes as he sat there.

"Louie." I breathed, under my breath so just he could hear me.

He looked over at me, "I love you. I haven't said it as many times as I should have. But, I do. My dad used to tell me that I should tell the people I care about how much they mean to me because it could be too late at any moment." I spoke quickly but quietly.

"And too late could be tomorrow, it could be 20 minutes from now for all I know. I just-- I just wanted to let you now that I think I've loved you since the first time I saw you.. I think I was eleven." I said as I sniffled before looking up at him.

"I've loved you since the first day of 5th grade, when you walked into class. You never saw me because I was always in the back, or in detention." He smiled although we were both on the brink of tears.

"That day that I stole from your parents store, I was trying to steal a necklace for you." He admitted and I smiled, "It's still in my room, back home. When we get home, I want you to wear it one our wedding day." He spoke and I smiled as a tear ran down my cheek.

"I can't wait." I smiled and he kissed my forehead, I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to contain my emotions.

We both knew that we would die in this camp, but neither of us could actually word it.

--

After walking for days on end, caring basket after basket of coal that broke my back, I was covered in head to toe in coal.

Even my blonde hair in its braid was so dark you could barely see any blonde.

I haven't seen Louie up close for a long while, although I did see someone tumble off a stairway and hit the ground with a thud, he died instantly.

But it wasn't Louie, I only know this because I was working with him, Fitzgerald, Tinker and Miller now.

All of us shoveling coal in the same spot.

Watanabe commanded us to stop and we all did so, weakly holding our shovels as we all turned towards him.

I looked over at Louie who stood not even five feet from me, he looked at me worriedly.

"Your president Roosevelt is dead." Watanabe announced.

I exhaled shakily, Tinker fell to his knees, sobbing as he covered his face.

And there it went, the last sliver of hope we had, was gone.

--

I had my basket emptied before I walked across the cement grounds, I heard men shouting and I looked up to see someone tipping off the ramp way towards the boat where we loaded all the coal.

I covered my mouth as he fell, he shouted in pain before I dropped my basket and went as quickly as I could to him.

"Hey, hey, don't move, okay?" I spoke to Louie as I got on my knees.

"My ankle, I think I broke it." He groaned.

There was not bone penetrating the skin, luckily. But he definitely messed it up.

I grabbed his hand and he held it tightly as I helped him up, I looked over at Watanabe to see him watching us but he didn't care so much that I abandon my basket to tend to Louie.

He nearly fell over but I caught him, his bare torso leaning on me.

I helped him unload his basket before it was quitting time anyways.

I put my basket away and then caught up to Louie, I put his arm around my shoulders to keep him from hitting the ground.

Once we were in our barracks and on the bench, I had Louie lay down while all the men laid on the ground, because that's where everyone slept.

I breathed deeply as I used my callused hands to roll up one of his pant legs.

Just so I could wrap his ankle.

I unbuttoned my outer shirt and took off the white-- well, black t-shirt that was under my uniform.

I didn't care about the men staring at my almost bare back, other than my bra, I was topless.

I put my outer shirt back on and didn't even bother to button it as I started ripping my shirt up.

I wrapped Louie's foot and ankle tightly, just to help with somewhat of the pain.

I fixed his pant leg after putting his boot back on his foot.

I moved to where his head was and kneeled on the ground so I was close to his head.

I brushed his soft, dark hair back, trying to soothe him.

He looked over at me, his face dark but his pretty eyes still blue as the ocean we sailed on.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you that day." He whispered as held onto my wrist.

"I'm sorry I could protect you." I spoke quietly.