A Soldiers Story: Ghosts of the battlefield

Chapter 10: Trauma

3rd Person POV

By the time Geist got back, it was already night. When he got back he opened the door more roughly than he wanted but kept it from bashing against the wall. He still made a lot of noise.

Angel shot up from the bed and grabbed her pistol she put on the nightstand earlier and pointed it at the door, upon seeing Geist she lowered it and exhaled, "Jesus Christ, you scared me!"

Geist: „Sorry. I didn't mean to." he plainly said and went over to the couch.

Angel: "Why are you back so late?"

Geist: „I lost track of time." he replied in the same tone as before.

Angel: "Thinking about your girlfriend were you?" She said with a sly smile.

Geist: „Don't call her that." he shot back sharply, quickly turning towards her and clearly not in the mood to joke around

Angel: "Okay, sorry. Why are you so defensive over her?"

Geist: „I am not 'defensive'. Just getting facts straight."

Angel: "Whatever mate."

Geist let out a deep growl as he took off his jacket, throwing it on a chair next to the coffee table.

Angel: "Don't get aggressive towards me, mate." She said sharply. "No wonder we broke up."

Geist: „We broke up because we couldn't keep up a long-distance relationship, as far as I know."

Angel: "That was part I guess. But let's not talk about it."

Geist: „Fine by me." he said sitting down on the couch.

Angel: "But you and Aria would make a good couple." She smirked.

Geist stayed silent, looking down.

Angel: "Anyway, get some sleep. We will get her back soon"

Geist: „Good idea." he said and laid down on the couch. He pulled his blanket over him, but couldn't sleep. He stared up at the ceiling as he thought about it over and over always ending up at the same thought.

Angel: "You okay there?" She said looking across the room at Geist, she could tell something was disturbing him.

Geist: „Yes I am. A bit cold, maybe, but I can manage."

Angel: "Cold? You want to share the bed?" She asked out of kindness.

Geist: „But you remember what we said after you got here." he said as he got up and walked over.

Angel: "Don't worry, I met someone a few months ago." She said with a smile.

Geist: „Didn't you say you were still single, while we were taking a walk in the forest?"

Angel: "Well, I said that as I thought it would be awkward to talk about my new relationship"

Geist: „Touché." he said and got onto the bed.

Angel: "That a bit warmer?"

Geist: „Yes, it is." he said and rolled over away from Angel. „Thanks."

Angel smiled then started texting someone, she was smiling while she was. Geist didn't close his eyes, now not only because of the constant thinking but now also because of Angels typing. She mouthed the words 'I love you' to the camera before turning the phone off and putting it on the nightstand.

Geist was relieved that she was finally done, but the downside to it was that he now got back to thinking again.

After a bit of even more thinking about the same thing with the same results, Geist stood up and got his phone and earphones out of his jacket. He put on some music and went back to bed.

After some minutes and a couple of songs later Geist finally managed to fall asleep.

Geist POV/Café Dostojevski

I rushed down the red stairs being drawn back to the objective by gunfire and explosions. Once I got down everything was silent again.

I rushed through the door and saw Maestro. He was kneeling on the floor. In his arms I could see Alibi, her eyes closed and blood dripping from the side of her mouth.

I stood completely still as Maestro stood up and turned around. Now I realized that he had been sobbing the whole time and tears still went down his face. He looked at me with pure rage as he drew his revolver.

„THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" he yelled pointing his gun at me.

I managed to do one step back before I froze completely. My body wouldn't move no matter how hard I tried.

He walked towards me, gun still aimed at my head.

„And you'll pay for it." he said slowly pulling back the trigger.

The bang of the shot quickly filled the whole room and my ears before it completely cut out in the middle of it.

3rd person POV / Dorm

Geist quickly shot up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily and fast. This caused Angel to wake up as well.

Angel: "Richard? Richard are you okay?!"

Geist stayed silent, rather trying to get his breathing under control. Angel pulled him into a comforting hug and started to talk to him in a soothing way.

Angel: "It's okay, whatever dream you had, it wasn't real."

Geist: „I know..." he said first taking a deep breath and then trying to match Angels breathing, he felt through the hug.

Angel kept hugging him then slowly released the hug and looked at his face trying to make eye contact, "Want to tell me about it?"

At first, he looked away, visibly debating with himself if he should.

Angel: "You can talk to me, after all the stuff we went through with that spec ops shit, you can tell me anything"

Geist sighed and then looked at her. „I was back in Dostojevski, on the top floor. I ran down the stairs that lead directly to the objective. Once I got down I found Maestro kneeling on the floor... and he held Aria in his arms... When he noticed me he stood up and pointed his revolver at me. I woke up... when he pulled the trigger."

Angel: "I don't know what to say, sounds traumatic. But Richard, listen to me. That is not going to happen, we will save Aria and bring her back. Once that's done I will be relieved from Rainbow."

He sighed and hugged Angel again. „Thanks..." he said.

Angel: "No problem. But let's get some sleep"

Geist: „Sure..."

Angel pushed him back down on the bed and cuddled him to make sure he stayed calm throughout the night and also to keep him from moving too much if he had another nightmare.

Geist pulled her closer and got clearly calmer over time, as his breathing and heartbeat began to match hers. Angel secretly smiled at this tighter embrace.

Geist was the first to fall asleep. Angel purposely fell asleep after Geist to make sure he was okay.

After he fell asleep Geist kept a tight embrace around Angel and stayed calm for the rest of the night.