Sergeant Higgins/ Iron Man Lovestory

A life-changing incident

Sergeant Lenna Higgins had served in the army for almost six years. She was a trained sniper but after becoming a Sergeant focused more on leading missions, since she was a natural at ordering people around. She had saved countless lives and taken almost the same amount of them. Lenna could have been considered a national hero but she herself didn't feel like one. A seemingly simple mission turned her life around.

Lenna had taken out the hostile base in Afghanistan and was now returning with her partner Sam Wilson and a small group of men to the jet back to the base. "That move was awesome, Sarge! How did you do it?" Wilson asked. "Well, you know that incident back in the base? I was the the one, who planned it and now I used the same strategy here." Lenna boasted with a cocky tone in her voice. "That was you! You are behind the creating of Captain Smurf? I can't believe it, Higgins." Wilson laughed. "You know he-" Lenna started but she was cut off by gun fire. Lenna pulled Wilson down behind a small hill. "Contact on left!" Lenna shouted over the shooting. "Cover me!" Wilson yelled out and ran across the field to a broken wall. Lenna started shooting and covered three other men, not missing once with her great aim and personalised rifle.

"Roberts is down. Cover me!" Lenna yelled while pulling the man up. She dragged him over the field and handed him over to Wilson. "I'll go after Nelson." Lenna nodded before running back.

"I got you, Nelson. Let's go!" Lenna yelled when she found him leaning against the hillside. "I can't. My leg." Nelson mumbled. "Yes, you can. I'll carry you." Lenna nodded while leaning over him. And then she saw something familiar flaying past her head.

Wilson had taken care off Roberts and was ready to cover for Lenna and Nelson but an explosion was all he saw when he turned towards them. "Higgins!!!" Wilson yelled desperately and ran while shooting at the enemy. He found Lenna laying on her back staring up at the night sky. Her eyes darted around and were filled with complete shock while she blinked to get the dust out of her eyes. "Higgins, hey! Look at me! Focus on me!" Wilson shouted at her face. "Jones, Miller. Take Nelson!" he shouted to the others.

Lenna stared at the man's face but her ears were ringing and she didn't make out anything that Wilson was saying. "Your eyebrows burned off..." she chuckled but her lungs felt like they were burning and she started coughing. She was used to cover her weakness with jokes and sarcasm. Wilson wiped his face and smiled a bit while trying to check her injuries. He gasped when he got to her legs. "What?" Lenna asked after seeing the change in Wilson's face. "Don't look down. Look at my face. Focus on my dashing eyes." Wilson shouted.

Lenna didn't obey him and looked down at her legs. The sight was shocking and she closed her eyes while laying back. Wilson contacted the medical team while he put pressure on her more fatal wounds. Lenna opened her eyes to read the truth from Wilson's eyes. They were hopeful but still full of fear and panic.

"How's Nelson?" Lenna asked. "He'll survive." Wilson nodded after checking the man laying next to Lenna.

"What about Roberts?"

Wilson had feared that question. "He is... Um... Thompson will take care of him." he mumbled out. "Wilson... I want truth. That's an order." Lenna frowned.

"He didn't make it."

Lenna closed her eyes. She felt like she had let him down. "I should have done better." Lenna sighed. "You did your best. Now lets focus on you."

Minutes felt like hours to Lenna but finally the medical team arrived and took her with them, rushing her to the closest field hospital.

---

"Mm... Where am I?" Lenna asked while waking up. "You are at the hospital, Sergeant Higgins." a doctor said. "Is it bad?" Lenna asked remembering what she had seen before. The doctor was quiet and after a moment Lenna let out a chuckle to cover her pain and said: "So bad, huh."

"We had to amputate your left leg from waist down and we still don't know what might have happened to the rest of your body." the doctor finally said. "How are the others?"

"Nelson is in coma. Roberts died on the spot." the doctor said remorsefully. "Send Wilson in." Lenna ordered and the doctor nodded before leaving.

"You can not do it again, Higgins! You are the death of me!" Wilson acted mad when he entered. "Good to see you too." Lenna smiled. "How are you doing?" Wilson asked and sat next to her. "Could be better." Lenna chuckled, her chest still aching. "Same. Have you seen... it?" Wilson asked trying to lift the edge of Lenna's blanket but she slapped his hand away saying: "Take me to dinner first. But no I haven't." Wilson grinned and nodded. "Lets have a look then." Wilson offered eagerly and took a hold of the blanket again but waited for Lenna's permission. Lenna sighed and nodded.

Wilson lifted the blanket slightly and said surprised: "That doesn't look that bad!" Lenna sighed and slapped Wilson against the back of his neck. "That's because it's the wrong side, genius." Lenna said and pulled the blanket away completely. She gasped but quickly regained her composure and put the blanket back over her leg. "Guess I'm going to have the retiring talk soon." Lenna sighed. Wilson lowered his eyes on the floor and sighed too.

"Who will call Roberts' family?" Lenna asked after a long pause. "Smurf will take care of it. Nelson is being sent back with you. He is alive thanks to you." Wilson sighed. "The team will be separated." Lenna closed her eyes to hide the pain inside them.

"Yeah... I'm joining the air force. Need to get my feet off the ground."