Ad Astra Per Aspera [2] - Band of Brothers

7 | the silent soldier

" May your Guardian Angel wrap you in love, protect, heal and guide you from high above."

- Mary Jac

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Hazel slowly lowered herself onto her bed, eyes watching the silent soldier's own brown ones. He watched her slowly ease herself onto the bed, with a masked, unknown expression that stared back at her. The two soldiers watched each other for a moment before the silent soldier looked at her ODs on the floor.

" You're one of those Viragos aren't you?" he asked her, his voice surprisingly gentle compared to what she thought she'd hear slip from his mouth. She nodded.

" I am." she said with a gentle nod. 

The silent soldier sat with a loose fitting white shirt, that had some holes in it - it must've been the PT shirt guys wore underneath, and he had dirty OD bottoms on, with socked feet. His eyes had dark circles that surrounded his eyelids, and his eyes seemed emotionless, like a dark gate was pushed over them, concealing each and everything emotion that was inside, back and away from sight. His eyebrows were slack, relaxed, but the stress lines around it showed. He was young and he already had the stress marks of a 30 year old. His lips had cuts in certain areas and his cheek had a tiny scar, from the war, Hazel assumed. His dark brown hair was greasy, he hadn't showered in a while and the stubble along his face was unkempt - but this was the war taking over a human life form, not a soldier of war.

" It's okay, you don't have to look as if I'm a washed up dead fish at the shore." the man said a slight laugh leaving his lips, as a small smile fell on Hazel's lips. 

Whoever this man was, he hadn't lost his humor.

" I'm Hazel Parker." Hazel said holding out her soft, clean, yet internally war torn hand out in front of her. The silent soldier looked at her hand before slowly reaching forward to shake it.

" Jem Rossi." the soldier said and Hazel slowly leaned back with a nod. 

The soldier in front of her, Jem, didn't look like a soldier would. 

It seemed he'd lost hope, given up on himself, let himself go. 

He was skin and bones for all she knew, just because he was giving up.

" How did you get hit?" Jem asked her, " I've heard them changing your bandages." Hazel's hand went to her wound and she gulped.

" One of the shellings, from the Germans in the Ardennes, I got caught out in it." she said and she saw something flash through Jem's eyes. A understandable pain. Jem slowly leaned down to lift up the cuff of his OD bottom and revealed the wrapped wound underneath.

" Krauts got me with the shellings too," he said, his eyes staring coldly at it, " I'm having trouble walking because of it." Jem then let the pant leg slide back over his leg and he let out a shaky sigh.