i. CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
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BAND OF BROTHERS
EP. 2

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| THE NIGHT WAS DARKER THAN EVER, BEING IT FILLED WITH TERRORS AT EVERY CORNER. Schwester Kaliska quickly mended away at the wounded being bought to her—trying her best to not lose her wits whilst caring for these men howling pain, clutching at their wounds. It was all happening at once, her being dragged away from the main hospital to the frontline where medic were few and far between. And now the Americans were arriving thus making the fight on. No more dillydallying or smoke breaks— which were increasingly getting shorter and shorter with every passing minute as more men were bought in. So much so, that little house was becoming crowded.

She finished wrapping the cut of another soldier when she heard her name yelled from outside. Immediately, she finished before rushing to the entrance of the little abandoned place where the platoon she had been forced with, had been stationed at.

Her face twisted in horror at the atrocities before her. Cows lay dead, seemly shot for no reason and men laid scattered face down beside them.

Kaliska glanced up into the distance—seeing the night sky light up with different colors of orange and red. Her body cringed at the thundering booms and sounds of distance aircraft, with the gunfire growing nearer and nearer. Her world was crashing and fast. Kaliska knew it wouldn't be soon before the Americans arrived at the doorstep.

She quickly snapped from her trance and waved at those approaching—beckoning for them to follow her as she walked back into the house. Kaliska reached for the cloth and laid it neatly across the large table before commanding them to place him there. The man continued to scream as the two soldiers carrying him hesitated and glared at her—not fully grasping the concept of there not being enough room.

Not wanting to waste another minute, she slammed her fist down upon the table—which in turn, caught the attention of everyone within the house. "Willst du, dass er lebt oder nicht?" (Do you want him to live or not?) She retorted, before calmly exhaling and trying to cool her temper.

As her intense gaze never left them once, they sheepishly nodded before slowly leaning the crying man down upon the table. Without a second to spare, Kaliska speedily walked around the table towards them like an angered bull. "Du kannst jetzt gehen." (You can go now.) she spoke hastily, swatting them away with her hands.

Closing the door behind her, Kaliska went instantly went back to the wounded soldier. Tears had made paths in the mud and blood caked upon his face, his eyes bloodshot. As she gently patted his chest and shoulders around for any visible wounds, the young man continued to scream but for her mother, it sounded like. Worried and confused as to what was plaguing the man, she placed her hand against his cheek before calming asking, "Was tut weh?" ( What hurts?)

The man squinted his eyes as he choked out incoherent words once more. Shaking it off, she moved to grab some more torn cloth from the cabinets but he grabbed her harshly by the arm—pulling her down towards him. Kaliksa yelped as now her face was only mere meters away from this dying man. " Meine...beine." ( My legs) he whispered in a raspy voice before shakily letting his head plop against the hard table. She then slowly pried his hand away from her as she stood back up.

On the verge of tears, Kaliska slowly scanned the man's body until her eyes meant the large, darken and blood soaked camouflage coat wrapped around his waist. How had she'd messed this? How did she not noticed this when he first came in?

Frustrated with herself, she took slow steps toward it, her breath catching her throat as she grasped the dampen cloth within her hand. As Kaliska steadily unraveled what was under, the smell of iron flooded the air—her face twisting in grimace as it invaded her nostrils.

Her eyes widened as she became stricken with utter fear and horror when she realized he had neither of his legs left. They had been torn off from the knee down. Kaliksa felt her stomach twist and churn—her reflex gagging internally inside. Immediately she held her hand up to her mouth, trying to fight the urges back. She was a sworn nurse—not a wimp.

Another explosion in the distance shook her to her very core, shaking her back to the reality at hand. She began frantically digging in the hospital bag for morphine—Kaliska was the only one that had stayed behind whereas the other medical staff that had been taken, fled. She swore an oath to save lives and that was what she was going to do.

She fumbled over the little container that held the precious drug within, but her heart dropped upon hearing only one rattle inside. Kaliska picked up the little tube with her thumb and index finger—the last one there. She bit away at her lower lip, closing her eyes for just a moment as the very life was draining away from her. Some of the men she had already tended too started to groan and mumble words of which she could not understand. Opening her eyes, they rested upon the silver surgical knife-laying beside the cabinets.

But she shook that very feeling off and began to ready a spot to apply the morphine into the man, but that was stopped by a young lieutenant as he barged in through the door. " Sie kommen.." ( They're coming) his voice slowly trailed off when he noticed the little ounce of drug in her hand—readied to stick into a man that was partially dead already.

" Franz?" She questioned rather confused, seeing him puffing out of breath—his face painted in that of mud. As she stood there waiting, not knowing what had overcome him—he lunged forward towards her. Grabbing her harshly by the shoulders and shaking her ferociously where she stood— causing her drop the medicine. "Dumme Frau, warum verschwenden sie es auf ihn?!" (Stupid woman, why do you waste it on him)

Kaliska merely narrowed her eyes at him through the blurring tears, " Ich bin eine Krankenschwester. Ich muss versuchen ihn zu retten..." ( I am a nurse, i have to try to save him) She spoke through gritted teeth—her lower lip trembling. But he wasn't taking that for answer—his mind had long failed him and it seems the weight of losing the battle was too great a loss—so someone had to feel his wrath of utter failure. And that was Kaliska.

This time she only turned away from him in response— looking towards her patients that laid slumped up against the cluttered walls. A tear making its path down her redden cheek as she sniffled. She was nurse, and she knew the oath she took. That one shall not abandon those wounded.

His fingers tightened their grip upon her until she squealed in pain—only then did he back away. As Kaliska regained her composure, she noticed Franz's eyes fluttering in the faint light as if he was crying or something. Shaking and traumatized, she trudged over towards him—offering her hand out from him to take, even after what he had just done to her.

Instead, the young lieutenant had other ideas as he swatted her hand of peace away. "Es tur mir leid." (I'm sorry) he choked out before slowly reaching down to the leather pouch attached to his belt.

Unhinging it, he took out a Luger and steadily placed it up to his temple—before clicking the small trigger. " Nein!" ( No) Kaliksa reached her arm out towards him, her shrilled voice however, was outmatched by that of the echoing gun. Blood splattered across the opposing wall and her patients—as his body slumped to the floor like a sack of potatos. Those blue eyes of his forever casted wide open.

Kaliska slowly backed away from his body—pressing her back and hand up against the wall as she did, banging into the cabinets. The other laid against her stomach. Everything seemed to numb, a blurry nothingness as the tears took over as she gasped out in grief. Why her? Out of the nurses and doctors that could have been forced out of other hospitals to have been out here, her little one was the one happened upon.

The man a top the table shakily reached out for her arm—tucking at the lose fabric of her sleeve. Quickly, she wiped the tears away the best she could and instead of searching for the morphine—searched for bandages. Fumbling over herself, securing the last of them. The crackle of the gunfire was drawing closer and closer. Franz's last words bounced around in her head—knowing they were coming.

Then with an accidental subtle glance out the little off-squared window, she noticed men starting to run into the woods— now even more of those salty tears filled her eyes as she desperately unraveled the sterilized bandages knowing full well—they would not last her much longer. And now that the very people of whom she was to trust to protect her and the citizens, were fleeing aimlessly into the forest.

Her pale arms drenched in that blood— blood of men she tried to help—no longer did the white outside the Red Cross on her sleeve look like it's former color, but now held a pinkish tint. Tears started to stream like a river down her redden face as the sudden realization hit her like a truck filled to the brim with bricks. The screams outside for her were drowned out by the artillery of the Americans—now Kaliksa was certain they weren't to far away in the forest.

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______Ok, but like the GIFs aren't
working & now I'm sad 😤_____

______ Also, my German may be off
just a tad bit lmao, perhaps a lot bit  ______