"This was such a good idea!" Chloe sighed as they finally returned. Gavin grumbled his agreement through the raw soreness in his stump. Maybe going into town all day hadn't been the best idea. It was the longest he'd been on his leg since it had been fitted. He was more than ready to tear it off and relax for the evening. He had his cane in one hand and a healthy stock of bags in the other. Needless to say, things had gotten out of hand. Chloe was even more laden down. He was pretty sure she'd dragged him into every store.

"Yeah...great..." She beamed despite the sarcasm. She knew he'd had fun really. He was just a little grumpy because of the leg. They'd gone to town briefly a few weeks ago to get him some smarter clothes, but this was the first time he'd spent a full afternoon walking around. He'd patiently waited as she'd tried on new clothes and shoes, and taken his time looking around for anything useful and hard-wearing he could send to Nines. Chloe did the same for Connor and Sixty. The army provided a lot of things, like shaving kits and basic rations, but there were extra little luxuries they could send.

They bought fresh underwear. Gavin knew it could be a pain to get hold of, and new sets were always useful. Soap was another luxury item that was often overlooked. He bought Nines a new comb. It was a nice little metal one that could easily be slipped into a pocket. Chloe bought Sixty a pocket knife, thinking he may find it useful in the trenches. She then bought Connor a smart little pocket book. She knew he did a lot of writing, so she was sure he'd use it. They may have gone a little overboard where food was concerned. There were little packets of boiled sweets, gummy candies, fruitcake, and biscuits. He'd learned pretty early in their search that biscuits was the word the British used for cookies. They finished the packages off with a new pack of cards for Sixty, a travel chess set for Nines, and a little book about European birds for Connor.

Gavin was going to sort out Nines' package, while Chloe would see to Connor and Sixty. They didn't want the parcels to be too big, so it made sense to package them all separately. That worked well for Gavin, because he was more than ready to hobble up to his room, toss off his leg, and stay there. He wasn't worried about dinner. They'd ended up stopping at a little pub in town, where they'd eaten a hearty meal. He wasn't sure why the British were so fond of roasting things, but they certainly did it well. His stomach was still warm and full, even an hour later.

He sighed almost forlornly as he sat on the edge of his bed, plopping the bags down beside him. He'd originally planned to only write when he got a new letter so it was a proper back and forth and he didn't seem too eager and clingy, but with Nines' response taking so long, he was going to have to break the system. As soon as I get this damned thing off, phcking Christ! He winced as he loosened the laces and finally slipped the prosthetic off. Hissing, he removed the sock-like covering as well, wincing as he examined the raw skin. His stump was a little swollen and raw around the edges. He shuffled his way further up the bed and grabbed the tub of balm from his bedside. It stung a little as he massaged it in, but he knew he'd feel better once the sting wore off.

With that done, he used the bed for support and hopped his way along to the window. Beside the window was a small writing desk, where he already had a small pile of papers and a pen left ready. He wasn't really sure what to say at first. Dear Nines. With the greeting done, he sat for a while. I should have more to say...It had been almost a month. Unfortunately, not much really happened around the mansion. Nothing positive, anyway. He bit his lip as he thought about all the things Nines would want to hear, getting his thoughts in order.

He didn't want to sound accusing, but since he didn't have Nines' latest reply, he had no idea what he'd said before. I haven't received a letter from you yet. Don't worry, Chloe told me how the post is screwed up right now. I just wanted you to know, in case you feel I've overlooked something. That didn't sound too accusing. He wasn't sure where to go next. He looked out the window at the rolling grey clouds. It hadn't rained all day, but it looked like it might that night. Wonderful...Hopefully another storm wouldn't roll in.

I hope France has been kinder to you than Britain has to me this past week. Thunderstorms have been an almost nightly occurrence. The rumbling and flashing is like being on the front again. Many of us have a hard time of it. I do my best to pretend you're with me. I pray you return soon. That seemed to be a good mixture of honest and sappy. He looked up at the first sound of rain pattering against the glass. Wow, we timed that well. The weather wasn't ideal, but at least it held off long enough for them to get back from town. The rain seemed lighter than the night before, which made him hopeful that it wasn't a proper storm.

With all the rain, I haven't taken Blossom out all week. You know how she is about dirt on her hooves. It's raining now, so it isn't looking good for tomorrow either. By the time the ground dries up, the apples might have grown through. On the subject of food, we've reached the reason I'm writing to you so soon. That was a nice, neat segue. Gavin patted himself on the back for getting there so cleanly. Before he continued, he went over all the stuff that was going into his parcel. He wanted to make sure he listed everything, so it would all be there at the other end. You never knew when someone might open up the mail and go through it.

I had a thought over lunch that you might like some sweets to perk you up on the harder days, so me and Chloe are putting together parcels for you and your brothers. If it all gets there in one piece, you should have some assorted candies (soft and boiled), fruit cake, cookies (biscuits), pants (four), soap, a comb, and a chess set. It was just supposed to be cake at first, but we got a little carried away. I thought these might be useful, and the chess set will keep you from getting bored. I hope you already know how to play. If not, you can learn how and I'll give you a thrashing when you get back. Gavin smirked as he wrote that last part. It had been a while since he'd played. His smile almost fell as he remembered those long nights sitting below the parapet in the trenches with Miller. Miller had brought a chess set with him and taught him how to play. Grim, dark hours shivering in the icy breeze as it whipped through the trench, hands so cold their knuckles started splitting.

"Phck..." He hadn't cried about it much, but fuck if thinking about Miller didn't get to him right then. He dropped the pen and sat back, covering his eyes as he thought about his men. Good young men he'd looked out for. He'd been with Miller for over a year, and the others for a few months. They'd shared their hopes and dreams, their troubles and fears. They'd shared supplies and treats. Pranked each other, protected each other. It was lonely being the only one left. All of his men. His boys. Gone in a single assault. Miller had died right next to him, probably blown to pieces. The thought that some of the filth on his skin could have come from Miller made him cover his mouth. He retched against his palm, doing his best to hold back as he pushed himself up and hopped to the bathroom. He didn't even notice the dull thud as his chair hit the floor.

His leg wobbled as he started to feel lightheaded. Fuck, it had been a long time since he'd had an episode like this. He wasn't even sure what he'd call it. His chest wasn't tight with anxiety, and he wasn't trapped in a waking nightmare, but he certainly felt sick and feeble. He groaned as he hit the tiles, still unwell as he dragged himself across to the toilet. Tears flooded his cheeks as he sobbed and hurled, leaning low over the bowl. Properly throwing up made him feel a little better, but it didn't get rid of the fuzzy feeling in his head. He winced as he slid down to lie on the floor, curling up on his side as he closed his eyes.

"Gavin! Gavin, wake up!" He groaned as he opened his eyes to find Elijah and Chloe standing over him. He was still on the bathroom floor, chin sticky with bile. Elijah sighed in relief as he stroked a hand through his hair. He wasn't running a temperature or anything, but he was looking a little peaky. The vomit in the toilet hadn't escaped his notice either, though Chloe had been sensitive enough to flush it. "Are you alright? What happened?" Gavin winced and turned his head to squint at him, apparently confused about why he was on the bathroom floor.

"Phck, I don't know...I was just thinking about shit and had a turn all of a sudden...Tried to get to the toilet to save the carpet..." He groaned, feeling stiff and sore as Elijah sat him up. He rubbed his bleary eyes, noticing Chloe for the first time. "Hey, Chloe..." She gave him a warm smile as she crouched down beside him, gently wiping his lips with a damp flannel.

"Hey, Gavin...You want to get up?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." He could hardly stay on the bathroom floor all night. Elijah stood first, slipping his hands under Gavin's arms and hauling him up. Gavin was quietly impressed that Elijah could manage, slim as he was. Chloe steadied him at the front and helped him find his footing. They pretty much carried him to the bed, though Gavin did his best to hop along between them. Chloe propped some pillows up so that he could lounge comfortably. "How did you find me?" That wasn't really the right question, but Chloe cottoned on well enough.

"I came in to see if you'd finished your parcel and saw you on the floor. After I checked to see if you were hurt, I got Elijah to help pick you up." That made sense. She could hardly do it herself. Elijah moved in with his stethoscope to check his chest. Gavin seemed absolutely fine now. He was a little groggy, but overall, he felt much better.

"Thanks...Can you grab the paper and pen there? I wasn't finished yet." He didn't have much to add besides the sign off. He wasn't about to mention this little episode to Nines. He had enough to worry about without him adding to it with hysteria. Chloe did as asked and sat on the edge of the bed while he rested the paper on his thigh and ran his eye over what he had so far. Oh yeah, chess...I hope you enjoy the gifts, and I'll hear from you soon. Missing you every day. Love Gavin. He folded the paper carefully before handing it to Chloe. "Can you help me pack? I want to send it tomorrow."

Gavin watched from his place against the headboard as Elijah and Chloe bundled the items together. Elijah spread out the thick brown paper and helped Chloe build an even base before stacking everything in a vaguely rectangular shape and tucking Gavin's letter inside. It wasn't perfect with the softer, unboxed items, but it was even enough to wrap securely and tie with strong twine. Chloe was careful as she wrote the address on the parcel and picked it up, ready for the postbag. She was also sure to tuck a certain amount of money inside the string to ensure the mailman had enough for postage. A small note for him to keep the change would keep them in his good graces and likely ensure their parcels were sent off with due care.

"Do you need anything? Food? Water? Something stronger?" Gavin huffed at Elijah's fussing. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to drink on top of whatever had happened, but he could go for a little water. Elijah called out the door for a maid to bring him some. He wasn't quite ready to leave him unattended just yet. Since he was likely going to be in bed for the rest of the night, Gavin stripped. He kicked his trousers off and shuffled his way beneath the heavy covers before tossing his shirt aside.

"I'm not keeping you from work, am I?" Gavin was pretty sure he was. Even when he wasn't seeing to patients, Elijah was always doing something. He was probably tinkering with that arm again...

"Not at all." Bullshit! He appreciated it though. He wasn't scared of a relapse or being alone, but the company was nice. Chloe had a few rounds left to make, so it was just the two of them for a while. Since the bed was so big, Elijah climbed up to sit beside him, crossing his legs at the ankles as he leaned back. "Is there anything you want to talk about? Anything on your mind? I'm here to listen..." Gavin smiled at that. It was nice that Elijah was willing to listen, but it really wasn't something he'd understand. He hadn't experienced it. He hadn't seen it. The horror. The aching loss.

"No, that's alright...but thanks for being here..." Elijah leaned over to nudge his shoulder with his temple.

"Any time..." They didn't really talk after that. The maid came and went. Elijah poured him some water and watched him drink. The weather outside was the same as earlier. Rain pattered gently on the glass. It was a soothing sound without the rumbling of thunder to break it up. It was enough to slowly send him to sleep. As his eyes closed, Elijah gently pulled the duvet higher to cover his chest. He watched over him for a while, counting the gentle rise and falls of his chest. He shuffled a little closer before settling down beside him and closing his eyes, laying an arm across his waist and hoping any movement in the night would wake him.