[center][h1][b][color=f7941d]ISAAC BLACK[/color][/b][/h1][/center] [center][h1][i][b][color=ed1c24]Britta Hagen[/color][/b][/i][/h1][/center] [center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqj2s_dQEIg[/youtube][/center] If it's any consolation to Lucia, the soldier who shot Michael was probably dead, unless he or she was in that monstrous armored machine gun car. Many of the soldiers out there had been gunned down by Isaac and Britta, and those who hadn't made it into buildings...where it was in all likelyhood that Ines, Jean, or anybody else who found such a soldier ended their lives. It would've been ironic if Jean was the very one who killed the one who injured Michael, in fact, or even [i]Franz[/i]... It wouldn't sit well if Franz had helped out the one who shot the short sapper, but let's leave that for later. The truth of things was that despite the shock and terror of the attack, they had managed to acquit themselves well, back there, once again shedding human lives at the cost of their sanity. And while some were still in one piece, others were hurting badly. All he could do was attempt to balance it all, somehow, because the people he worked with cracked themselves to pieces. His own attempts to talk to Jean were an attempt to reach him, saying 'I'm here and I want to help, hell or high water.'. Nevermind if it was right or smart, for now. It needed to be done. There were already enough times, thus far, that Isaac wanted to take the brunt of Jean's pressures off of him, to soak up some of the pain and leave him just a little more secure in his mind. Isaac's anger towards his situation staved off thoughts of despair, but the thought of others not coping in that kind of perseverence made him feel bad. He should ask Britta about this later, though, as a thought about all this struck him. Well, if she was still up. Anyway, to Jean's predicament, which the Lance-Corporal remained jokingly asleep until the silence was broken. Broken silence, broken spirits. Jean had tossed over a picture of a young lady in uniform, one that he identified as his sister, deceased. She was a casualty of the war during a fight on the Raloth River, and this among other things was on Jean's fragile mind. And we don't say that to give off the impression that the Corporal was losing his mind, but he was a caring sort, and his cup runneth over with blood and bad memories. He was drowning in 'em. He started to tell him the whole story, or enough of this particular one out of the jumble that may be laying at his feet, taking back the photo. Olivia was gone, and the rest of his family were, as well, and all because of goddamn race hatred. He was angry at Luke for his stupid big mouth and at himself for being just as pissed off that he had one. He had no one left in his life, except for maybe what he had here. And then he made a comment about two in particular that he...well...he didn't exactly [i]say[/i], but in his state...it wouldn't be hard for Isaac to piece together a few things, [i]especially[/i] because of the poetry from before. [color=f7941d][i]He isn't just pulling them towards him because he's good. He's in desperate need of their comfort.[/i][/color] Isaac let Jean pour out, just listening for the moment and not interrupting. He had stopped pretending to be asleep after he'd looked upon the photo of Olivia, and had just been looking his way, watching him carefully. The young Corporal wasn't thinking of suicide, but you know that someone who says 'I have nothing to live for!' isn't exactly thinking much for the long life he has ahead of him. That broken, terrified soldier...we back at the beginning of this, before the charge... Good god, to look back at him now... Was he even alive still, or did he buy it on the very day they all went out onto Hill 58? As Isaac was wondering this, Jean started ordering him to go, to leave him be. Dammit, not now, Jean! It's not to say that he had to respect the chain of command, because Jean wasn't really ordering him like a Middleton. He was pleading for him to go, and while Isaac didn't want to...it was a little hard to ignore what he was asking right now. Having already pushed, the Lance had only one recourse if he wanted to keep Jean's friendship and mutual understanding. [color=f7941d]"Alright, alright... You win."[/color] He got up to his feet, and then paused. [color=f7941d]"I'm gonna process this, for now, but there's one thing you're mistaken about. You DO have friends. Or at least, I am."[/color] He was resonating with everyone, right? That was another word for being friendly, understanding, even caring. It fit well enough. Isaac stepped away from Jean now. He found Britta not yet asleep yet and got down nearby after making sure everyone seemed at least comfortable. [b][color=ed1c24]"Well?"[/color][/b] [color=f7941d]"Everyone is intact, mostly. Lucia is worried about Michael, but I think he'll be okay. Ines looked like she'd been watching me, watching Jean..."[/color] [b][color=ed1c24]"And how [i]is[/i] Jean?"[/color][/b] [color=f7941d]"Not good, but I think you guessed that as much as I did. I've done what I can, though, hopefully do more later when he can stand it. What about you? What's keeping [i]you[/i] up?"[/color] [b][color=ed1c24]"Franz... He said he was okay, but you know there are people who [i]say[/i] they're okay when they're really not?"[/color][/b] Isaac thought about it, and then nodded at her. [b][color=ed1c24]"It seems like he's got too much to think about, as well. Maybe it isn't the same [i]impact[/i] as Jean, but it's not nothing, despite him insisting so."[/color][/b] [color=f7941d]"You'd have to be crazy to say there's nothing wrong with you."[/color] [color=ed1c24][b]"Anything wrong with [i]you?[/i]"[/b][/color] [color=f7941d]"Yup."[/color] [b][color=ed1c24]"Wanna tell me about it?"[/color][/b] [color=f7941d]"Later. Been meaning to ask, but...actually tired now. Gonna go to sleep for real now."[/color] He wasn't kidding, either. People like Jean were emotionally draining, to themselves and to others. They were good people hurt bad. It was inevitable. Britta watched Isaac close his eyes and drift off to sleep. She looked around to see if anyone was having any immediate troubles, then turned back to the Lance-Corporal for a moment. [i][b][color=ed1c24]Something he'd been meaning to ask... Yeah, me too.[/color][/b][/i] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [center][h1][b][color=a0410d]RIKES[/color][/b][/h1][/center] Dull. Dull, dull, dull...and wet. Smelled wet. Hated the wet. The outside smelled of [i]damp[/i], of wet things putrifying, and he didn't like it. Only reason it wafted in was because of the window open in the upper room for the lookout, but the lookout wasn't [i]looking[/i] out because it was so rainy out. The lookout would just get his stuff wet if he did more than look around the immediate area. The downstairs remained warm enough, but the smell of it made him groan. A sympathetic pat on the head answered his call, though, so it wasn't all bad. He remained on the carpet, not too far from the seated others, who did things at low light with the windows blocked so the light couldn't get out. Time passed. He dozed. Then...noise. Something different, a sound drew his ears up, his body taut as he stood up and growled low in warning. The others got to their feet and the one upstairs hissed down [b]"It's ours!"[/b]. He was then asked to settle down and he did. Apparently not an enemy, then. The door was unlocked after someone on the outside knock-knock...knock...knock-knock-knocked. The door was opened, briefly, and a wet man came in. [b]"What're you [i]doing?[/i] You [i]know[/i] we're in a heavily-contested area, spying on enemy movements. You could blow our cover!" "I know, I know, but this was too important. Things may or may not change drastically, because of it." "Well, let's have it." "Major Willis is dead."[/b] The room fell quiet, felt grim. He didn't know why, exactly. He didn't understand the explanation that followed. It was somehow important to them, and that meant that the wet man was no longer unwelcome, but rather the news he brought. All he knew was that something bad had happened, something important was lost. Maybe that's all that needed to be said.