Spoiler! :
The wooden door opened with a creak as Miles pushed it open. Rivers looked up from his desk and beckoned him to sit down. He edged into the room cautiously and perched himself on the edge of the seat, as if prepared to run at any moment. Nobody said anything for a couple of minutes. The sweet smell of tea leaves circulated the room. A cold Autum breeze swam through the open window causing Miles to shudder.
"Mr Miles, today I think we should talk about Captain Collins." The thought caused Miles to turn white. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Wha-what would you like to know?" His response was unwilling. His stammer had been a syptom from the shock, he was a prime example to the medical board that shell shock existed.
"Well. . .How did he die?" The only thing half suprising about his report is that he was the only one who reported back. He was second in command to Captain Collins. Thirteen men dissapeared, and only he came back. No-one knows what happened to these men so all were reported missing in action, so closure was needed. Miles eyes darted around the room, Rivers picked up his pen and wrote a single word on his pad; trapped.
"Shot. All of them -" He stopped. Rivers started making notes frantically as Miles gulped. He hands clutching together then apart. Rivers looked up and said nothing, he just met his gaze and then nodded.
"W-we were making a raid on a German trench. We were to bring t-t-two Germans back for questioning. It was su-supposed to be a three minute job. We went over b-but they were too quick. The ca-captain went down first, his head. . . and" Miles jerked in his seat.
"Nurse, can we have a bucket in her!" River's yelled. A nurse ran into the room moments later and placed the bucket next to Miles. He snatched it up in his hands and threw up violently into the bucket. Rivers made a note of this. After a while Miles stopped, the nurse took the bucket and left.
"We can leave there today if you wi-"
"No!" Rivers looked taken a back, paused for a moment and gestured for him to continue. Miles looked into his hands then started talking
"The Captain went down so I went to help him. I tried everything I could. I coul-coulddn't stop the bleeding, there was so much blood. When I looked all the men were dead. All of them, and not me . . .not me. The ground was so wet and the mud so thick some started to si-sink. A German came up grabbed Fawcett by his legs and started dragging him into their trench, I jus-just froze. Then Smith, then Morton, then - I blacked out."
"A common sign to do. Do you think this caused the shock?"
"Th-they were all just dead. I've let them down, I know I have, but I don't know how to fix it. I bet Collins would have been ashamed of me,"
"I'm sure he wouldn't be, you did everything you could,"
"Not enough though," Silence. Rivers clicked his pen to show me he'd finished.
"Well we've made excellent progress today Mr Miles,"
"Than-Thank you si-sir," Rivers placed his pen neatly next to his pad. The lines scrawled with black memories. Miles stood up and turned to face the open window. The curtains dancing in the autum breeze.
"Yo-you know what scares me most, sir?" Rivers clicked his pen causing Miles to flinch.
"Them knowing, no-not about us lot, up here, a-about the truth," Miles turned cautiously and met his gaze.
"What do you mean Mr Miles?"
"Well, yes-yesterday the leaves of the oak, by the tennis courts, they fell straight down and collided with the ground. It reminded me of the . . ." The sound of River's watch filled the room. He sat there paitently for thirty seconds.
"Go on, Mr Miles,"
Miles sighed,"Shells s-sir, and I thought that what if they knew, out there, what it was really like. They would nev-never get another recruit again." He looked again through the window and saw the caretaker raking leaves into piles, they reminded him of the dead. Cold and useless. Ugly and broken.
"And what do you think Captain Collins would say to that thought," He met Rivers again once more, and just left.
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