Day Eight - Casualties

[ashes_like_sand]

Who: Ice, Jake, Johnny, Cameron, River
When: Directly after the reaver fight
Where: the area in front of the dorms/town hall
Rating: PG-13 for death

Status: Closed/completed
Summary: Ice and Jake and a scattering of others remain on the battlefield in the direct aftermath of the fight. Ice passes Charlie's body into Johnny's care while she takes

Comments

[johnnyflameon]

Johnny couldn't believe that he couldn't save Charlie. He felt like he'd stood idly by and watched her die, and in a sense, he had. Not that he hadn't tried, but what could be done when someone was being eaten alive by what he could only describe as monsters. Numbly, he watched Ice wander over to what was left of her body.

"If anything needs doing, I'll help," he offered. He owed her that at least, since he couldn't save her.

Done then, Cameron thought, and looked around to see who remained on the field where so many had walked away. Spotting Jake, she wandered over, leaving her gun where it lay on the field.

"Are you alright, Jake?" she asked, though he must have been; he stood before her.

[ashes_like_sand]

Ice turned her attention to Johnny, offering him a slight nod. "Getting her off the field would be a first," she murmured. She almost asked what had happened ... but that was insensitive, and it didn't matter now, anyway. "If there's anything you think she'd like by way of a funeral or service," Ice began before she realized how cold she must sound.

"I am sorry," she said quietly instead.

Jake shook his head slightly 'no' before he glanced up to Cameron. "I thought I saw you running," he said hoarsely. "I thought I saw you running outside the shield."

He studied her curiously before seeing the hole. The indention. He lifted a hand, stroking his fingertips over it. He almost asked her if it hurt, but... of course it didn't.

[unrivaledgrace]

River was gazing absently at the bodies of the Reavers strewn over the battlefield. Their charred skin and flesh was intriguing to her in the patterns that it made. Many of them seemed to have chosen to rip each other apart, which - now that they were lying down - she found fascinating.

"Puzzle," she murmured softly, bending down to pick up a severed hand and the arm it was split from, and holding it up in front of her, staring at it. "Pieces of the puzzle that fall into place," her eyes drifted over to where Johnny and Ice were standing. "This was always how it fit together," she said gently, demonstrating with her props.

[johnnyflameon]

"I didn't know her well enough," he admitted, unsure what she might have liked by way of service. He should have asked, he supposed, but how did you bring that up?

Stooping, he picked up Charlie's mangled body, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks, though he still felt numb inside.

She didn't tell him that she might have done it if there had been any reavers left when she'd run out of bullets. He wouldn't have wanted to know.

She looked down at where he touched her, the spot where she'd been shot. Reaching up a her left hand, she eased her forefinger and thumb into the hole, gouging the bullet out of herself, expression displaying mild discomfort. She held it up to look at it.

Something caught the corner of her vision, and Cameron turned to look at the field. Someone who looked very much like her stood there. She frowned.