Otalia: Days of War, Nights of Hell (Chapter 2/?)
Title: Days of War, Nights of Hell 2/?
Rating: Overall NC-17 (violence, sex, drugs, language, and general adult themes)
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my imagination.
Spoilers: None, though I wish I had something to spoil.
Summary: Otalia learns that long after the battle ends, the war continues at home.
A/N: This is a story that will be angsty, dramatic, and at times sad. A major character will die and another will commit self-harm, but in the end Otalia will be alright. Set in the future, about 6 years after the flash-forward on Guiding Light...so Emma is 16, Francesca is 6, Rafe is 26, Ava is 30, Olivia is 46, and Natalia is 42.
A/N2: The following chapter contains depictions of war. Just wanted to warn you.
A/N3: Thanks to the lovely jcrimjustice for beta'ing this for me!
Previously: Prologue | 1
Chapter 2: "Days of War"- Monday, January 9th, 2017
Currently, Private First Class Rafael Rivera was in the dusty, dirty mountains of Afghanistan. He, along with three other soldiers, were located in some tiny cave outside of Kabul. They were on special assignment, specifically handpicked because of their ability to think on their feet and their great shooting skills. During the last two years, Rafe had also received special training to be a medic. Maybe when I get back home I can be a doctor. I know I can be better than Dr. Rick. He smirked.
Rafe loved the Army. The Army gave him a sense of discipline, of order, of pride. It's the whole war thing, though, that he hated. War was quite simply hell on earth. Men killing other men over clashes of ideals, over fear, over hurt feelings. The blood shed, the lives lost...for what? A few miles of land or the ability to enslave millions in body, in mind, in soul? To Rafe, it was just one big pissing contest.
Hunched in a dark, damp corner, Rafe laughed to himself bitterly. I don't think this is what Frank meant when he said my street smarts and ability to handle tough situations would get me through life. He smiled at the memory of him and Frank playing ball, with Olivia and Natalia looking on and talking, and an eight year-old Emma gathering daises and blowing the seeds away into the wind, making a child's wish.
Suddenly, a loud explosion went off to his left, startling him out of his thoughts. "C'mon, Rivera! Keep your fucking mind in the game!" yelled his fellow soldier Zachary Jones. Jones shuffled to the right and then ducked down behind a larger boulder.
"Rafe, you okay, man?" asked his friend Hector Martinez. Hector looked up at Rafe and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, let's go." Rafe pointed to the boulder where the other soldiers had gathered. Rafe and Hector shuffled over to join them. Catching his breath, Rafe muttered, "Damn. You'd think after two tours I'd be used to this shit." With the back of his rough hand, he wiped the sticky sweat off his brow. The little bits of sand on his fingers stuck to his face, scratching Rafe and making his skin itch.
Hector laughed. "Me, too, bro. Me, too."
"Ya ladies done chatting?" Zach asked annoyed. "Shut up before you get us fuckin' killed."
A few moments passed. No other sounds were heard but the heavy breathing of the men. Finally, another soldier, Anthony Robertson, whispered to the group, "Let's get to the truck and radio HQ."
The other three followed Robertson's lead as they practically crawled to the truck. Just as they made it to the vehicle, another loud explosion occurred. This one was closer.
"Unit Cougar to HQ. Unit Cougar to HQ. We've got two bomb explosions to our left. 5 minutes apart. Awaiting orders, sir," Jones spoke into the small HB radio.
Silence.
Then, a fuzzy reply came through, "HQ to Unit Cougar. Okay, boys, get ya asses to cover. Looks like the enemy is coming up on ya on radar. I repeat, get outta the open and find cover. ETA for back-up is 10 minutes. Hold your ground. Over and out."
Jones stood and looked at the group. He yelled, "Ya heard the man, let's get the fuck out of sight. NOW! Rivera, Martinez...man the back. Keep ya guns loaded. Let's move!"
The men quickly got into position by truck, ducking under and in it for cover. Suddenly, something flashed out of the corner of Rafe's eye. What the hell?! Rafe kissed his lucky quarter and then...
There was another explosion. The truck flew sideways, throwing the men through the air and to the hard ground.
Silence.
Then, groggy, Rafe sat up and collected his bearings. "Ugh. Fuck. Hector you okay?" Rafe looked to his right and saw his friend lying on the ground. "Jesus Christ, you're bleeding, man." Rafe crawled over to his friend. He ripped open his m17 pack and took out some field dressings. Quickly, he pressed them against the two and a half inch gash in Hector's upper shoulder by his neck to stop the massive bleeding.
"Rafe?" Hector asked confused.
"Yeah, I'm here. You'll be alright buddy, just hold on. Okay?"
"Rafe, promise me...promise me if..."
"No, man, don't talk like that. We're gonna get outta here. I still owe ya that beer when you turn 21."
He smiled sadly, "Just promise me you'll tell my Ma I love her." Hector looked into his friend's sad brown eyes.
"I promise, Hector. C'mon, hold on." Rafe looked back into Hector's eyes, tears swimming in his own. He promised because he knew that his buddy would do the same for him. Rafe looked around and saw the truck turned over, on fire. "Shit, we gotta go." As best as he could, he lifted Hector up with a groan and carried him away from the burning metal.
Another explosion. Then, another.
Rafe fell to the ground, Hector in his arms.
Silence.
A final explosion.
And, then all Rafe saw was black.
TBC...
Rating: Overall NC-17 (violence, sex, drugs, language, and general adult themes)
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my imagination.
Spoilers: None, though I wish I had something to spoil.
Summary: Otalia learns that long after the battle ends, the war continues at home.
A/N: This is a story that will be angsty, dramatic, and at times sad. A major character will die and another will commit self-harm, but in the end Otalia will be alright. Set in the future, about 6 years after the flash-forward on Guiding Light...so Emma is 16, Francesca is 6, Rafe is 26, Ava is 30, Olivia is 46, and Natalia is 42.
A/N2: The following chapter contains depictions of war. Just wanted to warn you.
A/N3: Thanks to the lovely jcrimjustice for beta'ing this for me!
Previously: Prologue | 1
Chapter 2: "Days of War"- Monday, January 9th, 2017
Currently, Private First Class Rafael Rivera was in the dusty, dirty mountains of Afghanistan. He, along with three other soldiers, were located in some tiny cave outside of Kabul. They were on special assignment, specifically handpicked because of their ability to think on their feet and their great shooting skills. During the last two years, Rafe had also received special training to be a medic. Maybe when I get back home I can be a doctor. I know I can be better than Dr. Rick. He smirked.
Rafe loved the Army. The Army gave him a sense of discipline, of order, of pride. It's the whole war thing, though, that he hated. War was quite simply hell on earth. Men killing other men over clashes of ideals, over fear, over hurt feelings. The blood shed, the lives lost...for what? A few miles of land or the ability to enslave millions in body, in mind, in soul? To Rafe, it was just one big pissing contest.
Hunched in a dark, damp corner, Rafe laughed to himself bitterly. I don't think this is what Frank meant when he said my street smarts and ability to handle tough situations would get me through life. He smiled at the memory of him and Frank playing ball, with Olivia and Natalia looking on and talking, and an eight year-old Emma gathering daises and blowing the seeds away into the wind, making a child's wish.
Suddenly, a loud explosion went off to his left, startling him out of his thoughts. "C'mon, Rivera! Keep your fucking mind in the game!" yelled his fellow soldier Zachary Jones. Jones shuffled to the right and then ducked down behind a larger boulder.
"Rafe, you okay, man?" asked his friend Hector Martinez. Hector looked up at Rafe and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, let's go." Rafe pointed to the boulder where the other soldiers had gathered. Rafe and Hector shuffled over to join them. Catching his breath, Rafe muttered, "Damn. You'd think after two tours I'd be used to this shit." With the back of his rough hand, he wiped the sticky sweat off his brow. The little bits of sand on his fingers stuck to his face, scratching Rafe and making his skin itch.
Hector laughed. "Me, too, bro. Me, too."
"Ya ladies done chatting?" Zach asked annoyed. "Shut up before you get us fuckin' killed."
A few moments passed. No other sounds were heard but the heavy breathing of the men. Finally, another soldier, Anthony Robertson, whispered to the group, "Let's get to the truck and radio HQ."
The other three followed Robertson's lead as they practically crawled to the truck. Just as they made it to the vehicle, another loud explosion occurred. This one was closer.
"Unit Cougar to HQ. Unit Cougar to HQ. We've got two bomb explosions to our left. 5 minutes apart. Awaiting orders, sir," Jones spoke into the small HB radio.
Silence.
Then, a fuzzy reply came through, "HQ to Unit Cougar. Okay, boys, get ya asses to cover. Looks like the enemy is coming up on ya on radar. I repeat, get outta the open and find cover. ETA for back-up is 10 minutes. Hold your ground. Over and out."
Jones stood and looked at the group. He yelled, "Ya heard the man, let's get the fuck out of sight. NOW! Rivera, Martinez...man the back. Keep ya guns loaded. Let's move!"
The men quickly got into position by truck, ducking under and in it for cover. Suddenly, something flashed out of the corner of Rafe's eye. What the hell?! Rafe kissed his lucky quarter and then...
There was another explosion. The truck flew sideways, throwing the men through the air and to the hard ground.
Silence.
Then, groggy, Rafe sat up and collected his bearings. "Ugh. Fuck. Hector you okay?" Rafe looked to his right and saw his friend lying on the ground. "Jesus Christ, you're bleeding, man." Rafe crawled over to his friend. He ripped open his m17 pack and took out some field dressings. Quickly, he pressed them against the two and a half inch gash in Hector's upper shoulder by his neck to stop the massive bleeding.
"Rafe?" Hector asked confused.
"Yeah, I'm here. You'll be alright buddy, just hold on. Okay?"
"Rafe, promise me...promise me if..."
"No, man, don't talk like that. We're gonna get outta here. I still owe ya that beer when you turn 21."
He smiled sadly, "Just promise me you'll tell my Ma I love her." Hector looked into his friend's sad brown eyes.
"I promise, Hector. C'mon, hold on." Rafe looked back into Hector's eyes, tears swimming in his own. He promised because he knew that his buddy would do the same for him. Rafe looked around and saw the truck turned over, on fire. "Shit, we gotta go." As best as he could, he lifted Hector up with a groan and carried him away from the burning metal.
Another explosion. Then, another.
Rafe fell to the ground, Hector in his arms.
Silence.
A final explosion.
And, then all Rafe saw was black.
TBC...