withtheoldbreed | d-day + 52 ✯ video

[It's relatively early in the morning when Sledge clicks on his video feed, and he looks tired, maybe even exhausted. It's also obvious he's not in his own cabin - the room behind him looks more like a shack, and although it might not be as clear, he's sitting on the floor, half leaning against the legs of a cot. One of Snafu's arms is visible, hanging limply off the side of the cot like he's just asleep.]

... Snafu's in a coma. [The word sits uncomfortably in his mouth, and it kind of shows in his face. He's read about barge comas obviously, thanks to Chromie's welcome packet, but it's one thing to read about it, another to try shaking your buddy awake and not be able to, no matter how hard you try.

He takes a breath and steels himself, trying to push it back and get what needs to get done, done.

(Except his eyes still look pretty dead, but that's not really anything new.)]

I'm gonna need a hand getting him to the infirmary.

[Private to Kieren]

I thought it'd be better than just leavin' him here. [It's what the pamphlet suggested, anyway, and he sort of feels more comfortable leaving his friend with people who can monitor him and make sure he doesn't get worse (if that's even possible?), but he still sounds uncertain. Like maybe this - making decisions about his friend's well being - is overstepping.

Which is weird to think about someone you've pretty much been physically stuck with for over a month, but here we are.]

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What's he like? Snafu.

[He's been meaning to ask. Really, he's been meaning to check up on the man in person, but obviously that won't do much good now. He's heard a bit from Kieren, and he knows -- now, if he didn't before -- that Gene is his friend, but not much else. He needs to know who it is Kieren's gotten himself wrapped up with; how good or bad it could potentially be.

Belatedly, he realizes this might not necessarily be the best time to get what he wants.]

If you don't mind my asking.

He's a good marine. [Which is pretty much the highest compliment you can give someone - from Gene's perspective - and he sounds very firm in this assessment.]

Can I ask why you're asking?

Because Kieren Walker is his warden.

[He doesn't bother to clarify that any further. He and Kieren are connected clearly enough by the way they look, by the white in their eyes and the black around their fingernails. Whatever else is between them -- and Simon is proud of and pleased by it, whatever it is -- that's not something he needs to flaunt here and now.]

He's not gonna hurt him, if that's what you're worried about.

[Not physically, anyway. Probably.]

[What a glowing commendation for your friend, Gene.]

Anything else I should know?

[It's a little snide, and again, he makes himself soften.]

Anything that... someone should keep an eye out for?

[Hey look, he's a shitty friend, but he's Gene's shitty friend.]

Like what? [That comes out a little defensively, or at least like he's challenging him. Even if Simon corrected himself, the snide-ness doesn't sit well with him.]

[Fair enough, really. He has no real interest in making friends with Gene, but for Kieren's sake, he adopts a rueful expression.]

Anything Kieren ought to know and wouldn't from the file.

[Anything that could hurt him, is what he really means. Snafu won't, Gene said, but Simon already knew that in the physical sense anyway, because there's not much hurting their kind to begin with. Emotionally, though, spiritually...

It's like he said -- he wants to know what he should be looking out for.]

No. [Not that Gene's read the file, but considering how thorough Jimmy's had been, he has a hard time believing you wouldn't get a very good idea of what you're dealing with from reading anyone's file.

Or, at least enough of one to know vaguely what to expect. There's a lot else that Gene honestly doesn't believe either Kieren or Simon is ever going to understand short of the Admiral dumping them all on Peleliu, the same way they'd probably assume Gene and Snafu don't know what it's like to be hated just for existing.]

There anything I should know about Kieren? Or you?

[The second part of the question might not have come out if he wasn't tired and cranky to begin with, but he's polite enough in how he phrases it. Still a little challenging, but not openly pissed off or frustrated.]

No.

[There are plenty of things Simon thinks people ought to know about Kieren, actually, but maybe not in this time and place. As for himself... He shakes his head, the corner of his lips curling slightly.]

I think it's enough that you know I came and asked you that question.

It says a lot. [About how he feels about Kieren, and how much he thinks of Snafu, how little he respects his privacy and how much he thinks of himself to expect being given more than what he has. Maybe even how little he actually knows.

(For some reason, it's this moment where he's the most resentful about the Admiral deciding his friend deserves to be an inmate. Gene knows why he is, but this guy hasn't been where they've been, hasn't seen what they've seen, and something in him is quietly furious about it.

It's a strange, unpleasant feeling, but it feels right, too.)

He takes a breath, pushes it back, forces himself to be calm and polite even if there's something sort of sharp in his eyes anyway.]

There a reason why you haven't talked to him yourself?

Why do you say I haven't? It's hard to paint a picture with just one color.

[Well, he hasn't, actually, but only as a matter of circumstance -- he's been watching him every so often when he spots him in the various public places on the Barge, and he'd been planning to go and talk to him before Gene, but--]

Looks like it'd be hard for me to go and have a chat with him right now, besides.

Probably would've heard about it if you did. [Snaf had told him about Kieren, albeit without specifics, really, so Gene feels like he would have caught wind of Simon sniffing around.

Or maybe he wouldn't have, but here we are.]

[He shrugs slightly, acknowledging that possibility without giving much more ground.]

Might've. I don't know your friend. It's not for lack of interest.

[There's a pause, and then Gene just lets out a tired (maybe a little frustrated) sigh.]

Goin' after him like you're doin' with me isn't gonna do you any favors. You're not our CO, he won't take you seriously, and frankly, he shouldn't. You're not his warden, either.

Treat him like he's a person and not a wild animal who's gonna go after your friend, and you might actually get somewhere with him.

Where is it you think I'm trying to get?

Somewhere Kieren has an easier time dealing with all this.

[Well, okay, yes. He shrugs -- can he be blamed for wanting things to be easier on someone he loves?]

Then I do need to get there with him.

[He needs to intervene, is what he means.]

Only if you handle it the way you've been doin' here.

d-day + 52 ✯ video

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