Wing and Sword: Life During Wartime

[Barak]

Normand grins at the nurse, working hard once more at hiding his fatigue now that there's a non-légionnaire in the room.

"Ma'am, with you here, I find getting up real easy."

Moving his wost-wounded arm gingerly, his grin fades, and he winces.

"And, really, it looks worse than it is. Mostly scratches and what not. Had to jump on a grenade to save my sarge, dontcha know."

As he walks through the double doors with her, he brings back the subject at hand.

"So.. You knew the Rubieras, then, I take it? Terrible thing, that's true. Their helpers too, I'd say. D'you happen to know if they had been working there long? Be a terrible strike o' bad luck if they had just started, I'd say."

 

[Bobitron]

The medic waits for Kat's permission then leaves. He follows Normand into the surgery, a slight smile on his face as he hears his attempts at flirting. Catching the big Frenchman's eye, he winks and nods his approval. "Pauline, meet Normand Gaspard, saviour of the Legion and hero of the Paras." He reaches out with a hand, clapping Normand's shoulder softly to avoid his wounds. "He has proven a fine soldier and excellent friend."

Reaching the surgery, he sets down his gear and preps again. washing his hands just as thoroughly as when they where filthy before.

 

[The Shaman]

“Oooh, a big, brave légionnaire ,” the nurse replies playfully, patting Norman on the arm. “We’ll have to get you back into shape quickly, yes?”

As they walk into the examination room, Pauline continues, “The Arabs on their farm, you mean? Were they killed too?”

She thinks for a moment. “Moulai worked for them for sometime – years, I think. He brought the son in when he fell and broke his arm – it’s been at least two years since then.” The nurse readies a syringe, then looks up. “Then there was another Arab – we treated him a few months ago for a blood disease. A tirailleur.” She bites her lip. “He had a bad scar on his shoulder, from overseas. Mon dieu, why can’t I remember his name? I saw him in town this afternoon!”

The pudgy nurse looks at Normand with a twinkle in her eye. “Well, brave legionnaire, it’s time for you to strip down now.”
____

In the lobby Kat watches the two legionnaires and the nurse head to the back. “This is taking too long. Kerenin, run back there and find out how much longer the doc needs. If it’s going to be awhile, then let him know we’ll leave him here and send a jeep for him later.”

 

[Barak]

Normand turns to Marcel as he shakes his head sadly, starting to remove his clothes as he talks.

"Always like this, mon frère. I think they're after me for my sharp mind, my bravery, my wit. But no, all they want is my body."

Despite his words, the légionaire keeps his underwear on, and smiles at the nurse.

"I kid, I kid. I won't prevent you from doing your work with unwanted advances. But believe me. It'll take all of my willpower."

As the nurse starts to clean the various wounds, amidst various intakes of breath and muttered curses, Normand continues the conversation on the other tack.

"To be honest, I'm not all sure who bought it and who didn't. I did see a couple of them who'd I'd take to be the hands lying there dead, though."

Yeah, after we shot the poor dumb bastards dead.

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

"Oui, sergent," Pyotr acknowledges Kat's orders and makes his way to the back room.

Seeing Normand bared down, he allows himself a slight smirk. "I do hope I'm not interrupting something important." The smile fades. "Kat wants to know how long this is going to take."

 

[Bobitron]

She bites her lip. “He had a bad scar on his shoulder, from overseas. Mon dieu, why can’t I remember his name? I saw him in town this afternoon!”

"Ferhaz." Marcel states the name clearly, calling over his shoulder as he shakes the excess water off his hands. "You saw him earlier today? Odd. How far are we from the farm? I'll confess, I wasn't paying much attention on the trip back."

The smile fades. "Kat wants to know how long this is going to take."

"Might be a while, but ask Dr. Bruzzi." He shrugs. "Could take a few hours."

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

"Hours? I'll let Kat know. He said he'd send a truck for you if it was going to take that long." Pyotr turns to Bruzzi to get confirmation. "So is my friend right doctor? This could take hours?"

 

[The Shaman]

The chubby nurse flashes Normand a look as she carries a basin of clean water and surgical sponges, setting them on a stand beside the examination table. “Flatterer,” she says, obviously pleased. “Now try to hold still.” She carefully removes the soiled dressings Marcel applied in the field.

As she works at the wounds with the sponges, Pauline answers Marcel. “The Rubieras’ place is out a ways, I think,” she replies, “a few kilometers at least.” The nurse dips a clean sponge in the water, and scrubs at Normand’s forehead, sidling near the legionnaire as she works – Normand can feel the warmth of her skin through her cotton scrubs as her ample figure presses close. “Ferhaz. That’s it. He was waiting with that big yellow tuck that Monsieur Rubiera drives.” Pauline’s face crinkles slightly. “Or drove.”

Pyotr wanders in as the nurse finishes speaking. She confirms Marcel’s estimate. “The doctor is in with Gaspard, to look at his wounds. He said he would like to remove the bullet from Gaspard’s leg tonight,” she says to Pyotr, giving him a bright smile in the process, then looks at Marcel. “Légionnaire Fortier, you’ll be arranging for an army ambulance to take the sénégalais to Géryville in the morning, oui?”

The Ukrainian legionnaire sees the tall, lanky doctor standing in the doorway. “A couple of hours? Most likely, yes,” he replies to Pyotr’s question. “This one,” he says, nodding at Normand, “gets sutures and antibiotics before we go in the other one’s thigh, Pauline.”

“Yes, doctor,” she replies. The nurse lifts Normand’s injured arm to access the jagged shrapnel wound, resting the limb across her shoulder. “Doctor, did you see Monsieur Rubiera in town this afternoon? I saw one of his farmhands with that yellow truck of theirs.”

Dr. Bruzzi moves closer to Normand, eyeing the wounds. “No, no, I didn't, I'm sorry to say. Jacques Girard told me that Rubiera was here today, with his son. He said Joseph and the boy dropped off that Citroën of Marie's at the Moroccan’s garage, and picked up some feed at Girard’s store before going back to the farm.”

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

Pyotr nods and says, "I'll let Kat know to send the truck back for you guys." He then returns back to the front lobby where Katsourianis is waiting for him. "Hours. He wants to get Normand done up and then get that round out of Gaspard's leg tonight."

Pausing for a moment, he gathered his thoughts before speaking again. "Sergeant? Does it strike you as odd that Rubiera was here this morning with his son, but then later this afternoon, a farmhand was here in the same truck? I mean, usually all the supplies are retrieved in one shot, right?" His face frowned in thought.

 

[Bobitron]

Marcel moves over to Normand, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Good question, Pyotr. Do you think he might have made a second run into town to collect the other unknown at the farm?"

He assists Dr. Bruzzi in patching up Normand's wounds.

ooc: Assist is a 23.