Author : Aegis
Fandom : Black Hawk Down
Title : Fiath
Characters: Sgt. 'Hoot' Gibson, Sgt. Lorenzo Ruiz
Requested Line: "Don't you talk to me like that!", requested by cygny

Faith

It was Monday.

As he had said to Eversman, a new week was beginning... A new week which should be a sign  of renewal, of optimism... but not of death.

How many of them had they lost?

He didn’t know exectaly, but there were far more than he had first thought... far more that there should have been.

Segent Hoot Gibson was now walking in the sick bay without even knowing why. Because seeing all these soldiers’ faces was the last thing he wanted to do... Some were still breathing, the regular rise and fall of the chests being the only thing indicating that they were indeed alive.

And there were so much blood.

A small noise drew his attention to his left, and he saw the small object that had just fallen on the ground. A cross. Tiny but very well shaped,  the silver having being worked on with great dexterity. He took the object in his callused hand, still red red with blood which was not his, and started contemplating at it.

He never was one to believe in God. Well he did believe in a supreme conscience somewhere up there, but never found a religion which attracted him... never searched either.

He suddenly felt a hand on his wrist and nearly jumped at the contact. The whole thing was really getting on his nerves. He wouldn’t have usually reacted like that. 

He met a pair of brown eyes, heavy with exhaustion, and if the man wasn’t looking at him, Hoot would have tought he was dead... it probably wouldn’t take a long time before he was proven right.

He put the little cross in the man’s hand, a little taken aback by the whole situation.

“Sorry, guess this is yours...”

The young man on the bed said nothing, and Hoot doubt he had even the strenght to do so. He thought about leaving, but found he couldn’t. Not yet.

“God is watching us and He will welcome those who die in his house...”

Didn’t know where that came from, nor did he really believe the words he’s just said, but he thought that could actually help the man. 

“Don’t you talk to me like that !”

Hoot watched the ranger with a surprise he couldn’t hide. The words were clear even if the man could only whisper them.

“Don’t talk to me as if I’m about to die... I won’t.”

But he was and they both knew it.

“I’ll keep fighting...” the ranger’s voice was getting weaker and weaker, and Hoot suddenly thought that he was going to die alone.
The doctors had given up hope on him, and had to left the man here to work on other patients, and nobody would ever know his last thoughts, would ease his fears, and be there simply...

And so he stayed.