charliexnightingale-blog

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Of course she has. Charlotte nods, smiling. “There’s no need for me to go behind you then -- you certainly know what you’re doing.”

“I’m alright,” Charlotte shrugs, crossing her arms over her chest. In reality she’s still quite shaken by things that had happened on her leave, but she’s trying her best to put them behind her and focus on getting back to work. “Glad to be back, as strange as it sounds.”

“Did you enjoy your leave? Hopefully you didn’t work yourself too hard when you got back, Doc,” she teases.

“I have, you don’t need to worry about it,” she replied with a shake of her head. Of course it never hurt for the medics and nurses to know exactly what they had on hand, but as far as recording and keeping track of what they had exactly, Doc made sure to keep tabs on that, even though Costin had assigned a nurse to the task on the newest shipment. Doc still liked to have full knowledge of their supplies, especially when it counted.

Doc hadn’t seen Charlie for a long while, probably not since before the leave. Doc sort of missed Charlotte, but she never would openly admit it. Still, it was hard not to smile when she had first seen the nurse again. “Too long of a while. I’ve been well, getting back to my regular routine pretty quick,” she replied with a nod. Doc had been eager to get back to work toward the end of her leave. Not that she was eager to get back to the heavy brutality of war, but it was very much a part of life. Taking care of the wounded and their rehabilitation was something she felt she was good at, the one thing she may have been confident in.

“And how have you been? Well, I hope.”

#docxstone #gc #gc: markus01 #markus01

[charliexnightingale-blog]

“Ah, yes, of course,” she laughs, coming to a stop in front of him. “I’ll take your word for it, I think.”

She smiles. “It’s good to see you. But I think you’re doing my job, and I’m not sure I appreciate that,” she teases, nodding to the paperwork. “Would you like help?”

Levi snorted at Charlotte’s comment and gave a small smile. He supposed he should’ve expected something like that. “The ambience just isn’t right.” He said. “Plus, it is much more enjoyable to nod off with the head bent at a 90 degree angle, trust me.” He joked. 

#levidurant;; #gc: levi03 #levi03 #gc

[charliexnightingale-blog]

She can tell that he’s been through something -- she can’t imagine what and she won’t try to, but it makes her sad. She wonders if it’s the war that’s so affected him or if his life prior to it is what’s giving her the feeling that he’s been through more than his fair share.

He watches her resettle, but Charlotte doesn’t mind. She’s met soldiers with aversions to needles, with distrust of medical professionals, with just a general fear that made watching her every move like a hawk absolutely necessary for their comfort. She does now what she always does then -- her movements are measured and deliberate so as not to startle. He folds his arms across his chest, and she reads the defensiveness in the action. Still, she does her best to keep herself open.

“Ah, I see.” Trouble with sleeping has been plaguing her as well, and while it’s a new problem for her, she has no doubt she’ll be able to plow her way through it. Talking to Rick about it will help too, so she’s not worried for herself. “Well, hopefully you’ll be able to get some rest tonight. You’ll need your sleep, soldier.”

Her tone is only slightly scolding -- that of a nurse addressing her patient -- but her smile, she hopes, tempers it. She looks around them at the surrounding area. Their camp is nestled among the woods, encircled by relics from ancient times. Charlotte can’t help but be in awe.

“I keep wanting to go explore the ruins,” she admits. “So much history... I’d love to go look at them.”

“Likewise.” The more he heard and spoke his own name, the more he was growing used to it. But it still felt like it belonged to someone else. In fact, everything about this new chapter of his life felt like it belonged to someone else. As much as he had read stories, and been told stories, and hoped for a different life, he never believed he, of all people, would actually have a chance at one. There were just far too many more deserving ahead of him. And yet, here he was.

The Russian held his ground as she moved, watching her carefully. He was always deprived of sleep, but he was in far better condition nowadays than he’d been before. He’d healed up nicely despite the odds and extent of damage and wear his body had gone through. On the surface, he appeared as fine as the next person. He carried himself as such too.

He folded his arms across his chest, a defensive action he’d adopted as habit long ago. “Couldn’t sleep -and always good to survey your surroundings.”

#gc #gc: aleksei01 #aleksei01 #alekseinovak

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Camille O’Connell Appreciation 6/∞

#sum;;

[charliexnightingale-blog]

There are very few people allowed to call her Charlie, and one of those people is Markus. The two of them have been working closely together for a while now, and the bonds of both their professional relationship and their friendship had been forged and strengthened on a literal battlefield. A smile spreads across her face as she finishes reading the last bit of information at the bottom of her current page before turning and looking up.

“Hey, Doc,” she laughs, shaking her head. “No, just looking some things over. I was gonna check the inventory after I was done here, but I’m sure you’ve done that already.”

Charlotte gets up from her seat and leans back against her desk, facing the other woman.

“It’s been a while. How are you, Markus?”

Doc had been checking up on the inventory after a new shipment had arrived. Even though Costin had assigned another nurse to the task, Doc always did a follow up to make sure she stayed on top of things, especially when it came to essential supplies. The other thing she had to do was check up on the others, make sure they were slipping back into the regular work routine before things got chaotic in the time to come. Because they were in a war, and things could get busy for medics really fast. It was best to be prepared than to scramble when shots were fired.

Markus arrived at the medic tent once more, smiling when she spotted Charlotte working on some paperwork. It helped to have her and some of the others back to help catch them up. Still, it was as good of a time as any to catch up with Charlie, too. After all, it had been a while since they had seen each other with the leave. “Charlie,” she spoke, loud enough to be heard but soft enough not to startle her from her work. Markus offered a smile to the younger woman, “Hope you’re not working yourself too hard already.”

#docxstone #markus01 #gc: markus01 #gc

[charliexnightingale-blog]

“Aleksei,” she repeats, nodding. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Charlotte steps a bit closer but not too close -- they’ve only just met, and she certainly doesn’t want to crowd him. She swings around and leans back against the three he’d previously been perched on. At this distance she’s far enough away to give him his space but close enough to be cordial and carry on a conversation.

As it is, her instinct to help and to nurture kick in, and Charlotte looks over at Aleksei curiously. He doesn’t appear injured, and his face doesn’t have the look of someone avoiding the darkness of their dreams. Still, she has to ask.

“Is something wrong? Or are you just... getting the lay of the land, so to speak?”

Sleep had never seemed to come easy to Aleksei. But then he was not born into a particularly nurturing or forgiving world. His was harsh and lonely and cold. Merely cattle being herded around, used and abused and thrown away. He was not the introductory sort, the social sort, the typical sort. It was like learning to be a person. Learning that not everyone was cruel, even if he was more than capable - and guilty - of being so himself. 

The young Russian’s introspection was interrupted by the unlikely presence of another, a young woman with a friendly smile greeting him. More and more seemed to be doing so around the camp. It would take getting used to still. He moved, letting gravity take his feet to the ground. “Hello,” he bowed his head slightly in greeting. “Aleksei,” he offered in return.

#alekseinovak #gc #gc: aleksei01 #aleksei01

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Charlotte beams when she spots Levi. There are few things about life in the midst of war that don’t change but this is one of them: Levi nodding off to sleep while doing paperwork. Her voice is teasing but fond as she approaches him.

“What do you have against sleeping in your tent like everyone else?”

Levi was starting to think that his life was an endless cycle of paperwork and inappropriate sleeping as he hunched over the first of a stack of medical reports. Really, he should have assigned one of the nurses to this job, but as much as he complained about his work, he dreaded not having anything to do. Besides, it was the weekend, and they deserved a bit of a break; as much of a break as you could get in the middle of a war, anyway. Sudden footsteps cut through the stark quiet and his head snapped up, alarmed.

#gc #gc: levi03 #levi03 #levidurant;;

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Charlotte’s had a hard time sleeping since coming back to camp. She’s taken to wandering in the hours when she’s supposed to be asleep, getting to know the general layout of their base and letting the fresh air clear away any malignant memories and vestiges of nightmares clouding her brain. It’s rare to run into anyone else, but today she does. He’s not someone she’s familiar with, but it’s not in her nature not to say hi.

“Hello,” she smiles. “I’m Charlotte. I don’t think we’ve met.”

Aleksei was perched on the remains of a tree long since fallen, observing the camp and surrounding treeline within his vision. He spent more time surveying the area in the early hours of the morning and late hours of the evening than he did actually sleeping. He’d been having a bit of a rough time acclimating but he was starting to come around here and there. He made more of an effort to be present at different times though he still hadn’t interacted with many of the soldiers stationed there. He wasn’t known to stay in his tent or spend time in other’s. But where he lacked in social and people skills, he tried to make up for by keeping busy around camp, or so he hoped he was. He really hadn’t been among them long and he knew he wasn’t exactly readily accepted by everyone.

#gc #gc: aleksei01 #aleksei01 #alekseinovak

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Charlotte is almost certain she feels more comfortable at camp than she did at home in Charleston. It would probably be a strange thing for anyone else to hear, but it makes its own sort of sense to her. Here, she’s known for the quality of her work, the widespread belief in her competence. There, she’s a debutante. A generous one, yes, but. Still just her smile and her pretty face. 

She’s proud of her Southern heritage but prouder still of her family’s military one: being able to contribute to that legacy of Vreelands doing their best for their country makes her stand a little straighter when she walks. She likes feeling like she’s doing something important with her talents.

But now that she’s back, she realizes that the air in both places feels the same. Like... recovery. The image of her mother lying in bed and gaunt from illness pops into her head, and she adamantly shakes it off. Her focus now is getting settled again with the rest of the medical staff and their patients and finding Rick. She’s so busy flipping through charts that she doesn’t notice that someone’s come up behind her.

#ruinstarter #[here have cutie pie back XDDD ]

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Camille O’Connell Appreciation 3/∞

#sum;;

[charliexnightingale-blog]

She closes her eyes against his lips on her forehead and his hand on her cheek. She feels better already, and it’s all thanks to him. To his warmth and his touch. Charlotte smiles up at him fondly. Her hands curve around his face, and she pushes up on her tiptoes so she can kiss him properly. She lingers for a few moments, her thumbs smoothing over his cheekbones before she pulls away and settles back down on her feet.

Her heart swells in her chest, her breath stuttering for a moment as she’s overwhelmed by how much she feels for him. How much she wants and needs him with her. She rises up onto her toes again to press another quick, chaste kiss to his lips.

“I love you, Rick. I love you so much.”

With a slight shake of his head, Rick dismissed her apology and with the other hand gently tilting her chin up so brown eyes could meet blue once more.“You don’t have to apologise, Angel, not to me.” His thumb sliding across her cheek, Rick continued with t he same serious tone he’d adopted earlier, “Never to me.” He would go to his grave thinking that someone with a heart as good as Charlie’s would  never have anything to apologise for. They didn’t have it in them to knowingly cause another soul pain.

“It will end, just you wait and see. I know waiting is the worst part but we gotta keep believing we’re all going to get through it. We can’t let it cripple us or it’s not gonna end well.”

Lips brushed her forehead once more. “You stay strong ok? Keep doing you;re job as well as you do now and before you know it, this will all be over.”

#c:king #cor meum;; #rex;; #safe;;

[charliexnightingale-blog]

“Alright, Agent. You’ve promised. You can’t go back from that.”

“Get outta here. Go get some food and some rest, okay? I’ll see you later.”

“I won’t tear them again,” he laughed, putting his hand over his heart. “Je promets.”

#agentdurant;; #c:durant #durant;; #graze;; #[dslkjaf bless u <3333 ] #[d'you wanna end it here? or you can reply to it to wrap it up? we can always start up something new]

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Leah Pipes

#sum;;

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Charlotte looks into Rick’s eyes and can see his conviction; she hears it in his voice. He believes in her, and really, that’s enough. It’s always enough. A part of her still questions though...

“I just... I feel like none of it helps. We work so hard, and you guys risk your lives every single day--” Her hands slide to his chest to rest over the scars she knows are there. “But it never stops. There’s always someone else hurting or dying, someone else risking it all to end a war that just... won’t end.”

She shakes her head, looking down at her feet.

“I’m sorry, Rick, I-. ...I think I’m just tired.”

At first he just held her, knowing that it gave her comfort, despite the fact that he could never understand why or how he’d managed come to be that for her. His fingers had ran through her hair as she struggled with the weight of what she was telling him.

When Charlie started to get more emotional, and even blame herself for the death of the man Rick knew he couldn’t stay silent any longer. He wouldn’t stay silent and let her think that she hadn’t done enough.

“Angel, Angel, look at me.” His voice was gentle but there was an undeniable firmness to it. Moving his hand to rest on her cheek he wanted her eyes on his to show her the seriousness in what he was about to say. “You did your best, none of this is your fault, ok? War and death take without any discrimination and sometimes there’s nothing you can do to stop that. Don’t let these things weigh you down, I promise that’s not what any of the men you’ve treated or their families would want.”

#c:king #rex;; #cor meum;; #safe;;

[charliexnightingale-blog]

Rick folds her into his arms without hesitation, and she clings to him, her fingers bunching in his shirt. Charlotte bites her lip hard, trying to hold herself together for just a little longer, but she can’t. She’s stressed and disappointed and angry, all at herself. Well. And the war too.

“We-... I.. I lost someone today. I couldn’t-. He was fine and then he just wasn’t and--.” She breaks off, looking up at him, her face falling as she begins to cry in earnest. Her composure could really only last for so long.

“He just got married, Rick. Before he shipped out. His wife is pregnant, and I--. I let him die. He has a family to get back to, and I couldn’t save him and--. How many more people have to die?”

He was on his feet before she’d even finished her question, making his way over and sweeping her into his arms. “Of course, Angel.” As if he could ever deny her anything again, especially when he requests were always so simple and required nothing but his touch or presence. “Now do you wanna talk about it or do you need a minute?” Whilst he was always adamant that things shouldn’t be left unsaid he could understand if Charlie wanted a few minutes before sharing.

#c:king #rex;; #cor meum;; #safe;; #tw: death

[charliexnightingale-blog]

@kingxrick

She hurts. Everywhere. Her head is pounding; her feet, shoulders, and hands throb. But the worst pain is the one in her chest. There’s only one thing that can help her at times like this, only one person. She stands in his doorway, eyes filling with tears at just the sight of him. She’s safe here -- she can let go now.

“H-hi. Um. I-. ...Can you hold me? Please?”

#c:king #rex;; #cor meum;; #safe;;

[charliexnightingale-blog]

#sum;; #cor meum;; #rex;; #nsfw #[just to be safe ldsaf]