A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

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A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by darkstarrising »

Hi, all :wave:

The following is my answer to the challenge of 'cold'. I had an idea in mind, but it really didn't come together until I read Moonshadow's entry "Cold". Her chilling story tells of Mick remembering those left behind, fallen on the battlefield so many years ago. My story goes back to that time, to a place where war raged and peace was a dream not yet realized.

A/N - This is a sad story, but one that tries to convey what it must have been like for those who fought in Ardennes' frozen trenches. Please, do not read if you feel it will upset you.

As always, the characters are not mine, but from time to time, I learn from them.

A Cold Day in Hell

The Ardennes Region of France – December 24, 1944


Cold…..so cold…it’s like living in a damned freezer……


The sentry moved stiffly along the snow covered trench, one of many who kept watch on this holiest of nights. Unlike Bethlehem’s first Christmas eve, here, there was no joyous anticipation of salvation and certainly no peace. Perhaps out of deference for the holiday, the relentless shelling had finally ceased, giving the tired and wounded on both sides a few hours of much needed, albeit temporary respite.

A dense cloud cover shrouded the waxing moon’s meager light, an indication the weather wouldn’t be clearing any time soon, bringing more cold, more snow, more misery to those already overwhelmed. Worse, without moonlight, any night movement would be difficult to detect, making a sentry’s job even tougher. As tired as they all were, they knew they had to stay alert; close your eyes without someone watching your back, and you might never open them again.

Scanning the length of the trench, Mick could see others keeping watch as well. Ray was somewhere up the line a bit, never too far away from his life-long friend. In between, their comrades huddled together, resting in whatever way they could. The lucky ones would catch a couple hours of sleep, while others would pass the time talking about what loved ones were doing back home. Mick’s own thoughts turned to the midnight church service his family would attend, their prayers for their son offered along with those of so many others. Later Christmas day, they’d gather at his parents’ home and exchange the few presents the austerity of war would allow. His seat at the dinner table would remain empty, a reminder to all that a loved one was absent, yet not forgotten.

Growing up in southern California, Mick had often dreamed of waking up to a white Christmas only to be perpetually disappointed. Palm trees were poor substitutes for the snow covered spruces he’d seen as a child in books and later in movies. After enduring weeks of Europe’s harsh winter weather, though, Mick longed for a warm LA Christmas, palm trees and all.

If I ever get out of this alive, I never want to see snow again. I’d give anything to be home now, walking on the beach, feeling the sun on my face, just being warm again. I’d give even more to be free of the stench of blood, the sight of the dead and dying. I want to live.


Being so cold and scared made Mick appreciate things he’d previously taken for granted; a roof over his head, a comfortable bed, a woman’s soft, warm body nestled against his own. That last thought only made his aching loneliness worse and he quickly shifted his attention back to the task at hand. Christ, what he wouldn’t give for a smoke right now! He’d burned through the last of his days ago, yet still found himself craving the momentary comfort they gave him.

Shivering now, Mick’s breath fogged as he blew on his cold-stiffened fingers. His watch was nearly over, and he was looking forward to catching a few hours of sleep, to closing his eyes and leaving this frozen nightmare behind. It seemed an eternity ago that he and Ray had shipped out together, not really knowing what they were getting into or how long they’d be away. As far as Mick was concerned, they’d been gone far too long, and thoughts of returning home to friends and family were all that kept him going. Ray had a wife waiting for him, an enviable incentive for his friend to stay alive. When Mick got home, he'd would find a good, loving woman like Lila, settle down and have a houseful of kids. He’d seen enough of the world in the last few months to know he’d never want to leave home again.

His watch over, the tired medic trudged over to a sleeping comrade. The kid was from southern Texas and found the cold even more unbearable than Mick did. At 18, Eddie was young, too young to face the horror of war. He’d shipped over five months ago and between the harsh winter conditions and his own terror, Eddie had lost 20 pounds he couldn’t afford. He should be home tending to whatever chores his mother had for him, sweating under he hot Texas sun, not here, freezing on this field of death. Even though they were only a few years older, Mick and Ray had ‘adopted’ Eddie, trying to ease his time on the battlefield, hoping to get him back to Texas safe and sane.

Mick found Eddie curled up on the frozen ground, covered by the remnants Mick’s army-issue blanket as well as his own. Normally, Mick would have found sleeping on snow impossible, but he learned quickly that when you’re exhausted, you can sleep almost anywhere. As gently as he could, Mick tried to wake his sleeping comrade.

“Hey, Eddie! Wake up!! You’re on watch.”

The huddled mass never moved.

Mick crouched down, willing his frozen fingers to unwrap from his gun. Grasping the boy's shoulder, he shook him gently.

“Eddie? Come on man, I’m beat. I just need a couple of hours of shut-eye. Time to rise and shine.”

Still, there was no response from the sleeping form.

“Eddie?” Mick shook a little harder, his gut clenching as Eddie’s frost covered eyes remained shut. Hesitantly pulling the worn glove from his hand, Mick rolled his companion over and checked for a pulse.

There wasn’t one.

Whether cold, fear or both had taken this young life, Mick couldn’t tell. In the end, it didn’t matter. Eddie was gone and would never see the Texas plains again. His mother's blue star would turn to gold, yet her broken heart would never mend.

When the sun rose in a few hours, he’d take care of Eddie. For now, Mick just collapsed beside his comrade, feeling his tears fall for a kid he’d known only a few months, yet one he knew he’d never forget. Wrapping himself in his blanket, Mick sought comfort in the angel’s message that first Christmas eve.

‘Peace on Earth to men of good will.’

Eddie had found peace, but paid a terrible price. As exhaustion finally claimed him, Mick silently prayed that no one else would have to.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by redwinter101 »

This is beautiful, dsr, not just for the evocation of horror, but for Mick's yearning for a future life filled with home and family that we already know will never come to pass.

I think what struck me most was the way the cold makes everything else so much worse, to the point of being unbearable, sapping will and strength and heart. It continually amazes that anyone survived those conditions.

Beautifully done.

Red
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by wpgrace »

LOVE Red's comment, just as I love this fic.

But will add only this... how ironic that indeed the cold makes it all the worse for human Mick. Yet it makes the horrors more bearable for our vampire.
And his Christmases are indeed usually warm. This one would stand out in his memory for every possible reason.

He still knows the ache of loss and death and sorrow. But I wonder if, as a vampire, he can even really remember what being TOO cold even felt like?
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by Luxe de Luxe »

Oh this is so sad, dsr :hankie: - you may not have intended it, but I found this is an incredibly moving anti-war statement. The darned futility of it all. :Mickangel:

Of course, what Mick doesn't know is that it won't be long before he follows Eddie, and that the things he cherishes will be lost to him forever. A heart-wrenching piece of writing.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by francis »

This is a sad story, especially since it's a true one, a human one. My granduncle was in the same trenches just on the other side of the line, at 16. He had nightmares through all of his life.
Mick wishes for the warmth of LA and a house full of kids, but we all know that this dream won't come to pass. Your evocative writing makes me feel for him and his comrades, so much.
Thank you!
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by allegrita »

Oh, DSR... what a tragic and beautiful story. So many soldiers suffered and died in that campaign... so many young lives were lost or broken beyond repair. I'm sure there were many, many Eddies during the Battle of the Bulge--boys who just couldn't hold on to life in the face of that soul-sapping cold and the seeming hopelessness of the battle. :Mickangel:

I agree with Luxe that this is in many ways an anti-war story. But it's also a story that illuminates Mick. He had experienced far too much death and suffering long before he met Coraline. His war experiences shaped him--not just the loss of Ray, but the terrible memory of all the men who died and were wounded. As a medic, Mick would have seen even more than the other soldiers, and it would have taken a terrible toll on him.

The part of your story that finally made me cry was when Mick just lay down next to Eddie's body and slept. That spoke volumes about the horrors of war in general, and the Ardennes campaign in particular. :hankie:

By the way, I loved that Mick said to Eddie, "Time to rise and shine." It evokes Mick's future, when he, too, is in the realm of death... but is brought back by Josef's blood. One wakes, one sleeps on in the peace of death. I wonder if Mick, hearing Josef's words, thought back to that frozen night in hell, and shed a tear for Eddie.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by jen »

Fabulous.

Totally agree with the comments here.

How very ironic that the bitter cold that sapped their hope and penetrated their souls as it did their bodies would, in Mick's future, be a thing of comfort that he would retire to at the end of his day.

It was so heartbreaking, as each of the boys retreated in memory to home and they clung to their memories of it, like a talisman.

It never occurred to me until Alle's comment, that Mick's comment to Eddie about 'Time to rise and shine' were the same words that Josef said to Mick as he waited (a bit fearfully) to see if his friend would, indeed, rise.

For all the young men on that dark, icy Christmas eve, we only know the fates of three--Eddie, who was unable to hold out against the cold and brutality of war; Ray, who would be seriously wounded and never entirely recover but return home permanently damaged; and Mick, who came through the ravages of war only to be changed to take comfort in the type of aching cold that torments them here.

Bitter irony, indeed.

Thank you

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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by AussieJo »

DSR, Beautifully sad, a poignant statement.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by cassysj »

Beautifully written. The harsh realities of both war and weather don't care if you're 18 and have your whole life ahead of you. Eddie's mind escaped the horrors of war for what he thought were a few minutes and it wound up forever.

Mick will soon find the California sun he loves so much will no longer be his friend. Cold will become his new companion.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by darkstarrising »

redwinter101 wrote:This is beautiful, dsr, not just for the evocation of horror, but for Mick's yearning for a future life filled with home and family that we already know will never come to pass.

I think what struck me most was the way the cold makes everything else so much worse, to the point of being unbearable, sapping will and strength and heart. It continually amazes that anyone survived those conditions.

Beautifully done.

Red
thanks, Red :hug: Where I live, snow is inevitable in the winter, and I find myself less willing or capable of dealing with it. Thinking back to the conditions during the Battle of the Bulge, men on both sides endured ungodly cold and snow for weeks on end and had no choice but to deal with it. Some, like Eddie, couldn't, and over a period of time their lives were slowly drained from them and death was the only release.

In a sense, I saw Mick's time during this battle as a foreshadowing of his life as a vampire. Everything is cold, frozen. As a human, these conditions threaten him; as a vampire, they sustain him.

The blood of the dead and dying surround him on the battlefield and as a medic, he heals those he can. As a human, he's repulsed by all the bloodshed. As a vampire, the blood of the living (or in his case, the dead) is what he needs to be able to heal himself.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by darkstarrising »

wpgrace wrote:LOVE Red's comment, just as I love this fic.

But will add only this... how ironic that indeed the cold makes it all the worse for human Mick. Yet it makes the horrors more bearable for our vampire.
And his Christmases are indeed usually warm. This one would stand out in his memory for every possible reason.

He still knows the ache of loss and death and sorrow. But I wonder if, as a vampire, he can even really remember what being TOO cold even felt like?
thanks, grace :hug: It is indeed ironic that the conditions that make him suffer as a human are what he now needs to survive as a vampire. Can he remember what it felt to be too cold? I think so, because the cold there was so extreme that it affected his ability to move, to think, to even sleep. Perhaps, too, the cold he felt, chilled not just the body, but the very soul.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

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Luxe de Luxe wrote:Oh this is so sad, dsr :hankie: - you may not have intended it, but I found this is an incredibly moving anti-war statement. The darned futility of it all. :Mickangel:

Of course, what Mick doesn't know is that it won't be long before he follows Eddie, and that the things he cherishes will be lost to him forever. A heart-wrenching piece of writing.
thanks, Luxe :smooch: It wasn't really intended to be anti-war, but having lived through a few, perhaps my own feelings about the futility of it all colored the work. It is ironic, though, that having survived such conditions, Mick loses his life not on a field of battle, but in the on the bridal bed.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by darkstarrising »

francis wrote:This is a sad story, especially since it's a true one, a human one. My granduncle was in the same trenches just on the other side of the line, at 16. He had nightmares through all of his life.
Mick wishes for the warmth of LA and a house full of kids, but we all know that this dream won't come to pass. Your evocative writing makes me feel for him and his comrades, so much.
Thank you!
thanks, francis :hug: I had three uncles fight in the European theater and none would ever speak about their experiences. I had two professors in college, a husband- wife pair, that did speak of their experiences both during the war and afterward. The husband fought in the German army, while his wife was a teacher. It was she who spoke most of the horrible post-war conditions those in Europe had to endure, regardless of side. The recovery took decades, and some never did recover.

I'm not overly fond of the cold, and tried to imagine myself stuck outside for weeks on end without the simplest of creature comforts. The more I thought about how I'd react to it, the more I found myself feeling sorrow for all who had to endure those conditions.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by darkstarrising »

allegrita wrote:Oh, DSR... what a tragic and beautiful story. So many soldiers suffered and died in that campaign... so many young lives were lost or broken beyond repair. I'm sure there were many, many Eddies during the Battle of the Bulge--boys who just couldn't hold on to life in the face of that soul-sapping cold and the seeming hopelessness of the battle. :Mickangel:

I agree with Luxe that this is in many ways an anti-war story. But it's also a story that illuminates Mick. He had experienced far too much death and suffering long before he met Coraline. His war experiences shaped him--not just the loss of Ray, but the terrible memory of all the men who died and were wounded. As a medic, Mick would have seen even more than the other soldiers, and it would have taken a terrible toll on him.

The part of your story that finally made me cry was when Mick just lay down next to Eddie's body and slept. That spoke volumes about the horrors of war in general, and the Ardennes campaign in particular. :hankie:

By the way, I loved that Mick said to Eddie, "Time to rise and shine." It evokes Mick's future, when he, too, is in the realm of death... but is brought back by Josef's blood. One wakes, one sleeps on in the peace of death. I wonder if Mick, hearing Josef's words, thought back to that frozen night in hell, and shed a tear for Eddie.
Thanks, alle :smooch: This really is a story about Mick, and from the comment in the series (Fever) you know his Ardennes experience left its mark on him. Ironically, the warmth he craved as a human during battle is now destroying him as a vampire.

Good point about how his wartime experiences shaped him. As a medic, he had to deal with the pain and suffering of others. Those he was able to save must have made him feel a little better, while those he couldn't must have taken indeed its toll. As for his collapsing next to Eddie, it was a momentary defeat; the cold, fatigue and stress had already worn him down, but to lose someone you'd been trying to protect was just too much for him to deal with.

The 'time to rise and shine' was a phrase I could see him using. In this story, Eddie was dead, beyond any help his friend Mick could offer. In FTP, the dead Mick was able to rise with the help of his friend Josef, not as a human anymore, but as a vampire. I believe bittersweet memories of Eddie would have flooded back when he heard Josef beckon him back.
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Re: A Cold Day in Hell (PG) Champagne Challenge 124 - Cold

Post by darkstarrising »

jen wrote:Fabulous.

Totally agree with the comments here.

How very ironic that the bitter cold that sapped their hope and penetrated their souls as it did their bodies would, in Mick's future, be a thing of comfort that he would retire to at the end of his day.

It was so heartbreaking, as each of the boys retreated in memory to home and they clung to their memories of it, like a talisman.

It never occurred to me until Alle's comment, that Mick's comment to Eddie about 'Time to rise and shine' were the same words that Josef said to Mick as he waited (a bit fearfully) to see if his friend would, indeed, rise.

For all the young men on that dark, icy Christmas eve, we only know the fates of three--Eddie, who was unable to hold out against the cold and brutality of war; Ray, who would be seriously wounded and never entirely recover but return home permanently damaged; and Mick, who came through the ravages of war only to be changed to take comfort in the type of aching cold that torments them here.

Bitter irony, indeed.

Thank you

Jenna

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Thanks, Jenna :smooch: Think of the scene in WLB, when we see Ray, Mick and others in their platoon in Italy, sitting on the ground eating their rations and talking about the things that made them feel good; their loved ones, the food they craved (Lila's ham, for example) when all they had to eat were K-rations. Those were the things that kept most of them going and relatively sane. Those that had let go of things to live for, stopped living. In this story, Eddie was one of the poor unfortunates that had been overcome by fear and the environment and succumbed to death, the only way out.

Indeed, it is ironic that of the three that survived relatively unscathed, Mick now needs the cold he suffered as a human to survive as a vampire.
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