My name is Kate I go by she/her pronouns, I’m 23, just happy to be here really this fandom is so supportive! Have a look around, and don’t be scared to message me!
My OC's
Lemonade (Eugene Sledge [The Pacific] x Fem!OC):
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
MEDIC! (Donald Malarkey [Band of Brothers] x Fem!OC) COMPLETED: Moodboard 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38 TW
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 42 (alt ending)
Chapter 43 (alt ending)
Epilogue
The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie: (Donald Malarkey [Band of Brothers] x Fem!OC AU)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Petals and Porcelain: (Vessel [Sleep Token] x Fem!OC)
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie (Donald Malarkey x FemOC)
Yeehaw friends, has everyone been listening to the Great Divide, cause I have. Has me in my feelings. But it feels like the soundtrack/vibe to this story, Willing and Able has me sobbing and writing. Hope you enjoy.
This based on the characters from the HBO show and the actors who portray them. No disrespect to anyone involved.
Let me know if you would like to be tagged
Chapter 5:
Don stood in the doorway longer than he meant too.
Gene had made his way back to his seat in the corner of the room by the window. He had set up camp for the night.
Don had helped him drag in an arm chair from the living room so that he would be able to get some sleep, a small reading light lit up his corner where he read in the dim light. Every now and then his gaze would flick up and take in the sleeping girl tucked into the bed.
Eleanor had faded quickly, she had got into new clothes provided by Don. Some of his old t-shirts he didn’t wear along with long forgotten flannel pj bottoms that were far too long on her.
But she had made do.
Gene had coaxed her into bed, then before he could even start the fluids she had fallen fast asleep.
Well, Don had hoped she was only sleeping. From the amount of times she had passed out since meeting her he was worried she was unconscious.
The fluids dripped silently on the pole by her bed connected to the cannula that was inserted into a vein on her left forearm.
Don was thankful that Gene had agreed to help, and was hopeful that Ele would pull through. She seemed like a fighter.
The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and dust warmed by the evening sun. It was peaceful. Too peaceful for the kind of girl who looked like she’d crawled out of hell.
“I’ll change the fluids throughout the night. She could probably use a bag or two.” Gene said from his seat.
He nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from the sleeping woman. “Has she woken at all?”
“She stirred not too long ago.” Gene replied, his focus also fixed on his patient. “She was confused, and thought she was still outside. It took a bit to convince her she was safe, I think she was too tired to fight.”
That made something in Don’s heart twist.
His eyes scanned over her features, and even in sleep her brows knitted together and jaw clenched tight. As if she wasn’t able to outrun the monster that seemed to be chasing her.
A low whine pulled his attention, Scout had arrived back a couple hours ago with the rest of the muster. She hadn’t forgotten about the woman they had found and desperately wanted to check on the sleeping girl.
“Sorry, Scout. She’s resting at the moment, but when she’s awake I’m sure she’d love to see you.” He cooed to the sweet collie giving her best puppy eyes at his feet.
“Dinner!” A call echoed from the kitchen grabbing both Gene and Don’s attention.
“You should go eat, it’s been a long day.” Gene’s voice arose from the corner.
“Do you want anything?” Don asked, looking back at the man.
He only shook his head with a soft smile. “I’ll grab something later. You go.”
Don couldn’t help but glance at Eleanor, still exactly where she was seconds ago in the same condition.
Gene could sense his lingering stare, “I’ll be here all night. I will wake you if anything changes.” He urged Don to go.
Don nodded again, slower this time.
He took one last look at Eleanor before stepping out into the hallway and closing the door with careful quiet.
The kitchen was bustling chaos compared to the hush of the guest room Don had just left.
Luz and Frank were bickering loudly while attempting to set the table, though their argument had clearly become more important than the task itself. Cutlery clinked, a chair scraped harshly across the floor, and a fork skittered off the table entirely.
Lipton was too preoccupied with the dozen pots and pans claiming space on the stove and in the oven. He moved in quick, efficient bursts, stirring something on the stove, opening the oven to check a roast, turning back to the bench to knead dough that already dusted his apron and forearms in flour.
Don paused in the doorway, leaning his shoulder against the frame. None of this was new. In fact, he could have recited the next few minutes from memory.
“Luz and Frank!” Lipton’s voice boomed across the room as he mixed something furiously in a bowl. “Will you just once set the table like normal human beings?”
“If you wanted it done right, you should’ve just asked one of us!” Luz shot back without missing a beat.
“That’s right,” Frank added, holding up the handful of mismatched utensils George had scattered across the table. “Otherwise we’ll be eating dinner with nothing but spoons.”
“Oh yeah?” Luz fired back. “If we let you set the table, we’d be eating roast out of bowls!”
And just like that, the argument looped back to the beginning.
Don crossed the room and slid onto one of the stools at the island, resting his elbows on the worn wood. He watched Lipton dart from stove to bench to oven like a man trying to put out five fires at once.
“I do question why you give that job to them so often,” Don said with a quiet chuckle.
Lipton sighed deeply, not even looking up from what he was doing. “Because they come in here too early and start trying to eat everything I make. This keeps them occupied.”
He finally glanced over at the still-arguing pair.
“Jesus,” Lip muttered before raising his voice. “It’s like having children. You two are far too old for this nonsense!”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” He offered gently.
It was quite a task trying to feed fifteen people. But somehow each morning, noon and night Lip did it without fail.
“No, if you come in here it will just stress me out more.” His cheeks were rosy from the heat of the stove.
“It’s about done anyway.” Lip gave Donald a smile to ease his concern. “How about you try and break them up?” He gestured with his head over to the dining table.
“I’ll try my best.” Don gave a short huff before making his way over.
“This is delicious, as always. Thank you Lip.” Spiers politely complemented the dinner they all shared.
It had been silent since they had sat down to eat, everyone far too hungry to even bother with pleasantries.
A chorus of thank you’s and agreeable moans made its way around the group of men, to show appreciation to the cook who sat at the head.
“I think my beans were a bit overcooked.” As always Lip critiqued his cooking, never quite satisfied with his excellent work.
“It’s great, Lip. Drowned in this gravy you can’t even tell.” Liebgott said with his mouth far too full of food.
But the cook smiled at his garbled words nonetheless.
“So, how was everyone’s day?” Bill asked, pushing his chair back slightly, looking thoroughly defeated by the second helping he’d insisted on getting.
“Our muster went smoothly,” Penkala said with a chuckle. “The girls came down without a fight. But hell, were they slow.” He held his hands out in front of him, mimicking the wide sway of heavily pregnant cows.
“Don had an interesting muster.” Bull said quietly, eyeing the man from across the table.
All attention fell on him, it seemed like news didn’t travel as fast as it usually did around here. But it was one of the busiest days of the year, so he would have to credit that as to why.
“Yeah, um…” Don cleared his throat and put down his fork. “I found a girl in the woods.”
A murmur arose from the group who whispered to their neighbours in confusion.
“A girl?” Bill was perplexed. “What was she doing out there?”
“I don’t know. I asked her and she said that she had been split up from her hiking group. But the clothes she was wearing seemed like she was going for a stroll in the middle of the day, not trekking through the woods.”
“There aren’t any hiking trails anywhere near us,” Bill pointed out. “She would’ve had to cover a fair bit of ground to end up on our property.”
“That’s what I thought too,” Don nodded.
“So did you take her to the hospital?” Babe asked quickly.
“Was she alright?” Penk added.
“How badly was she hurt?” Skip chimed in.
“How long had she been out there?” Luz asked.
“Who is she?” Frank finished.
The questions came all at once, overlapping, piling on top of each other until Don could barely tell who had asked what.
“Her name is Eleanor, that's all I could really get from her,” He held out a hand preemptively answering Lieb who was leaning forward to interrupt him.
“and I didn’t want to push it while she was in bad shape.”
Lieb leaned back, closing his mouth quickly with a sharp nod.
“She’s not in the best shape, said she had been out there for four days.” He answered the other questions that had been fired at him.
“No broken bones, but she is very dehydrated and malnourished.”
“Is that what the hospital told you?” Lip asked from the head of the table.
Don began to rub the back of his neck in a sheepish manner, “About that.” He started.
“She didn’t go to the hospital.” He finally looked up at the perplexed faces around the table.
“What do you mean?” Toye finally joined in on the conversation, his tone gruff and brows furrowed.
“Elle didn’t want to go to hospital. She’s said she’s pretty tight on cash at the moment-”
“So you just let her leave?” Lip asked in concern for the girl.
“No.” Don was trying to find the words to ease the men into the situation.
“Where is she?” Frank asked.
“Wait, where’s Doc?” Luz scanned the table, only now realising the vet was absent.
No one else knew apart from Don and Gene about the whereabouts of this mysterious girl. Even Babe who had led her into the house was unaware of where she was.
“She’s here.” Don finally spat out the words caught in his throat.
There was a beat of silence as the men processed what he had said before the dining room turned into uproar.
Chairs scraped loudly against the floor as several of them pushed back from the table to stand. Questions were fired at him from every direction, voices overlapping until it became a wall of noise he couldn’t separate into individual words.
At the far end of the table, the older men had leaned in toward one another, brows drawn tight in what looked like a low, urgent discussion. Every few seconds, one of them would glance up at Don before returning to the quiet exchange.
The man sat there in the chaos that he had caused waiting on the decision to be made.
Speirs stood from his seat gesturing for everyone to quiet down so that he could speak.
“Since Nixon and Winters are away we will be making the decisions in their absence.” Ron announced to the group who nodded in agreement.
And then he looked to Don, who was waiting with baited breath on the verdict of his peers.
“Donald, what you did was a brave thing. I am in no doubt that you saved this girl’s life.” Speirs started praising the man which was uncommon for the normally strict cowboy.
“However,” Don’s smile faltered from his face, “We know nothing about this woman. Gene is not a doctor and if she dies here we would be responsible. She needs to go.”
“But, Sir!” The red headed man shot up from his seat, “If we make her leave tonight she will be as good as dead. Gene is giving her fluids, and I am confident in his medical practise-”
“For animals.” Ron cut him off. “He treats our animals and he is good, I agree. But if she dies he will be responsible and where will that leave us?”
The room was silent apart from Speirs’ voice, it held the men with a commanding tenor.
“From what you have told me it seems like she is hiding something from us. I am not willing to risk this ranch for a random stranger you found in the woods.”
“I’ll take accountability if she gets worse,” Don replied quickly. “Gene’s watching her closely. If she starts to crash, I’ll drive her to the hospital myself.”
“And say what, Malarkey?” Speirs asked. “That you had her here being treated by our vet?”
“No. Of course not.” Don shook his head. “I can make something up.”
“If she dies, they’ll do an autopsy,” Speirs countered. “They’ll see the fluids. You can’t lie your way around that.”
“Then just give her the night,” Don pleaded. “She’s stable right now. By morning she’ll be strong enough to leave on her own.”
“Donald,” Speirs said, softer now but no less firm, “I will not gamble this ranch. This is all of our livelihoods you’re putting on the line, not just your own.”
He looked around the room at his chosen family, then men who took him in when no one else would.
But this was the same with Eleanor. He could feel it in his bones, that she was out of place. Something happened that caused her to stumble onto the property, to walk out in front of him.
Like fate itself, thrust her into his arms. And it felt wrong to turn her away so quickly.
“You took me in,” Don said quietly, his voice roughening. “Nixon and Winters gave all of us a chance. When we had nothing. When no one else would even look at us.”
His eyes moved from face to face.
“We stumbled in here, down on our luck, and you gave us a second chance.”
He swallowed.
“Why is it different with her?”
The room fell into an uneasy quiet after Don’s words.
Speirs didn’t answer straight away. His jaw worked as he thought, eyes drifting briefly toward Lipton, then Bill, then back to the table.
This wasn’t a simple decision. And everyone in the room knew it.
Finally, Ron exhaled slowly.
“This isn’t our call to make.”
A few heads lifted.
“We hold until Winters and Nixon get back.”
There was no protest. No argument. Just a collective understanding that this had climbed higher than them.
Lipton nodded once. “They should be back tomorrow afternoon if the roads are clear.”
“So she stays the night,” Bill said carefully, like he was testing the words.
“She stays,” Speirs confirmed, “but no more treatment than what Gene has already done. No risks. No heroics. We keep her stable and we wait.”
His eyes found Don again.
“And when they return, this becomes their decision. Not ours.”
The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie (Donald Malarkey x FemOC)
Yeehaw and howdy partners, another instalment of Easy Ranch. Hope everyone is feeling rootin' tootin'! Thanks for all the love on the last post, it's nice to be back I missed everyone! Let me know what you think, love y'all 🤠
This based on the characters from the HBO show and the actors who portray them. No disrespect to anyone involved.
Let me know if you would like to be tagged
Chapter 4:
“Woah, girl,” Don murmured, steadying the horse as loose shingle shifted beneath her hooves
They had done the pass countless times before but it never failed to set his heart racing.
One wrong foot and all three of them would be tumbling down the mountain.
“Hold on tight.” Don instructed Elle.
He didn’t have to tell her, she was already white-knuckling his sides with her tight grip. In fact she was more concerned she was going to draw blood.
“I thought we were waiting for help?” The tremor in her voice was evident, though she tried to swallow it.
Don twisted in the saddle, flashing her a wicked smile.
Oh god, I’m riding down this hill with a crazy man!
A voice screamed in her head.
“Can’t stop a moving train, I’m afraid.” His eyes moved back to his herd, moving down the steep and winding pass.
Elle gulped down her fear and prayed to a god she didn’t even believe in.
Please don’t let me go this way!
A sharp whistle pierced the air and the thunder of hooves rumbled towards them. From the trees a group of cowboys rode into view.
Unexpectedly or expectedly, they did look exactly like those cowboys in the old western movies Eleanor had seen.
With their wide brimmed hats, denim jeans covered in dust and debris, they even wore the boots to match.
“Here comes the cavalry.” Don mused to himself, his attention still on the cattle he manoeuvred.
Eleanor stiffened in her seat, gripping tighter onto Don.
“They’re good guys.” He sensed her shift in energy.
The horses drew closer, dogs flanked their sides keyed into their task at hand they went straight for the herd.
“Malarkey!” A warm voice called out to the man, who couldn’t help smile back at his friend.
“Picking up strays as usual, I see.” The men laughed amongst themselves as they took in the sight of the pair.
“You know me.” Don chuckled in agreement.
“Yeah, a big softie.” Mused one of the riders. He nudged his horse forward until they were side by side.
“Skip.” The man outstretched his hand in greeting, a warm smile on his charming face.
Eleanor hesitated for a moment before she tentatively reached out to his welcome. He took a gentle hold of her, giving a firm shake of her hand before letting her free.
“Eleanor.” She introduced herself.
“We don’t actually have too much time for introductions.” Don interrupted. “Elle’s in a bit of a bad way. You guys mind finishing the job, while I deliver her to Doc?”
“We got this.” Skip nodded, looking over his shoulder to the men who flanked either side.
It was a silent conversation before the team broke off into different sections. They yipped and howled, commanding the dogs around the moving herd.
“Let’s go.” Don broke Lady into a fast canter.
They flew through the woods, the scenery passed by as they made their way down the last part of the trek. And a new anxiety bloomed in Elle's chest.
This was it, finally back to civilization, she had made it out alive. And now she had to think about what that meant for her.
She was so sure that it was going to be her last days in those woods.
And now that her life wasn’t in mortal danger anymore, that night resurfaced in her head. As well as the consequences that came with it.
She tried to swallow it down, stop her hands from shaking and heart beating out her chest.
Everything that had been holding her together, her last bit of energy drained from her.
Her body became heavy, with the burden of realisation.
“You have a doctor?” She asked, thinking back to what Don had said to his men.
“No, he’s a vet.” He yelled back over the wind. “But he can check you out before we go.”
Go. To the hospital. Back into town.
Her body curled in on itself at the thought. She felt light headed at the prospect.
But now wasn’t the time to lose her nerve. She clung tighter, steadied her breaths.
Elle needed to be collected and level headed. If she fumbled her one opportunity, the half cooked plan in her head would fall to pieces along with her life.
It was an hour, the sun had just begun to sink behind the rolling mountains, that they finally made it back to the ranch.
Elle wasn’t even able to take in the property. Don had moved them swiftly to what looked like the back of the house.
A few men exited the building, walking down the wooden stairs to the pair on the horse.
“Everything ok, Malark?” A slender young man asked, wiping his hands on his pants as he descended the porch.
“Take her to Doc, I need to help the guys muster everyone down.” Don spoke assuredly.
The young man approached, hands outstretched. Elle didn’t even realise that he was helping her down from Lady.
Her eyes fixed to Don, uncertainty in her stare.
“They’ll take care of you, and I’ll be back soon.” He smiled gently, confident in his companions.
Hands fixed around her waist and effortlessly plucked her from the saddle. The ground felt unsteady beneath her feet. But the man didn’t let her sink to the ground as her legs betrayed her.
“I’ll be back soon.” Don repeated again, looking more guilty than he had at the start.
Her big blue eyes shook with fear, asking silently for him to stay. But he ignored the squeeze in his chest and gave an approving nod to Babe.
The red headed man basically had to carry her into the house. Her legs shook violently with each step.
Strangely, he didn’t ask any questions or comment on her unkempt appearance. He simply guided her through the maze of hallways until they reached what looked like a small guest room.
He guided her to sit on the white duvet, which made her cringe due to the dirt and grim she was covered in, before he left the room.
She sat on the bed, and tried to gather her thoughts and nerves. The one person she had begun to trust, had just ditched her in a house full of strangers to disappear back into the mountains that almost killed her.
Elle’s eyes flitted around the room, it was quaint with a large window that opened onto the landscape, a small oak chest of draws and a decent enough sized wardrobe that was tucked into the corner.
The bed shifted under her weight as she soothingly stroked the soft material trying her best to calm herself. The house smelt clean, not like bleach or chemicals, but of people.
It had a warm scent. The kind that made you think of curling into a soft bed while someone gently stroked your hair until you fell asleep.
The room was basked in golden light from the setting sun.
A man stepped into the room, distracting her from her silent observations.
“Hello.” He announced softly as he shut the door behind him.
Eleanor swallowed and shifted in her seat, trying to cover the wave of anxiety that flooded through her at the sight of the closed door.
“My name is Gene. I work here as a Vet.” The brown haired man introduced himself with a thick accent. One that Elle couldn’t seem to place.
“It’s Eleanor isn’t it?” The man ensured he had her name right.
Elle nodded stiffly.
“Don radioed ahead. He asked me to give you a quick once-over before you head to the hospital.” Gene offered a polite smile, the kind that suggested he was asking permission rather than assuming it.
“Ok.” Was all that Elle was able to manage.
Gene began his examination, taking her blood pressure, shining a light in her eyes, getting her to follow his actions. He looked over all the cuts and bruises that marred her extremities.
Elle watched the man intently, he seemed to keep his emotions close to his chest, she couldn’t tell if she was dying or in good health. He worked with quiet focus, only humming or muttering to himself every so often.
Finally he stood to his full height, his face still stuck in that same look it had been since he had begun.
“Nothing seems to be broken, which is good. The lacerations on your arms and legs don’t appear to be infected but they will need to be cleaned and dressed.” Gene listed off his findings.
“I am worried about your blood pressure, it’s very low and Don reported you had been feeling very dizzy.”
Elle nodded in agreement, she had been feeling lightheaded all day, actually she had become unconscious a few times on the back of the horse on the ride down.
“I passed out a few times as well.” She added.
“I assume it’s due to dehydration, have you drunk much since you have been found?” Gene questioned.
She paused for a second, she had been so thirsty when Don had first found her and then she fell unconscious. When she woke up she ate and drank a small bit, but she had felt so weak she hardly had enough to replenish what she had lost.
And then today she had felt so light-headed and nauseated that the thought of eating and drinking made her want to hurl.
That meant that she hadn’t properly eaten or drank since the night she went missing.
“No.” Was all that she said after her long pause.
“When you get to the hospital, they’ll likely put you on fluids and electrolytes straight away,” Gene said. He paused, studying her.
“How many days were you out there?”
“Four,” she said, counting on her fingers. “It was Sunday… and now it’s Friday. Don found me at the end of the fourth day.”
“Well I am glad you’re safe and in one piece. But a hospital visit will be needed, they will treat your dehydration and monitor you in case you go into shock.” Gene gave a small but kind smile.
“About that.” Elle grabbed his attention before he could leave the room. “I can’t go to the hospital.
A confused look briefly flashed across his features, “I’m sorry?”
Eleanor looked up at Gene from where she sat, her face pale and drawn. “Will I die if I don’t go to the hospital? I can just drink water and I should be fine.”
Gene crouched in front of her, resting his forearms on his knees so he wasn’t looming over her.
His voice stayed calm, but firm. “No. You need fluids with sodium, potassium, glucose, everything your body normally gets from eating and drinking. You need it urgently, and you can’t safely rehydrate with water alone. If this goes untreated, you could go into organ failure.”
“Oh,” she said softly, the word barely more than a breath.
“Don will be back any minute,” Gene went on, gentler now. “He can drive you into town and get you treated properly at the hospital.”
Eleanor’s eyes dropped to her hands. “I don’t have the funds for that right now.”
Gene frowned. “You don’t have health insurance?”
She shook her head faintly. “I’m normally pretty healthy. I didn’t plan on getting lost in the woods.”
A small huff of sympathy left him. “I don’t think many people plan that. But accidents happen. And this is serious.”
She looked back at him, worry creasing her brow. “Can’t you treat me?”
Gene hesitated. “I’m a vet-”
“But you assessed me. You know medicine.”
He gave a small shake of his head. “I know animal medicine.”
“Don’t animals get dehydrated and need fluids?” She pressed.
“Yes, but-”
Elle interrupted, “So just put in an IV and give me what I need.”
Gene exhaled slowly through his nose, patient but conflicted. “I don’t know exactly what you need. In a hospital they’d take your blood and check your levels before giving you anything. I don’t have that equipment for humans, and I don’t know the correct baseline numbers.”
Eleanor swallowed. “What would you use on an animal in my situation?”
Gene’s expression softened with regret. “It’s not that simple, Eleanor. I’m sorry… but I can’t in good conscience treat you.”
“That’s ok, I understand.” She stood from her position on the bed, wobbling slightly in her movements.
She took a few deep breaths to settle her swimming vision and spinning head, before she slipped past Gene and tried to find her way out.
“Where are you going?” He followed close behind, but gave no assistance in her direction.
“I am going back into town, and then I’m leaving.”
“Eleanor, that's not a good idea. You could die if you don’t get seen.”
She swung around, maybe a bit too fast as she steadied herself on the wall. “Can you treat me then?”
“I’ve told you-”
Eleanor had her answer, she turned back around and continued her quest on finding the exit to this maze of halls.
She navigated the corridors on sluggish legs, with Gene hot on her heels but silent in his pursuit of her.
Finally she had gone down enough dead ends that she managed to find the back porch she had entered through.
The only problem was now Don stood in the doorway taking off his boots, the sound of footsteps alerted him to Eleanor’s and Gene’s presence.
She could’ve sworn a smile crept onto his lips at the sight of her, but then quickly disappeared and was replaced by confusion.
“Is everything ok?” He asked, eyes moving between her and Gene who still stood behind her.
“Yes-”
“No-”
They said in unison, which only seemed to confuse the man more.
“I was just about to leave.” Elle gestured to the door Don was still standing in, blocking her escape.
“She is refusing to go to the hospital.” Gene’s tone was urgent.
Eleanor rolled her eyes and looked behind her at Gene, “I told you I don’t have the money for that right now.”
She turned back to the front to face Don, who wore the same concerned expression Gene did.
“So I will leave. Thank you for all that you have done for me. I would surely be dead by now if you hadn’t stumbled across me.” She thanked her saviour sincerely.
Don didn’t acknowledge the gratitude, only looked past her to where the vet stood.
“How bad is she?” he asked Gene.
“She is severely dehydrated, if she isn’t seen by a doctor and put on the right treatment she could die.” Gene did not sugar coat her ailments.
Don’s jaw tightened, “Then we’re going to the hospital.”
“No.” Eleanor shook her head, but regretted the action instantly as it sent the room spinning around her.
She needed to leave now, before her body gave out and they dragged her there anyway.
Stepping forwards she made a move to try and get around the sturdy man blocking her exit, but he didn’t budge. There was no way around him.
“I can pay for it.” Don tried to soften his tone, as if coaxing a scared puppy out from under the couch.
“I don’t like owing people,” Elle replied. “And I already owe you more than I can ever repay. I’m not adding to that.”
Don gave a frustrated huff and he raked his fingers through his hair, clearly trying to think of another solution.
“Could you try?” Don pressed. “Because if she walks out that door like this, she’s not making it far.”
Gene ran a hand over his face, thinking hard. “I don’t have the right equipment. I don’t know her levels. I would be guessing.”
Don swallowed. “Is guessing better than doing nothing?”
A long pause hung in the air.
Gene looked between the two of them, then exhaled through his nose.
“Fine,” he said reluctantly. “But you need to understand something,” He jabbed his finger at the pair of them. “This is not proper medical care. This is me trying to keep her alive long enough that her body can stabilise itself.”
Don nodded immediately. “Do it.”
Gene now turned to Don fully, “And if this goes wrong, this was your call.”
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie (Donald Malarkey x FemOC)
Just going to leave this here, I don't know if anyone is still following this story. If you are I will give you the classic AO3 my house burnt down excuse lmao. No I'm kidding, but life got busy. I am in between adventures at the moment so I have some down time to revisit this story. IDK if I even remember how to tumblr anymore I've been so absent.
This based on the characters from the HBO show and the actors who portray them. No disrespect to anyone involved.
There was a taglist but it's been so long I won't drag everyone back. Let me know if anyone wants to be updated.
Chapter 3:
Don yawned and stretched as he arose from his slumber. He looked to his left, forgetting that Eleanor slept soundly beside him.
The memories from the previous day flooded his brain.
Eleanor even though she was rested she still wasn’t out of the woods, literally.
Don didn’t know the extent of her injuries or even how she ended up in this predicament. She needed to go to the hospital for a full check up, and to do that he needed to get her and everyone else back to the ranch as safely as possible.
He left the tent, the fire smoked as the last of the embers burned out. The cattle were settled as well as Lady, who was grazing not far from the tent.
Tiller followed Don as he did a round of the animals, checking to see if any of them had been injured or escaped. But all seemed to be in order.
Don tacked up Lady, before waking Eleanor so that they could pack down the tent.
Luckily it wasn't so much of a challenge to wake her as the previous night.
Eleanor watched as Don made quick work of the job, he stuffed the fabric into the storage bag before tucking it into one of the saddlebags that were attached to Lady.
Scout didn’t leave her side the entire time they were packing up. The collie dog nuzzled and licked Eleanor any chance she got. It brought a smile to the young lady’s face, always giving in to the sweet dog’s big puppy eyes.
“Scout likes you.” Don commented watching the pair interact.
Scout was always a friendly dog, never saying no to head pats or tummy scratches, but apart from him he had never seen her so attached, especially to a stranger they had all just met.
“Well, I like her.” Eleanor smiled, kissing Scout on her head. Scout answered with a happy lick across her cheek.
“How you feelin’ this morning, Eleanor?” Don asked as he stomped out the last of the hot ashes.
“Call me Elle.” She lifted her head to meet his gaze. “I’m feeling ok, still exhausted, I feel dizzy when I move too much.”
Elle’s eyes scanned her body, still aching from the ordeal she had endured. Though nothing seemed to be broken or actively bleeding. Which had to count for something.
“You should try to eat and drink.” Don said as he made his way over to Lady, he riffled through the saddle bags trying to find a quick snack for the brunette.
“We’re heading back down to the ranch today. Then we can get you some proper help.” Don pulled out a granola bar in triumph, handing it over to Elle.
“How long will that take?” She asked as she took the food from him gratefully. She peeled back the wrapper but only managed a small bite before stomach started to churn.
“We should arrive early afternoon, if everything goes to plan.” Don bent down giving some love to Tiller who sat beside him.
While he wasn’t looking, Eleanor pocketed the bar into the jacket Don had loaned her. Not wanting to concern the man at her lack of appetite.
The herd grazed lazily in the paddock, unaware of the drama that had been unfolding last night.
Don made quick work of getting everyone sorted, it took a moment to get Scout to detach herself from Elle’s side, but the prospect of work was too exciting for the young pup to refuse.
Like a well oiled machine they fell back into their roles with ease and the herd began to move.
Elle sat behind Don on Lady, sitting quietly and watching as everyone worked. It was fascinating to witness, growing up in the city she had never been exposed to farm life. Though it did intrigue her.
They had risen before day break, so Elle got to watch the sun peek over the mountains and shine its warm light over the cold land.
Don was too preoccupied to enjoy the beauty, Eleanor guessed he had seen this sight many times before. It was probably just another sunrise.
For her though, it had been days since she had properly felt the warmth of the sun on her skin. She soaked in its rays, thankful she wasn’t still wandering the woods waiting to become prey or victim to the elements.
The ride seemed to be easy enough, Don had good control of his herd and checked in with Elle every now and then.
But Elle’s exhaustion weighed heavily on her, her limbs ached, her consciousness came in and out like a wave lapping at the shore.
One moment she was aware of her surroundings of the crisp wind on her face and then the next she was battling through the quicksand of her mind, trying to pull herself back to the surface.
Don could tell Elle still wasn’t safe just yet, from the lack of food and water, though he had replenished what he could, she would definitely need medical attention.
He could feel just how tired she was, she would be alert to completely out, her full weight pressed against his back.
There were a few close calls, the girl listing to the side and almost falling off Lady. Don thankful had been quick to catch her arm before she toppled right off.
Some tough decisions had to be made. They could push on with Elle in her current condition and get her back to civilisation as quickly as possible, but risk her falling and hurting herself even more.
Or they could stop and let everyone rest, and deny her quick access to medical care.
With the almost second mishap, Don thought it best to take quick breaks.
The large oak tree they had stopped under creaked in the wind, and birds sang sweetly in the breeze that ruffled the hair around Don’s neck.
He watched as Elle tentatively nibbled the sandwich they shared, her eyes flitting around her surroundings.
The heifers occupied the paddock they had stopped in, the dogs ensuring they didn’t stray far.
Clearly Elle had been through some shit, with every crack and creak of wood she would flinch and look around, eyes wide with fear.
But Don knew the look, had experienced it himself a few too many times, knew better than to pry.
So he didn’t, he fed and watered her, kept her safe like everyone else on his team today.
“I’m sorry we have to keep stopping.” Her melodic tone drifted over the wind.
It took Don a moment to reply, unsure if the words had come from her or the birds finally learnt how to speak English.
“Reckon being late beats you getting trampled by Lady.” Don laughed quietly, what a shit show that would be.
“I guess you’re right.” Elle also mused lightly, looking over at the mare who nibbled away at the grass.
Another crack in the distance had her neck on a swivel, her stomach dropped at the sound. It was getting harder to pretend like she was enjoying the sandwich Don had given her.
“You don’t have to eat if you don’t feel up to it.” The man had been watching her, taking the smallest of bites and rolling the food from one cheek to the other waiting for it to dissolve in her mouth so she could manage to swallow.
She felt bad, this was his food after all, and during the whole time she had been with him he had hardly eaten. At least one of them needed strength to get them home.
“I know I’ve eaten a bit of it but you can have it.” She carefully re-wrapped the sandwich in the crumpled parchment, handing it back over to the man.
Don took it from her hands but only placed it back inside his rucksack. Elle chewed the inside of her cheek.
“First time I rode longer than three hours, I puked.”
The statement had caught the girl offguard, her brows furrowed.
“Who would’ve thought you could get horse sick.” Don laughed gently, easing some of the nerves coiled in Elle’s stomach.
“Car-sick, sea-sick, hell, even plane-sick. But horse-sick.” He shook his head, eyes glinting with the memory.
“Well I copped that for a couple of weeks, the boys kept buying me anti-nausea medications, and hid them around the ranch for me to find. They seemed to all find it very amusing.”
Elle chuckled too, an image of the man in front of her just trying to accomplish basic tasks but only finding medication wherever he turned was funny.
“Have you worked on the ranch for very long?” Elle inquired, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Been here ten years now.” He shook his head slightly, as if he couldn’t quite believe it. “Got there just after I turned eighteen.”
That was when he’d finally been free, an adult, no longer needing parental supervision, able to make his own choices.
The ranch had been his choice. Well… mostly. The best of a broken situation.
But it worked out in the end, better than he could’ve ever imagined. He had found where he belonged.
Elle watched him quietly, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, as though he were reliving the best moments of his life.
“So you enjoy what you do?” She tilted her head to gauge his features more clearly.
A wide smile broke on to his lips, “Very much.” His gaze moved from her and fell on his herd.
Elle followed his eyes, taking in the peaceful cattle, the dogs who panted at their feet and Lady who continued her grazing. And then her eyes fell on the nature that stretched before them.
The rolling mountains whose peaks were dusted in snow, the lush pine forest that scattered over the hills and the soft meadows that broke up the dense brush.
It was something out of a nature documentary, so pristine and untouched by mankind.
“I don’t take this for granted.” His voice was quiet, not meant for her, but for the universe itself, a quiet thanks for its mysterious ways.
A stretch of silence settled between them, filled only by the sounds of the land. One soaking in what he had been blessed with and the other thankful that she didn’t have to endure another night in it alone.
“Shall we keep moving?” But the man was already standing, calling to the dogs to start moving the cattle.
Elle used the tree they had been sitting under to aid her to her feet. With heavy limbs she followed the lone cowboy to his horse.
Gentle hands eased her into the saddle, she was thankful for his light touch and quick movements. Anything longer than a linger had her skin prickling at the sensation.
Donald made sure she was secure in her seat before he too manoeuvred his way onto Lady. The horse was strong and reliable, having no trouble moving the both of them as well as all the gear.
Again they moved with ease, the dogs fell into their instinctive ways, only needing small cues from Don.
The trees grew thick again, hiding them from the mid-afternoon sun. It seemed like they were getting close when Don leaned down and brought out a radio.
“Easy, easy, this is Don coming in from the west. ETA two p.m.” The radio cracked as the pair waited for a reply.
“Copy that, my wild ranger. We’ll come up the pass and help you down.” The reply came through with an unmistakable grin behind it.
“Wild ranger?” Elle murmured, a laugh slipping through despite herself.
Don just shook his head, biting back a smile. He’d be having a word about radio etiquette later.
“Is the pass harder to go through?” She queried, he had the radio the whole time but only chose now to use it.
“It’s steep, easy for the herd to split. And unfortunately now is the only time the radio is in range.”
Are you going to tell them about me? The question lingered on tongue but she couldn’t say it out loud.
“When they come up, they’ll take the herd. We can head down quicker without them.” Don glanced back over his shoulder.
Elle sat pressed against his back.
He caught the look on her face, apprehension written plainly there. Her lips were pressed thin, brows drawn tight, even her shoulders were stiff with tension.
His mouth opened but the words never formed, too many questions and thoughts filled his brain.
Don felt her sigh against him, it told him everything he needed to know.
Elle was scared.
Terrified.
And whatever had done that to her, he meant to keep it far away.
To celebrate editors in the fandom, the HBO War Video Archive is doing a spotlight series to learn a little bit about the people who make all of our favorite videos!
Today's spotlight (#19) is on @oneawkwardcookie! They have been making videos for HBO War since 2020, along with Doctor Who, 9-1-1, and others. My favorite video of theirs is "The River." It's a great song choice (not the one you may think!) for Bucky, but what really gets me is the cuts! There are several in here that made me gasp out loud. They do such a good job of elevating the already dramatic beats of the song, and it's so exciting to watch.
Check out their answers to 10 editing questions below, and find more of their videos right here on the HBO War Video Archive. Tell us in the tags or replies what your favorite @oneawkwardcookie video is!
(Do you want to be part of this series, or do you have an editor you want to hear from? Let me know @hbowarvids!)
🎥 What made you want to start making fan videos?
I love music and I love when visuals match with sound (Edgar Wright's movies scratch my brain just right). My dad used to turn our childhood videos into proper DVDs, with effects and a title menu, so I guess I caught some of the video editing bug from him, too! I also get very obsessed with fandoms and find that the way to process my thoughts about characters and ships isn't always verbal, so videos allow me to showcase how much a song fits a character or a ship.
💻 What program do you use?
I currently use Adobe Premiere Pro, but in the past I've used CyberLink PowerDirector (I still use it to make subtitles) and Sony VEGAS Pro. I tend to change every few years, once it comes time to upgrade or when the software starts to lag with the video files I use.
💭 Where do you find inspiration for videos?
I listen to music a LOT, so most of the time I'm listening to a song and am struck by how a line or section applies to a ship or character(s). I then relisten to that song a few more times and look up the lyrics, to see if there are enough bones for me to make something. Occasionally, I am struck by Visions, but most of the time I'm just inspired up to the point that I know it could work, theoretically. I'm also sometimes inspired by lyric gif sets, or by fandom friends pointing out songs that they think match with someone - other people's Visions!
⌨️ Tell us a little bit about your process!
The long and short of it is that I've made it overly complicated! I am a big planner, with spreadsheets for scenes, lyrics, and to generate the subtitle files for all the languages I work in. I also play around a lot with the audio, to make sure that I only keep the relevant parts of the piece and that the song still flows well after I've chopped it up.
I generally have the clips for each line/lyric already documented before I start adding them in. I consider the POV and that I'm not using the same scene too many times and what the overall 'message' of the video is, and try to group similar clips together in a verse or a chorus. However, the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley and there are often a lot of changes at this stage; clips aren't long enough or they don't work as well with the surrounding ones or it just doesn't feel right.
I also have a few rounds of checks: for the clips themselves, timing of the clips and the hardcoded subtitles for the tumblr version, colouring, and audio (especially if i'm using show audio too). Once I'm finally happy with everything, it gets exported twice: one with captions for Tumblr, and one for Youtube.
🗒️ What's your favorite part of editing?
Seeing the first completed draft—the translation of my thoughts and plans into an actual video! There's always some little moment, where I've managed to nail the timing or perfectly match a clip with a lyric, that makes me very happy. While I definitely do NOT like colouring, it's conversely VERY thrilling when I do manage to make something look kinda decent!
🎬 What video(s) are you proudest of (HBO War or otherwise)?
I really love how "The River" turned out, in terms of the chaos of it all and the aspect change (inspired by Sinners), and "Humdard" because I came out of it shipping Rosie and Croz more, and felt like I managed to make something that reflects that, by pairing certain shots together in a way that was a little less literal and a bit more poetic. I also really like "I'm On Fire," because it's pretty hard to capture yearning and the gifset by @lesbiandarvey it was inspired by is so good, so the bar was very high!
A few non-HBO War videos that I am proud of are "A Pearl" (Shadow & Bone), "Bad Girls" (The Old Guard), and "Heer Aasmani" (9-1-1), because they all involved some new kind of effects or a change in style.
🪫 Do you have a video that got away? A great idea you never made? (Now's the time!)
I don't think I've got anything like that; if it's not made YET, it's probably because there aren't the right clips for it, or I've lost interest in the fandom. Otherwise, the only time I've had ideas but not made it is because I can't find the right song, even after hunting through my music library.
At the moment, I'm searching for songs for Rosie's journey through the show, both from nervous newbie to a respected man on base, and his philosophies on war and his time after he's shot down. I'm also looking for something Speirsroe (their similarities) and Roenee (the kinship of trying to save people).
🖱️ What's something new you'd like to learn/try?
I tend to make videos that are quite literal and lyrics focussed, and therefore with less media audio, so something with more of an instrumental backing track where I use more dialogue from the show/movie and tell a story through that instead. I would also love to be more confident with executing more bold, stylistic colouring choices, so I might need to learn a little colour theory. I also want to try and make different genre videos; being able to evoke horror or fear is something I'd love to be able to do!
👨💻 Do you have any advice for other editors or someone who wants to try editing?
If you have an idea, then you can make a video.
There are so many different types of video editing software out there, and so many styles of edits on so many different platforms. Start small, if that'll help you to figure out the technical aspects. Comparison is the thief of joy, even if its comparison with your present or past self. Each video gets better and better, as you get more comfortable and work out your own style, so just have fun with it!
Also, please add full captions to your videos—both for the lyrics and any dialogue! There's so many ways of adding that extra bit of accessibility, that still maintains the functionality but also doesn't detract from your style.
🎞️ Give a shout out to some of your favorite HBO War videos!
I'm still new in this fandom so I am relying on my reblogs (and the @hbowarvids collection of them). Here are some favorites:
"H+3+ЯД✻7luCJIo0T6" by @rosenthaleli: The music does such a great job of evoking that sense of wrongness after Munster and then the zoom in on Ham and the fast cuts of the action...aspirational in terms of stylistically matching the music to the video. Also, bonus points for captions!
"I Bet On Losing Dogs" by @malarkgirlypop: "I'm losing by their side" is THE Roe thesis and I love the ambient audio from the show—it blends in SO seamlessly!
"Iris" by @tinglingfuckingsensation: The chocolate and the blue scarf and everything...
"Song For Henry" by @aliceourpalace: I am so rarely captivated by longer edits, especially to songs I don't already know. But this video told such a vivid story (and made me watch the movie the song is from, lol). I already yelled in the tags but the second verse (especially "This whole world is haunted") still gets me.
"Why Did You Have To Invite Me To Your Wedding" by @magneticghouls: I love the use of show audio, especially for the last line, and the way the lyrics fade in and out. Something about "you spelled wedding wrong" has me thinking of all the Clegan proposals and how the 'kriegie marconi' scene was one as well. Their "Best American Girl" also gets me - the difference between Bucky and Buck are always interesting to see.
"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" by @kbsd: I love when videos make the show's parallels so beautifully clear and this is done SO artistically. The colouring is stunning and "maybe you're drinking his spirit now" with the scene of Bucky drinking in the cockpit 😘👌🏽 Also, shout out to her edit to "The Chant:" combining the original song with Rosie's rendition is exactly the video I expected to see while I was watching the show.
"Blow" by @artisttess: The range of clips used, the pacing, the fact that i couldn't decide whether to laugh or grimace over the use of the song. It certainly should be doing numbers!
There's also a few that have already had a spotlight but I think editors can always use more love: @guessimherenowtoo—I feel warm and fuzzy inside from "A Thing Called Love" and "Talk Too Much." There's such a joy and rhythm to their videos! @ww2yaoi—"All American Bitch" is THE Bucky song for me now, and the video lives rent free in my mind. "Supercut" is also exceptional - love the fast section near the end.
Thank you so much to @oneawkwardcookie for being part of this spotlight series—go check out their videos and let them know your favorites! And thank you to everyone who continues to make and support amazing videos in this fandom. We'll have another editor spotlight on Sunday!
Iris (Goo Goo Dolls) | Eugene Roe x Renée Lemaire x Babe Heffron
For @r4diobaby who had the original vision for this video, and with many thanks to @chokopoppo for adding to it! I had a lot of fun collaborating with you two, thank you for letting me take a shot at this and being so so normal about them with me ❤️!
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
MEDIC! Part 43 (alt ending) (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC)
Look at me coming right back only to inflict pain. I'm so sorry! I know y'all hate me for it. Apparently my only genre is doom and gloom and shockingly enough we have another instalment of just that. Continuing my alternative ending, here is the next chapter.
This is based on the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters, no hate to anyone involved.
Tag list: @imusicaddict, @b00ks1ut, @mstiemountainhop, @awaterfalls, @lovememadly92, @lucyfromtheoldhouse, @blueberry-ovaries, @next-autopsy, @saintmalosunsets, @anaso12 anyone else please let me know.
I felt as if I was going crazy.
After Izzy’s parallel universes, that seemed to be the only thing I could think about.
Though there wasn’t much supported literature in the library, I turned to online communities, conspiracy theories, I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep.
I needed answers.
I needed to know if it was possible to go across again.
If other people had experienced what I had.
Sure people claimed they had travelled through the universes, but none of them matched mine. No shimmer or portal that transported them. They reported they fell or woke up in the wrong time.
“Are you feeling ok?” Izzy asked as I stared blankly at my ipad.
It had been another night of researching and little sleep before work, the dark bags under my eyes gave away my nightly activity.
“Hmm?” I stared at her trying to get my eyes to focus, but everything blurred.
Two Izzy’s stared at me, both in concern.
“Have you been sleeping? Like at all?” She shuffled closer giving me a once over.
My hair was unwashed but pulled back into a tight bun, though my bangs pointed every which way.
I had on odd socks, my nursing uniform though it was wrinkled was mostly clean, and my cardigan, that was probably not mine since I had plucked it off a random chair in the nurses station wrapped around my shoulders.
“Sometimes.” I mumbled turning back to the screen to type my notes into the app.
“Emily.” Another voice called me.
My manager stood in the door of her office, beckoning me in with a strange look.
I slumped down into the seat opposite her desk, stifling a jaw breaking yawn with my hand.
“Emily, do you know why I wanted to speak to you?” She asked with her arms folded over her desk.
I gave a shake of my head, crossing and uncrossing my legs in anxiety.
“Myself and the rest of the staff are very worried about your mental health at the moment.”
“Oh.” My voice slipped from my lips.
“All you do is work and then go home. You pick up shifts, never go on holiday. You're working far more than you’re allowed to.” A worried tone laced into her delicate timbre.
“You actually have too much annual leave at the moment, so I’m going to need you to take a holiday for about three weeks.” She sat up straighter in her chair and began clicking her mouse before she turned her computer screen to face me.
My leave balance was reading at its maximum, and beside it she had pulled up an email from her boss requesting me to use the time off.
“I think you should get some rest and take some time for yourself.” Her lips pulled into a thin worried line.
I sat in the chair, numb to my surroundings, only half aware of what was going on.
“Ok.” I mumbled before I stood up and wandered out the door.
I don’t think taking the three weeks annual leave was a good idea. My fixation on finding my answers only got worse.
Sometimes I realised I hadn’t moved in hours, legs numb, jaw clenched, a half-drunk mug of tea cold beside me.
I never left my apartment, and when I did it was to stand in the street in the middle of the night waiting for the shimmer to show up again.
My Don wasn’t dead, he was living alongside me just out of reach. All this time I thought he had passed and had come to terms we would never see each other again.
But with the new possibility that maybe, just maybe I could have him all over again. It broke my heart anew.
I had left thinking I was making the right choice, believing I was doing it for the greater good.
When in reality I should’ve listened to Don.
Who begged me to stay, who pleaded for me to choose him.
And now I was here, alone, angry and hurting.
Regretting ever stepping back through the shimmer, cursing it for showing up again and taunting me.
Sleep was even more unkind than before, riddled with nightmares, but what was worse than the nightmares was the dreams.
They felt so real, Don was beside me again, I could feel the warmth of his hands, feel his soft lips pressed to mine as he said my name like a whisper in my ear.
In my dreams, I always forgot he was gone. I forgot the shimmer, forgot the war, forgot everything except him.
For a few stolen seconds, I was whole again.
And then I would wake up, alone.
So bitterly alone.
It was like relapsing and withdrawing all at once, the ecstasy of the high and then the comedown crashing me back into reality.
I was compulsive, obsessive, reading over his letter, dragging my fingertips over his carved words that hung next to my heart.
I was losing myself, falling into a dark abyss.
There was no day, no night, time didn’t seem to exist. It all just blurred into one long moment.
It was a pit of muted blind agony. I was on my knees wailing, screaming, ripping out my hair, smashing my fists into the walls even as my body sat perfectly still, swallowing every ounce of pain.
Chewing me from the inside out.
“Em?” A strangled gasp pulled me from my dissociative state.
My head snapped up to find a horrified looking Izzy. Her eyes scanned around my living room, papers were scattered everywhere, take out containers still half full of food, clothes strewn around the room.
The place was an absolute tip, but I couldn’t get myself to move to clean it. My reason was what was the point, I didn’t have the energy to care.
“Are you trying to kill yourself?!” She shrieked, looking pale and queasy. “Em what the hell have you been doing?”
I watched as she waded through the mess to get to me, and when she did she flinched back covering her mouth from the smell.
I’m sure it was me.
“What the fuck are you playing at?” Izzy’s eyes filled with tears, I was unsure if it was due to the stench or her emotions. I’m sure it was a mix of both.
“Get up.” She commanded.
“What?” I was barely coherent, lack of sleep and too deep in my dissociated state to even comprehend the words that left her mouth.
She didn’t repeat herself, instead she hauled me up from my chair and marched me to the bathroom.
“Strip.” She began tugging at my clothes, “And don’t say you’re too shy, I’m a nurse for godsakes I’ve seen it all before.”
I stood there and let my friend strip me bare. Standing naked in my bathroom, goosebumps arising on my skin from the cool air.
Izzy stomped over to the shower and turned on the head, water splashed down onto the tile and before long the small room was filled with steam.
“I don’t care what you do, but for the love of god go stand under the water please.” The blonde pushed me into the small glass box before she shut the door.
“And stay in there until I’m back.”
I gave a small nod and watched her leave and the door click behind her.
It could’ve been an hour or even three, my fingers were pruny from the time I had spent under the water.
Sitting on the warm tile, I let the warm shower spray down my back as I tucked my knees under my chin.
Soon I stood and began to wash my body, my hair.
Tracing the scars of my past, not with malice or hate but with longing. Even the bullet hole in my shoulder, I wished to go back to that day.
It was one of the worst days of my life, I hated being in my own skin. But that didn’t compete with the pain I felt now, the void that took up the place where my heart used to beat in my chest.
I would go back and relive that pain and trauma again just to see his face, for his arm to wrap around me once more.
We sat in the shower that night together, until the water turned cold. He had whispered how sorry he was and how much he loved me and how brave I was. Scrubbed me until I felt clean both physically and mentally.
In his eyes I was strong.
I wondered what he would think of me now, if he saw what state I was in.
I curled in on myself, taking my place on the tile once more, to try and relive the memory that seemed too far away.
And then someone else was in the shower with me.
My head snapped up, heart lurching with hope before I could stop it.
But it wasn’t Don, he hadn’t come to clean me up.
It was still Izzy, her brown eyes scanned over me clinically, I was skin and bones at this point. Food just seemed to turn to ash in my mouth.
I felt her sink down to sit beside me, still fully clothed, her arms wrapped around my frame and for the first time in a long time I broke down.
My body heaved with sobs as I wailed endlessly, trying to emit all the pain from my body, but the more I pushed the more that filled its place.
“Shhhh, you’re safe. I’m here.” Izzy cooed as she rocked us back and forth.
I clung to her like I was about to circle the drain myself.
I was so thankful for Izzy, she had gathered me from the shower, dried and dressed me, and now I sat at her feet as she brushed my hair.
The living room she had found me in was now somehow spotless, no smell, no clothes, no dirty dishes.
Izzy must’ve scrubbed the whole place clean as I sat in the shower feeling too sorry for myself to be able to do any of it.
I didn’t say the words, or thank her. Instead I sat quietly at her feet and let her take care of me.
The knots were already out but she continued the soothing motion, raking the brush through my hair in a rhythmic motion, until my cries turned to sniffles.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” She asked tentatively once she had blow dried my hair completely and my head layed on her leg.
Izzy’s warm hand rubbed circles into my back as I closed my eyes.
I hadn’t realised how lonely I had become.
So used to being surrounded by my comrades, there was never a moment you were truly alone. Even if you stepped out for a breath you’d walk right back into the family you had made, waiting for you with no questions.
Since then I had slept alone, ate alone, and worked alone.
The closeness I had felt to those men unfortunately wasn’t the same relationship I held with my colleagues.
Except now Izzy was here, filling the void that had been so dull and bitter until now.
“I’m going to sound crazy.” My voice was hoarse from my sobs, and it stung making the words but I pushed through.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll listen no matter what.” She turned my head to face her, crinkles formed at the sides of her eyes as she smiled gently down at me.
“I can prove your theory right.” I sat up, taking a deep inhale readying myself for what I was about to tell her.
“My theory?” Clearly I was the only one who had been so hung up on conversation a little over a month ago.
“Parallel universes.” I reminded her.
“Oh, right yeah.” She sounded puzzled.
“When you were asking who I was looking for, I said my relative and the men she served with.” I explained again what we had spoken about.
“Yes, and you said the people she was with you couldn’t find in the books.”
I nodded as she recalled the conversation we had.
“Well it wasn’t my great grandma I was looking for.” I took another steadying deep breath.
I hadn’t told anyone since I had been back what had happened, not even my therapist.
Izzy leaned forward, sensing something shift.
“It was me.”
I watched her brows furrow in confusion and tilt her head like she was solving a hard math equation. Izzy’s mouth opened and then closed while I watched her process everything.
“What do you mean?” Izzy laughed once, a thin, nervous sound that didn’t reach her eyes.
“One night while I was still studying, I came home from lectures and I was walking to my door, and then I saw it.” I began explaining.
“Saw what?” Izzy asked in apprehension like the answer would jump out and scare her.
“A portal, which I called a shimmer, since it glittered in the light. I touched it and it dragged me in. And in a blink I was in a different town, a different country.”
I could tell she didn’t quite believe me but listened intently anyway.
“I was in occupied Holland,” I whispered, unable to hold her gaze. “And the year was 1944 the middle of world war two.”
“Did you hit your head?” she murmured, leaning forward, her fingers threading gently through my hair as she searched for bumps.
I swatted her hand away and caught it in mine.
“I’m being serious,” I said, almost begging her to understand.
“So am I,” she replied, though the teasing in her tone was already melting into concern.
“I was in the war from 1944 til it ended, my company finished in Austria. That’s when the shimmer showed up again. And I thought—” The words snagged in my throat. I pressed a fist to my mouth, eyes squeezing shut as if I could hold the emotion in.
“I thought I’d gone back in time,” I choked, voice tight and thin. “That if I didn’t leave, I would tear the world apart. Rip time open. Unmake something important.”
“So I went back, I left the love of my life behind because I thought I was doing what was right.” My voice broke on the last word.
“And I had come to terms with it,” I went on, hollow. “I’d grieved him. Grieved my friends. Grieved the life I had built there.” I swallowed hard, my throat burning. “I told myself it was worth it. That I’d saved everyone.”
I dragged in a shaky breath, blinking up at Izzy. “But then we were talking after we had got back from the dinner, and you introduced the theory of multiple time lines.”
“And then the thought came into my head that maybe I was wrong all this time, maybe I could’ve stayed like I had so badly wished.” The tears burned behind my eyes.
“Because it wasn’t my future to change, it was someone else’s and I would just be a small blip, no one would notice if I stayed or went.” A humourless laugh escaped me, small, sharp, painful.
“It sent me into a spiral.” I admitted shamefully, staring into my open palms like it would give me an answer.
I looked back at her, eyes wet, breath quick. “The thought that I had made a mistake and that in reality I could’ve stayed and been beyond happy and never had to come back here to this emptiness I was so used to.”
“I found my people, my family and I was courageous enough to leave them because I was saving them. I was sacrificing my peace for them.” I said, barely above a whisper.
My chest caved as the truth finally fell out of me.
MEDIC! Part 42 (alt ending) (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC)
Ok so I've been thinking about this for a while, and I want to change the ending. I will leave up my original version, but I am now writing in my opinion a more satisfying end. If you hate it and prefer the first version by all means have that as your canon. But in my head this is more true to how I think the story should end. This new version will have a few more chapters added on.
This is based on the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters, no hate to anyone involved.
Tag list: @imusicaddict, @b00ks1ut, @mstiemountainhop, @awaterfalls, @lovememadly92, @lucyfromtheoldhouse, @blueberry-ovaries, @next-autopsy, @saintmalosunsets, @anaso12 anyone else please let me know.
Time stood still for a split second before the clock ticked forward again. I stood exactly where I had left, my items I had dropped when I was struggling to free myself from the shimmer still laid perfectly where they had landed many months ago.
I whipped around but all that greeted me was the dark street.
No shimmer.
No Don.
It was as if I was on autopilot, I gathered my belongings into my arms and made my way back to my apartment. I fumbled with my keys before slotting them into the lock and twisting open the door.
I placed my keys down on the bench with the rest of my belongings before trudging to the bathroom. There in the mirror stood a girl I hardly recognised.
Her hair was windswept and unkempt, her face was blotchy and red, she wore an army uniform from the 40’s.
She was out of place and lost.
Shedding my clothes I stepped into the shower. Unlike before I was more aware of the damage on my skin. Cuts and bruises scattered my arms and legs. Scars and faded injuries covered me from head to toe. The last time I was in this shower I had been a different person.
I washed myself until my skin turned red from the heat of the water and the scrubbing from my hands.
Walking to my room, I slumped down in my bed and shut my eyes wishing to never wake again.
—------------------------------------
The months flew by, I did my best to heal what was broken. I had promised myself that when I retired I would live life to the fullest, if not for me, for Don.
I threw myself back into my studies, working hard towards my degree. It seemed to be the only thing that could distract me. I also went to therapy, I didn’t speak about the war I had lived through, it would’ve been too hard to explain, also maybe slightly crazy.
We spoke mostly about the attack that had happened the night before I had left, it impacted me in more ways than I thought, it had closed me off to everyone again.
My therapist encouraged me to form more bonds and have people in my life who I could trust. But it felt wrong trying to find people to fill the void of the ones I had left behind. So I kept to myself.
I had tried my hardest to forget and move forward, I didn’t want to linger on the what if’s but the urge was too strong. I would spend weeks in the library scouring World War II books and reports, trying to find the names of the men I had lost.
But the odd thing was that there was always a 101st Airborne, always an Easy company, but never the names of the men I had served with.
They appeared to take the same course of action, the events that happened to us, had happened to them. But the men pictured and named were not my Easy men.
It drove me to the point of insanity. I rushed home and dug all of the things I had brought back with me from the back of my closet. Just to ensure that it had happened, that I didn’t just imagine it all.
Sitting on the floor surrounded by the items I had stowed away. My uniform, medic bag and phone all were proof that it was real.
The medic bag sat unopened. I hadn’t been through it at all since I had arrived back. I sat gnawing on my lip, did I open it or not?
“Fuck it.” I muttered, leaning forward and unbuckling the clasps that held it shut. I pulled it closer, sitting the bag on my lap.
My fingers brushed over an unfamiliar material, I thought I knew exactly what I had brought back but this felt different. I hastily dragged the item from the bag.
A gasp left my lips and tears almost immediately streaked down my face. My thumb brushed over the metal, Donald G. Malarkey. It was his dog tag. He had somehow snuck it into my bag and didn’t tell me.
I could feel rough metal on the other side of the smooth metal. I flipped it over to find, ‘My Love, forever’. The words had been scratched into the back of the tag, Don had done it. I knew his hand writing anywhere.
Clutching the thin piece of metal to my chest I rocked myself back and forward as I sobbed. It was the closest I was ever going to feel to him ever again. The thought that he wore this so close to his heart for all the time we had been together made me cry even harder.
I upturned the bag letting the contents spill onto the floor, I rummaged through the belongings like a mad woman.
Was there anything else he had put in?
A paper I didn’t recognise was hidden under bandages, I hastily pushed everything else aside grabbing the paper as if it was going to disappear.
I shook as I stroked my fingers along the unopened parchment that had been folded in half. His scrawly handwriting graced the blank paper.
‘To Em.’
A shaky breath left my lips as I slowly unfolded the letter. My heart smashed against my ribcage but it felt nice to feel again, even if it was just pain. I had been so numb on autopilot. I couldn’t wait anymore, I needed to know what he had written.
My beloved Em,
I don’t know when you are reading this, but I hope that you are well. Know that I miss you dearly, and that I think of you always.
I write this now after you had left to go and say your goodbyes.
It took me a while to understand, but I do now. I know you inside and out, I know you as kind and gentle. You only want to share your love and happiness.
You made the brave decision to give up everything so that we might have a chance to live and be free. You have made a sacrifice I never think I could do, and for that I admire you dearly, Em. You’re so courageous, your heart is unshakable.
That is why I love you. Your soul is pure and good. I love your being and essence and everything that makes you, you.
I love the way your curls fall into your face when you laugh, and the way your eyes crinkle at the sides when you smile. I will miss the sound of your melodic voice, and soft lips. I’ll miss the way you tell stories and the hugs you give. I miss you even now, when I know you’re only mere metres away.
There will not be a day that will go by that you won’t be on my mind. Sleeping or awake you will forever be at the forefront of my thoughts. When I am sad, happy, excited, depressed, lonely, or content I wish to only share my thoughts with you. I will never not talk about you, your name will forever be on my lips.
I hope you have found my small gift, and that you hold it close to your heart and think of me.
Know that I am well Em.
I am content with your decision. I will live for you.
I hope you do the same, I hope you reach all of your dreams.
There’s a quote I love, “missing someone is your heart’s way of telling you that you love them.”
I miss you more than life itself, so I’ll love you for infinity. May my love for you reach you in your time now and you feel me wrapping myself around you now. I wish I had a photo of you, it scares me that I might forget your face.
But the men and I will keep you alive in our memories, I will share every story I have of you. I will go home and tell everyone that I was going to be wed to the most beautiful girl in the land but she made a decision that let us be here today, and in turn she couldn’t stay.
Please Em, my only wish is for you to be happy. Surround yourself with people who love you like we loved you. I need to know that you are being loved and cared for.
I don’t want to finish this letter, I wish I could write you pages and pages and fill them with the love I have for you, but alas there are not enough words in the universe that could perfectly summarise my feelings for you. But I will leave you with this poem.
I will love you as long as the sun burns in the sky,
As long as the moon shines its light into the dark night,
Until the raging blue oceans become calm and run dry.
I will love you until the end of time.
With all my love, I hope to find you again. I will wait for you in every lifetime.
Donald Malarkey, your one true love now and forever.
The sobs that left my mouth were short and sharp as I struggled to intake air. My tears landed on the paper as I clutched it to my chest. I had read the words over and over again, I could hear his voice in the writing.
After my sobs had subsided I continued to search through the contents of the bag. A flash of metal caught my attention. A dry chuckle left my throat, Speirs’ lighter lay amongst my belongings. His initials were carved into the metal, it didn’t come with a note, but the act alone was heartbreaking. It was Ron’s trusty lighter, one that he didn’t part with easily, but still he had slipped it into my bag for me to have to remember him by.
I woke up the next morning on the floor of my room surrounded by memories. I slipped Don’s tag around my neck and tucked it into my shirt. Just when I was losing faith they had given me the motivation to live again.
So I did just that. I opened myself up again, I graduated and started a new job as a full time nurse. I did as they had asked and surrounded myself with people who loved and cared for me. But no one could ever take Don’s place, that part of my heart was tightly locked which he only had the key to.
A year passed and the hurt lessened. Never did they leave my thoughts, the amount of times I went to share stories only to bite my tongue. But I wrote them all down in my diary to ensure that the memories I had of them were never forgotten.
—--------------------------------
After a while the ache dulled, but my questions didn’t. I couldn't find the answers as to why they never appeared in the records of history.
With every free moment I had I was falling down rabbit holes. Going to the library to scour through books and memories of those who had fought in the war.
It was so frustrating, the events were the same down to the very last detail. But it wasn’t them.
It was never them.
As if they had never existed in this time.
I had to stop after a while, worried it was going to drive me to the brink of insanity. My therapist said I couldn’t dwell in the past and that I had to move past it and step into the future.
“Hey Em, patient in room 12 is wanting to speak to you.” Izzy, the nurse I had befriended when I had started, peered her head into the nurses office.
“Sure.” I smiled brightly at her, getting up from the notes I was finishing. I made my way to the room, assisting the patient to unhook from the fluids they were getting so that they could go to the toilet.
“Em!” I heard from behind me. I sat the patient back down on their bed as we had made our way back from the bathroom.
“Yeah?” I turned to see an excitable Izzy.
“The girls and I were going to go out for dinner tonight. Come!” It was a Friday for the group and everyone seemed to be very thrilled for the weekend.
“Um…” I teasingly thought about the offer. The brunette didn’t let me think long, rushing into the room to slap me on the shoulder.
“You’re coming!” She tugged gently at my arm.
“Says who?” I wound her up more. I had befriended her as she had reminded me of George. She was bright and funny, always with a big smile on her face. We had both started at the same time and bonded over being ‘new and dumb’, we joked. It was easy to make friends with her, it was as if they had known each other in a past life.
“Emily Lane!” She full named me, causing me to giggle.
“Shall I pick you up?” I asked as I sauntered away.
“AHHHH!” Izzy squealed in delight, running after me to pounce on my back. “We are going to have so much fun!”
I never picked up Izzy, she had followed me home. Demanding we got ready together. I watched her dance around the room singing into the hairbrush she had found lying around. She looked insane having half of her eye makeup on as she sung poorly into the makeshift microphone.
“Thank you, thank you.” Izzy bowed to the non-existent crowd taking in her applause.
We finished our makeup, mucking around wasting time we didn’t have doing a fashion show, which was basically Izzy prancing around like an idiot and me curled over in hysterics.
“If you keep going not only are we going to be so late, my makeup is going to be ruined!” I chucked a pillow from the couch at her head.
Finally we made it to dinner only ten minutes late. We shared good food and stories around the table. I smiled, glancing around the table at the people who were in my life. Don would’ve been proud of me.
Izzy squeezed my hand from under the table as she lent her head on my shoulder. “I have a surprise and you can’t say no.”
I pretended to be mad at her but the smile stuck to my lips as she fluttered her eyelashes at me.
“What is it?” I asked, a huge grin broke onto her face.
“Karaoke!” She cheered as did the rest of the table. “You have to come, I’ve invited some of my friends too.” Izzy elbowed me in the side.
The older nurses with children and earlier bedtimes left, leaving the younger nurses with more energy to do karaoke. Izzy’s friends slowly trickled in joining us in our fun night out. All of them were lovely and so funny. I wiped the tears that leaked from my eyes as Izzy and Lyla sang a duet together, they were so off pitch but that didn’t stop them.
They plonked down next to me out of breath. “Your turn!” The girls pushed me from my seat. I looked back into the crowd and they smiled excitedly up at me. I picked a random song.
Stay by Rihanna played out from the speakers. I sang along as the group cheered and whooped. I didn’t care if I sounded bad. I sang loudly as I waved my hand in the air.
We partied till the early morning, mostly just me and Izzy. Everyone else made their way home.
Finally we crashed at mine, makeup removed and in our pyjamas as we slumped on the couch not really watching the film we had put on.
I chewed absent mindedly on the popcorn we had microwaved, staring off into the distance. Too tired to converse with my friend, but that didn’t seem to put her off as she did the same as me.
“Why do you have all these world war two books?” She asked moving to sit on the floor in front of the coffee table, flicking through the numerous copies that were scattered over the glass surface.
“Just looking for some people.” I joined her on the floor, knees tucked up under my chin as I plucked one of the books from her hand.
I skimmed through it, but it didn’t matter how many times I read it, their names never appeared.
“Like relatives?” Izzy questioned looking over at me with her big brown eyes.
“Mmm. My relative’s friends,” I lied softly.
Though there was no long lost grandmother who had served in the war, it was me.
Just me—twenty-first-century me.
Sometimes I wondered if I looked hard enough I would find black and white grainy photos of myself.
I don’t know if I would recognise her even if I did.
What condition would she be in, would she be smiling, covered in blood or marred in loss.
“Have you found her?” Izzy’s voice pulled me from my longing.
I gave a bitter shake of my head. “The men she served with for some reason never appear in any of the books.”
“Strange.” She flicked through more of the pages, looking at the pictures it held. “Maybe they don’t exist in this time.”
My brows furrowed, “What do you mean?”
“Well, I don’t want to seem crazy but I often like to think there are multiple timelines. We could exist in each one, maybe not by the same name or face, but our soul. Or maybe not, maybe we just exist here.”
I straightened in my position, turning to face her.
“The lines, they run parallel with each other.” She gathered a blank piece of paper from the table, looking around briefly before acquiring a pen.
I watched as she drew multiple straight lines down the page, all equal in length.
“Though some may follow the same time as we are in now, there are different people living their lives in which we don’t exist, but some are staggered, running alongside us but not the same year.” She numbered each line with dates.
One for 2025, the year at current, another one of the same year but labeled as (b), 1945, when the war finally finished, 1801, and 1500.
“What are you saying?” She had my full attention.
“Maybe the men she served with live in this timeline.” She tapped the one dated 2025 (b) with the end of the pen.
“But my relative was from this time.”
“She may have got lost and drifted astray. With enough turmoil in the world it’s easy for the lines to blur for them to become thin like a veil.” Izzy’s brow furrowed as she traced her diagram.
“So, you’re saying hypothetically, she went across.” I was now on my knees hovering over the picture, eyes scanning frantically.
“There have been strange occurrences, people go missing everyday, some found some not. But you can’t just vanish entirely.” Izzy theorised.
“What if they accidentally got thrust into a parallel universe.” Her eyes searched mine, looking slightly crazed with tiredness.
My eyes didn’t drift to the line she was tapping with her pen, no, it was fixated on the line dated 1945.
What if I was wrong all this time?
What if I never went back, but instead I went across.
My finger drifted over the lines, going from our line to the one Izzy had drawn opposite.
1945.
“Emily?” Her voice raised in concern. “Are you ok?”
Her soft hands cupped my face and brushed away the tears I was unaware had fallen from my eyes.
My vision blurred. The room tilted. I wasn’t breathing.
Maybe I could’ve stayed, I wouldn’t be affecting my future because there was never my future there. I wasn’t even from the time, I didn’t even exist and I would never exist.
A choking sob broke the silence, I could’ve stayed.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
