"AruAHH-!" Takeo screamed at the top of his lungs, Nikolai holding his arms back behind his head as Richtofen pressed the hot cotton ball against his wound. Takeos tears fled his face , no time or strength to try resist the pain.

Nikolai flinched and looked to the side, hearing his comrades painful scream was hard to endure.

Richtofen hesitated to do the next dab of the hot water, but bite down on his lip and pressed it hard against the open flesh.

Takeos scream became more blood hurdling, the non-stop tearing melting down his eyes to his neck. The veins on his neck flashing more vibrantly, Takeos eyes wincing from the excruciating pain.

"How much longer Richtofen? He'll become unconscious again from the pain!" Nikolai yelled, holding Takeos arms away the best he could so he wouldn't react and hurt himself more.

"Ich just need to clean it again, then the stitches-"

"My lord have mercy on me please,.." Takeo managed to cough out, looking to the ceiling for a greater power to help him through the pain.

"Here Takeo, bite this," Dempsey came into the hut, carrying his white shirt he had cleaned in the river.

Takeo shook his head, "I don't want to dirty your cr'lean clothes American, i-i can do it. Get it over with!"

Richtofen continued to just dab continuously, biting hard onto his own lip from Takeos screaming.  His voice had become so ruined, his screaming had almost began to blurp in and out.

Nikolai took his hat off, "Takeo, we just have to do the stitches and bandaging. You'll be good soon." Takeo couldn't even talk or nod, just a look at Nikolai for approval.

Richtofen noted the string and needle, ripping Takeos shirt a bit more for more access. He studied his focus to the beginning of the wound, stabbings the sharp pin through the skin.

Before Takeo could hurt his voice anymore, Nikolai shoved his hat into his mouth for him to bite onto. "This part will be easier, just bite as hard as you can comrade," Nikolai soothed, looking to Dempsey, "If you're just going to stand and look smug, I suggest you hold onto his legs so he doesn't kick the doctor."

Dempsey gunned down Nikolai, but did as told, watching Richtofen finish the first stitch. 

Takeos teeth bit harder and more ferocious, Nikolais hat now soaked wet and with bite marks sticking through.

After what felt like an eternity of pain, Richtofen had finished the stitching and began to quickly bandage him.
"Here, zhis v'ell help with the numbing," Richtofen handed Takeo a medicine that had crushed berries, water, and the slime of aloe.

"Thank you Richtofen, I won't forget this." Takeo said lightly, watching as the doctor left back to their base camp. He sat in silence, looking at Dempsey, who was failing to set up a sheltered tent from the trees.
He giggled to himself slightly, remembering back to when his own children would climb into trees and make forts out of broken bamboo.

"How you feeling Takeo, Nikolai was worried about you alot," Nikolai came and sat beside him, handing him back a broken hair tie. "It seems the sea broke your lucky string."

Takeo smiled, taking it into his hands and kissing it, "This, was my little girls hair tie. She handed it to me before I had left, it seems so long ago now,.." Takeo fumbled with the muddy pink tie, his gaze softening to the thought of his daughter.

"How old was she when you left? If you don't mind me asking." Nikolai questioned, staring at the cute pink tie with Takeo, seeing the faded princess like sparkles around it.

"7,..her brother was 9. It's been 4 years since I've seen them,...I know they're gone now, in peace. Sometimes I lay awake, wishing for them to visit me,.. they'd be 11 and 13 now." Takeo laughed softly, taking his babies hair tie, tying it around his ankle.

Nikolai could feel the emptiness that had a hold of Takeos soul, losing children is truly the work of the devil. Nikolai reached into his back satchel, pulling out a part of what looked like a scorched baseball cap.

"My son,..my wife,..were already gone before this realm of, darkness, took over. A bomb had hit my village,.." Nikolai caressed the cap, a single tear shedding onto it.

"I had just been coming back from the city, buying more of that terrible drink. I was so excited to sit and drink my life away, but when I got there,.. alcohol couldn't drown out the guilt I felt wave on me. My wife, there was no trace of her body within the smoke,...my son was,...gone like ash. Just this was left of him," Nikolai handed Takeo the cap, letting his friend try read the team.

"I know your pain Takeo, the things I'd do to have been there,.. anything to have my arms around my son again, to be with her when the germans came,.."

Takeo gave a light kiss to the cap, handing the cap back to Nikolai. Takeo tapped the Russians back, massaging slightly, "Whenever this, realm, comes to an end, I'd be more than happy to show you my home,..and I'd be happy to see the village your family had been, visit our children's souls..."

Nikolai grinned, sitting up more straight to look Takeo in the eyes, "Nikolai thinks that is a great idea, say goodbye one last time."

Takeo softly smiled, his heart feeling more warm and his wound not his heavy. "Thank you, Nikolai. I haven't talked about my children to anyone but you,.."

"Thank you Takeo, for reminding me it's okay to talk about bad memories also," Nikolai took the smaller man into a tight squeeze, letting him go after remembering the Japs injury.

Takeo took a second to catch his breath, listening to Nikolais deep chuckle.
"C'mon my friend, I'll cook us up some grub on Dempsey's shit fire."