The Blood on my Hands

[Guest]

The moonlight made the cobblestone road glisten in the darkness of night. Lukas Schultz, who had recently been assigned to the 2nd SS Division by the German Red Cross, cautiously strode through the streets. He never quite felt so safe in this world anymore, especially since he had been assigned to the "WAFFEN SS- DAS REICH". It sent a chill down his spine every time he thought of it. He wore the regular issued uniform for an SS soldier, along with the Red Cross insignia on his helmet and on an armband on his right arm.

Slowly, he pushed open the door to the local tavern. He hadn't even cared to meet with his commanding officers yet. He feared them. He felt as if they were going to turn out to be horrible monsters. He found himself an empty table, and brushed some trash off it with his arm. Lukas leaned back in a strangely comfortable wooden chair, and held his hands before his face. They were pale, dirty, and gritty. At least they were not stained with blood.

That ruby liquid that was the essence of life stained his hands every time he stepped out on that battlefield. It was too much to bare. Lukas even admitted to himself that the reason he was trying to make out the SS into monsters, was because he didn't want to get to know them. Another face, another friend, would just in result more blood on his hands.

Lukas ran his hands back through his brownish-blond hair. He unbuttoned his SS uniform shirt, to reveal a white shirt with no sleeves beneath it. he slipped off the uniformed shirt and let it rest on his chair. A female bartender approached his table and uttered, "Kann ich Sie alles erhalten?" Lukas stared up into her eyes, which stunned him for a moment. A few seconds later he broke out of this state of shock and embarrassingly replied, "Alles alkoholisch."

A few moments later, the stunning bartender returned with his alcoholic beverage. Lukas attempted to mutter out something sweet, but he was too shy to say something, and so the the bartender wandered off. Lukas shuttered and brought his drink up to his lips. He rarely drank. But tonight Lukas chugged his drink down in seconds. He held out a refreshed sigh and leaned further back in his chair, hoping to drink away his sorrows.

TRANSLATIONS:

"Kann ich Sie alles erhalten?"
- Can I get you anything?

"Alles alkoholisch."
-Anything alcoholic.

[⊕ Edzard Crimm]

OOC: Are you amazed? I told you to trust me

Edzard strolled up to the entrance of the bar and shoved the door open as he spun around and yelled back into the street "Your mother taught you better than that!" There was no one there but he was the only one that knew it. He had been trying to grab the attention of a local waitress for a month now, but she was not an easy one to catch the eye of. He pulled on his collar to straighten his jacket which he himself had ruffled up for the act.

He peered around the bar and he spotted her. She had just taken a drink to another soldier, a medic to be precise. He walked on over to the table and held out his hand, open palm, face up "Care for some company?" he asked as he pulled on the chair a bit with his other hand. The medic looked a little out of it but Edzard couldn't blame him, he had a hard job. One of the hardest, Edzard wouldn't trade places if he was missing a leg, well maybe he would.

[Guest]

Lukas's head jumped upwards when a rather noisy man entered the tavern. An SS soldier to be precise. Oh great...just great... Lukas had hoped the man wouldn't spot him, and would go chat with some of his friends or what not...but now the man headed straight for him. He extended his hand and pulled up a chair. He asked Lukas if he cared for some company. Lukas couldn't say no.

"Sicher. Sicher. Haben Sie einen Sitz." Lukas murmured. The man had a seat, and Lukas glanced away idlely. After a few moments of silence, Lukas realized it would be very rude and disrespectful, and may earn him a bad word in his division. He glanced upwards and made eye contact with the other man.

"Ich bin Kampf-medizinischer Techniker Lukas Schultz, 2. Kategorie. Ich wurde gerade Ihrer Abteilung, die 2. SS Abteilung zugewiesen. Wie über Sie? Ich schätze, daß ich beginnen sollte, Sie zu kennen. " Lukas knew he would regret actually trying to get to know this man, if he would ever be dying on the battlefield. Lukas twitched a little at the thought of such. Lukas hated his job. But if he could go back in time and change things. He wouldn't. He fought to save the lives of his comrades. And he was honored to do so. Its just that sometimes the negatives outweighed the positives.


TRANSLATIONS:

"Sicher. Sicher. Haben Sie einen Sitz."
-"Sure. Sure. Have a seat. "


"Ich bin Kampf-medizinischer Techniker Lukas Schultz, 2. Kategorie. Ich wurde gerade Ihrer Abteilung, die 2. SS Abteilung zugewiesen. Wie über Sie? Ich schätze, daß ich beginnen sollte, Sie zu kennen. "
- "I'm Combat Medical Technician Lukas Schultz, 2nd Class. I was just assigned to your division, the 2nd SS Division. How about you? I guess I should get to know you."

[⊕ Edzard Crimm]

Edzard took the seat he had a hold of after he found it appropriate. He looked up for the waitress but she was busy of course. Edzard watched as the man across from him stared off into nothing for a bit and then introduced himself. "Glad to meet you, well for as much as I know about you anyway. I'm Unterscharführer Crimm but we are off duty so you can skip the formalities if you wish." Edzard smiled a bit and thought he might regret this meeting, if Lukas had to patch him up in a battle, he might hesitate when he noticed who it was, and that could cause either or both of them their lives. But the damage had been done.

"I'm not like the rest of the men in the unit. I don't particullarly care for the rank structure nad dealing punishment and what not. I just love explosives, and a minor mistake turned into a major accident at my last job so the only place I had left was the military, so here I am." He waved down a different waitress and asked for a drink, she continued to look at him until he said "Schnapps" then he turned, "Did you need a..." he looked at the man across from him and realized he didn't need an answer "And refill his drink please, this one is on me."

[Guest]

Lukas chuckled when the man introduced himself and filled him in how he didn't care for the rank structure, he just liked to blow stuff up. They're always seemed to be an explosive nut in every unit Lukas had ever served with. They were usually the ones that got themselves killed rather quickly. Lukas could only pray this man was not the same. He did however wonder what the accident had this Unterscharführer Crimm's previous job was, but Lukas would not ruin the mood by asking such. Unterscharführer. So he was a Sergeant. So was Lukas, but in the medical way. A 2nd Class Combat Technician is considered a Sergeant.

Crimm called over another female waitress, but she wasn't the same beautiful being that had fetched Lukas his drink when he first walked into this place. He wondered where she had gone. Although this waitress was in no way ugly, she just couldn't match the other waitress. Crimm generously decided to get Lukas a refill for his drink, and he was paying for it as well. Lukas smiled and nodded. "Danke."

The other, lesser waitress returned with Crimm's drink as well as a refill of Lukas's drink. He again muttered, "Danke." The waitress smiled and vanished off into the bar. Lukas didn't let the drink rush down his throat in one big gulp this time. His new friend had settled his nerves a bit and had taken his mind off of all the deaths he had witnessed over the years of this brutal war. Lukas had been fighting to save lives ever since 1939.

"So wie, über was möchten Sie sprechen? Wie was ist die Abteilung? " Lukas questioned, to start up a new conversation. He wondered if any other off duty SS would be dropping by the tavern that night to greet the new medic assigned to their unit. Who would possibly be angry that a medic joined their unit? Everyone always loved the medics. Always.


TRANSLATIONS:

"Danke."
-"Thank you."


"So wie, über was möchten Sie sprechen? Wie was ist die Abteilung? "
-"So eh, what do you want to talk about? What is the division like? "

[⊕ Edzard Crimm]

Edzard received his drink from the waitress and nodded to her, she never saw, she didn't give either of them a second look as she went about he way. Edzard turned to Lukas as he spoke. "Well so far we have a pretty good group of guys. There was this one fellow that almost seemed to try and rub every one the wrong way, but he disappeared in quite a hurry, transferred out I guess." Edzard didn't know too much about him, he had luckily been able to avoid the man during his short time with the SS. "The Captain though, he is the cream of the crop. Most of the men would follow him into hell if he so wished, so you are gonna have your work cut out for you. But we have just received a tank, so maybe we will keep the losses low." He pulled his schnapps in close and took a sip. "Ahhh...good stuff."

"The unit has been in many a battle, but so far we have been lucky enough to keep the casualties to a minimum. The Allies though, I heard they might be getting this new Officer, along with a pretty tough division, he might be a handful." Edzard stared at a crack in the table for a moment as he thought about what it would be like if the war turned towards the Allies favor and no longer in the Axis favor. A chill ran up his spine.

[Guest]

Lukas nodded and sipped at his drink as Edzard began to explain some of the men in the division which he said was a "pretty good group of guys". As he explained the leader, Lukas's fears of a monstrous man vanished just like that. The leader that the man would follow into hell with? Lukas loved those kind of leaders. The natural kind that everyone respected and obeyed. It really did have quite the effect on the men. Higher morale, carrying out of orders, and lower death rate. Lukas sipped some more on his beverage. This was actually starting to sound like a good bunch of men.

But the good future ahead brought back the bad times of the past. "Das letzte Mal, das ich mit einem hübschen guten Bündel Kerlen, sie war, starb ganz. Das ist, warum ich bitte um eine übertragung aus der Maßeinheit heraus…" Lukas chugged down the rest of the alcohol in his mug, and started to feel the effects of the beer kick in. His vision became a little blurry, and he felt his balance slowly diminishing.

"Traurig für mein rudeness. Ich bedeutete nicht, so rauh zu sein…" Lukas blurted out after he finished gulping down his drink. He placed his elbows on the table and rested his forehead in the palms of his hands. "Es ist ich hat gehabt einige rauhe Male gerecht, wissen Sie? Ich möchte nicht es sehen, wieder zu geschehen. Es ist verheerend. "

Lukas sighed and held back some tears that were threatening to overwhelm him. He waved over a waitress and just muttered, "Erhalten Sie mir eine Nachfüllung. Er auch. Es ist auf mir. " The waitress returned with yet more refills for the men, and Lukas began to gulp half of the beer down again, furthering the effects of alcohol. He didn't drink often, and when he did he would easily fall into a drunken stupor.

TRANSLATIONS:

"Das letzte Mal, das ich mit einem hübschen guten Bündel Kerlen, sie war, starb ganz. Das ist, warum ich bitte um eine übertragung aus der Maßeinheit heraus…"
-"The last time I was with a pretty good bunch of guys, they all died. Thats why I request a transfer out of the unit..."

"Traurig für mein rudeness. Ich bedeutete nicht, so rauh zu sein…"
-"Sorry for my rudeness. I didn't mean to be so harsh..."

"Es ist ich hat gehabt einige rauhe Male gerecht, wissen Sie? Ich möchte nicht es sehen, wieder zu geschehen. Es ist verheerend. "
-"It's just I've had some rough times, you know? I don't want to see it happen again. It's devastating. "

"Erhalten Sie mir eine Nachfüllung. Er auch. Es ist auf mir. "
- Get me a refill. Him too. It's on me.

[⊕ Edzard Crimm]

Edzard snapped out of his slight trance and listened to Lukas as he talked about his old unit. Edzard leaned back a bit as Lukas started to get emotional, but emotions ran around rampant in times of high stress. "That's understandable man. I don't know of any sane people that WOULD want to see something like that, much less for a second time." He watched as Lukas ordered another round for the pair and the waitress went off to do her job. Lukas looked as if he was trying to drown his memories.

"You can't drown them...you just have to try and look on the bright side. You made it, make it up to the ones that didn't." It was a lot to ask of a man, but most men had a tendency to be prideful, if you give them a higher purpose to work for, they tend to get it done in a better fashion. "And if we keep alternating buying each others drinks, it kind of defeats the purpose now doesn't it." He leaned his head forward slightly and raised his eyebrows a bit. He was hoping to bring even the slightest smile to the man's face.

OOC: The coolhand and Lukas comment in the C-box earlier was priceless because of the movie "Cool Hand Luke" Ever heard of it?

[Guest]

Lukas slammed down his half-empty mug of alcohol. He resisted letting out a burp, as he hated to be so rude when making a first impression. But he had already was screwing up on his first impression. He sounded like some whiny kid or some desperate man with a lot of stress of his shoulders. But seeing your best friends die put a lot of stress on your shoulders. And having to lie to those same men when they have no hope of survival, having to tell that they were going to make it, well that put a lot of damn stress on your shoulders. Lukas shuttered at the thought of once taking a young boy, probably 18 or 19 that he was going to make it, when his legs were severed from his torso, about 10 feet away...

Edzard attempted to convince Lukas that he couldn't drown away his sorrows, and Lukas began to nod understandingly. He knew he couldn't drown them away, but it was tough. It was always so nice and relaxing to be in a drunken stupor... Edzard did make a valid point though. Lukas shouldn't give up just because his old friends died. He knew that it would disappoint his friends. Just because they had died, Lukas shouldn't stop fighting to save lives.

The man made a humorous comment about alternating buying drinks and Lukas let out a slight chuckle. "Ich weiß. Ich weiß. Es ist manchmal gerechtes so unbearable. Hölle einige der Sachen, die ich gesehen habe. Einige der Sachen, die ich getan habe. Aber, es gibt keinen Grund, daß ich versuchen sollte, mich in einen betrunkenen Stupor zu trinken. Ich habe gewettet, daß Sie einige schreckliche Sachen außerdem gesehen haben. "


Translations:

"Ich weiß. Ich weiß. Es ist manchmal gerechtes so unbearable. Hölle einige der Sachen, die ich gesehen habe. Einige der Sachen, die ich getan habe. Aber, es gibt keinen Grund, daß ich versuchen sollte, mich in einen betrunkenen Stupor zu trinken. Ich habe gewettet, daß Sie einige schreckliche Sachen außerdem gesehen haben. "
-I know. I know. It's just so unbearable sometimes. Hell some of the things I've seen. Some of the things I've done. But, there is no reason that I should be trying to drink myself into a drunken stupor. I've bet you've seen some horrible things as well.

[⊕ Edzard Crimm]

Edzard was almost feeling bad for the man. He didn't know what it must be like, but he tried to imagine watching people he knew die, in his own arms. Lukas laughed slightly and Edzard was happy in the fact that Lukas still had the ability. "Horrible things, well I've seen some, but not as closely as you probably have. I also was not the one trying to reverse the effects though. I was one of the guys making more work for men like you."

He gulped down the rest of his schnapps and took a look around the bar. It was starting to become less crowded than it had first been, but there were still not enough seats. Edzard must have thought too loudly, a man walked by and bumped his chair rather hurriedly. As Edzard turned the man, not a day over thirty looked back and put his hands out in front of him and twisted them from side to side, apologizing for his mistake.

I heard that the Axis main force and the Allied main force might be colliding with one another in the near future. Soon as Wolfram gets back from Africa, he is moving the troops out." He shuddered at the fact that he might not be able to have completed his engineer training before the battle is waged. "Don't know if I'll be able to make it on the voyage, but from what else I heard, only a select few will be able to accompany him."

[Guest]

"Brunnen, der Ihr Job ist. Töten. Gruben, zum von Leben zu speichern. Krieg ist Krieg. Wir erhielten, zu tun was wir gehen, zu tun, ich schätzen. Und wir erhielten zu handhaben, vorbei zu erhalten, jede mögliche Weise, die wir können. Wir haben beide gehandhabt, das bis jetzt zu tun, jetzt wir erhielten gerade, es für die folgenden Paarjahre dieses Krieges zu tun. Wenn dieser Krieg im folgenden verbindet von den Jahren beendet. "

Lukas sighed and ran his fingers through his dirty blond hair, until he reached the back and scratched it for a bit. He watched as Edzard almost got in a rumble with some local at the bar, but as soon as the man recognized the SS uniform he immediately apologized and got out of there as fast as he could. Edzard sat back down and began to discuss about how Lukas's new C.O. was being sent to the front lines of France for some big battle to thwart the Allied push through Normandy.

"Ich zweifele, daß ich dort so bald eingestellt werde. Mein altes C.O verlangte, daß ich keine Tätigkeit vorläufig sah. Er möchte sicherstellen, daß ich gut zurückgewonnen werde, bevor ich auf der Schlacht auffange wieder ausgesendet werde. Denkt die hes, die mein Wächterengel oder -etwas sind. Er ist ein annehmbarer Mann zwar. Ich mochte ihn. " Lukas took another sip of his alcohol, but this time he wasn't intent on getting into a drunken stupor. He just liked the taste.

Translations:
"Brunnen, der Ihr Job ist. Töten. Gruben, zum von Leben zu speichern. Krieg ist Krieg. Wir erhielten, zu tun was wir gehen, zu tun, ich schätzen. Und wir erhielten zu handhaben, vorbei zu erhalten, jede mögliche Weise, die wir können. Wir haben beide gehandhabt, das bis jetzt zu tun, jetzt wir erhielten gerade, es für die folgenden Paarjahre dieses Krieges zu tun. Wenn dieser Krieg im folgenden verbindet von den Jahren beendet. "
- "Well that's your job. To kill. Mines to save lives. War is war. We got to do what we go to do, I guess. And we got to manage to get by, any way we can. We've both managed to do that so far, now we just got to do it for the next couple years of this war. If this war will end in the next couple of years. "


"Ich zweifele, daß ich dort so bald eingestellt werde. Mein altes C.O verlangte, daß ich keine Tätigkeit vorläufig sah. Er möchte sicherstellen, daß ich gut zurückgewonnen werde, bevor ich auf der Schlacht auffange wieder ausgesendet werde. Denkt die hes, die mein Wächterengel oder -etwas sind. Er ist ein annehmbarer Mann zwar. Ich mochte ihn. "
-"I doubt I'll be set there so soon. My old C.O requested that I didn't see any action for the time being. He wants to make sure I'm well recovered before I'm sent out on the battle field again. Thinks hes being my guardian angel or something. He's a decent man though. I liked him. "

[⊕ Edzard Crimm]

OOC: I'm not sure where else we could go with this but I'm happy to follow, good RPing man

Next couple of years, that would be nice in the sense of how wars go, but that is a rather long time to endure the hardships Edzard put his glass down and looked over at Lukas. "Think we should get another round?" he asked, not wanting to order anymore if he wasn't going to have any company.

"Nice to hear that we still have officers around that give a care or two." There were too many men in high ranking positions that didn't care about anyone else but themselves, mainly how good they looked in their bosses eyes. "Got a smoke? I just ran out." he asked as he could feel himself begin to want to fidget.

[Guest]

OOC: Yeah I'm not really sure where we can go with it either. Maybe we'll end it soon. I'm thinking about bringing Erik in to meet Lukas though.

Lukas finished yet another mug. This time he hadn't chugged it. He was just drinking and enjoying himself with his new friend and comrade, Edzard. Damn, these people sure know how to make fine booze. Maybe we should get a another round? Before he could even ask the man, Edzard asked the same question. Lukas laughed a little. Apparently he had been thinking the same thing. "Sicher, warum nicht? Halten Sie an, bestelle ich uns ein anderer Umlauf." Lukas waved over a waitress. "Wir möchten einen anderen Umlauf bitte. "

When the waitress returned, Lukas gulped down some more of the beer. Before she could leave, he asked her to compliment whoever the hell was brewing this fine stuff. She walked away giggling, and Lukas couldn't help to laugh a bit himself. "Ja ja. Nicht viele Offiziere geben ein Gejohlen über ihre Männer mehr. Gerade über, wie die Hochklassifizierung Offiziere sie wie sehen. Es ist ganz über die Förderungen, nicht die Männer. Ist Wolfram wie der? "

"Ja erhielt ich einige Zigaretten. Halten Sie auf einer Sekunde, lassen Sie mich erhalten ein heraus für Sie. " Lukas rummaged around in his pockets until he pulled out a pack of some fine cigarettes. His old C.O. gave them to him as a present before he left. Every man in his last division use to smoke them. Except Lukas. Lukas was never one for a smoke. Sometimes though, when he was under extreme stress and needed to calm his nerves.


Translations:

"Sicher, warum nicht? Halten Sie an, bestelle ich uns ein anderer Umlauf."
- "Sure, why not? Hold on, I'll order us another round."

"Wir möchten einen anderen Umlauf bitte. "
- "We'd like another round please."

"Ja ja. Nicht viele Offiziere geben ein Gejohlen über ihre Männer mehr. Gerade über, wie die Hochklassifizierung Offiziere sie wie sehen. Es ist ganz über die Förderungen, nicht die Männer. Ist Wolfram wie der? "
- "Yes yes. Not many officers give a hoot about their men anymore. Just about how the higher-ranking officers see them as. It's all about the promotions, not the men. Is Wolfram like that? "


- "Yes I got some cigarettes. Hold on a second, let me get one out for you. "

[⊕ Edzard Crimm]

OOC: sounds good to me

Edzard watched as Lukas had thought the same and then ordered another round. "Thanks." He tilted his head a bit as he watched the waitress walk away "mmm." oh the insanity that he would go through stuck on the lines with no such fine scenery. He grabbed his mug and pulled it in for a sip. HE set it back down as he reached for the cigarette that Lukas had. Thanks again...WOW! These are pretty nice, the guy must have liked you."

He listened as Lukas asked if Wolfram was the type of officer that didn't care also. Wolfram, well he doesn't care...about the stuff his troops don't care about, ha! He chuckled a bit as he lit the cigarette and took a long draw of it and held it for a few moments before letting it escape through his nostrils. "To be honest with you, the Captain is about as good as they come. After serving him, you won't want to transfer, promise you that." Edzard took another sip and another drag.

[∬: Erik Schneider]

Erik stumbled into the local tavern, having been granted a leave. It was a welcome change from the cool night outside. He rubbed his hands together a bit to warm up. He spotted some men from his division enjoying their leaves as well. One of these men was Unterscharführer Edzard Crimm. On any other night, Erik probably wouldn't have bothered to walk over and chat with the man, but on this particular night he saw Crimm enjoying the night with another man. A medic to be exact. A medic that seemed to have been assigned to the SS. From the distance Erik squinted a little to see if he could tell who the medic was.

Slowly approaching, Erik could make more and more out of his face. When he was only a foot away, he gasped. His jaw practically touched the floor. "LUKAS! LUKAS SCHULTZ?!?" He yelled as he rushed across the tavern, embracing the medic. A few of the locals were probably laughing. A "cold, harsh" SS officer hugging a fellow. Erik could care less. Lukas was his old buddy back in his Wehrmact days. Many a time, Erik and Lukas had been awarded for their courage. The two would rush out on the battlefield to save another soldier, as Erik lay down covering fire.

"Ich kann nicht glauben, daß Sie hier gebracht wurden. Warum nicht Sie Aufenthalt in unserer alten Abteilung. Mit Krueger, Adrian und Kristoph? Wie sind jene verrückten bastard, wie? Sie müssen Sie vermissen. Aber ich bin froh, Sie wieder zu sehen. " Erik had to take a deep, long breath he had been talking so fast. He pulled up a seat and greeted the Unterscharfuhrer and then turned to look at Lukas's disdained look on his face. "Was ist falsch?"


Translations:

"Ich kann nicht glauben, daß Sie hier gebracht wurden. Warum nicht Sie Aufenthalt in unserer alten Abteilung. Mit Krueger, Adrian und Kristoph? Wie sind jene verrückten bastard, wie? Sie müssen Sie vermissen. Aber ich bin froh, Sie wieder zu sehen. "
- "I can't believe you were transferred here. Why didn't you stay in our old division. With Krueger, Adrian, and Kristoph? How are those crazy bastards, eh? They must miss you. But I'm glad to see you again."

"Was ist falsch?"
- "What's wrong?