#eugene sledgehammer

[sachart]

I don't want to look in your eyes, someday, and see no spark, no love, no life. That would break my heart.

[eugeneshelton]

[mads-nixon]

See the Good

Eugene Sledge x Medic!Reader

Masterlist

A/N: Merry Christmas @iceman-kazansky!! I literally squealed when I saw I got you as my giftee! I loved your prompts, and I hope you like what I did with them!! I'm going to post one gift per day so that they'll be a little spaced out! hbo owns the rights, and this is about the fictional portrayal of k company on the show. nothing but love and respect for veterans on this blog!

Prompt: “You always see the good in people. Even me.”

Word Count: 5.7k

Summary: When Gene can only see himself as the terrible things he's done in the war, (y/n) is right there to remind him who he really is.

Warnings: descriptions of dead bodies (non-graphic)

OKINAWA, JAPAN: MAY, 1945:

The ground beneath their boots trembled, and the deafening whistles of mortars filled the air as (y/n) and the rest of K Company ran for cover. They sunk into the muddy sludge below them, turning each step into a battle against the sucking earth. Gripping her corpsman pack with white knuckles, (y/n) followed Gene, not daring to stop in the barrage.

“They have us targeted!” Burgie yelled, hurdling over a giant boulder in his path. “Get to cover!”

Just as (y/n) ran past the remnants of a demolished shed, a sudden blast threw her violently to the ground, sending a cascade of mud in all directions. Her ears rang with disorientation as she blinked slowly, struggling to regain her senses. The ringing faded into a muffled whine and a face appeared in (y/n)‘s vision. Although the figure’s face was blurred, she knew it was Eugene. His mouth moved rapidly, but she couldn’t understand a word he said. Realizing this, he quickly grasped the front of her uniform and hoisted her to her feet, throwing an arm around her waist to keep her upright as they bolted for cover.

Reaching the rocks, (y/n)‘s hearing slowly faded back, and the sounds of booming artillery reached her ears.

Sledge pulled on her arm, helping her over the rugged terrain. “Come on. We’re almost there!”

Finally reaching the safety of cover, the company continued farther into the rocks to escape the barrage. Snafu was in front of them and on the verge of a panicked breakdown.

“This is bullshit!” he cried, plopping down on a rock. “If I ever find the FO that called that arty, I’ll shoot him!”

Gene maintained his hold on (y/n) as he led them toward a big rock, his frustration evident. “They’ll just do it again,” he huffed, gritting his teeth. “All because some asshole officer read a map wrong and nobody gives a shit about us!”

After he sat (y/n) on the boulder beside Snafu, Eugene took a deep breath and sank beside her. He turned to the dazed woman beside him, her once white corpsman armband a brown and muddy mess. “You alright?” he asked her, knowing even he himself wasn’t alright after what happened before the shelling.

The woman and her baby…

(Y/n) nodded slowly, her eyes rising from the ground to meet his. ”Yeah. Just got my bell rung. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Sledge persisted.

“Yes, Gene. I’m okay,” she murmured wearily, rubbing her eyes. “Really.”

Removing her helmet, she threaded her fingers through her (y/h/c) hair, wincing at the dried mud that pulled at the roots. Over their time on the dreadful island, they all discovered that the jungle was just as much an enemy as the Japs.

Snafu stared wide-eyed at the ground below him, hands on his head as his chest heaved. His expression was the same one that each marine wore as they grappled with the massacre they’d just witnessed.

What country uses its own civilians as shields for a surprise attack?

As a corpsman, (y/n) had seen more death than the average marine, and after the fierce fighting on the islands of Peleliu and Pavuvu, she was struggling to remain afloat in the vast ocean of numbness that threatened to drown her. The only thing keeping her above water were her boys, the men of K Company: Sledge, Snafu, Burgin, and De L’eau, although Jay had been transferred to intelligence. They’d lost so many good men, and it made her even more thankful for the guys who had always been there for her.

“Corpsman up front!”

The call snapped (y/n) from her thoughts, and she quickly rose, momentarily losing her balance until a strong hand grasped her upper arm, holding her steady. She felt the warmth of his hand through her thin ODs as he held her in place, accompanied by a blush creeping up her neck.

“(Y/n)-” Gene started.

Shrugging him off gently, she turned toward the call. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Be careful,” he whispered after her, watching her form disappear into a sea of olive-green uniforms. With another deep breath, Sledge sat back down, trying to calm his still-racing heart. She had been right behind him…until she wasn’t. Panic had gripped him when he saw her motionless figure in the mud as the artillery rained down around them. When she opened her eyes, he felt a weight lift off his chest.

Rain drenched the marines through the night as they held their position looking up to the ridge. Around 2000HRS the next day, (y/n) trudged back to her squad, eyelids heavy with exhaustion. Dried blood clung to her cracked hands, refusing to wash away, no matter how many times she’d scrubbed them raw. The casualties were unending like the rain that constantly poured on them. Luckily, the downpour had come to a stop in the early morning.

She’d been at the BAS since the previous afternoon treating and evacuating wounded marines from the already bloody battle. Continued artillery and fire throughout the day brought a steady stream of bleeding men through the tent’s entrance. One of these men had been Bill Leyden. He wasn’t in good shape, and when (y/n) saw the damage on her friend’s body, the air rushed from her lungs. After pushing away the panic, she quickly helped other corpsmen stabilize him, before sending him off to a hospital ship. As she watched him go, her heart sank at the realization the company had lost another man…another friend.

“Hey Doc,” Snafu called out gently as she approached.

She looked up from her feet at the man with a tired smile. “Hey, Snaf,” she whispered. “You seen Gene?”

Motioning over his shoulder, Snafu replied, “He’s right over there. But, Bill…“

“Yeah,” she sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We got him stabilized. He should make a full recovery. Lost a few fingers, though.”

In a trance-like state, Snafu nodded, his gaze fixed ahead. It was something they all did. A way to escape the horrors they lived through. With a gentle squeeze of his shoulder, (y/n) moved to find Sledge, but the Cajun’s voice stopped her.

“Eugene. He got a letter…his dog died.”

She turned to face him with raised brows. “Deacon?”

“I guess,” the man nodded. “I think he’s bothered more than he’s letting on. You know how Eugene is.”

“Yeah. I’ll talk to him.”

She found him staring into space ahead of him as he sat up against one of the island’s many rocks. Before she approached, (y/n) simply watched the man before her. She could see his growing stubble and the mud that splattered his cheeks, but what worried her was the blank expression on his face. She longed to see the lopsided smile that used to hang from his lips. (Y/n) didn’t know how long it had been since she’d seen that smile…too long.

Pulling her satchel off her shoulder, she quietly approached him and slouched down beside him. They sat silently for a moment, the warmth of their touching shoulders spreading through them. Gene was the first to break the silence.

“Did you see Bill?” he asked quietly, his eyes still glued on the rocks in front of him.

(Y/n) nodded, looking up at him with a small smile. “Yeah, he’s gonna be okay.”

Gene leaned his head back against the ground with a thud, his eyes closed as a shuttering sigh escaped his lips. She sat up off the rock and turned toward him, gently taking his hand.

“I’m sorry about Deacon.”

The second her fingers intertwined with his, Sledge’s heartbeat accelerated, and the man felt heat spread through his body. He took a moment to compose himself before he opened his eyes. He looked down at their intertwined hands before meeting her concerned gaze.

In that moment, Eugene could have sworn she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. It didn’t matter that she was coated in blood, mud, and sweat. She was there for him like nobody else had ever been in his whole life. Sure, he was close with his parents, but he felt they never completely understood him.

Who’d have thought that he’d have to travel almost eight thousand miles to find someone who could do so?

Eugene’s eyes flashed down to her lips, unable to control himself as their closeness made him suddenly bold. He always wondered what they’d taste like. How they’d feel against his. They were chapped, just like everyone else's, but that didn’t matter. The young man wanted a way to show her how much she meant to him. Sure, there had been moments where he told himself he was going to kiss her, but the moment ended before he had the opportunity. Something in the moment felt wrong, though, and he decided to wait once more.

“Thank you,” he whispered, swallowing thickly as he tried to regain his composure and keep the memories of his beloved dog at bay. “He was a good dog.”

“How old was he? 10? 11?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “10.”

The woman’s eyes searched his face, trying to get a read of what he needed from her. She saw pain in his hazel eyes. Pain from the loss of Bill. Pain from the loss of Deacon. Pain caused by the war.

She decided he needed some hope. Some laughter.

“Did I tell you about the time Snaf and I almost got caught stealing from an Army captain?”

Later that day, Gene and the rest of his squad sat among the rocks, each lost in their mind. (Y/n) was beside him, writing in her journal, and they were doing the same…all except Peck, who was attempting to dig a foxhole in the soaked ground. Since the day they arrived on the wretched island, Sledge kept up with how many days they spent there with tallies in the back of his Bible. With the days running together, they rarely knew what day it was or how long they’d been there.

“What’s the date?” Burgie asked, putting down his small journal.

The group turned to Gene, who took a deep breath. “June 5th, maybe. Might be the 6th.” He turned to (y/n). “(Y/n/n), which one you got?”

“I have no idea,” she sighed. “I gave up keeping track a while ago.”

Peck decided to chime in as he dug. “We’re never getting off this island.”

Everyone was thinking it, but he was the one person who dared to speak it aloud.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, glancing over at Gene with an annoyed expression. If looks could kill, Peck would be six feet deep from the redhead’s glare. His jaw clenched tightly, and his chest began to heave as he stared at the replacement.

Sensing his rising anger, (y/n) reached over and placed a hand on his thigh. His eyes moved to meet hers, and her (y/e/c) irises seemed to whisper, ”He’s not worth it,” and, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Gene took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Beating the crap out of Peck wouldn’t bring Bill back, and letting anger consume you was a dangerous game. Every time he was tempted to let it in, (y/n) was right there, a soft presence telling him that hate was not the answer. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted daily. Sledge had seen what men could do to each other. He had seen what the Japs did to his friends.

Looking away from Gene, she was met with a strange stare from Snafu, who was smoking a cigarette and sitting on their makeshift toilet. His gaze was questioning, but not criticizing. When the man’s eyes drifted down to her hand, her stomach dropped, and she felt like she was caught red-handed. (Y/n) quickly removed her hand from Gene’s leg and shot to her feet.

“I’m gonna go-uh-do some rounds,” she announced, not daring to look at Gene or Snafu.

A few seconds later, she went treading through the sludge, her corpsman satchel pressed tightly to her side. The men all watched in confusion as she left, unsure what had made her so jumpy all of a sudden.

“She alright?” Hamm asked once she’d disappeared from view.

Burgie, always an observer, glanced over at Sledge to watch his reaction. He looked somewhat like a kicked puppy. Wrapping up his Bible, Gene began to tuck it into his pocket without a word.

“Don’t worry about (y/n), Hamm,” Burgie replied with a nod.

Hamm raised an eyebrow at his sergeant. “But did you see her-”

“She’s fine,” Snafu interrupted, pulling up his pants and rejoining the group. “Besides, she’s already got someone to worry about her.”

At the statement, Eugene froze, a cold chill running through him despite the heat. A million thoughts ran rampant in his mind.

Is there someone else in her life?

Does he know something I don’t?

Does he know how I feel?

Groaning, Burgie smacked the Cajun’s shoulder. “Shut up, Snaf. Don’t go starting crap.”

The sergeant first noticed the bond between Sledge and (y/n) back in training, but especially when the company landed on Peleliu. They always stuck by one another when they could, and she seemed to help calm the Marine amid his anxiety. As time went on and their relationship changed, Romus knew they had feelings for one another, even if they didn’t admit it. He’d never spoken about it to anyone, fearing it could become a rumor that would possibly get the pair in trouble if they ever acted on their feelings. Hearing Snafu insinuate something between them sent a pang of panic through him.

“We all worry about (y/n),” he continued. “But she’s a great corpsman. She can hold her own.”

Before he could finish his sentence, Eugene rose to his feet and went to take a leak. He did have to relieve himself, but he also wanted to get away from the conversation. If Snafu knew about how he felt, the man would never stop tormenting him. Even if it was in a joking way, Gene didn’t want to be the subject of Shelton’s teasing.

Just as he made it to a somewhat secluded spot, he heard Mac’s voice ring out from above him.

“I need a stovepipe boy up top!” he yelled, coming down from the ridge.

Gene slightly ducked his head behind a rock, hoping the lieutenant would miss him. To his dismay, Mac caught his movement in the corner of his eye.

“Sledge, that’s you. Bring some comm wire.”

Sighing when his superior disappeared over the ridge, he muttered, “Yes, sir,” and went to follow his orders.

The stench of excrement and death permeated the air as (y/n) walked through their temporary camp checking on the men. Her eyes watered from the smell, and it took all her willpower not to gag. Even though she’d built a great tolerance to gruesome sights and smells over her time as a corpsman, sometimes it all got to her.

Snafu’s stare replayed in her mind, and she hoped that she didn’t accidentally give herself away to the group. Worry buzzed in her stomach like the disgusting flies that seemed to be ever-present among the mud and filth of Okinawa. (Y/n) tried to busy her mind with the long list of men to check on, but she couldn’t focus more than a few moments before getting lost in her head again.

Spotting a man on her list, she called out to him.

“Hey, James,” she greeted, approaching his muddy foxhole. “How’s the ankle?”

He groaned and shook his head. “As good as it’s gonna be, Doc.”

In the barrage the day prior, the private slipped and rolled his ankle in the mud trying to get to cover. He insisted he was fine, but some of his squadmates sent (y/n) to check on him. Henry James was a stubborn young man who wasn’t even old enough to drink, yet he was on a foreign island in Southeast Asia fighting for his country…fighting to survive. She crouched beside his hole, inspecting the ankle that was elevated above the entrance.

“Were you able to stay off it much?” (y/n) asked, gently prodding the bruised skin.

“A buddy of mine took my OP shift so I didn’t have to walk around on it. It’s more stiff than anything.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “That’s how ankles are. They’re tough-”

Her voice came to a stop as yelling filled the air. It wasn’t cheers of victory or anything of that nature. They were cries of attack…of desperation…of death. The second the sound registered in her mind, she was darting toward the ridge, hoping to get there before the shooting started in case someone got hit. The rapid beating of her heart filled her ears as she ran through the mud and past battle-weary marines. A few of them called out to her, but she didn’t hear them.

The first ping of an M-1 being fired echoed through the air as she made it to the base of the rocky ridge. Cursing under her breath, she quickly began her ascent. Finding the most solid footing, she climbed the hill, using the jagged rocks as handholds. Gunfire filled the air, silencing the screams of the enemy. (Y/n) was out of breath when she made it to the top, but she didn’t stop. Most of the fire had stopped, but a few shots still rang out.

At the moment the corpsman reached the other marines at the top of the ridge, her heart sank at the sight of Eugene unholstering his revolver and aiming at a wounded Jap.

“Cease fire!” Mac cried from the other side of the ridge. “Cease fire!”

Gene didn’t care.

“Damn, Sledge. Leave him,” Hamm muttered to the redhead.

Whipping around to face him, Eugene scowled. “What for? He’s a Jap, ain’t he?”

(Y/n) watched in horror as Gene opened fire on the man already wallowing in the mud. He missed the first two shots, but the third hit its mark, hitting the Jap just above his hip. The soldier sunk into the mud face down, his writhing coming to an end.

“Cease fire!” The Lieutenant repeated as he neared them. “Cease fire, damn it!”

Satisfied with his work, Sledge grabbed his rifle from beside Hamm and turned to descend the ridge. When he noticed (y/n) a few yards away, he froze for a moment, his eyes resembling a dark storm cloud that could start down pouring any second. Guilt seemed to cloud his usual hazel eyes, and he looked away, unable to stay steady beneath her gaze after what he’d just done. He then continued down the ridge.

Mac was quick to confront him, gripping his carbine in one hand with white knuckles.

“I told you to cease fire. What are you doing?”

The private spun to face Mac with gritted teeth.“Killing Japs,” he seethed, turning to go down the hill again.

Before he could get far, the lieutenant spoke again. “You just gave away our position!”

“I think they’ve got a pretty good idea of where we are,” Gene chuckled bitterly.

Mac pointed toward the dead Japs. “I told you to cease fire. You’re supposed to be observing, and then I see you with a damn sidearm!

“We were all sent here to kill Japs, weren’t we?” Sledge screamed, climbing back up to be nose-to-nose with his lieutenant. “So what the hell difference does it make what weapon we use?”

(Y/n) couldn’t help but flinch at Gene’s sudden outburst. She’d never seen him like this before, and she wondered what made him finally break. What was the straw that broke the camel’s back? What had happened in the five minutes she was gone?

A tear streaked down her cheek seeing the man she cared about more than anything giving in to the war. Seeing a man be reduced to a shell of who he once was was always heartbreaking, and (y/n) didn’t realize just how much until she witnessed him finally crack.

“I’d use my damn hands if I had to,” he whispered to a frozen Mac, who clenched his jaw and slowly walked past him. (Y/n) was quick to try and follow Gene once he stormed down the hill, but a gentle hand on her shoulder held her back.

It was Burgin, his face scrunched with concern. “Let ‘em cool off, (y/n/n).”

“Romus, he-”

“I know what he means to you,” he interrupted in a whisper as he glanced around them for any eavesdroppers. “But trust me. You need to leave him be for a little bit. Let him think.”

(Y/n) swallowed thickly. “Please don’t tell anyone, Burgie. I could be-”

“Your secret’s safe with me…He needs you, (y/l/n), but give him a few hours.”

Releasing a shuddering breath, her gaze dropped to the ground. “He was fine when I left. What happened?”

“I don’t know. But we did hear him hollering about something right before he went up top.”

“Thanks for everything, Burg,” she sighed, patting his shoulder softly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you and the guys.”

A sheepish smile grew on his face, and he chuckled under his breath. “You’d be a lot more ladylike, that’s for sure. The other day, I’m pretty sure I saw you smoking Sledge’s pipe.”

“Whatever,” she groaned, rubbing a hand down her dirty face. “A lot of women actually smoke, ya know?”

The rest of the afternoon did not go according to (y/n)‘s plan, and she was unable to check on Gene after he cooled down. Within an hour of his outburst, she was called back to the field hospital to assist in an all-hands-on-deck emergency following a Jap ambush. The corpsman was up to her elbows in blood, bowels, and every other bodily fluid from vomit to urine. It was a hard night, and it got even worse when a terrible rainstorm moved in, trapping her from returning to her company due to poor visibility.

(Y/n) spent the night, and most of the next day, helping around the hospital. She dressed wounds, administered pain meds, and helped transport men to the hospital ships on a Jeep. A radio call was received that told of the 1st Marine’s plans to take the ridge, and (y/n) knew she needed to be there.

She caught a ride to the ridge just in time for the assault. The men were checking their weapons and quietly conversing with each other as she walked through the various companies. When she reached her squad, however, silence filled the air. They all had thousand-yard stares, and the group was missing two guys who had been there the day before. Her pace slowed as she approached them.

“Hey, guys,” (y/n) said softly, her eyes flicking from man to man. When none of them acknowledged her, she knew something bad had happened. “Where’s Hamm and Peck?”

Silence.

She took a deep breath, trying not to imagine the worst. “Please, guys, whe-”

“Gone,” Gene interrupted harshly, his gaze snapping to hers. “Hamm's dead and Peck’s gone. He cracked.”

(Y/n) felt the all-too-familiar punch of grief knock the air from her lungs. Eugene’s hazel eyes were dark and stormy, even more so than the previous day. She swallowed thickly, attempting to push down the emotion that clogged her throat.

“What happened?” she asked shakily, her eyes never leaving Gene’s.

Before he could respond, Snafu spoke. “Doesn’t matter. They’re gone.”

“Shelton’s right,” Burgin added. “It’s hard, but we’ve got other things to focus on.”

(Y/n) nodded once and dropped her gaze to the group, blinking away the tears that burned her eyes. Two more of their group were gone. Sure, Peck wasn’t her favorite person by any means, but he was still part of their company….on their side. And Hamm…he was a kid. A kid who deserved better than to die in the mud on some foreign island.

They all deserved better.

“Let’s move out!” Mac announced, waving for them to follow.

Each man followed suit, but Eugene hung back to wait on (y/n). Seeing her tear-filled eyes, he instantly regretted opening his mouth. The anger within him seemed to dissipate momentarily as he joined her side.

“Remember, you’ve got a bullseye on your arm,” he murmured, gesturing to the red and white medic brassard on her arm. “Please be careful.”

“I will.” (Y/n) lifted her helmet to look up at him through her lashes. “You take care of yourself, too, alright?”

“Yes ma’am,” he whispered, admiring her features. His eyes trailed from her eyes down to her nose, and then to her lips before flicking back to her (y/e/c) eyes. They stayed locked in each other’s gaze for a few moments, their eyes seeming to have a silent conversation communicating everything that was left unsaid. Gene slowly reached up to cup her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone. The racing of (y/n)‘s heart wasn’t from the artillery that had begun hammering the ridge, but Eugene’s warm caress against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed at the gentle touch.

They both wished the moment could last forever.

Another yell from Mac shattered the moment, leaving (y/n) missing the tenderness of his hand in its absence.

“I’ll find you after,” he said, turning around and backpedaling to catch up with his squad. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

The corner of her lips quirked into a smirk. “I’ll leave that to you.”

Once the battle had died down and all the remaining Japanese were either killed or taken prisoner, (y/n) went searching for Gene. When the bullets began to fly, she couldn’t get the boy from Mobile off her mind, and anxiety churned in her stomach as she looked for him. The stench of gasoline, blood, and burnt flesh filled the air along her ascent to the ridge. Bodies of both marines and the enemy lined the narrow path up the hill, and her eyes scanned each one, praying that none of them were the men she’d come to love dearly.

“Burgie, you seen Sledgehammer? He was just over here.”

Hearing the familiar Cajun accent, she spun toward the voice and sighed in relief when she saw Snafu atop an old bunker, his legs swinging as he sat on the edge with a cigarette hanging from his lip. Romus was talking to another sergeant a few feet away, his rifle swung around his shoulder.

“There you are!” (Y/n) called out, reaching up and slapping Snafu’s foot. It was all she could reach from his elevated position on the concrete bunker. “You alright?”

He smiled and raised an eyebrow, blowing a puff of smoke into the humid air. “Not a scratch on me,” he mused. “I don’t know where Eugene is, but don’t worry, I just saw him. He’s okay, too.”

With this news, a wave of calm washed over her, and she let out the breath she’d been holding since they parted. “Thanks, Snaf. I’ll find him.”

“Have fun,” he laughed, waving his cigarette around in front of him. “And do me a favor and fuc-”

This caught Burgie's attention. “Hey!” He interrupted, scolding Snafu like he was a parent whose child was acting up in public. “Cut it out.”

Busting out laughing, Snafu winked at (y/n), who could feel the embarrassment creeping up her cheeks at his intended comment. She raised a hand and flipped him off with a grin before continuing her search for Gene.

It took her a few minutes of wandering to spot his familiar frame among the sea of dirty green uniforms, but when she did, a huge smile painted her face. (Y/n) almost called out to him, but something stopped her.

He was sitting alone on the busted remains of a bunker with his helmeted head in his hands, his weapon lying idle in the dirt beside him. She continued toward him slowly, observing the gentle shake of his shoulders that told her he was crying.

“Hey, Gene,” (y/n) murmured with a softness that matched the gravity of the moment, lowering herself onto the earth beside him. He reacted quickly, averting his gaze and hiding his face as he wiped the tears from his dirt-covered cheeks.

Reaching over, she softly turned his face toward her. After a moment of resistance, he gave in to her gentle touch. His eyes, glistening with unshed tears, met hers. (Y/n)‘s fingertips traced the dirt-streaked paths on his cheeks, her touch a soothing escape from the horror they lived in.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, ducking to meet his eyes. “I’m here.”

Gene’s lip began to quiver, and a stifled sob escaped him as he covered his face with trembling hands. “I’m a monster, (y/n). The things I’ve done…” he strained, moving away from her comforting touch.

(Y/n) watched the play of emotions on his face as he stood up abruptly, throwing an arm out to point to a bombed-out building. The skeletal remains of what once was a home loomed in the smoky haze. “There was a family in there. Now a baby with grow up without a family! I called in the mortars up there! I did that! I’m a monster!”

“No,” she shot up, her voice cutting him off. “You are not a monster, Eugene Sledge. We are at war. We’ve all done terrible things here, but it does not make you a monster. The fact that you’re feeling like you are proves you’re not. It means you’re human, Gene.”

Another tear streaked down his cheek as he clenched his teeth. “After Bill and everyone we’ve lost, I wanted to get them back. I wanted to. You saw me yesterday!”

“Eugene! Look at me!” she ordered, cupping his cheeks as she implored his attention. His gaze wandered everywhere but her face until she spoke again, her tone much softer this time. “Hon, please look at me.”

Tear-filled hazel eyes met hers, and she tugged him a little closer, they’re faces only inches apart. “We all want to get them back. You are not a monster.”

“I don’t know who I am anymore,” he croaked, more tears spilling down his cheeks. “What if this is who I am now?”

“I know exactly who you are. You are Eugene Bondurant Sledge. You’re still that same boy from Mobile, Alabama who loved his dog more than anything, the same one who loved to fish with his father, and the very same one who I fell in love with before we even stepped foot on foreign soil.”

A sob escaped his lips, and his eyes squeezed shut, overwhelmed by her words. “There’s no way you can love me like this. You deserve someone else who-”

“I don’t love anyone else, Gene!” she urged, tears stinging her eyes. “I love you, and I’ll say it over and over, every single day, for as long as it takes to make you believe me.”

Shaking his head, he tried to break free from her touch, but she held on. “I’m not a good man.”

“You are good, Eugene. You are a good man. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, but it’s how we respond to them that makes us who we are. This right here? It proves you’re a good man.”

Her words seemed to break through in his mind, and he froze for a moment. Pulling off his helmet, he moved (y/n)‘s hands from his face and cupped her cheeks, his red eyes still glossy. “I love you,” he murmured, voice wavering. “And I will spend the rest of my life working to be worthy of you if you’ll let me.”

The tears (y/n) had been holding back filled her eyes, a few of them trickling from her waterline. She nodded in his gentle hold. “You already are.”

He wiped a few tears away softly, a lopsided smile forming on his lips. “You’re too good for this world, darlin’,” Gene cooed. “You always see the good in people. Even me.”

With utmost care, Gene reached up and removed (y/n)‘s helmet, her tousled (y/h/c) spilling out. The fading sun added a soft glow to their faces, emphasizing the exhaustion etched in their features. As he delicately held the helmet aside, Eugene’s eyes met (y/n)‘s, a silent understanding passing between them. He closed the gap, his breath mixing with hers as his eyes lingered on her face, taking in every detail-the mud smudges, the fatigue-as if memorizing each nuance.

With a gentle touch, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was a tender blend of longing and comfort, a quiet promise to stay by the other’s side. In that moment, the world around them ceased to exist. Time slowed as they embraced, finding solace in the simple act of being together at last. The sounds of war faded into the background, replaced by the gentle symphony of two hearts seeking refuge in the warmth of each other’s touch.

[noirtowwy]

can't get enough of them🙏

[boulevard-of-broken-everything]

It breaks my heart that The Pacific Fandom is basically dead.

It breaks my heart even more that it never was very large to begin with and I already read every single Sledgefu fic out there.

And it demolishes my soul entire, that somehow absolutely amazing Fanfics have disappeared.

Thinking about Peripnei's works.

Poor Unfortunate Souls, the 3:16 Verse, etc

If anyone out there was intelligent enough to download these fics, I would be so damn grateful if you could pass them on to me.

If by some wicked chance Peripnei is reading this:

I don't want to post your work, I really just want to read it again.

-------

If someone just wants to talk about Sledgefu, my inbox is open! :)

[terriblesolomons]

Girls (Eugene Sledge) hate (love) for their brooding (listless pining) to be interrupted in the family cemetery (outside the military gala) by their estranged childhood companion (war buddy). Question mark

[mackerly-monspop]

Sledgefu already on TikTok

[historyl3sbian]

guys i gave in and started watching the pacific and holy fuck Eugene Sledge is the love of my life

[theweirdgoodbyes]

really got into this show and ship 14 years late but oh well enjoy homies

[corvus44]

Pls say someone likes this show

[gluteus-canis-familiaris]

Apologies for the lateness, but merry merry Christmas @jackharkness!!! Hope you're having a wonderful holiday season 🎄 Your hbowar edits have been long time favorites of mine and I wish I had the time to make more for you in return! For now, here is a 3-part angsty pacific whammy starting with Snafu and Sledge wallpapers since you mentioned they were your faves!

[Full-size jpeg files here]

Part [1] [2] [3]

[jump-wings]

HBOWarDaily's Short Story Exchange 2023

Show: The Pacific

Ship: Eugene Sledge x Snafu Merriell Shelton

General Reader

For @ahsokatanoss I hope you like it!

An Evening

They crossed the corridor, Eugene in front, Merriell behind. When they reached the door, Eugene moved aside and allowed Merriell to enter his room first. He closed the door behind them. The door made no more noise than the beating of Merriell's heart. Eugene leaned back against the door, hands in his pockets. He was watching Meriell with his eyes. Merriell walked around the room a bit. He picked up a few items on the shelf and looked at them, but he neither saw what he picked up nor was he interested in the decor of the room, just a few pathetic attempts to postpone the inevitable conversation. But somehow someone had to say something, and he knew it had to be him.

''You have a nice room, Sledgehammer.'' His voice came out lower, higher-pitched, and more strained than what he had planned to say in his head. The words almost reached his lips like tiny daggers, creating wounds in his throat. Eugene caught Merriell's eyes on his own and wouldn't let go. He said thank you and waited. He would push Meriell to the end. Merriell looked away. He waited for a few seconds in the middle of the room, looking helplessly at the carpet.

''The food was very nice.'' Again a thank you came from Eugene and he waited again. His eyes are fixed on Merriell. Merriell waited too, the bitter water rising from his stomach to his throat. He finally made up his mind, he could postpone while he ate and chatted with Eugene's family, he could postpone while Eugene's father showed him their land, he could postpone while he listened to his brother reminisce about the war in Europe, but here he was in Eugene's room in Alabama, the two of them alone and he found himself in a kind of trial in Eugene's eyes. He couldn't put it off any longer, feeling like prisoner b5rought tıo court. He had nowhere to run and no excuse to escape. He lifted his eyes from the carpet and stared into the big brown eyes watching him.

''Eugene, I…''

''Why did you come?'' Eugene's voice was angry.

''To see you.'' He looked away, his voice a whisper.

Why? Why did you come to see the man you've seen too much to even say goodbye to? Suddenly, months later?

The anger in Eugene's voice grew with each word, but the anger in his voice couldn't hide the underlying pain. Eugene's pain reached Merriell. Snafu's heart ached again, with pain at the same frequency as Eugene's, a pain that had not stopped since the moment he got off the train.

Eugene rose from where he was leaning and stood upright. He clenched his hands into fists and pressed his nails into his palms.

Ever since they returned - one to Alabama, the other to Louisiana - from the endless forests of the Pacific, its hills, its rains, its muddy soil, and its endless islands that had turned into graveyards Merriell, who had always been overconfident, had been struggling with indecision. Eugene, who had a calm nature since his early youth, was angry. Everything they knew about life was rewritten in the Pacific.

He just couldn't return. He couldn't turn around and couldn't even say goodbye. He couldn't shake his hand and look into his eyes for the last time. He wanted to, but he was undecided and could not do it. His heart couldn't stand it. This was too much. He was asked to realize a reality that had never been more real until the train entered the station. Suddenly, he is asked to leave behind the last years of his life, the person was created from him in the war, the skills he was taught to fight, the brutality, the death, the blood, and the only person he has ever learned to trust and love - Eugene - and return to a life like nothing ever happened, many times he doubted its existence when he was in the muds of Okinawa. Which one was the dream? Louisiana or Okinawa? Which one was the reality?

If he had turned back and said goodbye to Eugene as he got off the train in Louisiana, he would have lost everything. He would lose those times, the times their existence was disgusting but still too valuable to lose, but most importantly, he would lose Eugene forever, his memory.

He was undecided until the last moment. While choosing what to wear - casual clothes, a suit, or even he thought about his marine uniform uniform -, while he was taking his best suit to his sister because he couldn't iron it himself, while taking leave from work, while buying the ticket for the train to Alabama, while waiting for the train to arrive at the station, while getting on the train, while sitting in his seat, while finding Eugene's house, while walking down the road to Eugene's house, while knocking on the door of Eugene's house, and yet he had come this far. Now he was standing in the middle of Eugene's room, looking into his eyes contains anger and pain.

When Eugene got off the train months ago, he didn't think anything, he didn't feel anything. In the months that followed, anger came to visit him. Why didn't he shake him by the shoulder and wake him up? Why hadn't he just woken him and said a goodbye? All this time, they had lived as if they had never met, they have never knew each other? After everything they've been through together in this world, who could understand them better than each other?Why didn't he even wake him up and say goodbye, didn't he even love him that much?

I wish I were like the men who wrote those thick books he saw in Eugene's hands, Merriell thought. Maybe I could explain it then. Snafu had made up his mind. In one breath, he said all the words that suddenly appeared in his mind.

''I couldn't say anything to you that day because I, because you… I can't say goodbye to you. I can't say goodbye to you because if I did, you would leave and I didn't want you to go. I didn't want anything to go away we lived together. I didn't know how to do it.''

Eugene listend him. Now he had figured out how to calm down. He smiled faintly, gently. He looked into the emerald green eyes of the man he loved. His eyes wandered over the dark curly hair falling on his forehead. Almost he had never seen him so helpless before.

''If you had woken me up, we would have found a way together. Don't run away from me, Snafu.''

''Never again. I am not going anywhere.''

[bradshawsbitch]

hear me out, lewis would be immaculate in a show like the pacific or band of brothers

[donovanlizzie]

THE CORPSWOMAN

CHAPTER THREE - Arrival into the war zone

The next morning Evangeline was once again packing her bag, this time with a lot more equipment. She  made sure her multiple med kits, clothes, poncho and blankets were packed before adding the rest of the  kit. She put her  journal back in the Brest pocket of her  army jacket.  Evangeline had been using the journal to copy down some notes and a few diagrams from the lectures the corpsmen had to sit through. She changed back into full uniform and platted her  frizzy ginger hair into a french braid and hooked the strap of the helmet onto her bag pack. 

Evangeline was also given a smaller bag which had more medical equipment in it such as sulphur power, morphine and gauzes. also strapping that to the side of her pack. " All right!" The MPs shouted "load up!". Everyone cleared their barracks and clambered into the back of vans and small cars.  Everyone would be told their  company once they  had pulled up to it in camp, even though Evangeline know she would be most likely going to King company, the MPs could change their minds at the last minute adding to the nerves that she already had.

" You alright Yoet?" Another corpsman who she  had befriended during her time here asked.  His name was Alister Bates. " yeah i am, its just- this is it" Evangeline spoke fiddling with her  bag pack buckle as they  sat in the trucks waiting to go.

" Hell yeah this is it, we finally get to kill some Japs!" Another marine interjected from next to Bates. "Yeah, finally" herself and Bates replied nervously as Bates shoved a cigarette in his mouth and offered her  one. Evangeline  didn't smoke but she took it anyway slipping it into her front pocket, nodding thanks as the van finally pulled away.

"King company!" The driver shouted as the MPs stood up to read the names out. He read through the new recruits first and then got onto corpsman. "Yoet, Evangeline, your up, get out and let's move !"  Evangeline  quickly grabbed her  stuff and jumped off the van. " Good luck Yoet, maybe I'll see you out there!" Bates yelled after her as the trucks pulled away and he was taken to his part of the number of companies. She  smiled slightly and waved back turning away to look for the people in charge who she learned was Captain Heldaine and Hillbilly.

" Excuse me, I'm looking for Heldaine and Hillbilly?" Evangeline  asked a group of men who were sat on wooden benches outside of their tent. "Come to keep them company?" One of them joked. "Chuckler! Come on!" Another one scowled his friend. Unlike Chuckler, who had a round face, black curly hair and shit eating grin permanently slapped onto his face, this man as very handsome and had bright blue eyes. "Ignore him, I'm Bob, Bob leckie" he said holding his hand out for her  to shake. She did as he now smiled brightly as she returned it , " H company"  "Our camp got smashed last night, hence why the rest of us who survived are crowding King company" A skinny man spoke. " I'm Runner by the way" He put his cigarette out on the bench next to him and shook her hand. " Nice to meet you, I'm Evangeline Yoet, I'm the new corpswoman for K company" She  smiled at the three of them whist tucking a piece of hair behind her ear that had fallen out of the  braid. "Lucky K company eh?" Chuckler grinned looking Evangeline up and down, this caused runner to hit him up side the head. "Ouch-fuckin' A aright" he grimaced rubbing the back of his head making her chuckle slightly.

"Heldaine's tent is up the path to the left" lecky said pointing down the dirt path. Evangeline nodded thanks and turned to walk away when leckie yelled after her . " Yoet! wait!".

He smiled jogging up behind her, handing her  a piece of crumpled up paper, "Heres our company address, keep In touch".

"Thanks" Evangeline  smiled shoving the paper in her pocket. "And Yoet?" Chuckler called out, " try and keep out of the sun, gingers can burn easily!"  " Fuck you " she joked flipping him off and running off towards Heldaine's tent, smiling  hearing the rest of the boys laughing at him.

" Captain Heldaine?" Evangeline  asked poking her head into his tent. "Yes, who are you?" He questioned looking up from his makeshift desk and setting his papers down, squinting his eyes at her. "Come in" Evangeline  shuffled into the tent nervously, " I'm Evangeline Yoet, the new corpsman for your company?" she spoke hoisting her  bag further up her shoulder. " Private Yoet?" He mused " your not supposed to be here until Thursday ?" He said standing up from his desk and walking over to her.  " Today is Thursday sir" She  said sending him a lop sided smile as she nervously looked at the ground. Heldaine's expression change as soon as he looked down at his watch. " Ah- so it is" he stated in amusement . Suddenly a tall blonde marine walked in the entrance of the tent.  " Sorry Captain Heldaine, I didn't realise you were with somebody" he said before retreating away from the door.  "It's alright private Philips, what do you need?" Heldaine called out to him.  "Major Laurent asked me to help setting the new king company recruits seeing as H company is staying here for a while" he spoke. The boy. 'Phillips' looked to be the same age as Evangeline maybe a little bit younger, he wore a white tank top and army trousers, his dog tags hung loosely round his neck and she  could see the beads of sweat running down his face from were she was standing.   " yes, yes that's fine, although Hillbilly said he saw you rolling around on the floor with one of mine" Heldaine spoke in a stern but amused voice.  'Phillips' laughed nervously and wiped his brow with his forearm. " Ha- y-yes sir, He's my friend from mobile sir " he stuttered in embarrassment. " King company" 

"Speaking of new recruits, private Phillips, meet Private Evangeline Yoet, the new K company corpsman" Heldaine said nodding his head toward Evangeline. "Nice to meet you ma'am, Sydney Phillips" Sydney smiled shaking her free hand, " take it you arrived here today?" He said putting his hands in his pockets.  " Yes, yes I did" " Phillips, now you here you can take Private Yoet to her tent in K company, bring  her and your friend to get some chow" Heldaine spoke scratching his stubbly face. " I'll catch up with you later Yoet" he nodded. "Yes sir" Evangeline smiled shooting a small salute, turning to follow Sydney out the door of the tent.

"How the hell did a dame like you end up in a place like this ?" Sydney asked walking her through the K/H company camp area.  " Thought I'd do some good joining the medical team, seeing as what you put into the world you get back" Evangeline replied swiftly dodging the Marines wizzing in and around the camp.  " That and my brother was part of the Marines" " Was?" Sydney questioned looking back at her in confusion. "He was in the old Queen company, blown to smithereens apparently- although nothing was proved and his tags haven't been found" Evangeline replied a he lead her  into a tent.

" That's a damn shame Yoet, a damn fuckin' shame" he spoke as he closed the curtain of the tent.  Two more marines were sat on separate cots and looked up once we had walked in. "Evangeline Yoet, this is my best friend Eugene Sledge and Mr Bill Layden" Sydney introduced.  Eugene was skinny, ginger and pale like me, he had big green eyes and freckles dusted over his nose and cheeks.He looked looked about 19 years of age. Bill on the other hand was short and stockey he had muddy brown eyes and a permanent scowl etched onto his face. He looked  up grunted, then went back to tiring his laces. "Nice to meet you Evangeline Yoet" Eugene smiled shaking her  hand. Evangeline shook it smiling slightly.  "Like wise"  "These bed are ours, take that one in the corner" Bill spoke still not looking up from his laces.  She put her bags down and took off her  jacket and placed it on the end of the bed, she was left in her army trousers and white T-shirt. " Right then, let's get you guys some chow" Sydney said slapping his thighs and leading the three of them out of the tent.

    The chow station was full of wooden picnic benches and a small kitchen space, once the kitchen staff dished up the grey paste like 'food', Sydney handed them their tins and they walked to a table to sit down.  " So where you from Yoet?" Bill asked as he grimaced at his chow. "Huntsville, Alabama" Evangeline  spoke picking at the gruel in her food tinny. " What about you?" she asked looking back at the three boys in front of her.  "Myself and Syd are from mobile" Eugene stated.  Looking over like an excited puppy.  "California" Bill mumbled with his mouth full of the grey chow.  Before they  could speak anymore, another marine walked up to them, "Sledge, Yoet and Layden, there's some oil drums that need scrubbing', Ack-Acks orders" He spoke roughly. he was shirtless skinny with tanned skin, black hair and sea blue eyes. He had a cigarette Hanging out of his mouth as he barked at them again, "NOW".

" I'll see you guys round" Sydney laughed taking the rest of our chow and scooping it into his tinny.  As the three followed the rude marine he span around to talk to them, " The names Merrill Shelton, I don't wanna know yours, but I suppose you'll tell me anyway" he grumbled in a south Louisianan accent. "Evangeline Yoet" "Eugene sledge" "Bill Layden" 

As they reached a clearing, Shelton jumped onto the top of an old jeep. " there's the barrels, get scrubbin' " he spoke lighting another cigarette and blowing the smoke in their direction. Bill shook his head slightly as they  picked up the barrels and began to scrub the insides of them. 

"Jesus Shelton, you got dames doing your jobs now?" Another voice chuckled. The three looked over quickly and then continued whilst  Shelton grinned with his cigarette hanging from his lips once again. " The names James Burgin, people call me Burgie" he smiled holding his hand out for them to shake.  Evangeline held her hand  out last but  then realised that they were covered in oil. " It don't matter, it'll wash off" Burgin smiled shaking her hand and putting his back in his pockets.  " Evangeline Yoet" She spoke introducing herself.  "Yoet?" Burgin questioned, " wasn't there a Yoet in Queen company?" He asked Shelton who shrugged his shoulders. " Yes- Yes, he's my brother" Evangeline replied slowly scrubbing the barrel again.  " Damn, The japs are ruthless- see you three, four round" he mused eyeing Shelton before walking away.

"Come on Yoet, no more chit chat, these barrels ain't gon' clean themselves" Shelton barked form the car.  " why don't you get down here and help out?" she  snapped turning into face him. " fuck that shit - I scrub drums for no man" he mused half laughing smoking the last of his cigarette. Evangeline  breathed a laugh slightly shaking her head a the three of them continued to scrub the barrels for about an hour.

"Can we at least take a break?" Eugene breathed. Shelton jumped down for the car finally, " you can do what you want, I ain't in charge" he snorted walking away from us slowly. " i just like the watch the new guys sweat". " Are you fucking kidding me?" Bill growled wiping his brow and throwing his destroyed brush into the half clean barrel in frustration.  "Fuckin' A" Evangeline said out of breath, doing the same thing as him. Luckily her white shirt wasn't as dirty as she'd  thought it was going to be, although all of their hands and forearms were covered in oil, grit and dirt. " Come on, lets go get cleaned up, maybe we can explore the island ?" Eugene stated looking back at the two of them.  Bill hurried to wash his hands quickly mumbling something about going back to bed and staying there  for the rest of the day instead of looking at some sand, leaving Evangeline  and Eugene on their own. "North Alabama then?" He questioned grinning at her shyly.  "South Alabama then ?" Evangeline smirked back smirked " The north has always ben better than the south" She chuckled.  " WOW' Eugene mused rolling his eyes and laughing. " and to think I liked you Yoet"  they both laughed a little to loudly  which caused other Marines to look over at them confused as to why anyone would be laughing in a place like this.

" Burgin said you have a brother?" He asked after a few seconds of silence.  " Yeah, he was in the old Queen company, they were shelled but no trace of any of the company was ever found, we were just told he disappeared" Evangeline explained picking her nails as they continued to walk to wards he beach to wash off the oil from before.  "How'd you find that out?" Eugene asked. "A few marines from the boat, they took great pleasure in telling me I had a target on my back being a corpsman" She continued, kicking the rocks along the path.

Once they had reached the seashore, Evangeline  and Eugene  quickly washed away the dirt and grime from their hands and arms until they were relatively clean. ————————— The two of them  were back on the beach when Sydney told them that he would be leaving back to the states. 

Eugene seemed heartbroken.

" It's typical isn't it, I finally get out here and you get chosen to go home" Eugene grumbled smiling up at at his friend slightly. Sydney laughed and slapped Eugene on the back and lead them along the sea front. They found another spot to sit down on and the boys began to speak about old times and What Sydney got up to in Melbourne. Evangeline then noticed a small crab crawling over to them, she was surprised that anything like that was still living after what had happened here. 

Suddenly Sydney put his cigarette out on the poor thing. "Jesus!" "Syd!"  Her and Eugene exclaimed looking up at Sydney in  disbelief. " once you two get out there, you'll forget you're human" he explained walking away from them . Shortly after that Evangeline  and Eugene made their way back to the tent. As promised Bill was wrapped up in his blankets, Eugene sat down to read and , she decided to write a letter to her family telling them she'd made it to camp alright and that  she would be going into the first battle in the next few days.

CHAPTER FOUR

[waterandtempest]

DEAR LORDDDD WHEN I GET TO HEAVENNNN

JOE MAZZELLO as EUGENE SLEDGE the pacific (2010) || part seven: peleliu hills

[chirpybirdy]

thinking about gale cleven fantasizing about going full carrie a. nation on the guys in the bar hnnfhhfjykdkktj give that man an axe and a sledgehammer