The Nurse - Chapter 3
“That should teach you to not mess with me.” The tall bully landed a swinging blow, knocking Denni to the ground. He blinked hard, trying to ignore the salty taste in his mouth. Grimacing, he slowly pulled himself up again and faced the boy.
“Leave him alone.” The stranger interjected; his voice was husky, with a powerful edge to it.
“Why?” The bully folded his arms defiantly, assuming a fighting stance.
“Because I said so.”
“I don’t care -” the boy started retorting, but something caught his attention and he quickly stopped. He shot a threatening glare at Denni, then ran off.
“Are you alright?” The stranger asked, his youthful eyes scanning Denni’s bruised face.
“I’m fine...thank you for doing that.”
The boy simply nodded, a wistful smile playing at his lips. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
Denni shifted uneasily on his feet. “Yes, I am. My parents just recently moved here, and I don’t have any friends now.”
“I’ll be your friend; I mean it. It’s hard here at first, but you’ll soon get used to it.” He paused as if thinking for a moment. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Denni. Thank you; I needed a friend. And your name is?” His eyes twinkled.
“I’m Ed.”
Rain pelted down, saturating Denni as he trudged along the field. “Are you alright?” He could hear the voice so clearly. He’d heard that voice a thousand times. I’m not alright now. If only I’d encouraged him not to enlist, he’d still be alive. But he would never have listened. “I’m your friend, Denni. True friends stick together. I want to serve my country too,” he’d said as we enlisted together. It’s all my fault.
The bullets fell mercilessly upon the tired soldiers.
Oh Lord...why did he have to die? Why him?
Freezing drops of rain fell thick and fast, rapidly turning the ground into a trampled field of wet mud. Bolts of lightning flickered through the sombre sky. The once gentle slope up the hill was now a treacherous mudslide. Pools of blood mixed with the wet dirt, transforming the landscape into a reddy-brown bog. Bodies lay sinking into the miry terrain, some stretched across fallen trees, others entangled in barbed wire.
“Fall back, fall back,” the officer shouted above the din as the Germans pressed hard against them. Slowly, step by step, driving them back across the lines.
Denni raced along the ground towards the enemy, ignoring the command of his officer. He had seen the young boy go down, after being shot by a German sniper. He couldn’t leave him out there to die alone. If Ed was here, he would be doing the same thing. But he’s not; and I don’t want him to die...not like Ed. As he neared where the lad was lying, a small object flew through the air and landed by his leg. It was a metallic colour, dull like the grey clouds that hovered above. He only noticed it when it was too late. The explosion tore through his leg, mangling flesh and bone. He screamed in agony. He could only just make out the form of the boy through the smoky haze but could hear nothing other than a deafening ringing between both ears. If only...Nausea overtook him, then all went black.
“Denni,” the nurse gently shook him. Her Tennessean accent was a sad reminder of home; the only home he’d known since his English parents had decided to immigrate to America. He had enlisted to fight before America had publicly joined the war as a result of his British citizenship. It was a choice he felt he owed his birth country. He opened his eyes slightly, trying to concentrate on the blurred figure before him. It was her. Now everything would be fine. But it wasn’t.
Sunlight streamed in from the makeshift window, lighting up the long room. Rows of beds, occupied by men like him, filled the entirety of the area. Nurses worked tirelessly, caring for the wounded soldiers; their white uniforms brightening up the place a little.
He rolled over. Something felt different. Then he noticed it. The place where his right leg should have been was now just a stump, wrapped in a bandage the colour of cream.
“What happened? Where’s my leg?” His eyes flitted around the room, full of fear. A soft hand touched his shoulder. The nurse looked down at him, her face a mask of worry.
“The explosion took your leg. They say you went to save that young boy.” She wiped the damp cloth tenderly across his forehead. Her very presence seemed to soothe his pain.
“Did...did he survive?” Denni looked at her face, trying to find some sort of answer.
She shook her head; her eyes mirroring the sorrow she felt. “No, he didn’t. He lost too much blood. He was dead before we even reached him.”
Denni clenched his hands together; ignoring the pain as his nails dug into his dry skin. Grief clouded his face. “He’s dead?” He stuttered. “All I wanted to do was save him; I just wanted another chance. Ed died because I couldn’t save him in time. I wish he was still alive. And the boy; he was so young…” his thoughts trailed off. “Please, Ed, don’t go.” His best friend’s face was deathly pale - he’d seen something like that again recently. The boy. The dead boy.
Silence reigned for a moment; then the nurse nodded, her face grave and compassionate. “I’m so sorry.” She paused, breathing in slowly. “I need to check on my other patients, but I’ll come back later.”
As she turned to leave, Denni called out to her, “I never actually found out your name?”
“Edith.” She looked around and smiled sweetly.
The year is 1940, and war is sweeping across Europe. Edith, a young nurse, is serving in France and trying to survive the horrors of World War II. When Denni, a gravely injured soldier, winds up in her care, a deep bond grows between the two as they find solace in their shared faith. But when the two are separated, Edith is left alone on the frontline, and her faith is tested like never before. With so much death and suffering around her, the chance of survival is slim. Will she become another victim of war? Or will she live to see her injured soldier again?