Scarlett's Sister

Chapter Thirteen: Courage

Ella and Scarlett were working in the hospital while Melly was at home resting. She was having a difficult pregnancy and the only way she would rest was if the sisters agreed to keep working in the hospital in her place. Scarlett had tried to stay at home under the illusion of looking after Melly, but Ella dragged her along. If Ella had to be in that hospital, so did Scarlett.

It had been a hard day. They had run out of pain relief and the men were crying out in agony. Ella was tending to some men while Scarlett was following Dr Meade around. The doctor announced that one of the men needed his leg taking off and they asked Scarlett to assist. Scarlett reluctantly made her way to the operating room, but when she got there she couldn't bring herself to enter. As she heard the man pleading with them not to take his leg, she decided she'd had enough of being around dying men and ran out of the building. She ran down the steps and tried to make her way home through the crowds of people.

Meanwhile, Ella hadn't noticed that Scarlett had left. She heard a call for a nurse and hurried to help, but when she saw the man having his leg removed, she almost threw up. Ella ran outside and took deep breaths while bracing herself against a wall. When she looked up all she could hear was noise. The street was in chaos. People were running around, carriages and horses raced past as shells fell from the sky. Then she spotted Scarlett in the crowd at the bottom of the steps.

"Scarlett!"

"Ella!"

Scarlett watched Ella rush down the hospital steps towards her as she got swept away in the crowd. Scarlett soon realised she couldn't fight against the crowd and allowed herself to be pushed along. Scarlett managed to move away from the road and onto the patio of a parade of stores, where she looked around. She was dizzy from being pushed around and the dirt being kicked up from all the horses and people was making everything seem hazy.

"Scarlett! Over here Scarlett!"

Scarlett searched for the owner of the voice calling out to her. She spotted a small buggy with a big man holding the reins.

"Scarlett get in! This is no day for walking, you'll get run over."

Scarlett happily jumped in and sat next to Rhett.

"Oh Rhett! Are the Yankees here?"

"No, not yet Scarlett. Why were you out in all this chaos?"

"Oh, I was helping at the hospital. Oh Rhett, it's so awful there! I tried to stay home with Melly, but Ella wouldn't let me."

Speaking of Ella made Scarlett gasp.

"Ella! Rhett, Ella was with me!"

Rhett pulled the buggy to a stop as they had reached Aunty Pitty's house.

"What?! Jump out Scarlett, I'll go find her."

Scarlett watched as Rhett hurried to turn his buggy around before racing off back towards the hospital. She'd never seen Rhett so dishevelled and thought that perhaps he really cared for Ella.

Ella was standing on the steps of the hospital as she looked for Scarlett in the crowds of people running about. She had been sensible enough not to throw herself into the chaos and instead wait on the safety of the steps. However, as she searched Ella leaned forward and lost her balance. Ella felt herself being to fall forward. Her heart dropped, she was going to fall into the road and get trampled.

She closed her eyes and braced herself, but instead of hitting the ground, or people, she felt two strong arms lift her up and carry her away. When she was placed in a seat she cautiously opened her eyes to find herself sitting in a buggy. Ella clutched her hand to her chest and took some deep breaths to calm her racing heart.