Intertwine

50 - Mend That Heart of Yours

ADITI

The girl with long dark hair was sitting alone on the log, overlooking the lake. She had an old fashioned handkerchief in her hands, wet from being used. She kept folding it and unfolding it, before using it to furiously rub her red eyes again. She held in a shuddering breath, her back straight. And then she was folding over like her handkerchief, her whimpers becoming half screams as her sobs took over her body. 

She slammed her hands into the log, causing small areas of it to begin to sprout leaves. Realising what she had done, she hurriedly put herself back together, wiping under her eyes, trying to take deep and calming breaths.

"Hazel?" The girl turned around. Behind her was a tall woman, her hair in perfect curls, her red lipstick standing out amongst all the green and brown of the forest.

"Peggy." Hazel wiped her eyes for a third time and gave the other woman a small nod in both respect and recognition.

Peggy took a step forward, placing her hand on Hazel's quivering shoulder. "I thought I might find you here. Do you mind if I take a seat?"  Hazel shook her head in response and Peggy sat down beside her. 

"That's James' seat." Hazel murmured, more to herself than anyone else. Without saying anything, and without a critical look, Peggy quietly stood up and sat on the other side of Hazel.

"I assume you've heard the news." Peggy sighed, her hands clasped in her lap, looking out onto the water. 

Hazel opened her mouth to reply, but silent tears began to stream down her cheeks. She decided against speaking, opting to nod again instead.

"It must be... very hard." Peggy took one of Hazel's hands in her own. "Englishwoman to Englishwoman, you are being so brave."

Hazel stood up and stormed forwards. "I'm not brave." She said quietly, her eyes fixed on the lake before her. "James Barnes was brave. Gabriel Jones was brave. Edward Carlson was brave. Kit Langston was brave. Patrick Killingham was brave. I was not brave. I could have gone, you know Peggy. I could have gone. I could have picked up a gun and followed them."

"You did what you could, what was needed of you." Peggy said calmly, standing up.

"What I could? I was carrying boxes of carrots and tins and old bread, I was making soup and mending uniforms. I should have gone with them. I should have taken what I could find and gone with them and fought along side them."

"Hazel, if you had gone with them you would have died, or been captured." Peggy reasoned.

Hazel turned around now, tears flowing freely down her face, dripping off her chin, her jaw set, eyes resilient and determined. "Then I would have died side by side with the man I love. I would have been captured side by side with the man I love. I would be with him, I would know his fate, I would have done something. Instead I am here, mourning, like a coward. I can fight, I can shoot a gun, I may not be so incredible as to turn the tide but at least I would have been there." Her voice faltered and her lip began to quiver. "I would have been there Peggy. I would have been with him." She began to sink her to knees, but Peggy was there to catch her. 

Peggy cradled the sobbing girl in her arms, stroking her hair, whispering words of comfort in her ear. 

A man, a soldier, came up to the log. He looked no older than 23. He coughed uncomfortably. The two women looked up. "Ma'am." The soldier said. "Captain Rogers will be here soon."

"Give me two minutes Private. Can you not see we are dealing with something?" Peggy looked him up and down harshly in the way only a woman can. He nodded, going red, and slowly retreated back into the camp.