William’s POV
I can not keep my eyes off of Cathleen, she is truly captivating. Her blond wavy hair was neatly tied up in a bun, but a few pieces fall off as she worked. And her baby blue eyes lit up every time she smiles. She makes her way over to me while I’m eating my soup and sandwiches and sits down across from me.
"Hello William, mind if I join you?" She asks while unwrapping her sandwich. For some reason the food is a lot better here, unlike in the hospital where we get stale crackers and bread.
"No not at all." I reply almost too eager with a smile. We sit in silence until everyone else around us is done eating and leaves. "So-" I begin.
"I know you’re faking." She interrupts putting her soup spoon down.
"Excuse me?" I stutter. How would she know if I’m still injured or not?
"You aren’t supposed to be here, that’s why your name was at the bottom of the list and it had different handwriting. You’re also a lot healthier than everyone else." Her eyes narrow.
Oh no, nobody was supposed to find out. If she tells anybody I will be in A LOT of trouble.
"Who did you tell?"
"I didn’t. I thought I would let you explain yourself before I tell my boss."
"Can we talk in private?" I ask hopefully. She nods and we throw our finished meals away and walk off down a dirt road.
"Well, I’m waiting William." She looks to me.
"I’m not ready to go back." I say quietly looking at my feet ashamed. "I can’t do this anymore. I didn’t even want to join the army, but I thought it was the right thing to do. I could’ve died you know. I’m sick and tired of all my friends and people around me getting shot!" I yell the last part letting out all my frustration that’s been building up.
"I understand. It’s almost too much to bear." Cathleen sighs.
"When I heard that some soldiers could stay with the nurses I figured, why not? I could get a few more days rest before returning back to hell and..." I trail off.
"And what?" She asks stopping to face me.
"I wanted to stay with you." I state hesitating for only a moment.
"W-wait, what?" Cathleen pushes a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Ever since I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful human to walk the earth."
She stands there stunned, soaking in everything I just told her. I start to get nervous and my hands begin sweating.
"William, that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I’m flattered, and I think I have some feelings for you too. But, I’m not allowed to have any personal relationships with the soldiers. That’s Lillian’s number one rule." She apologizes.
"Alright, I understand. I’ll return back to base tomorrow." I begin walking back to the camp. Cathleen follows next to me and it’s quiet again.
"I want you to stay." She whispers to me suddenly breaking the silence.
"What? I can’t, I’ll get in trouble."
"At least for a few more days, please. I'd really like to get to know you better." Cathleen admits.
"Well, okay." I smile while we walk back to camp.
Authors Note: I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to update since I haven't in a while
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Hold My Hand - A Civil War Love Story
Historical FictionCathleen is a nurse during the Civil War, and after the bloody battle of Anitetam she meets an injured soldier William. Cathleen knows she has to keep her personal and work life seperate, but what happens when you can't get a certain someone out of...
