1914. - H.S.

Chapter 6.

When I awoke the next morning, the sound of heavy rain falling onto the tent along with the recognisable smell it bought with it was prominent in the air. I left my bed early, changing out of my night dress sooner than usual as I planned to see Harry before I had to attend to the other patients and before there was a high risk of me being caught talking to him after what I had been instructed by the matron.

I hurried across the open outside space, doing my best to avoid getting too wet in the rain. Luckily it didn't take long for me to get to Harry's tent and when I entered everyone seemed to be asleep. I found him in a bed at the back, eyes wide open as he looked upwards.

“Harry, how long have you been awake? Why aren't you sleeping?” I spoke, catching him out from his intense staring towards the top of the tent.

“Why do you care?” he spat.

His words disappointed but didn't surprise me. I knew it was likely he would behave so distantly just as he had yesterday. He did seem to be angrier toward me today but I knew this must have been due to the fact I had taken him to his tent last night when he had screamed at me not to do so.

“I care because it's you Harry, why wouldn't I care?” I replied.

“You didn't seem to care when you forced me to come in here and let that nurse drag me to the bed”.

“I had to Harry, I couldn't have left you outside all night, now why aren't you asleep? You must be tired”.

“I just can't” he sighed, “plus even if I had been asleep I wouldn't be now you're here would I?” he asked and I knew he had a very valid point. “So why are you here?” he asked.

“To see you” I replied as I reached my hand over to wipe his hair out of his face.

“No get off of me” he raised his voice as he forcefully removed my hand from him.

“Please Harry, don't do this again” I pleaded, earning only a glare in response.

He remained silent for a while, ignoring me completely. I sighed in defeat not knowing how to deal with his sudden behaviour. When I knew Harry was here I figured that when we saw each other again, we would be just as we had been before he left for war but oh how wrong I had been. The short amount of time he had been out fighting seemed to have changed something in him and made him frantic and angry, completely different to the loving, carefree best friend I had known back home.

"Harry I-" I started not sure of what it was I wanted to say but that didn't become a problem as Harry cut me off.

"JUST GO AWAY PLEASE" he shouted over and over again, as he moved up the bed into a sitting position before shaking back and forth.

"Harry stop shouting!" I was panicking that I'd be caught out talking to Harry when I shouldn't have been and worrying about his welfare at the same time.

"Go away" Harry seethed at me, his tone now quieter yet still just as harsh.

I gave up, nodding in response at him. "Fine, I need to go anyway before I'm caught out talking to you. Goodbye Harry" I exclaimed, turning around to walk away but seeing a nurse coming towards us, Helen.

"What's all the comotion, why is he being so loud?" she questioned me.

"I-I don't know, I need to go and attend to some others. Please don't tell the matron I was here, please Helen?" She looked at me hesitantly, probably not knowing what it was I had done wrong but she eventually agreed to keep quiet anyway.

"Thank you Helen" I smiled at her before I hurried from Harry's tent and made my way toward the other tent to attend to people I needed to there.

General Newton was in a bad way when I went to see him, his leg wound had become infected and he'd caught some sort of winter flu.