The Nurse

Chapter 14: The Curse of a Woman

The morning sunlight shone brightly into the tent, illuminating the small area with the colors of a new day. Eloise blankly stared upward, recalling the events the previous night held. The eventful day before seemed all like a dream to her. She ran her hand on the opposite side of the bed which was cold to the touch. Without a word spoken, Albert was gone. She knew that the flying squadron wasted no time in fulfilling their air strikes—no matter what activities their previous night had held.

She lay in his bed, looking around the empty tent. It was untouched and neat. Her eyes looked around at the relics that had come from his aerial combats. She wondered who they were and what their story was. They were heroes for their country, but to the German they were just another valuable souvenir. She hated that the men of both sides were forgotten all for the sake of glory, but her main question posed asked if any glory could come from war?

She quickly brushed her thoughts away, knowing she had to prepare her mind for what was to come. She could not imagine the world near the western front, but based on the stories she had heard she had no interest in knowing.

She rolled onto her side and let out a long sigh. Nearby she could see the outline of her dress hanging neatly upon a hook. Beneath it sat her boots gently placed. She forced herself upright and stretched her arms upward, letting out a groan. She rose from the bed and adjusted the thin linen shift that she wore. Swiftly, she gathered her remaining garments and pulled them over her head. Her eyes scanned the tent one last time, painting the picture of it in her mind, then she left.

The outside world was clear. The morning sun was warm as she began to walk down the beaten path, humming the same simple tune beneath her breath as she had done every morning. She looked across the distant field but could not see any of the planes. Assuming they were all still on the "hunt," she kept walking.

"There you are!" Bartram's distinctive voice startled Eloise, forcing her to halt.

She glanced over and saw the figure of the general leaned against a bench conversing with another man. He dismissed the other man and began approaching Eloise. She quickly poised herself and hid the fear she felt.

"I thought you were never going to come out." She detected a playful lilt to his voice. A twinkle glistened in the blue orbs that shone from his rugged face. "Your patient seems to be doing very well. I did not expect to see him flying, but I trust that your judgement was correct."

Eloise took an unsteady breath and held it for a moment. "He went up against my wishes, sir."

"He is the least of my concerns now, Eloise." Bartram admitted coldly, brushing off her remark. "I have been informed that one medic has already fallen within the past twenty-four hours on the front and they are in desperate need of medical reinforcements. I hope that you are prepared to go because we are leaving today."

Eloise shook her head. He spoke so quickly she could not process the words. "Where exactly are we going, sir?" She asked dazed. "I was never informed of the location."

"We are going to a field hospital located beside the front of Guillemont. That is where the fighting has made it." His answer was simple as he took Eloise by the arm. The two began to walk steadily in the direction of her tent. "Gather your things, Eloise. We must leave as soon as possible."

She forcibly stopped in front of her tent. "What if I don't wish to go?"

Bartram whirled around, staring at her coldly. "You do not have a choice. The other nurses will not go with me." He stated, taking Eloise by the shoulders. "Anyway, you are the only nurse that I trust to do this job."

Eloise closed her eyes as she thought to herself. She began to recall the name of the place they were going and she knew that it was not good.

Bartram released her shoulders and took her by the hands. "I can understand why you have your concerns about going, Eloise; I, too, have my own concerns. It is a very dangerous job we are about to do, but it is a very honorable job as well."