Back Where I Belong (Prequel to "Always") a Deryck Whibley Fanfic

III: The Battle Commences

Monday 9th April 1917
Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Vimy Ridge, France
NARRATOR'S POV

The Battle of Vimy Ridge is now underway, at 5:30 AM the troops including Deryck, Dave, and Jay have all left and went up into the trenches and going over the top to "No Man's Land" to attack the unsuspecting Germans on the other side of the ridge. The objective of the 4th Division set by Major-General Watson is to defeat the enemy and then take over the northern part of the ridge which is called Hill 145, but what I've been told by other troops who are waiting to get called up to go over the top is that the 4th Division have lost the rest of the platoon and have now come under heavy fire from the opposing side, which is of course making me a bit antsy in fear of what's happening out there with Deryck, Dave, Jay and the rest of their troops who have suddenly been caught in a deadly crossfire with the Germans. One of the listening officers who is situated many feet underground near the sleeping quarters and near the mining tunnels, is listening through the rock to listen out for any movement from the enemy and also if there are bombs or minefields going off near us all, he signals to one of his colleagues to inform him that there is both movement and an explosion being erupted through the hills of the ridge. My anxiety is increasing as I'm worried that something terrible has happened to Dave or Jay or Deryck especially, because I don't think I'd cope with the loss of either one of them, I can't lose another friend (like when we lost Steve five years ago) and I don't want to lose my husband of seven (almost eight) years either. Meanwhile on the frontline, the German bomb that had exploded happened quite near Deryck and the rest of the platoon, many of the troops that were right at the bomb have been severely injured - Deryck on the other hand hasn't been severely injured by the explosion thankfully, but appears to be in a dazed state and is probably experiencing tinnitus (ringing in the ears) due to the sheer noise of the blast. I make my way up from the sleeping quarters underground to the trench, and I can just make out the figures of Deryck, Dave and Jay out in the battlefield - the reason why I can just see them is because the air is clouded with poisonous gas (Phosgene and Chlorine) thrown over our way by the opposing Germans. I then see Jay and Dave run off in search for either Major-General Watson or Field Marshal Byng to inform them that Deryck has narrowly missed the explosion of the German bomb and needs to be took to one of the medical tents within the Corps headquarters. I then make my way down back to where I'd came from, and I try to make it through the various winding tunnels to get to the Corps headquarters, I know it would seem that it would be a lot easier to climb over the trench but that would mean that I'm putting myself in the face of danger and also the Germans may think that it's one of our troops going over and ready to fire at them, but also going through the tunnels is a bit more safer than walking up to the frontline. I have managed to reach the headquarters, but neither Deryck, Dave, Jay, Major-General Watson or Field Marshal Byng is there so they must all be in one of the medical tents around here. I locate and enter the medical tent that's closest to me, upon entering I see a lot of soldiers who have already been wounded even though it's only three hours into battle, I still haven't found Deryck, Dave and Jay or either one of their superior officers. I stop one of the doctors who work here to ask:

"Do you happen to know where Field Marshal Julian Byng, Major-General David Watson, Captain Jason McCaslin, Lieutenant Deryck Whibley and 2nd Lieutenant David Baksh are?". The doctor then replies to my question in French:

"Ils sont là-bas, même si l'un d'euxa besion d'être vu. Je suppose que c'est le lieutenant".
("They are over there, although one of them is needing seen to. I would guess that it's the lieutenant"). I then make my way over to where the doctor had indicated where Deryck, Dave, Jay, Byng and Watson are. I see Dave, Jay, Field Marshal Byng and Major-General Watson surrounding the hospital bed where Deryck has been placed, I obviously want to understand what happened exactly out on the frontline. I turn my attention to Jay and Dave and ask: