𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 | | 1917

15. A FOREIGN NURSE

" She had lost all her tears, so instead; she smiled. "

[ i'm sorry for the short chapter,
but i just felt like i needed to end the last few chapters in a good way. Hope you understand. ]

-

APRIL 6th
1917
Écoust, France

-

(Flashback nr 7)

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN something in the air. Something that just wouldn't let her go.

The soldiers never returned.

Of course, they didn't. Why was that somehow hard to grasp?

Louis, Philippe, and Leurent were dead and so would Josephine if she had left with them. It didn't matter though. She was only alive because she had not yet died. It really didn't have anything to do with her.

She was trapped inside the small, ruined basement she had entered sometime earlier and for the first time- she truly didn't know what to do.

She had earlier tried to find some sort of way of escaping this town. Say "screw it" and pray to God that the next people you meet are kind ones. Yet, every time she came close to the door leading out, her anxious self got the bigger say.

So now- there was nothing to do.

No one could help her.
They didn't even know that she was there.
How would they know that she was? She was supposed to be at the sixth battalion with the others, yet here she was.

Afraid, cold, and alone.

The soldiers she came with had all the essentials in their bags so she didn't have any food either. Still, that didn't bother her as much as it should have.
It was almost like she had forgotten how to eat.
Her body rejecting anything that was given to it.

She drifted away, yet she forced herself to stay awake for some reason. The constant fear that something would happen, that someone would come.
Even though she'd been there for two days with no signs of that happening any time soon.

Noises were coming from outside, but Jo didn't care anymore. She stared up towards the window. The sky was dark so there was nothing to see, still, she couldn't take her eyes away from the glass.
Gunshots echoed through the dead streets, reaching her ears and then continuing throughout the everlasting night. They didn't bother her anymore. She'd already heard those haunting noises way too many times.

Only did she return her focus when a loud breaking sound came from behind her. She slowly turned her head before getting onto her feet. She took a few steps backward, with her hand around the grip of the rusty pistol, until she reached the wall. All her ways of escaping had already failed her and she could just wait. Wait for what, though?

The click of a rifle. Pointing out and ready to shoot. Another muffled noise of someone moving through the rooms, a breath that inhaled in the chilly air.

Another click and she froze. Unable to see the face, she pressed her lips together and focused. The pistol was held by her two shaky hands in front of her, pointing at the figure standing near her.

A soldier with the palest face and bluest of eyes, staring back at her.

"You're a woman?"

____

Hi again <3

We've already reached over 3k and i can't thank you all enough!

I'll see you in the next chapter <3
/connie