dean charles chapman + george mackay imagines

address - will schofield

summary: will helps a wounded soldier

Before your brother had joined the war, you had dreams and aspirations. Yes, you knew you'd end up as a type writer for some law firm but it was the idea of a fanciful life that kept you going. So when your brother joined the war and your family received letters barely scraping over the horrors that he saw, you knew it was only right that whilst you were 17 you would train as a nurse. The moment you turned 18, you headed down to the registration office and signed up as a front-line medic. At age 19, you were in France, working for your country.

On this particular day, you were sat in the med-tent a mile from the frontline, talking to a local French girl who had also joined as a nurse. The distance from the frontline however, didn't not make you oblivious to the gun fire and shouts of men who had been sent over the top at 3am that morning. And therefore, it wasn't a surprise when men being carried by their fellow soldiers interrupted the stunted conversation you were attempting with the French you'd picked up from the soldiers and the other French girls.

The meds and nurses dispersed, all tending to a different man and so you made your way over to a tall, dusty blonde man, who stumbled over to you. In his arms, he was supporting a limping man, who had a shot wound to his leg. It was your brother. You ran to him, taking his over arm and bringing him to a free table.

"Oh my god, Edward. What happened?" The question was more directed at the man who helped him over.

"I got shot," Edward mumbled and you let out a small laugh.

"Really? I couldn't tell."

Your brother glanced at the other man, and brought up a hand to point at you.

"Scho, this is my sister, and this is Sc-"

"Edward shut up, I need to get you sorted."

Upon further inspection, you could see that the bullet wound had a bandage tied tightly around it to prevent further bleeding.

"I-uh, I did that to stop the bleeding. Do you need any help or?" Scho said as you observed the situation at hand.

"If you could grab be some water to clean it up that would be great," You replied, returning a soft smile.....

A few hours passed, and the subtle panic your brother had been suppressing seemed to disappear as he fell asleep whilst waiting for recovery to take him to a hospital about 10 miles out. In that time, you and Will spoke about life, about your brother, about anything that came to mind. So as the vehicle arrived to take your brother and the other wounded to better care, it was time for Will to also go back to his trench.

"Will – thank you, for helping my brother. I honestly don't know how to repay you," You said, smiling up at him.

"When are you next on leave?"

"3 weeks time, why?"

He fumbles around in his left pocket and produces a piece of paper and a small pencil, warn down from continuous use.

"You're address? You know, so I can keep updated on your brother," He stumbled over his own words, fighting to get the last bit out as fast as he could. You smiled, and laughed lightly at his awkwardness. Taking the paper and pencil, your hands indicate for him to turn around as you lean on his back to write your address. When he turns back to take the paper, and is about to say something, the matron of the tent shouts.

"ALL MEN WHO ARE NOT INJURED, RETURN TO YOUR TRENCH."

Will and you share a disappointed look and he turns to leave, not before taking your hand in his and leaning down to press a soft kiss to it.

"You better write to me now, or I'll be extremely upset."

"We wouldn't want that now would we," He smiles and turns, joining the other men who were walking back through the muddy trenches. Just before turning out of site, he turns his head round and sends a small smile and with that, he was gone.