The life of Eve De La Cruz

Chapter Eight

Base Hospital 25, 1916

In the far distance, the sounds of bombs and gunfire are heard over the cries and moans of the soldiers in pain. The injured soldiers are in rows and next to one another on gurneys while the doctors and nurses try to look at them as fast as they can before the next shipment comes in. It was known as the field of wounded.

Eve was currently tending to a soldier, who was shot in the arm. She was cleaning the wound as best she could before a doctor came to take the bullet out of his arm. A moment later, the soldier was carried off to surgery to remove the bullet. Eve was going around tending to more soldiers when one of the medical soldiers approached her.

"Matron De La Cruz, Colonel Blake wants to see you in his office," He informed her.

"Of course," Eve stood up, "Please tend to this until I come up."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Eve carefully walked between the gurneys as she made her way to Major Blake's office. She worked with Major Blake at the cottage hospital at Downton and had known him like Dr. Clarkson since she first arrived.

"You wanted to see me, Colonel Blake," Eve said as she walked into his office.

"Thank you for coming, Matron De La Cruz. I wanted to let you know that since you've been working yourself to the bone, which has been two years, you've been granted a furlough."

"But Sir, I need to stay here to help the wounded. Let another one of the nurses have my furlough."

"I'm sorry, Matron De La Cruz, but you have been working twenty-two-hour shifts since you arrived at the beginning of the war, and you are long overdue for a little trip back home," He argued.

"Of course, Sir."

"Now, in four days, you will be leaving France on a boat and should arrive at a Royal Navy port."

"Of course. Thank you, and please don't notify my family. I want to surprise them, Sir," Eve said before Colonel Blake nodded, and left his office. The moment she was outside, an ambulance came rushing into the base. All available doctors and nurses ran to it and began helping the wounded.

After her time traveling to the United Kingdom, Eve sits on a train taking her home to Downton. When the train arrived at the station, Eve saw Mary and Mr. Bates talking as she stepped out of the train. Eve managed to sneak inside the station without being seen by Mary or Mr. Bates and ordered a motor to take her to Downton. A while later, after Mary and Mr. Bates had left, a motor arrived for Eve, and she was on her way home.

As the motor drove to Downton, Eve admired the land she had not seen for almost two years. It was wonderful how one could miss the little things that one has not seen for years. Before she knew it, the motor had arrived at Downton. Eve grabbed her suitcase and paid the driver before stepping out of the motorcar. As the car drove away, Eve walked to the front door and knocked on it. She waited until the door opened, and behind it was William.

"William," Eve wrapped her arms around him, "It is so good to see you again."

"You as well, Miss. We did not know that you were coming today," He said.

"I wanted to surprise everyone," She responded, "William, could you do something for me?"

"Of course, Miss."

"I want you to try and gather the rest of the staff in the servant's hall. So I can surprise them, and then I surprise everyone upstairs," Eve told him.

"Excellent idea, Miss. Everyone should be there at this time," William responded before he and Eve entered the house. They quickly sneaked down the servant's stairs. When they arrived downstairs, Eve could hear everyone in the servant's hall, making her smile with excitement to see her friends again. William entered the room first, and Eve waited briefly before walking in.