SOLDIER ON THE OTHER SIDE
Luna Lupinex always dreamt of serving her country, so when the moment arrives, she packed her niceties and ran off to the boot never minding what her mother would do. Hey, her sister was off in the front lines she can also join the war.
*BOOM!*
Luna held onto the cross in between her palms in the truck which was taking her to her first station…..the British territories.
Working a couple of years as a war nurse took a huge toll on Luna. Luna had seen many of her friends and colleague made victim by the war. Her face has lost its glow, her lips were constantly dried but a smile came naturally to her and her eyes never fails to sparkle. It was another day at war when she meets him, Jonathan McGregor.
Another round of wounded soldiers was brought in on the day 24th March 1941. The truck that bought them was driven by a female driver "It's a huge toll Luna." "I'll take care of them." Luna nodded back and wasted on time in taking them all in the tent as the head nurse barked orders.
"Don't worry….." Luna scanned his name tag "Private McGregor, you'll be fine."
*Groan*
The patient let out a sound and rolled over trying to block out her words. "Don't worry." She spoke "You just broke your ankle bone; it'll be fixed in no time."
"Sure as hell should take longer." He mumbled
"What?"
*Groans* "Nothing."
"I'm gonna relocate your bones Private McGregor."
"Just call me Johnny."
"Okay, Johnny in 3-2-."
*CRACK*
"ARGH-*Deep breath*."
"There, that wasn't so bad."
"Ho-how long will I be here?"
"A couple of weeks, then you'll be up and running."
A week into his stay Johnny got used to Luna's antics. "Good morning Johnny." "Morning." Even if the war was kilometers away they could still hear the sound of the battlefield "How are you today?" She asked "Fine except that I have muscle cramps time-to-time." To make his point Johnny massaged his arms "How's the ankle?" She looked at his bandaged ankle. She held his toe and moved the ankle in a circular motion "You're ready to be in the front line soon."
"So-soon?" He asked "How soon?" "Soon enough." Luna replied "Congratulate private."
"Hey…..sister…."
"Yes?"
Johnny swallows and opened his mouth but… "Never mind."
"Okay."
"You're ready to be discharged." 'Shit.' Johnny silently cursed "You can be back at the front line." Luna told him as Johnny put on his shirt "Hay sister." "Yes?" Luna asked putting away the bandages "Can I talk to you in private?" He asked "Okay, I'm off shift for a while." Luna took Johnny out of the camps and into a secluded area.
"How do I say this…" Johnny began "Look here, I don't…"
"Don't what?"Luna waited for him to continue "I don't want to go back to the front lines okay?" He quickly said "I'm afraid for my life, I want to go back home, I don't want to die okay? I-I just want you to give me a medical procedure to send me back home." As Johnny poured out his soul Luna just stood there listening, when he was finished Luna pat his cheek "You'll get over the fear." She was about to walk away when Johnny caught her wrist "I'm asking you this favor sister."
"Look here private-"
"-call me Johnny."
"I've been through this a lot Johnny; I don't plan on doing this. I plan on serving the allied force honestly."
"Listen here." Johnny said in all seriousness "I left my ill mother and was forcibly recruited. I have to go back to her."
"You should've thought about that before signing up."
"I told you I was forced!"
"Not my fault McGregor."
"How easy do you think it is at the front line?! People die all around you! I lost my fucking best friend to the war! This damn war! And what do you all do? Just stay behind the lines!" That riled her up "And treats patients, all you think is of romanticism and fooling around with whoever catches your eye-"
*SLAP*
Johnny looked up holding his stinging left cheek "You slapped me?!" "Listen here Jonathan McGregor." Luna graphed his collar and glared daggers at him "You better shut those lips before I sew them together. You have no idea of the hardship we have over here." She breathes hard and slowly loosen her grip on his collar "We provide you back ups, we don't fear for our lives but the lives of our patients as well!" Her eyes darken "We also left behind siblings, friends and families Jonathan! Do you know how hard it was to smile in the midst of war?! WELL? DO YOU STILL THINK WE'RE DOING NOTHING?!" She gave out heavy sighs "WE SACRIFICE THE SAME THINGS AS YOU DID!" She turns around and left leaving behind a glaring Johnny massaging his cheek.
September 20th 1942. Luna was relocated at the beaches of England where the navy, army and air force worked together side by side.
"Another round of injured soldiers coming in!" The head nurse hurriedly announced. Luna was extremely surprised to see a familiar face "Hello Johnny." "Sister." Johnny nodded back and Luna set to fix the broken arm he was holding "How are you?" "I'm fine thank you." Luna looked at the bone jutting out of his elbow "I'm gonna push your bond back okay?" "Sure." Luna took the arm and held onto it.
"But don't count ba-"
*CRACK*
"ARGH-!"
"This'll take a while to heal." Luna took a cup and pours some water helping Johnny drink it "You were dehydrated for so long." She got up to leave.
"Sister?"
"My name is Luna."
"OH, Miss Luna….…I'm sorry for that day." A soft smile came on her face "Don't worry about it Johnny…just take a rest."
Luna was on night duty when she saw Johnny got up and approach her "Can't sleep?" Luna asked "Yes….." Johnny replied "Need pill?"She asked again "No." He sharply decline "You shouldn't be here private." She said.
"Actually it's Lieutenant now."
"Congratulation." Johnny looked at her closely "What's wrong?" There was silence for a short while before she spoke again "My sister died yesterday." Luna let out a breath "Her station was shot down by the blitzkrieg soldiers." The silence set in again "I don't even get to say goodbye." "I didn't even get to say good bye to my dad." Johnny replied "I miss her." Luna's voice croaked a bit "God I miss her already." Johnny pulled her closer by her hand then hugs her.
"It'll be fine Luna, it'll be fine."
"Thank you Jonathan."
"Code red! Code red!" The head nurse shouted a few weeks later when the war was in full swing "This is an emergency people! Move fast!" Luna and the rest of the nurses rushed in. "Lu-….na…" She stopped dead on track and turned to see Johnny all beat up and barely recognizable "Johnny!" She panicked and set to work "Don't worry I'll save you, just hang on, please hang on." She moved to stopping the bleeding but with no result "Please Johnny please hold on." She was in verge on tear but she stopped herself "No…." She whispered as his eyes closed and felt for his pulse and almost missed the small beat "His pulse is very weak."
The head nurse walked over to Luna "What do I do sister?" Luna asked "We can do nothing for him." The older woman replied "He has slipped into a coma." That shattered Luna.
Lieutenant Jonathan McGregor was taken back to Scotland by the end of the war. He never woke up. Luna returned to Romania to be greeted by her mother who informed her of her father's demise, she bitterly cried that day. Not only has the war taken away her sister and loved one it has also taken away her father. She cursed that she even thought of ever going to the war.
A week passed by and Luna finally decided to be happy again knowing that moping around would never bring her dear ones back. The years flowed by she watched Communism took over her country and then be freed from it. She watched the space race, she watched the fall of the Berlin wall and the birth of new nations, she watches her mother passed away and dressed in her best to meet the heavenly father, all the while remaining unwedded. She thought she had forgotten it all until one evening on her last year.
She was dressed well as she waited for her last breath to come to an end in a government hospital somewhere in Romania.
"Hey Luna…."
Her eyes shot open.
"Luna….."
She looked around 'That can't be it…'
"Sister Luna….."
At the end of the bed with red hair and giving her that arrogant smile was none other than
"Johnny?"
"Why are you lying on the bed for? Come on everyone's waiting!"
She looked down on herself wearing a white dress standing on a windy field with her short silver grey hair dancing in the wind. She felt young again. "Come on." She looked up to see Johnny extending a hand, her father, mother and older sister not far away, all smiling at her "Let's go to our people!"
"Yeah lets…."