A/N Hello again, it has been 100 years since the outbreak of WW1 where so many men lost their lives for King and country. Behind all the men that were injured were a team of brilliant and gentle nurses and VAD's. This is a version of Our Girl set in 1915 at a field hospital in Etaples, France not far from the fighting in Ypres. Molly is a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detatchment) along with three other women Jacqueline 'Jackie' Patricks, Helene Croft and Rosalie Warwick. Seven months into her work in France, two particular soldiers show up in the hospital. Hope you enjoy xxx
Disclaimer- Our Girl is a creation of the brilliant minds at the BBC especially Tony Grounds. I do not own nor will I ever own the characters in this programme. I take ownership however of all original characters used in this fic and original ideas. I have also taken a lot of inspiration from the WW1 drama's Crimson Field and the Passing Bells (which you need to see, they are amazing!).
The Nurse and her Captain
The sun bounced off the tents in the hospital in Ypres. The field hospital of Port Etaples was silent in the early hours of the morning. On the far right side of hospital sat a collection of four tents that housed the VAD's, one of which was a trainee nurse from Newham Molly Dawes. She had been in Etaples for about seven months now and had not seen the end of the bodies dying and alive that had passed across the hospital's sandy ground.
Molly Dawes came from a large family, the second oldest out of six. Her older brother William being killed by a German sniper in Ypres earlier that year. Her mother Belinda was a committed hard working mother and her father Dave worked in the local factory. Molly earned a little money by working in a politician's house when they had big parties and dinner get togethers by helping the cook and her two scullery maids. It was the cook Mrs Wallingham that gave her the idea to volunteer to go and help medics in France as a VAD.
"Molly wake up" Molly was awoken by her fellow nurse Jacqueline Patricks or Jackie as the girls like to call her. Jackie was from a middle class shop owner family in Nuneaton, she and Molly had become good friends over the months that they had been here.
"Matron's going to have our heads" said a hurried Northern voice of Helene Croft who was pinning her thick auburn hair into a bun. Helene was the only one of the four sharing the tent who had actually medical experience. Helene was from Leeds and had worked as a school nurse for about 4 years. She was the eldest of the four.
"I don't care if she kills us, I would just care if she lessened our rations even more than they are now. I would kill for a Victoria sponge right about now laden with fluffy cream and sweet strawberry jam" Now Rosalie Warwick was another situation all together, Rosalie was the daughter of a large oil business owner in Cornwall and her mother had sent her as a VAD so that she could experience life in the real world before she was married off to a Viscount.
"Oh I would kill for a sponge too Rosalie but we have a duty to the soldiers on our hands. There's about 50 bedpans that need emptying and beds to be made, so as my mother says spit spot" Helene replied. Molly pulled on her itchy duck egg blue dress and tied on her apron. Fastening her long hair into a bun and her hat to her head. Matron hated even the smallest tendril of hair out of place, she called it 'suggestive of male attention to have ones hair down'.
The four VAD's exited the tent after making the beds and laying out there spare clothes in case of major injuries which involved an abundance of blood. They quickly walked towards the Matron's quarters, a small wooden shack next to the first of the hospital tents. Rosalie opened the door first and led the three into the room.
"Good morning girls, I trust you slept well" Matron Peters addressed the four sitting behind a sturdy desk. She was dressed in a grey dress with a scarlet cape and scarlet cuffs with white a muslin cap. She was known to the nurses as 'Satan in Scarlet' for her fierce attitude and no nonsense demeanour.
"Morning matron, yes we did sleep well. Not too much distance gun fire last night as we have had previous nights before." Rosalie answered.
"Today Warwick and Patrick are on normal rounds, checking soldiers and so forth. Croft and Dawes you are tasked with two men that came to us last night, one is a Captain and has suffered blows to both legs and his sight had been effected by gas and the other is Corporal who suffered bullet wounds to the chest and has difficulty breathing. I am assigning these two men to you, they are yours to look after till they are able to be transferred back to Blighty. Both men can be found in the second tent from the end. Do not disappoint me Dawes and Croft." Matron Peter's handed Helene a notebook containing the men's medical notes from the night before.
Molly and Helene made their way towards the tent after bidding the other two a good day and promised to see them for lunch.
"So we have Captain Charles James and Corporal Dylan Smith." Helene said reading from the notebook.
"I'll take the Captain and you take the Corporal. You dealt with Private Harrington's chest last month and he turned out to be comfortably healed, and I don't know a lot about chests." Molly said instantly.
"Alright Molly, you can have the Captain" Helene sighed in defeat.
They entered the tent slowly not to wake the sleeping soldiers. There was a nurse on duty already, she walked towards the two.
"Molly and Helene, these two are inseparable. The Captain is a smooth talker and the Corporal is cheeky Welsh chappie. They are behind the curtain at the end." Said the nurse. Molly and Helene proceeded to walk down to the curtain and pulled it aside to find the Welsh one playing chess on his bed.
"Your turn, Charles." Said the dark haired man who had a thick Welsh accent, his hand was on a white piece.
"Queen diagonal 3 spaces, Dylan" said the one from the other bed, assumingly he was the Captain.
"Wait! If you move 4 spaces you've just taken his King" interrupted Molly.
"Nursey's right, you win Captain!" Dylan announced huffing and puffing.
"It's Nurse Dawes to you Mr" Molly replied chuckling slightly. Molly walked over to where the Captain was. He was a tall man from where she could see, dark brown hair and a clean shaven Prince Charming-esque face. The only downside was his eyes which were red and blotchy from tear gas.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Gentle angel?" said the Captain. Molly blushed, she knew he couldn't see her.
"Sir…" She was interrupted as he put his hand up.
"Call me Charles" He announced softly.
"Charles, can you see anything?" She asked getting ready to take notes in the notebook she held.
"No, I only see black. Am I blind or dead, that would mean you are an actual angel?" He said chuckling. His laugh was so handsome like a film actor.
"Your in a hospital in the very good hands of the finest army medics." She replied.
At that moment Molly vowed to help this man regain his sight and his ability to walk if it was the only thing she'd do in this blasted war.
A/N Oooh Molly met Captain James, who has been unfortunately been involved in a tear gas attack that has left him blind. What will Molly do to help him? Will there be blossoming love between the nurse and the captain. R&R and follow and favourite to find out.
Rosie xxx
