Temporary Separation

One-shot

It was a beautiful day, Kitty thought to herself. The sun was shining, and there was a pleasant breeze that stopped the heat from being unbearable. It was a perfect day to be at the beach, and almost nice enough for Kitty to forget the broken men that awaited her back at the hospital. But she hadn't come to the beach to linger on such unpleasant thoughts, particularly when she was meant to be enjoying her time with her comfortable, breathing headrest.

Speaking of her silent companion, Kitty couldn't help but wonder why Thomas had not yet spoken up. When he had cornered her earlier in the day and told her that he urgently had to speak to her, Kitty had immediately gone to find Flora and practically begged her to cover her shift. But now that she and Thomas were seated in their favourite part of the beach, a cosy little enclosure where it was almost impossible for them to be spotted unless someone stood directly in front of them, he had not yet said a word. The only noticeable change in him was that when she had met him at the beach he had seemed a little tense, but after spending about ten minutes sitting together in companionable silence he seemed to have relaxed enough for Kitty to start prodding him about the serious news he had for her.

"Tom…" She started tentatively.

"Hmmm?" Despite the fact that he supposedly had something important to tell her, Thomas didn't seem particularly inclined to conversation. He was sat at the bottom of the hill, leaning against the steep slope and had his head tilted back in order to enjoy the sun's warm rays. Kitty was leaning back against his chest, which wasn't convenient for starting a conversation but she was too comfortable to move. Kitty felt a little bad for rushing Thomas, after all this was his first break in about a week due to the recent influx of patients and he was clearly tired.

"You wanted to speak to me about something?" Kitty reminded him. Thomas nodded and rubbed his eyes in a gesture that Kitty had come to recognise as a nervous habit of his over the last few months.

"Do you remember the last paper I sent off for review and publication?"

Kitty did remember the paper; Thomas had spent a few weeks in practical isolation, barely speaking to her and Miles while he diligently worked. During that time, the only occasions where they had spoken had been when they both had shifts in the same ward, but even then he had clearly been distracted and eager to leave so he could get back to his typewriter. Kitty would have been annoyed at how dismissive he was if he hadn't thoroughly made it up to her after his magnum opus had been completed.

"They accepted my work, and it has been published." Kitty's face broke out into a smile.

"That's fantastic!" Kitty congratulated him; he gave her a small smile in response. Considering that he had been trying desperately to be published for a few years now, Kitty was a little surprised that he was not happier at his success.

"That's not all." Thomas said, although he clearly wasn't too happy about whatever else he had to say. Kitty silently encouraged him to continue, which he did after some minor hesitation. "The RAMC saw the paper and were very impressed, so they have promoted me to Major."

Kitty felt a small burst of pride at this news, she knew that Thomas had long deserved the promotion but no doubt had been held back by his background and a queue of less talented doctors with richer and more influential relations. Kitty would have congratulated him again, but as Thomas didn't look terribly pleased she stayed silent and waited for him to finish speaking.

"As a consequence of my promotion," Kitty noticed that Thomas was no longer looking at her and she assumed that the next piece of news would be the one that Thomas had been most hesitant about telling her, "the RAMC are reassigning me to a casualty clearing station."

Kitty's heart sank, but she used her wealth of experience at concealing her true emotions to hide her disappointment. It was selfish for her to want him to stay here when working at the clearing station would open up dozens more work opportunities for him once the war ended.

"When are you leaving?" She asked.

"In a few days." Thomas replied morosely, seeing her surprised expression he quickly continued. "They only informed me yesterday, and I wanted to tell you as soon as I could." Kitty couldn't quite believe that he was leaving so soon, when he had first brought up the reassignment she had hoped they would have at least two or three more weeks to get used to the idea.

"Have you told Miles yet?"

"No, not yet." Thomas sighed. "I'm going to tonight."

"Congratulations on your promotion." Kitty said sincerely and turned her head to kiss him lightly, his arms around her squeezed gently in response. "I suppose we won't see each other again until the war is over."

"That's another thing I have to talk to you about." There was an odd strain in Thomas's voice, barely noticeable, but from having spent over a year around him Kitty noticed it.

The fact that Thomas had something to say in response to her mentioning meeting again after the war gave Kitty some cause for concern as she immediately jumped to the conclusion that he was no longer interested in being in a relationship with her. Kitty knew the thought was a little irrational, Thomas had given her no reason to suspect that he had lost interest in her, but the thought still niggled in the back of her mind.

"Originally," Thomas began slowly, "I was going to bring this up when the war ended, but I wasn't expecting to be reassigned so I figured that since this is the last time we're going to be together alone until the war ends I should probably bring it up now." Kitty really wished Thomas would just get to the point, nothing he had said yet had any effect at putting her anxiety to ease because he was being so damn vague. The fact that he also wasn't looking at her as he was saying it didn't particularly help.

Thomas sighed again and muttered something under his breath, Kitty couldn't quite hear what he said but she did catch something about eloquence and Miles.

"Well I was wondering." Thomas hesitated, pausing for a while before changing strategy. "Well you know that I love you," he awkwardly blurted out, "and I was thinking-"

"What?" Kitty abruptly interrupted. "No I didn't since you've never told me before!" Kitty's mild outrage was mostly out of a sense of relief that Thomas wasn't leaving her, and her wide grin made it clear to Thomas that she wasn't really mad. It was utterly typical behaviour of him to confess that he loved her for the first time as an aside to something else he wanted to say.

"Would you not interrupt me? I'm having enough trouble getting to the point." Thomas looked very uncomfortable, and Kitty could tell that he was really struggling with whatever he was trying to say.

"I was just pointing out that you haven't said it before." Kitty said, still struggling to control the near manic smile that, despite her best efforts, wouldn't fade away.

"Well I've said it now, can I continue?" Kitty nodded quickly and looked up at him expectantly.

"I love you too, by the way." Kitty quickly interjected before Thomas could continue. She had known that she felt that way for quite a while, but had been waiting for Thomas to say it first in case he did not feel as strongly as she did. Another somewhat irrational action, but Kitty was too accustomed to being hurt to be so open about her own feelings.

"That's great. Are you done?" Kitty nodded again, noticing that in the aftermath of her own brief confession, Thomas seemed to have relaxed a little which was gratifying. "Right." Thomas paused to collect his thoughts. After a few moments of silence, Kitty decided to speak up again just as Thomas opened his mouth.

"Tom, I don't mean to rush you, but we don't have all afternoon." He looked at her helplessly.

"Could you please just give me a few minutes without any interruptions, I'm trying to propose here but I can't seem to get a bloody word in edgeways." Stunned into silence, Kitty could only stare at him in utter bemusement. "Can I please try to speak without getting cut off?" Mutely, Kitty nodded. "Great. Will you-" Kitty practically tackled him to the ground before he could finish his sentence.

"Yes!"

"You didn't even let me ask." Thomas complained, but Kitty noticed that he didn't sound terribly unhappy about it.

"Sorry." Kitty hugged him tightly, Thomas used a finger under her chin to firmly tilt her face towards him and kissed her deeply. His relief at not having his proposal rejected were evident in the clear passion he displayed towards her. They lay there for a few minutes, happily wrapped around each other.

"Did you get me a ring?" Kitty suddenly piped up, interrupting the contented silence. Thomas looked at her as though she had suddenly sprouted horns and announced that she was leaving him for Miles. He slowly shook his head, and Kitty sighed in mock disappointment.

"Well I'm sorry," Thomas said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "none of the many local jewellery stores had anything suitable." He indicated the vast expanse of nothing around them as he finished his statement.

"It's okay, you can buy me one when the war ends." Kitty joked, laughing when Thomas's only response was to roll his eyes. "What are you going to do when we get back to the hospital?" She asked more sombrely.

"Break the news to Miles, then start working on packing." Thomas paused. "God I really don't have a lot of time."

"And yet a lot of things to do." Kitty finished sadly. They didn't even have enough time for a proper goodbye, or enough time to realise that they would never again cross each other in the wards or sneak away to the supply tent for a few minutes of privacy.

Realising that they could no longer delay the inevitable, no matter how much they both might wish to, Kitty stood up and was shortly followed by Thomas. They embraced once again, Kitty doing her best to try to memorise the feeling, knowing that it might be years before she would see and hold him again. They separated to leave for the hospital at different times, Kitty giving Thomas the head start since she knew he had a lot to do.

As she watched his retreating back she mused that, at least at this time, he was not leaving permanently. She would no doubt see him before he left, although she doubted that it would hit her that he would really be going until he was actually gone.

The next few days passed far too quickly. Shortly after returning to the hospital, Kitty saw Miles storming out of the tent he and Thomas shared. He spent the remainder of Thomas's time at the hospital in a foul mood, Kitty even witnessed Miles snap at Flora which was a very odd experience since she had never seen him display anger or frustration before that day. Kitty supposed that Thomas's departure was affecting them both, although for different reasons. Miles was losing his best friend, Kitty was losing her new fiancée.

The recent change in their relationship was still new and exciting, to the point where remembering it was almost enough to cheer herself up by thinking of the future where they were married and living together, instead of the nearer future where Thomas was at greater risk of getting himself shot or blown to pieces.

The night before Thomas's departure, Kitty managed to get him alone and drag him to a secluded corner. At the time she hadn't been too concerned about being seen but now she wondered how on earth they had not been spotted. Once she had him to herself, Kitty couldn't quite remember exactly what she had said to him. She had cried, she remembered that, and she had made a number of threats including telling him not to get himself killed or distracted by any pretty nurses. He had managed, with a completely straight face, to declare that he would try his best before finding a better way for them to spend their last few moments alone.

The departure itself was handled with very little ceremony, she watched from the opening of a tent with Miles, who had finally accepted the news and was no longer being a complete pain, as Thomas shook hands with Colonel Brett, cast one last look over at them before getting into the car that would take him to the casualty clearing station.

The new surgeon they sent to replace Thomas wasn't as brilliant. He was kind enough, Kitty thought, not as grumpy as Thomas and an outrageous flirt. Funnily enough, Miles couldn't stand the man, which wasn't convenient as he was now sharing a tent with him. Kitty assumed that the dislike wasn't so much to do with the new surgeon's attitude as much as it was to do with him taking Thomas's place.

Kitty found herself focussing more on her work now that Thomas was gone, mostly to try to distract herself from worrying about him. She also started spending more time with Flora who had her own people on the front line to worry about. The closer friendship did come with its own inconveniences though, as Flora became obsessed with the idea that Kitty was unaware that she was in love with Thomas and pining after him. After several days of Flora clearly attempting to subtly play matchmaker, Kitty finally gave up and admitted to the young VAD that she and Thomas were engaged, and had then promptly had to clamp her hand over Flora's mouth to muffle the excited shriek that would have woken Rosalie.

Time passed, Thomas's letters arrived frequently which Kitty had to valiantly try to keep away from Flora who believed the situation was "so romantic" and wanted to read what she perceived to be love letters. Kitty wholeheartedly hoped each day that news would come that the war had ended, where previously she had selfishly almost wished it wouldn't end so that she wouldn't have to return to England where everyone hated her. But with her bright future so close to being in her grasp, Kitty found that the prospect of returning home was not as daunting as it had been before.

AN: So this one-shot can be standalone but was mostly written to link my multiple chapter fan-fiction 'Unexpected Correspondence' with its sequel which is currently untitled and still in the planning stages. I hope you've enjoyed this little fluff piece and I hope you guys liked Thomas's promotion, I thought he deserved one. I was so close to naming this 'Unexpected Separations' but I figured it was probably a bad idea for all of my Crimson Field fics to have 'Unexpected' in the title. I'm thinking about maybe doing a one-shot linked to this one-shot where Flora tries to play match-maker after Thomas has left, but I'm not entirely sure yet, let me know if you guys would be interested.