The Hospital Visit
By: AliasCWN
The hospital tent was a madhouse of activity as new patients were carried in and made comfortable. Doctors and nurses rushed back and forth checking on their current patients and caring for the new ones.
"How are you feeling this morning Private?" An older nurse ask as she changed the dressing on Mark Hitchcocks' midsection.
"Fine Lieutenant. I'm ready to get out of here so you can concentrate on the new guys." Mark Hitchcock flashed a smile at the nurse when she looked up at his face.
"Nice try Private." She laughed. "You're not quite ready to get out of here just yet."
Mark relaxed as she finished changing the dressing. She had nimble fingers and made short work of the bandaging.
"Just trying to help Lieutenant. Looks like you have your hands full around here."
The nurse smiled at him. "I understand completely Private, but you're still stuck here for another few days at least."
"Can't blame a guy for trying. Looks like the lines are getting hit pretty hard." Hitchcocks' tone became solemn, with no hint of laughter, as he watched the new patients being carried into the tent. "Is there anything I can do?" He faced the nurse with wide eyes as he ask.
With his big blue eyes pleading to help, Lt. Dern couldn't refuse. Looking around the tent, she tried to find something that he could do that would be helpful.
"Maybe you could talk to some of the new ones." She indicated several wounded men in the beds next to the private. "Some of the younger ones are pretty scared. Maybe you could just help them through the next couple of hours."
Hitchcock was nodding as he studied the young soldiers. They looked about his age. He decided that he could find some common interest to discuss that would take their minds off their troubles.
"I can do that. Thanks Lieutenant."
As she left Lt. Dern could hear him introducing himself to the men in the next beds. She hurried to finish checking the rest of her patients before any more ambulances arrived.
When the rush came to an end, Lt. Dern and her fellow nurses made another check of their patients. The blond private with the knife wound to the midsection was sleeping peacefully. She paused to tuck the blankets around him on her way to her next patient.
"Has he been here long?"
She turned to the wounded soldier in the bed beside her. "Four days. Why?"
"He was talking to me earlier. He seemed to know a lot about how things are done here. He says he spends quite a bit of time in here either as a patient or visiting friends."
"I've heard that myself. His friends visit him every day. He probably does the same for them when they're hurt."
"It was nice talking to someone who understands." The soldier looked horrified at his statement. "Not that you don't." He hurried to clarify. "I mean you see stuff like this every day."
"But he understands because it happened to him." Lt. Dern finished for him.
"Yeah I guess that's what it is." The soldier nodded. "He seems like a nice guy. He made me laugh." The soldier pointed to his own injuries. "I forgot they hurt for a while there." He watched Hitchcock sleep for a moment. "Is he going to be alright?"
Lt. Dern smiled. "He's going to be fine. He's already trying to talk us into letting him out."
"I was hoping he'd keep me company while I was here."
"Don't worry soldier. He's not going anywhere for at least a few more days." She smiled affectionately at the sleeping blond. "He still needs to finish healing and get some of his strength back before he'll be released."
Lt. Dern was still smiling when she returned to her desk.
"What are you smiling about?" Another of the nurses walked up to the desk while she was doing her paperwork.
"These guys." Lt. Dern nodded toward the full tent. They go out there every day and face bullets and bombs. They're scared but they just keep going. They're all brave in my book. They watch out for each other out there. Then when they get hurt, they watch out for each other in here too. They're amazing!" Dern shook her head. "Sometimes I just feel so honored to know them."
"I know. I just left one who lost his leg. He's already talking about how he can make a living when he gets back home. He has some very good ideas too. I really hope everything works out or him." She hesitated a moment. "He still has to tell his girl about his leg. I mean, he wrote her a letter but he hasn't received an answer yet."
"If that makes a difference then she doesn't deserve him." The other nurse nodded her agreement.
"Well I'm off duty. I think I'll hit the showers and then try for some sleep."
"I'll go with you. I'm off now too." Lt. Dern and her friend left the hospital tent together. They waved at the patients and whispered encouragement on their way out.
Tully Pettigrew ducked to enter the hospital tent. At six foot one, the doorway was a bit short for him to enter standing erect. He quickly stepped to the side as two nurses passed him on their way out. Hitch was asleep when he arrived so he pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down to wait for him to wake up.
"Do you know him?"
Tully looked up from his book at the question from the next bed. "Yeah, I know him."
"How'd he get hurt?"
"He was stabbed." Tully explained.
"Wow! He let a kraut get close enough to stab him?"
"No." Tully shook his head slowly. "No, it was one of our guys. He went kinda crazy."
"Gee, that's tough. The nurse says he's going to be okay though." The wounded soldier was studying Tully carefully.
"Yeah I know. Sarge talked to the doctor. We visit every day when we're on base." Tully turned back to Hitch as he started to stir.
"Hey Tully. You been here long?"
"Naw, I just got here. How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Hitch answered with a grin.
Tully laughed. "Yeah, I'll bet. You try to talk them into letting you out yet?"
Hitch blushed and lowered his eyes. "Yeah, but no go. They want to keep me a few more days."
"Then relax and enjoy it. The nurses are pretty enough. Don't be in any hurry to get back out there. It's hot, dusty, and mostly just desert to look at."
"I feel useless here. I want to go out on patrol with you guys."
Tully carefully marked his page in his book and tucked it into his pocket. "We want you out there Hitch. But we want you healthy first. If you rush it you could end up back here…or worse."
"I know… I just hate being laid up. All I can think about is you guys out there." Hitchcock twisted in the bed, looking for a more comfortable position. Every time he moved it pulled on the healing knife wound.
"We think about you too. We almost lost you Hitch. And not for the first time." Tully reminded him. "Just take your time and get healthy. We can wait."
Hitch finally nodded an acknowledgement. "Just don't get too attached to Andy." He pleaded.
Tully laughed again. "Don't worry. He still hasn't learned to drive a jeep. He is driving Sarge nuts though. You'd better not do anything to delay your return or you'll have to answer to Sarge."
Hitch actually smiled at that. "Did Sarge get everything cleared up with Kiley?"
"Yeah, why?"
Hitch shrugged. "I know they weren't sure that headquarters would believe he overdosed himself."
"You mean you think they might blame me for killing him?" Tully lowered his voice. "Do Sarge and Moffitt think I did it?"
Hitchcocks' head snapped up in surprise. "No!" He shook his head in denial. "You were the only other person there, that's all. They never thought that you would just kill him. They both thought that you may have had to kill him to get away. That guy was crazy. Not funny crazy, but crazy crazy."
Tully gave the explanation some thought. "They both seemed surprised that I didn't do it." He finally said quietly. "I didn't kill him Hitch. I didn't like what he did. He tried to kill you and he left Sarge and Moffitt without a jeep for the Germans to find. He left you to die alone. I would have killed him if it would have helped you guys."
"We know. That's part of it too. You always do whatever it takes to help us." Hitch watched Tully as he spoke. "I'm glad it worked out the way it did. The guy did some bad stuff but he couldn't help himself. I really can't blame him too much. I'm glad none of us had to kill him."
"I guess he didn't have anyone to get him the help he needed. I'm just glad that none of his plans worked out. He wanted you dead and he wanted Troy and Moffitt to get caught." Tully could still remember the cold smile on the mans' face when he talked about the others.
"Tully?" Hitchs' voice was so tentative that Tully thought that something was wrong.
"Yeah?"
"You do know that we appreciate all the things you do for us. Right?"
Tully grinned at the anxious look on his friends face. "Sure I know. We're a team. We take care of each other."
Hitch looked relieved. "I just didn't want you to think that we take you for granted. You've saved my life so often that I've lost count."
"It works both ways Hitch. That's why we want you to be ready before you come back."
"I get it Tully. I really do. I just hate feeling helpless." Hitch smiled at Tully. "I'll try to be patient." At Tullys' nod, Hitch changed the subject. "So how was the patrol today? You guys just got back didn't you?"
Tully told him all about the patrol and what he'd done since he'd seen him last. Hitch was starting to nod off again so Tully made an excuse and left.
Hitch was still asleep when Troy and Moffitt arrived later in the evening. They talked quietly by his bed, waiting for him to open is eyes.
"Hey."
Both sergeants smiled as Hitch greeted them. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." All three of them said at once. They all laughed at the private joke.
"Really Hitch." Troy insisted. "How are you feeling?"
"A bit sore and I get tired real easy. Other than that I feel fine Sarge." Hitch saw the look on his sargents' face. "Really Sarge. It pulls a little when I move but the Doc says it's healing just fine. He's going to release me in a couple of days if everything keeps going the way it is."
"Great. I don't want to rush you but Andy just can't drive. It will be good to get you back."
Hitch and Moffitt both smiled at Troys' complaint. Andy had a reputation as a good soldier but he had a serious problem driving a jeep in the desert sand. Even Andy admitted there was room for improvement.
"Yes!" One of the soldiers further down the line of beds shouted happily. The sound was so out of place in the somber atmosphere of the hospital that every head turned at the shout.
"What's wrong?" A nurse came running at the shout.
"Nothing's wrong." The soldier responded. "I just got a letter from my girl. I told her about my leg. She doesn't care! She still wants me! Even without a leg, she still wants me!"