Well, this is my completely AU story. I'm history student, so I put history in everything because it´s my passion. Hope you like my fanfic.
Special thanks to my friend Cecilia, who helped me with the translation. I love you, Ce!
Chapter 1.
Somme, France – July 1916
It was in the afternoon when a contingent arrived at the field hospital. It was not the first time that nurses arrived, he had been asking for more staff for some time, but it was the first time that nuns also came along with the nurses. Turner snorted, what he wanted least to hear were speeches about eternal paradises and constant prayers. It was ridiculous to promise rewards to literally shattered men, so the previous month he had sent a newly arrived vicar to another hospital. He had no patience for those things.
However, two hours after the rigorous presentations, his idea about the function of the nuns began to change. He hoped that all they could do would be to sit in the way, but a certain Evangelina who had a voice that blocked any gunshot and gave orders to right and left had not stopped a second to disinfect and bandage wounds, feed soldiers, and clean the place . Another nun they called Julienne worked the same way although she did not shout so much, but she did not lose sight of any of the nurses.
"What are you staring at?" Sister Evangelina asked, finding him lost in thought "You are the chief of this place, so I suppose you work and you does not stand there staring into nothingness"
"I'm sorry, I was just watching your work."
"As long as you look at that and nothing else, I'll be grateful. This place is a mess"
"I know. We can not cope with this"
"And if you stand there, it´s logical that you can´t cope with this. What do you want, Mannion?" Evangelina looked at the little nurse beside her, who seemed terrified to speak to her. Turner looked at her too, and for a moment wondered what a little girl was doing there.
"I think ... we need reinforcements, it is impossible for us to take care of all these men, I counted about ten doctors and just fifty nurses and there are more than eight hundred soldiers hospitalized"
"We're just here, we can not be asking for reinforcements. We'll manage. First of all, give the doctor some tea, I think he needs it"
Mannion nodded and ran. Evangelina continued to scream and Turner looked at his list, he must to see two soldiers who had been amputated last night. That was what most frightened him, the bodies shattered but not dead. He could not find meaning of saving the life if it was to live it like this. He wanted to detonate that hospital where nothing good came out. With him inside, if it was possible.
"Doctor, your tea"
He came out of his thought and saw the "nurse-girl", as he was already calling her. The first sip of hot tea comforted him even though it was quite warm in the place.
"Thank you, it's very good," he smiled at her, and it was the first time in weeks he had. Looking closely, she was not a child, except that she was very small beside the other women in the hospital. He could see that behind her glasses she had amazing blue eyes full of life. Surely she was excited when she left her house and in two hours had not yet seen the reality she would have to face.
"Can I help you with something?" she asked hesitating.
"Yes, wake up and bring some tea to these two soldiers," he marked the two names on his list "I have to tell them they were amputated. With tea, things will go even a little better"
Mannion frowned and looked down.
"Very well"
When he saw her again she was standing next to the two soldiers. One of them had his hands too shaky to drink the tea on his own so she helped him, the other drank the tea but kept asking what was going on with his legs.
"Thanks, you are so beautiful," said the soldier with shaking hands. She said nothing, just gave him a bright smile.
"Nurse, you can go now." Turner said.
She looked at him sadly and nodded, then she took the cups and walked slowly.
The days continued full of blood and rattles of machine guns. Turner could admit that he was completely wrong when he saw the nuns for the first time. Now he knew that he could not live without them and their organized attention that made everything go well despite the fact that the number of soldiers that arrived was increasing and that they had three less nurses who had sent to London because they had a strange disease.
With so much work, it was impossible to do something basic like sleep, and when he had the time, his mind would not let him rest. However his body used to rebel by making him sleep anywhere.
"Doctor"
Frightened, he opened his eyes, trying to focus until he saw the blue eyes of Nurse Mannion.
"Sorry, I fell asleep," He said, rising from the uncomfortable chair he was in.
"I do not blame you. Tea?" she held out a steaming cup.
"Thanks, you are a charm"
The girl blushed and looked away.
"What is your name?"
"Mannion" she answered in confusion.
"I said your name, not your last name."
"Shelagh"
"I never heard that name, it seems-"
"Scottish. I'm from Aberdeen."
"No wonder you're stubborn, I've seen you arguing more than once with Sister Evangelina"
She suppressed a smile.
"I should be offended, but you´re right. And Sister Evangelina is also right, I must learn to obey"
"To be a better nurse?"
"No, to enter the convent."
He was stunned. How could such a young and pretty girl enter a convent? What reasons would she had for doing this? Surely some amorous disappointment, but what man could do that? Suddenly he felt very stupid to think that.
"Sounds weird, I know," she said at his silence.
"No, if that's what you like, go ahead"
She smiled just barely again.
"I have to go, there is a lot of work to do."