Out of respect to all who fought in the war I have tried to make this story as accurate as possible however some artistic license has been taken to allow the pair to meet in Belgium. In describing the New Zealand Expeditionary Force the term 'British' is sometimes used to reflect the imperialistic view of New Zealand fighting as part of the British Empire.
Yet again Nasir looked despairingly at the rain pouring down around the field ambulance tent and creeping in under the edges. Since a failed attack two weeks ago the surviving casualties had been moved away from the front line and there should have been a low number of men being cared for at the army hospital. However appalling cold and rain meant many succumbed to disease and the doctors and nurses had a hard time treating them as conditions in the tent were not much better than outside.
It was nearly Christmas and the medical corps were planning to use the occasion to bring some festive cheer to the wounded whilst red cross parcels would provide a much needed link to home. Not that this would be anything like the Christmases he had enjoyed before the war. Nasir was one of the many soldiers who had travelled from New Zealand as soon as war was declared and the culture shock was still strong. Instead of celebrating a summery Christmas he was shivering in a muddy stretch of Belgium wondering how long he had left to live.
Quickly he shook himself from such gloomy thoughts and reminded himself that dwelling on fear was not practical. Instead he spoke to the nurses on duty: Sura, Mira, Naevia and Chadara to inform them of any changes and then left the hospital as another doctor reported to duty. He was to join soldiers in the front line on the pretence of examining whether one of the sergeants needed to be invalided to the ambulance. Yet in reality he knew he was there to show a medical presence at the front. Even though there was little he could do for these men if they were shot by a sniper or torn apart by a shell blast it boosted their morale to know that doctors were nearby.
xxx
After the sergeant was put on a stretcher Nasir waded among the trenches speaking to some of the men and doing his best to raise their spirits. The brigade his ambulance was responsible for was led by Captain Spartacus and mostly consisted of soldiers from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. It was at the end of the British Empire's flank and was next a French brigade under the leadership of Capitaine Crixus.
It was these two men standing together at the intersection of their trenches that Nasir headed towards. Crixus immediately straightened on seeing his arrival and Nasir had to suppress a smile at how eager the man looked. Putting him out of his misery Nasir carefully took a letter from his pocket and handed it to the Frenchman who held it close and even appeared to breathe in the scent of the envelope… before remembering he was not alone and looking slightly embarrassed.
"It warms the heart to see any happiness in these conditions." Spartacus told his fellow leader with a smile. "Go and read it now, I know you won't talk any sense until you have done so."
With a laugh Crixus hurried away opening the envelope as he walked and the remaining men shared a smile at his eagerness. Two months ago Naevia had been stationed at a French ambulance where she had treated Crixus for a week before he had been returned to active service and she was moved back to working with Nasir. Ever since Nasir had taken it upon himself to act as messenger between the pair knowing how desperate they were to hear from each other.
It was times like these when faced with another couple's love that made Nasir feel wistful. When he was growing up he had realised that he was different to the other boys: whilst they seemed fixated on the opposite gender he had never understood the appeal and had instead thrown himself into his work hoping to achieve his dream of becoming a vet. Animals accepted him even when humans didn't and his relationship with friends and family was tinged with regret that they only appreciated him for the lie he was projecting. Sometimes he wondered if their disgust would be right and he had occasions where he wallowed in self-loathing praying that God would change him. Gradually he had come to accept himself and mostly he felt a deep loneliness wondering if he was the only person he felt this way. Deep down he dreamed of finding someone who he could be with for the rest of his life. Even though he thought it nearly impossible he held onto this thought at the darkest points of the war and it gave him a reason to live.
Xxx
Agron watched as his men erected the Christmas trees along the front of the trenches making sure to reprimand any man who was careless enough to raise his head too near the parapet. Fortunately the allies did not seem too eager to shoot them and the few shots that whizzed by missed their mark. Still he was glad when the job was done and the men were able to focus on their new decorations rather than the cold, hunger and the ever present rats.
Unlike his second-in-command Sedullus, Agron liked to show his presence among the men rather than retiring to his quarters and he knew the men respected him for it. Now as they stood back to admire their work they became aware of voices from the trenches not too far in front of them. Many of the men were able to speak English and Agron knew that like him they were reflecting on the normality of the men they had been taught were a savage enemy. Just like the German troops he could hear the other side's soldiers complaining about the conditions, laughing together to boost morale and talking wistfully of life back home. It was times like these when Agron questioned just what the point of this dreadful war was.
Xxx
On Christmas Eve Nasir made his way once again to the front line carrying a stretcher with another orderly. They joined a group of men grimly clutching shovels as they stood around the padre. After a few solemn words Spartacus waved a white flag above the parapet and then cautiously led the way over the top. Nasir and the other medical orderlies went next, the red crosses on their uniforms and the stretchers reassuring the enemy that the truce was real and there was no resulting fire.
This was not how Nasir had ever imagined he would spend his Christmas Eve: burying bodies in the hard ground. The frost that had appeared in the night made it easier to move across No Man's Land but it created difficulty for the men digging the graves. The Medical Corps were supposedly there to help any survivors even though they knew it to be impossible. Instead he helped to find the dog tags of each man so that their relatives could be informed of their sad fates, in many cases this was the only way to identify the men who had been so malformed by the battle and the harsh elements. Where possible Nasir offered a word of comfort for those men discovering close friends and relatives but he knew his words were little support and instead moved further into No Man's Land.
Xxx
Agron watched the British troops burying their dead and he knew it was a sensible time to do so. Better to complete the task as soon as possible and whilst the weather conditions were right. Furthermore this truce allowed them to do so in relative safety. After gathering men together and waving a white flag the men ascended the ladders into No Man's Land and began searching for their own dead.
When he was nearly half way to the British trenches he came across a couple of British medical orderlies looking down into a crater. Spotting grey uniforms among the bodies collected there Agron hurried forward to join them. The taller man took a step back in alarm, but the shorter had a look of trust in his deep brown eyes.
"We'll have to bury them together." Agron stated the obvious as he looked at the bodies lying entangled on the ground.
The taller man looked surprised at his good English but the little man merely nodded before calling over some more men. Agron followed his example and soon a mix of German and New Zealand troops were working together to dig the grave. At first there were many wary glances being exchanged between both sides, but as the hard digging continued a mutual respect began to build as the men worked together to give a dignified burial to their fallen comrades.
xxx
When the task was complete and a padre from both armies had spoken in their own language the men moved back towards their own lines. Yet Nasir did not feel ready to return and instead hovered near the graveside feeling strangely drawn to the tall, confident German. The man stood quietly looking at him and soon they were the only two remaining. The silence stretched between them as both tried to justify why they could not leave the other's presence.
In desperation Agron blurted out, "Tell me your name, in case I ever need to bury you." How he wished he could take back his words- why had he asked for the man's name for when he was dead? Thankfully the man gave a small smile and seemed to understand that this was merely an excuse to know something of the person they felt so drawn to before they were separated.
"My name is Nasir."
"I'm Agron."
"Nasir" A shout broke the moment and with great reluctance Nasir spoke up, "I should leave."
The German nodded. "Goodbye little man."
xxx
After the hard work of the morning the atmosphere at the ambulance seemed almost relaxing. There were no operations needing to be performed and so Nasir assisted the nurses in monitoring the patients and ensuring all was being done to cure them. Nasir was pleased that he had the time to take longer over his afternoon trip delivering supplies to the medics at the front line and actually have a chance to talk to some of the men there without needing to rush back to the ambulance. Later he would be even more grateful for this opportunity when he experienced one of the strangest events of the war so far.
When he arrived in the trenches one of the men encouraged him to look at the German trench where a sign declaring 'Gott Mitt Uns' was clearly visible. The soldiers in Nasir's trench were very proud of their response in the form of a sign replying 'We got mittens too'. He wondered how many of the enemy understood the joke.
Nasir would not have thought much of the incident if it were not for the sound of singing that later began from the direction of the German line. The men began to gather round the front of the trench as they moved towards the source of the sound until one of the men summoned the courage to peer over the top.
"Look!" He cried and others hurriedly followed suit to see the lights that had been placed amongst the Christmas trees at the edge of the German trenches. Some of the soldiers recognised the tune and joined in 'Silent Night' in their own language after which the New Zealand soldiers led the singing of 'O Come All Ye Faithful' which the Germans readily took up. Even surrounded by so many voices singing in English it was clear to Nasir that the German singing was getting louder and on looking over the top of the trench it became apparent why: the German soldiers were cautiously walking across No Man's Land.
"Don't fire!" Spartacus ordered quickly as some of the newer recruits looked nervous. They soon calmed down as it became obvious that the men were coming in peace, still singing carols and holding lamps which were the closest they could get to Christmas lights.
Xxx
With relief Agron saw that the men were getting no fire for crossing towards the enemy trenches. He had been wary of his men's scheme at first but the morning's events had suggested that their enemy were not the sort to shoot at men coming in peace. Therefore he decided to follow his troops across No Man's Land, his voice joining with theirs in the Christmas carol.
It was not long before he saw men rise out of the opposite trenches and move to meet them singing the same song but in English and he watched with fascination as the two armies hesitatingly reached each other. There were cautious looks from both sides but certainly no hostility.
As Agron neared the group of soldiers who had begun to cautiously shake hands he found himself searching out the little medic from this morning. Unlike most of the soldiers Nasir had not been unnerved by his presence but immediately accepted him as they worked for the common cause. Given to violent fits of temper with only little justification Agron had found that most people took a long time to trust him so to have trust offered to him so readily and with such conviction unnerved him. He tried to keep his thoughts from straying to other reasons why he wished to see the little man again such as the deep brown of his eyes and the delicious curve of his lips. He knew those sort of thoughts were dangerous and would instantly lose the other man's trust and even cause his disgust. That idea hurt Agron more than he cared to admit and so he joined his brother in sharing anecdotes with the New Zealand soldiers trying to forget the captivating medic.
Xxx
Nasir remained in the trenches as he noticed the apprehensive expression on the Captain's face.
"What is it that worries you?" Nasir asked Spartacus "I would have thought you would be glad that the men have a rest from fighting."
"I am, but I'm concerned for the future. How will the soldiers be able to fight men whom they've befriended and what will HQ make of this?"
Nasir was quiet for a moment not knowing what to say. He understood both of Spartacus' concerns, though he did not think it right for the man to be dwelling on his apprehension.
"It is too late to stop the men now and any attempt would turn them against you…
His words were cut short by the sound of a gunshot followed by a shout of pain from one of the German soldiers. Nasir rushed towards the man and reached him just after a German medic and together they examined the wound. Thankfully it had only grazed his neck, but the man was losing a lot of blood. Together the two medics did their best to stop the bleeding, the German offering calming words to the injured soldier in their own language.
xxx
Meanwhile Agron angrily strode towards Spartacus demanding to know why a shot had been fired. Many of the Privates cowered away at the rage radiating from the German officer, but Spartacus firmly pointed out that it had come from further down the line and moved away to speak to Crixus.
Once it was verified that the shot had indeed come from the French trench it was established that the truce would not continue past the end of the British trenches and Agron made sure to warn his men not to stray any further across No Man's Land. That settled he could not help but hurry back to find the intriguing medic who had instantly come to the aid of his comrade.
xxx
Nasir was making his way back to his own trench, relieved that the German soldier would suffer no long term effects from the wound, when he was startled by a voice at his side.
"Thank you".
Nasir looked up at the German's words and immediately recognised the German captain who had remained in his thoughts since the morning. He told himself that the man made such an impression due to confidence with which he held himself, making him stand out from the dreary hopeless men he was surrounded with each day. In reality he knew that it was more than that and any continuation of these feelings was dangerous. Yet he could not deny the draw he felt towards this man and so he stopped to engage in conversation.
"I'm a doctor. I don't like to see men in pain."
"Even Germans?". Agron looked as though he regretted his comment as soon as he had spoken and Nasir felt the awkward tension in the air as they were reminded of the great divide their nationality put between them.
"Even Germans." Nasir replied hoping Agron would hear the truth in his words, "We cannot choose our nationality."
"So you think being German is a curse of birth?" The teasing tone of Agron's voice did not disguise the tension in his body as he spoke. Nasir knew he was being asked a serious question.
"No more than my being from New Zealand." Nasir replied. "Only a chance of birth put us on different sides." Nasir was no longer talking about the injured soldier, but of him and Agron. There was a pause as both men reflected on how they would interact if they had found themselves in the trenches together. Would they feel such a pull towards the other?
Although I decided not to make Crixus participate in the Christmas truce due to the canon relationship between him and Agron there were parts of the French Army that were involved with the truce.