Lieutenant Jackson

by This Is The End's Beginning

Private Daniel Jackson has left to fight in World War II. He left behind a mother, a sister, and, most importantly, a wife. This is part of her story as she enlists in the U.S. Army as a nurse. She is one of five female nurses given special permission to go behind enemy lines to provide medical treatment to injured Allied paratroopers during Operation Overlord.

1. Chapter 1

I sit at the desk, pencil in hand, staring at the sheet of paper. I put the date in the top right corner and the only thing I have written besides that is, 'Dear Daniel'. I have absolutely no idea what to write. How am I supposed to tell him about what has happened this last week?

I close my eyes, trying to stop the tears from coming to my eyes, and try to think of happier times. The first day I met him when we were just kids, our first kiss, him holding me close as the police arrested my father, sending him to prison hopefully for life. The day I moved in with him and his family who treated me more like family than my own ever did, how he would always hold me and murmur soothing things whenever I would wake up from yet another nightmare.

The day he proposed, our wedding day, moving into our new house, the last day we had together even if that did have a twinge of sadness because he was shipping out to basic training after getting drafted. Then two months later I suspected I was pregnant, especially after missing my period both months. I didn't tell Daniel this in my letters, not wanting him to get excited if I was wrong. I went to the doctor's and two weeks later he confirmed I was pregnant, and with the bloating, nausea, fatigue, and slight weight gain, I agreed with him. However, before I could write to Daniel, to tell him, his little sister, Alice, fell sick, and so did I.

A week later, after we had mostly recovered, I had been outside with Alice and her mother, Ruth, when I started to get a cramp in my abdomen that quickly became very painful. Ruth noticed my pain and helped me inside, where she noticed I had a slight fever, and we soon discovered blood in my underwear. Ruth, having had a miscarriage before, knew immediately what was possibly happening, and took me to the doctor. A week later he informed me that I was no longer pregnant. I cried for a week afterward; I had lost Daniel and I's baby.

So here I am now, trying to write a letter to my husband, knowing that it will kill him to find out what has happened. He's off fighting a war, his friends and fellow soldiers dying, constantly under the threat of joining them, how am I supposed to give him this news?

I exhale slowly before scribbling down a few lines. They basically tell him of how Alice and I were sick, but are alright, and how everyone is doing okay, we're just missing him. I cringe as I reread it, knowing that he's going to realize something is off; the letter sounds nothing like my usual ones. Hopefully he'll just chalk it up to me still feeling sick.

I put the pencil down and fold the letter. He's gone, I lost our baby, and now I'm lying to him about it. I don't think I can do this; I can't stay here.

Two days later I go into Nashville and enlist in the United States Army Nurse Corps.