I had never seen destruction to the extent of how everything looked after December 7, 1941. I was never supposed to ever live on a naval base for the rest of my life. In my plans I was going to become a nurse and work until I found the right guy for me and grow old together. Then World War Two broke the isolationist views when Japan awakened a sleeping beast.
Being an Admiral's daughter is never easy while you grow up in a Military house with rules and regulations that no person should have to live by. For me those rules that my father placed in front of me was another reason for me to break his hold. Leaving after my high school graduation I spent three years at Barnard College with a full scholarship due to my family's involvement with the military.
So moving to New York City was my new adventure to conquer the greatest city in the country. Luckily it was close enough for my family based in Washington D.C. could come up and visit. One person never came as he was against the idea of me becoming a nurse he told me once that my life should always involve military and I had a patriotic duty to help serve our country. Even my Uncle James Doolittle who was training pilots in Long Island was willing enough to come and visit me time from time. For four years I never spoke to my father and by the time I was finished with my schooling in three years I graduated at the top of my class. So to serve my country I went into the navy as a nurse and was moved to Long Island to start my training.
"Sweetheart I don't need that shot; I promise you that I won't get yellow fever." One of the cocky pilots was trying to get out of the inoculations we were giving out. Only Andrea who was one of my best friends wasn't having any of it.
"Honey the government tells us what to do now drop your skives and lean onto the table." With that action she quickly stuck the needle almost all the way to the pelvis. Her Brooklyn roots gave her an accent that no man would ever argue against. She was a spitfire that could make any come back as quick as a snap of the finger.
"You'd think that since these flyboys can fly planes and fight yet they can't take a little needle." Whispering over to Andrea I started my way back into the rotation.
"Addison we need you to cover for Eva, she has to rotate and Emma is backed up at her station." Martha was the head nurse and also the biggest prude that I've met. We were having the final physical examinations before we ship out to our newly assigned base in a month.
"Okay I'm coming right now." Walking over to eye exams I could hear a man begging to Eva.
"Please ma'm I can't lose my wings." Looking around the barricade that divided the men I could see a handsome man looking at Eva right in the face.
"Eva rotate to station four." Oh Martha had the worst timing in the world. So Eva quickly stamped his paper with the approved stamp and left.
"Next!" I called to the next guy. Slowly approaching I looked up to only be caught by blue eyes that took breath away from me. "So what was wrong with the man before you?"
"He has a problem with letters but can see perfectly so the nurse before you passed him." Eva's father was a pilot and she knew what happened once a man's wings were taken away.
"Are you and him friends?" Trying to stall little to give me an excuse to just look at him for a few moments longer I tried the first question that popped in my head.
"Since we were kids ma'm." I could detect a Southern accent in his answer but decided I had stalled long enough.
"Read the bottom line please." With an ease, this man read through the bottom letters perfectly.
"You passed." Stamping his chart I gave him permission to move onto the next station.
"Thank you so much Addy for taking over." Emma came over to the table to pick up her rotation. Standing I got the motion for myself to go over to Martha for my new assignment.
With my assignment of giving out inoculations for the rest of the day I had to prepare my station with all the needed supplies. It wasn't that bad of assignment I mean I got to see hundreds of men's butt and if they annoyed me all I'd have to do to shut them up was shove a needle in their asses.
Walking back to my station with arms full of needle and vaccines I was given my first set of men. Many of them moaned and groaned but receive their shots any way. After a few more sets I receive the same set of men that had Eva before I took over.
"Next!" One of them got enough courage to approach me as I filled the syringe with liquid. Sticking the needle in the correct spot I watched as he squired from the feeling. After a two more shots he was able to move on.
"Next!" Now it was time for the one that Eva passed. I thought I might want to make this comfortable so I took my time with the shots. "So I heard you have a crush on Eva?"
"Yes ma'm she seems like a good person and she is very pretty." Silence over came us as I stuck my first needle in. Cleaning the spot I filled another needle and stuck it in another place. With the last needle I made sure he felt it more than the others. Making sure the needle worked I decided to put a little more fear into him.
"Well I hope you don't hurt her because nurses are very close and if you mess with one of us and you get hurt it will not be a nice experience." Smiling at him I stuck him with the needle a little too deep
"Yes ma'm I understand you clearly." His pain was easily detected by the shaking in voice with his reply.
"Next!" With the man walking away rubbing his right butt cheek made a spark of pride shoot through my soul.
"Ma'm." Same boy who had the most gorgeous eyes ever came up the gurney. Looking at his body I analyzed him form head to toe. A pile of brown hair was on top of his head with an amazing body. He wasn't scrawny but not overly buff where he looked like his muscles would explode from underneath the skin. Almost perfect except the gap between his teeth that only he could pull off. Grabbing his file I saw that hi name was Thomas Hunter and he was a native of Virginia.
"Addison." Was the only statement I made as I pulled down his underwear a little bit to get to the spot that the syringe needed. Even though I had been doing this for almost an hour I could still feel the blush creep up my cheeks.
"Excuse me?" I stuck him in the spot as I watch him grimace but did not move at all as I pressed all the medicine into his body. He was very strong because all the men today have fallen like little babies.
"My name is Addison so you don't need to keep calling me ma'm and also I know your name Thomas so it's only fair you know mine. Plus I thought it would distract you from me sticking you." Pulling out the needle I knew that he still needed two more before he could leave. Listening to myself ramble was probably one of the hardest things for me to hear.
"Thank you Addison." Turning away from the wall he was staring at me and made sure that our eyes were connected.
"Do tell me about yourself Thomas. Where are you from?" Filling the syringe with another liquid I quickly waited for his answer.
"I'm from Virginia and I'm a pilot." His answer was mysterious and had exactly no useful information to continue the conversation.
"What part are you from?" Sticking him with another needle I watch as he flinched again but didn't complain.
"A small town next to the Tennessee border called Charlesman." Cleaning off the wound I quickly put a clean cotton swab over the injection site and started on the last inoculation.
"Don't think I've ever heard of it. So what do you do for fun there?" Filling the syringe I stood behind him and waited for his answer. He had a southern drawl that could probably sweep any girl off their feet like what I felt was happening right now to me.
"Fly planes and read ma'm." Sticking the needle into the target I quickly did my business and had the needle out after a few seconds. "What about you ma'm?"
"I read, draw and fly planes with my brother." Pulling up his boxers for him I quickly signed off the forms stating that he had all his inoculations. "Here you go sir and I hope I never have to see you again in a hospital."
"Don't worry ma'm you won't. Who exactly is your brother Ma'm?" Looking at him I decided not to give him an answer. My mother use to tell me a women is only as interesting as the secrets she keeps.
"I have my secrets. Goodbye Lieutenant." Smiling I motioned for the next soldier to come forward.
"Goodbye Lieutenant." As a sign of respect he also stated my rank as a nurse in the Navy. Grabbing his file I watched as him walk to the next station. Hearing the man behind me clear his throat I turned my attention to him. I couldn't help but take a chance.
As I looked up again I caught the pilot looking back at me. Just as our eyes connected he walked right into one of the other pilots. Embarrassment washed over his face as I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my mouth.
Finishing later that night all the girls and I left the hospital hoping that we were finished with these examinations before we got stationed. Walking down the steps all the girls who I was rooming with for the past five months we were stopped by the Pilot who couldn't read well.
"Miss, can I please have a second of your time?" Coming up in front of the group I could see his forehead was covered with a huge band aid.
"What did you do to him?" Snow was covering the ground and it was freezing outside, he must have been frozen sitting outside. Eva's face blushed as he smiled at her.
"Nothing he fell on one of the carts." Looking into her eyes I could tell she was feeling something for this guy.
"Okay call me if you need anything." Even though he was a soldier and should be safe Eva was still my best friend and I didn't want anything to happen to her.
Walking down the path way in the opposite direction as the couple I could feel the crisp air hit my face with every breathe I took. As I walked along the busy streets of Long Island my mind kept wandering back to the man from today. His smile was amazing and when he looked back at me I could feel my heart fall into the bottom of my chest. I kept thinking that if I got close to him there was no way of knowing if he'd make it through the war.
That night as I fell asleep in my bed I thought about the war overseas. Last time I spoke to my Uncle Jimmy who was an instructor for the U.S. Air force he kept telling me about this war was coming to us very soon. All my thoughts were back to the men I saw today, and how some would never see their family again. The idea of war made my stomach churn but I knew that I could help more by being there and helping these men then sitting at home and talking about the fact that men were going to die soon.