By the time Elena gets back to the hospital, she's dirty and tired and all she wants is to wind down in Damon's arms. After checking the board, Elena sees that Damon isn't on duty. Sighing, she slowly changes her shoes then gathers her purse before leaving the place. For some reason, it bothers her that he isn't here. Feeling uneasy, Elena stops in the USO building to get something to drink. Seeing Rebekah at the bar, Elena walks over to her, dropping her things on the floor and then takes the stool beside her friend.
"Hey Elena, you look like hell," Rebekah mentions, taking a chug from her beer glass.
"What'll it be, Elena?" Gus the bartender asks, his always present towel hanging on his shoulder.
"Hi Gus." Thinking of Damon, Elena orders a bourbon then drops her elbows onto the bar top, her face into her hands.
"Was it a bad accident?" Rebekah asks, rubbing her friend's back.
"Yeah, three people were dead at the scene another three we had a hard time getting out of the vehicles. Luckily there were no children but it was still hard, Bex," Elena mentions.
"Did Damon find you?"
"No, I haven't seen him since early this morning. Why?"
"He showed up at the hospital looking for you. He looked more than a little frazzled."
"Really? I thought he would be there when I got back," Elena mentions, her voice trailing off when Gus hands her the bourbon. Just as she puts the glass to her mouth, she feels a hand on her shoulder. Stopping in her tracks, Elena turns her eyes, relaxing when she sees that it's Brady.
"Hi Brady. Do you know where Damon is?"
"Yeah I do, Elena. Um, he shipped out on the Yorktown earlier today.
"What?!"
"He tried to find you but he didn't have enough time. He had to get to the ship."
"Oh God," Elena mumbles, her eyes widening in shock. Unable to speak for several moments, Elena just stares at Brady. Finally finding her voice, she asks him, "Do you know where he's going or how long he'll be gone?"
"I have no idea, Elena, none. Damon literally didn't have time to tell me anything. He asked me to give you a message though."
"What is it, Brady?" Elena asks.
"Come, you look exhausted. I'll walk you home so I can tell you in private." Nodding, Elena swallows down her bourbon.
"I'll be home in about an hour," Rebekah adds when Elena gets off of the stool.
"Sure," Elena whispers, picking up her bag and walking out with Brady, his hand pressing against her lower back, nudging her outside. The two of them walk in silence till they reach Elena's barracks. Although Elena isn't in the military, she and Rebekah work for the American Red Cross so their housing is near the military facilities on the island.
"What did he want to tell me, Brady?" Elena asks. Digging in her bag, she pulls out the key and opens her door. Stepping inside, Elena gestures for Brady to sit down.
"He asked me to tell you that he loves you."
"I love him too. God, I hate this," Elena says, dropping onto the bed, her face in her hands as her tears start to fall. Seeing her so distraught tugs at Brady's heart. Since Damon is his best friend, he vows to himself that he'll keep her safe. Standing up, Brady walks over to pull her into a hug. Her body is shaking as big ugly tears fill her eyes and fall unbidden down her cheeks.
"Do you want me to stay with you till Rebekah gets back?" Brady whispers, his lips next to her ear.
"I hate that he's gone. How did it happen so fast?"
"I don't know anything, Elena. Like I said, he literally did not have time to explain anything to me."
"All I know is that someone stopped at his room this morning and told him that Admiral Nimitz wanted to see him. That must've been when he found out."
"I would assume so," Brady adds, releasing her from the hug. "I can stay till Rebekah comes if you want. I mean, I haven't known Damon all that long but already he's my best friend," Brady mentions, giving Elena a sad smile.
"He's a really good guy. You can go, Brady. Rebekah will be here soon. It's just a shock you know?"
"I do. I'll go then." Standing up, he walks away, turning around just after opening the door a crack. "Please call me if you need anything. He'd want me to look after you."
"Thank you, Brady. I will. Goodnight now," Elena says, reaching up to wipe her still moist eyes. After giving Elena a terse nod, Brady steps out of her room, leaving Elena alone to deal with her grief.
Damon watches as the Yorktown's fighters and torpedo bombers line up to take off in search of the Japanese carriers. Manning the infirmary, Damon watches from the flight deck as his shipmates hop into their planes. It's a beautiful day, the sky is sunny and full of clouds. Everywhere the eye can see, all Damon sees the vast open ocean. When one of the flight persons tells him to step back, Damon nods and gets out of the way, his eyes glued to the planes as one takes off after the next. Their mission is to head off the Japanese fleet at Midway. If they break our defenses here, they could eventually invade mainland America. The men are dedicated to stop that from happening. As the day wears on, the men don't hear much of the battle yet. Listening over the wireless, the crew hears that many of the planes from Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown have missed their marks. Damon thinks back to their meeting with Admiral Fletcher this morning as the mighty aircraft carrier was steaming forward over the vast expanse of ocean to get into position with the other carriers at a location that Admiral Nimitz deemed as 'Point Luck'.
One of the codebreakers, Joe Rochefort, who is responsible for the Pacific fleet's radio intelligence unit in Pearl Harbor is why they're here right now. He deciphered a cable in which the Japanese referred to Midway as AF. They sent out a fake cable about some menial problem at Midway. And when it came across as AF having water problems, Capt. Rochefort was certain that Japan had Midway in it's sights.
According to what Admiral Fletcher told the men, Midway is to be a decisive episode in the struggle for Japanese naval hegemony in the Pacific Ocean. The Battle of the Coral Sea, which had taken place only a month earlier has stopped the Japanese Pacific expansion temporarily. Now Japanese admiral Isoruko Yamamoto wants to force a decisive clash in the Pacific before US industrial power is fully mobilised against Japan. His chosen location was Midway Atholl, a small and solitary archipelago northeast of Hawaii.
The admiral also told the men that Yamamoto knows that the US will defend Midway to the bitter end. Having attended Harvard University and also having worked in Washington DC for a time, Yamamoto knows Americans well. If the archipelago falls, Hawaii will fall within range of Japanese aircraft, allowing Japan to invade within a matter of weeks. Yamamoto also knows that the US's Pacific aircraft carriers will be dispatched to protect the islands. His hope is to lure them into a trap and destroy them. The Japanese occupation of Midway is also part of a plan to push out her defensive perimeter after the Doolittle Raid, which was a dramatic propaganda air attack on Tokyo launched from the carrier USS Hornet. Furthermore, the Japanese hope a decisive, humiliating and demoralizing defeat in the Pacific will force America to negotiate an end to the war on terms beneficial to Japan.
Damon knows full well that the men fighting today and in the days to come will do everything humanly possible to defend America. Knowing that there will be incoming wounded, Damon makes sure everything is ready to go in the infirmary. There are bandage materials and a supply of Morphine for pain relief. There are a few cots but Damon fears it won't be enough to hold all of the injured. Once Damon assures that everything is copacetic, he goes back to the deck of the carrier to watch as more planes take off. In addition to Damon's carrier, The combined American force consists of two other carriers, eight cruisers, fifteen destroyers, twelve submarines and three hundred and fifty three aircraft.
With Yorktown badly damaged at the Battle of Coral Sea, Admiral Nimitz directed that only emergency repairs be made in order the return Yorktown to sea as quickly as possible. As a result, the carrier departed Pearl Harbor on May 30, only three days after arriving. Coordinating with Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance's TF16 which is the USS Enterprise and the USS Hornet, The Yorktown is also in the thick of this battle.
It's June fourth and word is beginning to filter in that Yorktown's men sunk the carrier Soryu while other American aircraft have destroyed the carriers Kaga and Akagi. It's late in the day but one carrier remains that Admiral Nimitz wants them to go after which will give the US a decisive victory. Suddenly the sirens sound and the Admiral orders the men to general quarters to prepare for attack. Damon puts his helmet on and goes to man one of the ships big anti-aircraft guns. Looking at the sky, Damon notices Japanese zeroes honing in on the ship. Explosions rock the already damaged carrier, sending Damon flying backwards in a haze of smoke and fire. Shaking off his stupor, he gets up and tries to get back to the gun. Moments later Yorktown takes another direct hit causing damage to the ship's boilers, slowing their speed. The men, including Damon, move quickly to try to contain the fires and make whatever repairs that are necessary to get them underway.
The Yorktown chugs along for a couple of hours when the alarms sound again, indicating more enemy planes closing in on the carrier. Torpedo planes drop their ordinance slamming into Yorktown. Wounded and now without power, the carrier begins listing to the port side. Although Damon and the men are able to put out the fires, they're powerless to stop the flooding. With Yorktown in danger of capsizing, the men are ordered to abandon ship. A resilient Yorktown remains afloat through the night and the next day, salvage efforts begin. Damon breathes a little easier when the carrier is taken under tow by the USS Vireo and further aided by the destroyer, the USS Hammann which is providing power and pumps. Damon, now on board of the USS Hammann, hopes the effort to bring Yorktown back to Pearl will be successful.
Just as suddenly as with Yorktown, the Hammann is rocked when a torpedo slams into her hull. Hurt and losing consciousness, Damon goes into the ocean with his ship, his last conscious thought is of Elena and how much he loves her.
When word gets back to Hawaii that the Yorktown capsized and sank at 7:01 AM on June seventh, Elena is beside herself with worry. Running to the Naval headquarters, Elena nearly knocks over an officer as she barrels through the door to see if there is any news about casualties. When she's directed to that office, she tries her best to shake off the sinking feeling that is threatening to engulf her.
Sucking in a breath, she walks inside to ask about Lt. Damon Salvatore. Elena is directed to a bulletin board that lists the dead and wounded. Searching frantically, she finally finds his name. Damon's status is listed as 'Missing and presumed dead'. Feeling like she's been kicked in the gut, Elena collapses to the floor, her painful cries filling the room. For some inexplicable reason, Brady shows up and takes her into his arms, letting her cry it out.
"This doesn't necessarily mean he's dead, Elena. There's a lot of chaos in the fog of war. Don't automatically give up," Brady pleads with her. Although he feels like he got gut punched himself, Brady knows that he needs to be strong to support Elena.
"Do you really think that there's a chance, Brady, or are you just saying it to make me feel better?"
"No, I'm not just saying it for your sake. I want him alive too, Elena. I'm not ready to admit that he's dead yet."
"I'm sorry. I know how much you care about him too."
"I do care about him and if I truly believed that he was gone, I would admit that. Until they can show us some kind proof, I'm not going to give up hope."
"Okay," is all Elena can say. A part of her wants to believe everything that Brady tells her, yet another part of her feels this gnawing finality of it. Once the two of them calm down, Brady walks her back over to the hospital because word has spread that some of the ships will be arriving in Pearl with the dead and wounded. After saying goodbye to Elena, Brady goes down to the docks to see if any of the boats are beginning to make berth.
The next few days pass in a blur for Elena. The hospital is incredibly busy. There's also all the outside noise with planes flying over head to protect them should anymore enemies try to attack. This is emotionally trying for all of the hospital staff. Soon the survivors of the battle were brought into the hospital. The most seriously wounded patients were brought in on litters, with other wounded arriving in different vehicles. There aren't enough ambulances here to bring all the injured to the hospital so civilians are joining in to help with the effort. Casualties are in rather bad shape, having had only first aid treatment. Many have been shot, having engaged the Japanese in the air. Since the number of doctors is limited, Elena and the other nurses had to rely on their skills and take the initiative. Always on the alert for symptoms of shock and hemorrhage, the nurses work tirelessly to save as many of the injured as they can and provide comfort to those in their last moments. Overburdened and understaffed, Elena and some of the other nurses have so many patients to take care of, it's a wonder that they can still stand. Feeling helpless and frustrated because her patient load is overwhelming, Elena struggles to give each man the care and attention that he deserves.
When things finally calm down, Elena drops into a chair, the stress of the last several days finally catching up to her. Dropping her face into her hands, tears start to fill her eyes. The only thing Elena wants is for Damon to take her into his strong arms and tell her that everything will be okay. After trying to destress for several minutes, Elena finally composes herself and gets up to make one final check of her patients before leaving the hospital. Satisfied that there is enough staff on duty right now to give the soldiers proper care, Elena gathers her purse and leaves the hospital. Just as Elena steps outside, she turns around when she hears someone calling her name. She relaxes when she sees that it's Brady. The momentary relief turns to dread when she sees the look on her friend's face.
"Brady?"
"We have to talk, Elena." Taking her arm by the elbow, Brady leads her away from the hospital's entrance.
"What is it? What did you find out?" she asks, the pitch of her voice high as fear begins creep into every cell in her body.
"I talked to a couple of soldiers today. They both saw Damon go into the water. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Brady tells her, his own eyes red and moist.
"No, you... you told me not to give up," Elena blurts out, recoiling in fear. With her legs unable to hold her weight and with overwhelming grief crashing into her like a freight train, Elena's vision blurs just before she collapses. Brady barely reaches her in time to catch her fall. Picking her up, Brady carries Elena to his car. Once she's safely inside, he takes her back to her barracks. Grateful that Rebekah is there, he lifts her once more and carries her into her room, laying her gently on the bed.
"What happened?" Rebekah asks, rushing over to her friend.
"We found out that Damon didn't make it."
"No, Brady," Rebekah says, her eyes darting from Brady and then back to Elena. Knowing full well the level of exhaustion that Elena must feel, Brady is certain that she'll be asleep for some time. Since there really isn't anything that either of them can do to ease Elena's pain, Rebekah crawls onto the bed and pulls Elena into her arms. Brady pulls a chair close to the bedside and drops into it. Finally the weight of the day catches up to him as well. And although he tries to fight it, Brady can feel tears forming in his own eyes. It doesn't take long for Rebekah and Brady to join Elena in her slumber.
With no word on whether Damon's body has been recovered, it's been a long several days for Brady. As busy as he's been with hospital chores, Brady hasn't even been able to cobble together a few moments to check on Elena. As Brady walks towards the USO building wanting to bury himself in alcohol and a woman, suddenly sirens start to erupt, breaking the peace of the night air. Looking around, Brady sees one fire truck after the next speeding down the road that leads to the hospital. Thinking the unthinkable, Brady abandons his plans, grabs one of the base jeeps and takes off towards the hospital. What he sees next feels him with a deep visceral sense of dread because he knows that Elena usually always works on Friday nights. As soon as he gets close enough, he tries to run into the burning building but the MP's stop him in his tracks. One wing of the building is completely engulfed in flames, Elena's work area, Brady realizes. In shock and with nowhere to turn, he pushes his fears to the back of his mind so he can offer assistance to the wounded.
By the time the fire is extinguished, the dead and dying number in the dozens. Unable to comprehend such carnage, he works till he nearly collapses himself. When he can't push himself any farther, darkness blurs his senses causing Brady to collapse in a heap on the floor.
Having developed pneumonia and lapsed into a coma, Damon finally awakens in an unfamiliar hospital. Feeling around on his chest for his dog tags, he comes up empty handed. It takes some effort but Damon finally leans his weight on his elbow so he can see if he recognizes anything at all when he looks out of the window. Still searching for his dog tags, he shuffles through the drawer at his bedside. Coming up empty again, a frustrated Damon collapses back onto the mattress. It's obvious to him that he's in a hospital but he has no idea where. Somehow finding the strength, Damon throws his legs over the bedside and sits upright. With his head swimming, Damon bunches up the sheets in his fists till the dizziness passes. Taking several deep breaths, Damon can finally see clearly. Gingerly, he puts one foot and then the other on the floor. Using the furniture for support, Damon gets to the door. Pulling it open, he steps into the hall to look around. When he sees a nurse's desk down the hall, Damon slowly inches his way down there, using the railing on the side of hallway to steady his steps.
"What are you doing out of bed?" One of the nurses asks, jumping out of her chair to help him.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital. Now lets get you back to your room."
"Am I back in Hawaii?"
"Yes, Lt."
"Elena, has Elena come to see me?"
"Um, sir, we don't know who you are. Your face was bandaged till yesterday plus you had no identification on you when you were plucked from the ocean."
"My dog tags. Where are they?"
"Like I said, they weren't on you when they pulled you from the water."
"Where is Elena? I need to see Elena now," Damon pleads, his eyes darting all around in his frenzied state.
"If you can tell us who you are, maybe I can help you," the nurse explains. "Do you know who you are?"
"I'm Lt. Damon Salvatore. Please, I need to see Elena," Damon repeats, raking his hand through his still shorn hair.
"Okay, Lt. Salvatore, I'll see what I can do but first we need to get you back to bed," the nurse insists, offering her hand so he can use if for leverage.
"I am a doctor you know," Damon mumbles in frustration.
"Not right now you aren't. Right now you're my patient and you're going to go back to bed," the nurse insists, not taking no for an answer.
Knowing it's futile to keep arguing, Damon nods, accepts her help and the two of them slowly walk back to his room. Damon explains to her what happened. After reassuring him that she'll try to find his Elena, she insists he lay back down. Sighing, he finally agrees. Once on the bed, the nurse covers him up and leaves him alone with his thoughts, find Elena the only thing that he can think about.
Beside himself because he hasn't been able to reach either Elena nor Brady, Damon is relieved beyond measure when he is finally well enough to be discharged. As soon as he sets foot outside the hospital door, he hurries to the airport so he can get back to Pearl. It's been eight long weeks since he's seen or heard from her.
Once he lands, Damon hurries over to Elena's barracks. When no one answers, Damon see that the curtain is agape. Peeking inside, a gasp leaves Damon's mouth when he sees that the room is bare. A sense of dread starts building inside his belly. Swallowing thickly, he drops his bags off at his barracks then hurries over to the hospital. Stunned when he sees the fire damage, Damon goes to look for his superior officer. Although Damon's singular focus is on finding Elena, Damon has to sit quietly while the CO gives him instructions to come back to work. Damon is so edgy and anxious by the time he finishes that he practically leaps out of the man's office. Before leaving the hospital, Damon asks around to see if Brady is around.
Not recognizing a lot of the faces here, Damon leaves to go over to the USO building. Walking in, finally Damon sees someone that he knows. Without wasting anymore time, Damon walks quickly over to the bar, taking the stool beside Ric.
"Damon?!"
"Why are you looking at me as if you seen a ghost?"
"We thought you were dead."
"What?!" Damon asks incredulously, his mouth dropping open.
"Yeah, you were listed as missing, presumed dead. You didn't come back?"
"Do you know where Brady and Elena are? I've looked everywhere," Damon asks, deflating visibly.
"Brady shipped out a few weeks ago."
"And Elena?"
"There's no easy way to tell you this, Damon... Um.."
"Spit it out, Ric."
"Elena and Rebekah died in the hospital fire."
"No, you're wrong," Damon yells, pain flooding every cell in his body.
"I'm sorry, Damon."
"No," Damon yells, giving Ric a shove. Raising his eyes to his friends, Damon can see the naked truth buried in them. Unable to cope with such acute devastation, Damon feels his knees weakening. Ric notices too because he helps Damon to a chair. Although everything in him is screaming not to believe that she could be gone, Damon drops his face into his hands, a deep mournful cry leaving his lips.
The next few weeks go by in a blur as Damon struggles to come to terms with what he lost. Although he wants nothing more than to be with Elena, Damon knows if he did something as crazy as killing himself that she would never forgive him. After giving it much thought, Damon asks to be transferred.
Damon next finds himself in the Solomon Islands in 1943. Here he meets and becomes friendly with Lt. John F. Kennedy. Having volunteered, Damon is among the men who went out and searched for him when his PT 109 went missing. Lt. Kennedy's PT boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer, slicing it in two. The destruction so massive that the other American PT boats assumed the crew to be dead. The survivors are found several days later, eleven of the thirteen crewmen survived including Lt. Kennedy.
After leaving the Solomon Islands, Damon participates in the landing at D-Day. Although he doesn't storm the beach, he helps with the grievously wounded and dying. Damon knows that he will never forget how ocean water ran red with the blood of the injured and the dead. If that wasn't bad enough, Damon is also at the bloody battle of Okinawa where the American casualties total over twelve thousand. Severely injured when the hospital is bombed, Damon survives but has to walk with a cane due to a crushing injury to one of his legs. Because of it, Damon is given an honorable discharge in June of 1945. With the war over for him and no longer having Elena to go back to, Damon goes home to South Dakota to try to get his life in order. At first he sets up a small medical practice in Rapid City. On one of his free days, Damon drives over to Mt. Rushmore to see the mountain carving. Still in progress, it's estimated to be completed in the next couple of years. It is quite spectacular to see up close and personal, Damon tells his father.
Although Damon dates casually, no one fills his heart and sets his blood on fire the way Elena did. Knowing that it isn't fair to string any woman along when his heart will always be with her, Damon closes his practice to move back to Hawaii because that's where his heart lies. If he can't be with her in the physical sense at least he can be with her emotionally is how Damon explains it to his parents. Even though they don't necessarily agree with his decision, they support their son fully, even going so far as to fly back to Hawaii with him till Damon is back on his feet again.
Damon is offered a job at the same hospital. Knowing Elena died here is a tough pill to swallow but since he knows how much she loved her job, Damon holds onto that part of her. Sometimes when he walks by little Lonnie's room, he can still see Elena comforting the boy as he took his last breaths.
Sitting up in bed, Damon reaches for his shoes and socks. Glancing behind him, the woman is still sleeping. He hopes to get out of her apartment before she wakes up. Even though Damon has tried to find love again, it's simply not possible. Once his shoes are on, Damon stands up, reaches for his cane and ever so carefully tries to escape. But before he reaches the door, Damon trips on her cat when it runs under his legs. The woman wakes up when Damon crashes to the floor. Cursing loudly, he shoos the cat away before reaching for his cane.
"Damon, what's going on?"
"I tripped on your damn cat," Damon snaps, trying to stand up.
"It's early. Why are you leaving?"
"I have to go to work."
"That's not it and you know it. When are you going to let her go?" Pearl sneers in frustration.
"I can't, Pearl. I told you that I was broken before we ever started this, whatever this is?" Damon says, using his hand to gesture between the two of them.
"In case you've forgotten, the woman is dead. You've been to the hospital's memorial. How long are you going to cling to her ghost?"
"Until the day I die," Damon spits. Finally on his feet, Damon grabs his cane and stalks off as fast as his damaged body will carry him.
Unable to deal with her memories of Damon, Elena and Rebekah ask to be and are transferred to Europe to help with the war effort there. The days are long and the nights short but Elena is happy to have the distraction. Every time she lets her mind drift to Damon, her emotions overwhelm and cripple her. With Rebekah at her side, they spend time working all over Europe, anywhere they're needed to help nurse the soldiers injured in battle. They are with General Patton's Third army in Belgium. During the Battle of the Bulge, in December the nurses are so close to the fighting that the patients had to be evacuated. They are just about to evacuate the nurses too when the Germans retreat which allow them to stay and do their jobs. The casualties would come in so fast that the nurses start blood transfusions, which only doctors have done before. Whatever needs to be done is done by everyone. There is no limit. Both Elena and Rebekah know the two of them would never forget their battlefield nursing experience.
In France, the Tenth Field Hospital moved constantly, following the troops fighting the Battle of the Bulge. The nurses move from buildings to tents, and back to buildings, depending on where the army is located. Sometimes the patients have to move from one floor to another for surgery, which is a hard job for the corpsmen. A few French nurses are attached to Elena's unit for a while. Near Saint-Avold, the Allies fire artillery shells over the building, then the German artillery land close to them, but luckily none were ever hit. One nurse is using her helmet to bathe when the firing come too close for comfort, so she dumps out the water, puts the helmet on her head, and sits there naked until the firing stops.
Patients came by ambulance and helicopter all day and night. It is overwhelming. Whenever Elena tries to rest, she can't sleep, thinking of all the wounded patients and all that needs to be done for them. There are some that she knows that she will never forget. One man has his leg amputated, and when he is told, he is so furious because he wants to die. There is little Elena can to do comfort him. Another man's jaw is nearly blown off and he needs more care than is available in the field hospital, so Elena hurriedly has him evacuated to a larger one. Some patients develop kidney failure from shock and injuries, and die because there is nothing we can do for them here.
The drinking water comes from a lister bag. Purification tablets have to be dissolved in it which gives it a strong taste of chlorine. The nurses are allowed one canteen of water each day. Lemon crystals can be added from the K rations to give it a little better flavor. Elena and Rebekah lose a lot of weight while overseas due to the rationed food portions. Elena remembers one day that she, Rebekah and a couple of their colleagues walked along a country road in search of some normal food. Because Rebekah could speak French, the group made a deal with a farmer's wife for some fresh vegetables and pork chops. Taking them back to the tent, the girls made a fire on the ground and made themselves a stew. Although the women had been warned about contaminated food, it smelled too good to let it go to waste so it was eaten.
Not long after while waiting to move into a liberated Paris, the nurses receive orders to proceed in a truck convoy. The unit is the first hospital to enter Paris. The executive officer asks that Elena ride in the lead jeep with him. As such, Elena becomes the first American nurse to enter the city of light.
Right after D-Day in June 1944, a group of nurses, including Elena and Rebekah are sent to France, landing on Utah Beach. While in France, Elena will never forget the 88 mm artillery shells flying right over our heads. It is unsettling but this is war. There are many patients, including French soldiers and civilians. The group travels by convoy. Once the truck driver picks up a hitchhiker carrying a gunny sack over his shoulder. The driver asks what is in the sack, and he explains that he is part of the French underground and is taking the remains of his buddy back home. He departs near Lyon with his burden.
In Strasbourg they are housed in university buildings. The Germans leave behind patients who could not be moved, so we have to care for them. A few German doctors and nurses are taken captive, and Elena is startled once to hear a nurse reporting, "Heil Hitler," before the girls leave the building one day. Elena remembers one boy who is brought in by the soldiers. He is mortally wounded and all Elena can do is hold him in her arms till he passes, much like she did with Lonnie on that night so long ago.
Upon the return home, Elena brings with her valuable skills and experiences, increasing her professional status and self-esteem of the nursing profession. The skills she learned in field and evacuation hospitals taught Elena to become proficient in taking the initiative, making quick decisions, and adopting innovative solutions to a broad range of medical-related problems. Elena learned organizational skills by moving and setting up field and evacuation hospitals while following the troops and had developed teaching and supervisory skills while training the corpsmen under her command. Paperwork no longer intimidates her as circumstances have forced her to deal with increasingly complex administrative chores. As an nurse, the war experience forces Elena to grow professionally and gives her the self-confidence and opportunity to pursue her career when she and Rebekah return to the United States. Elena comes home to a society that is ready to accept nurses as professional members of the United States health care system. Because of Elena's stellar work record under sometimes horrific conditions, she is immediately offered a top job with the local chapter of the American Red Cross.
"Elena, Matt is here, dear," her mother yells from the foot of the stairs. Looking at the ring on her left fourth finger, Elena sighs. The weight of it feels wrong, it's ostentatious and gaudy and not what Elena would have chosen had she, God forbid, had been allowed to choose her own engagement ring. But because her parents are snobs, Matt, wanting to please Elena's mother, buys her rock that weighs down her hand. Standing up from where she was sitting on the foot of the bed, Elena takes Damon's picture and tucks it safely into her lingerie drawer. Even though Damon died, she can't seem to let go of his memory. Worn down by the weight of her parents constant prodding and wanting it to end, Elena agreed to go out with Matt Donovan. The two of them have been together for nearly eighteen months now with Matt asking her to marry him about twelve weeks ago.
Even though Elena does love Matt, he's been good to her, she can admit to herself that it's not the same overpowering love that she felt for Damon. On the anniversary of Damon's death, Matt found Elena in a state of complete meltdown. It was then that Elena told him all about Dr. Damon Salvatore. The man is a saint because he was kind and understanding and everything that Elena would want a husband to be. His only fault being that he's not Damon.
Between her parents and Matt pushing from every direction for her to pick a wedding date, Elena can't seem to do it. If she marries Matt, Elena feels she'll truly have to let Damon go. The thought is too painful for Elena to even consider. When she hears footsteps on the stairs, Elena pushes the drawer closed so her mother won't see Damon's picture. The woman would be apoplectic if she knew that Elena was still pining for a dead man.
"Elena, did you hear me? Matt is here," her mother asks, peeking in when she opens Elena's bedroom door.
"Yes, mother. I heard you. I was just on my way down," Elena says to placate her.
"We're going to set a date today."
"Mother, it's my wedding. It should be Matt and me who set the date. Not you and father," Elena snipes, crossing her arms over her chest.
"That is enough young lady. Now let's go downstairs and pick a date." Realizing that it's pointless to argue with her, Elena shakes her head and dutifully follows her mother downstairs. Walking over to Matt, Elena gives him a kiss on the cheek, links her hand with his and then takes a seat on the couch. While her mother is prattling on, there's a knock on the door. For whatever reason, Elena's mind drifts back to the last time she saw Damon. There was a knock on his barracks door. As soon as he closed the door, Elena gave him a kiss and then left to go back to her room. It was the morning after the most spectacular night of her life so far.
"Elena what about June seventh?" her mother asks, completely oblivious.
Recoiling visibly, Elena shakes her head back and forth vigorously. "How dare you even suggest that date?" Elena snaps, flying off of the couch.
"What's wrong with the date?"
"That's the day Damon died."
"Elena, you knew him for five minutes. For heaven's sake," the woman scoffs, making light of Elena's feelings. Seeing how this is affecting Elena, Matt stands up to pull her into his arms. "Look Miranda, Elena and I will choose a date. I'm going to take her out for awhile," Matt tells her. After sharing a look with Elena, Matt grabs her jacket, drapes it over Elena's shoulders and then the two of them leave the house. It's a beautiful Spring day but still a little nippy outside. Taking Elena's hand, Matt leads her down the sidewalk and to the little park a couple of blocks from where Elena's parents live. Head of the local Red Cross, Elena spends most of her time there rather than at home with her parents. There is a little house that she and Matt have had their eye on but haven't made any offer on it yet. Matt leads her over to the park bench where he tells Elena to have a seat.
"Do you want to tell me what that was really about?"
"Matt, we can't get married on the day he died. I can't do that to him, to his memory."
"I understand that. Miranda was daft to even suggest it but Elena, Damon isn't coming back," Matt adds. At wit's end, Matt struggles to understand the pull a dead man still has on his fiancé.
"Matt, I need to do something. Will you trust me?"
"What is it?"
"I want to go back to Hawaii to say goodbye to him. I didn't get the chance to do that in 1942. Rebekah and I were shipped off to Europe before his body was found. Honestly, I don't know if his body was ever recovered but I need to go back to get some sort of closure. Can you do that for me?"
"I'll be honest, I don't like the idea but if this is something that you feel you need to do to finally move past him, then yes, I won't fight you but I'd prefer it if you didn't go by yourself."
"I can ask Brady to go with me. Damon was his best friend."
"Alright Elena. I trust you. When will you leave?"
"As soon as I can make arrangements," Elena tells him, grateful to have found such an understanding man.
"Let's go home then. I love you, Elena," Matt tells her, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"I love you too, Matt. Thank you for understanding. This is really important to me."
"I know. Come on, the sooner you get this over with, the sooner we can plan our wedding."
"Indeed," Elena agrees. Lacing her fingers with his, Elena and Matt go back to her parent's house to break the news to them.
Pulling into the airport parking lot, Matt stops the car then steps out. After taking Elena's suitcase out of the trunk, Matt offers her his hand and the two of them walk into the airport. The weather is warming up, the sun is bright and hot today. Elena seems distant to him but Matt knows that she must be a little on edge about this since she hasn't been in Hawaii since she left to go to Europe. Matt is very proud of Elena and all she accomplished during the war. The stories she has told him are nightmarish but some are miraculous too. Stepping inside of the airport, Matt and Elena head for to the airline counter to check her in. Once Elena is confirmed on the flight, they walk towards the gate that the plane departs from. With nothing to do but wait till the plane boards, Elena and Matt sit down. Picking up a magazine, Elena starts to thumb through it, looking up when she hears someone say her name.
"It's so good to see you, Elena," Brady says, walking over to Elena. Standing up, Elena gives him a hug.
"It's been a long time, Brady. I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Matt."
"I'm happy to meet you, Matt."
"You too, Brady. Take care of my girl, okay?"
"Absolutely. I actually want to say goodbye to Damon too. I left Pearl not long after Midway so I never found out if his body was ever found."
When the boarding call for their flight comes across the overhead speaker, Elena gives Matt a kiss and a hug before waving goodbye. Matt watches till Brady and Elena disappear into the plane. Taking a seat, Matt's thoughts are all over the place about Elena making this trip. Although he has his doubts, Matt knows Elena will never fully be his until she says goodbye to Damon once and for all. There is also a part of him that feels jealous knowing that Brady can share this with Elena and he cannot. And another part of him wonders if Elena will ever truly be over the man. Matt has caught her clutching his photo to his chest more times than he cares to mention. Despite everything, Matt has tried to be understanding of Elena's feelings but there's only so much a man can take. A sense of helplessness engulfs him because the only thing that he can do right now is hope that Elena will come back to him a free woman, one who isn't held hostage to her memories of another man.
When they arrive in Hawaii, Brady and Elena take a taxi to the hotel. Once Elena is settled in her room and Brady in his, they leave to get something to eat. Since they've been flying for about twelve hours, both Elena and Brady are on the brink of exhaustion. After eating, Elena tells Brady goodnight and goes into her motel room to take a shower and crawl into bed. After making a few calls, Elena finds out that Damon's body was never found. She and Brady are going to go to the military cemetery tomorrow. Even if he isn't interred there, Damon's shipmates are probably the closest that she can get to him. Brady suggests hiring a boat to take them out to sea to drop a wreath into the ocean. Elena likes that idea too so the two of them plan to do both. With fatigue about to consume her, Elena strips out of her clothes, showers and then crawls into bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.
"Damon, they're beautiful," Elena gushes, taking the bouquet of Hawaiian purple flowers. Gently touching the petals with her fingertips, Elena is mesmerized by the pretty bluish lavender color. "What's the occasion?"
"No occasion, I just wanted to give you something pretty," Damon says, pulling her into his arms, pressing a torrid kiss to her lips.
"You can greet me like this anytime," Elena squeals when Damon starts to tickle her. Before Elena can even blink, the two of them are naked. A startled gasp leaves her lips when Damon starts to nibble on her delicate flesh. Moments later, Elena is spontaneously combusting, spewing all kinds of nonsense as her body trembles and quakes. With a smug look on his face, Damon crawls up her body and positions himself between her legs. Just as she feels Damon's tip brushing against her core..
A knock on her hotel room door startles Elena out of her slumber. Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, Elena stands up, slips on her robe and then answers her door. "Morning," Elena says, stepping aside so Brady can come in.
"Did you sleep?" he asks, taking a seat.
"Yes, I slept like rock but since we were both running on fumes... how about you?"
"Me too. I need some coffee and something to eat."
"Let me take a quick shower and then we'll go." Elena pulls some clothes out her suitcase before disappearing into the bathroom. Once Elena is dressed and ready, she and Brady go to find a restaurant. Finding one across the street from the hotel, the hostess directs them to a table and hands each a menu. When the waitress arrives with coffee, Elena and Brady place their orders. While waiting for the food to be delivered, Elena sips on her coffee, her mind on Damon as she stares out of the window, watching people as they walk down the sidewalk.
"Matt seems like a nice guy?" Brady asks, taking a big swallow of his coffee.
"Yeah, he is. He's been incredibly understanding. Honestly if our situations were reversed, I don't know if I could be as great as he's been."
"I'm happy for you. Do you think this will give you the closure that you need?"
"I hope so. I mean, I don't want to forget but I can't cling to his ghost forever. It's not fair to Matt. Damon, the moment I met him, it was like I was swept up in current, I was consumed by it. I've never felt anything like that before or since. I know that I love Matt but it's not the same. A part of me knows I'm a lousy girlfriend but the rational part of me knows that I have to let him go."
"I understand, Elena. I really do. I have other friends but none of them consumed me, your words, like Damon did. He was truly a great guy."
"Indeed," Elena starts to say when the waitress shows up with their breakfast. After they finish eating, Brady leaves a tip. "Why don't we go to the hospital first? They built a memorial for the fire victims because many couldn't be identified. I'd like to pay my respects," Brady adds, his focus on her.
"I'd like that," Elena agrees. Brady flags down a taxi, telling the driver to take them to the hospital. When they arrive, Elena gives the driver a tip. Taking a deep breath, Elena steels her nerves and takes Brady's hand when he offers it to her. Together the two of them walk into the hospital, memories bombarding Elena's mind as soon as she sets foot inside the building. Looking around, she takes a shuddering breath. Even though there's nothing of Damon's here, just the fact that the two of them spend so much time here gives her a modicum of comfort. Stopping at the information desk, Elena asks the woman were the memorial is. After thanking the woman, the two of them walk through the building till they reach the entrance to the hospital patio and gardens. With her hand firmly in Brady's, Elena pushes the door open and steps back into the sunshine. The gardens are beautiful. Native Hawaiian flowers are all over along with palm trees and benches so patients can come outside to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Looking around, Brady points to the stone memorial a short distance away. A man is standing there, his back to them, a cane in his right hand for support.
Feeling a cryptic surge of adrenaline, Elena drops Brady's hand and runs over to the man. Unable to breathe, she places her hand on his shoulder. Feeling all the familiar sparks detonating, Elena's breath hitches and her ears roar with the sound of her blood sloshing through her veins. It's only then that the man slowly turns his head and for the first time in seven long and incredibly painful years, blue eyes meet brown.
Thank you so much, Eva. I can't begin to tell you how much you mean to me.
And wow, a Massive thank you to all of you as well. Aside from not wanting to let go of DE just yet, you all are the reason why I keep plugging away here.
Chapter title: 'Once Upon a December' from the animated movie, 'Anastasia'.
Please give my other in progress stories a look too. 'Turn the Page', 'Nothing Left to Fear' and 'The Dating Game'.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, this story. Part three is even longer and is brimming with DE.
Yes, President John F. Kennedy did serve heroically in the Solomon Islands during WW2. There is a movie from the 1960's, PT 109, starring Cliff Robertson as JFK. It is about President Kennedy's exploits during the war and is very good. I've seen it many times.
Please remember to *REVIEW*
As always, be safe and have a wonderful day and we'll see you when I post part 3.
