All's Fare in Love and War

Chapter 3:

In Depth

Zatanna hadn't talked to Dick since that morning but she'd have to eventually considering she was his assigned nurse. Needing some air after only one day, she went for a walk in the village. It was quaint with children playing on the paths but, yet again, the army's presence ruined it. Zatanna watched as two young soldiers tried to flirt with two girls. She didn't like the way the girls were cowering and she stormed forward.

"Hey! Whatcha think ya doin'?" she asked them in a strict voice.

"Another one, ay? Well, I'd say this is my lucky day," said one of the young soldiers "What's your name, sweetheart,"

"None of ya business! It looks to me that these young ladies would like to leave unaccompanied by you two. You've got 5 seconds before I get angry!" Zatanna said "1... 2... 3... 4..." they just looked at her with expressions that showed they weren't taking her seriously "5! You asked you for!"

Zatanna took hold of one of the soldier's wrists and pinned it in between his shoulder blades. He squeeked in pain and his friend ran off.

"You're a sorry excuse for a soldier! I doubt you've even been deployed yet!" she hissed at him before pushing him away.

He stumbled and fell to the ground before scrambling away. Zatanna was still boiling mad but took a deep breath before addressing the two girls she had just saved. "Girls" wasn't really accurate as they seemed either the same age if not older than her.

"I'm Megan Morse, this is Raquel Ervin and you are?" the redhead asked.

"Zatanna Zatara, I'm working at Stinson Manour as a nurse," said Zatanna.

"Stinson Manour? I'm a kitchen maid there!" Megan exclaimed "You must have only just arrived! Raquel, here, works in the factory two towns over. We've been in England for 6 months now,"

Zatanna smiled as Megan continued to go on and on and on. She looked at Raquel, who gave her a look that meant this was normal for Megan. Raquel was African-American with one of those modern pixie cuts and Megan had auburn hair and matching auburn eyes.

"You know, at midnight every night, me and my friend, Artemis, get a midnight snack in the kitchen. You should join us tonight," Megan said.

Zatanna thought about it. It would be nice to talk things out while she waited for her father to reply. Why not?

Dick stared directly upwards as he lay back in bed with his arms crossed behind his head. The ceiling was the most interesting thing in the room currently. He could still hear the roar of the explosion and the burning numbness of when the shrapnel entered him. Dick was all about mechanics and inventions. He had joined the army to work in communications but a mix up with his files got him on the front lines. That wasn't the most painful part though... during those moments of blinding light and sudden numbness he had heard a voice singing. The voice he recognized as his deceased mother's when she sang him to sleep when he was young. To hear her sweet voice again after 10 years only to suddenly find himself bleeding and broken surrounded by the bodies of his fellow soldiers... it was torturous.

"I wonder how everyone else is?" Dick wondered aloud.

He remembered the tears Selina had shed and the proud (yet worried) look on Bruce's face the day he left. Helena had been standing in silence with a pout on her 7-year-old face. Jason had grudgingly wished him luck since he had wanted to enroll but was "too young" to at age 16. Tim had been so worried and made him promise to come back in one piece. And Alfred? Alfred had fought in World War I about 30 years ago and had given Dick his *1914-15 Star and his (very) old pocket-sized copy of the bible to keep close. He still had those war treasures hidden under his pillow.

*The 1914-15 Star was a medal given to soldiers who served between 1914 and 1915 who hadn't already qualified for the 1914 Star.