"Get used to it Kingsley, you're not top dog anymore" huffed another Nurse before she stalked off, Becca could swear she'd heard that voice before.
"Excuse me? Have we met before?" asked Becca standing in the middle of the ward but the other nurse did not turn around to face her.
"Yes, we've met before" the other nurse hissed to her.
"Where?" asked Becca "Have I wronged you?" she asked her kindly and confused, sure there was some confusion.
"No, not me" she said vaguely but still as harsh before she moved on to another patient, Rebecca noted that she too was well apt at her job, but she could swear she'd seen her face before, shaking her head she carried on checking, monitoring, cleaning and making small talk.
Finishing her shift, she made her way to the sleeping quarters at the opposite side of the road.
Making her way inside she was to share a room with another nurse, Mary Jones. Finding her way to the room she found it locked despite her best attempts to get inside, her new roommate had her key. Finding her roommate glammed up and ready to go out she wished her well and sat on the edge of her bed head in hands. The room felt cold around her and her small, stiff bed seemed to laugh at her.
Dick was not having the best night he had ever had, deciding to stay in instead of going to the pub with both Harry and Lew he sat on the bed with a book. He could not concentrate. Placing a book mark in the book and the book on the bedside table he ran his fingers through his hair and over his face, looking over at the empty space next to him. "Why?" he asked himself, Becca's snap salute in his mind, he was sure there was tears in her eyes when she left, but Becca? No, Becca didn't cry. He wondered as he sat there why she didn't bade him a goodbye, why she looked so emotionless but so full of emotion. Shaking his head, he allowed himself to sleep, all too aware of the space beside him.
Uncomfortable and unable to sleep for the nattering next door she pulled herself out of bed and knocked on the door to find the face of the nurse from the ward today. "Kingsley" she said to her blocking the door frame.
"Callaghan" Becca replied, the nurse's name on the tip of her tongue, why hadn't she seen it before? This was Oliver's sister and she knew why she was angry.
"What do you want?" asked Nurse Eleanor Callaghan, her pretty face stern.
"I need your help, please" begged Becca, her smile tense, her eyes pleading, Eleanor Callaghan nodded.
"What's the problem?" she asked.
"A building fell on me" replied Becca before she couldn't see a smile on Eleanor's face she added "whilst in France, trying to get to a man nobody could get to" she said coughing at the end and looking away, Eleanor nodded and let her in the door, her eyes were sad.
Becca lifted up her top a little and Eleanor's mouth pulled into an uncomfortable line and Becca smiled at her tensely, collecting her nurses bag, they all kept one with them, she set it down and Becca shimmed her top to the bottom of her breasts whilst Eleanor tended to Becca's wounds, applying salve, antiseptic and bandages to them. Becca winced.
"Thank you, Callaghan" smiled Becca.
"My brother was in love with you" wept Eleanor, her voice was raw, and Becca's shoulder's slumped as she turned to look at Eleanor sat on the edge of the bed, her arms were folded around her "and you left him", Becca's eyes too seemed to be filling.
"I know" replied Becca her voice breaking as she said it, she refused to cry again over Oliver Callaghan.
"Why did you leave him?" asked Eleanor "why?" she said louder and almost screamed, Becca flinched.
"I had too" Becca replied, "Oliver was already under by the time I could reach him, I tried to pull him out but he told me to go before I got burnt or shot, we were under fire and suffering heavy casualties, we were never going to make it out, I couldn't disobey his order, Major Charlton was there too…"
"You heard the Captain, Kingsley, MOVE! GOD DAMN MOVE!" shouted Major Charlton as he pulled Becca away from the wreckage, Captain Callaghan had started to screech as the flames licked his skin, the smell of burning flesh in the air.
Becca looked once more into Oliver's eyes.
"Becca, get out of here, get out, save yourself" he said shouting "Becca go!" he said before he started to screech again.
Major Charlton's hand curled around Becca's arm and they started to run away. Another bomb hit next to a pile of debris, it caught fire. The debris hit Becca and the flames quickly caught on her uniform, shedding her shirt as fast as she could she was left in her half-burnt base and her scorched trousers, the black from her top and jacket marking her skin, her hair had fallen about her shoulders, her face red and the pair set off running again, faster than they ever had, quickly drenched in sweat but dehydrated they reached to trucks, swinging themselves on the back of the truck setting off. Charlton landed on top of Becca rolling her on her back to which she screamed, she rolled back on her side only to see the rest of her dead comrades laid out on the African expanse.
"JOHNSON!" shouted Charlton rattling his wide eyed second medic from his shirt lapels who nodded, shaking, starting the procedure Becca had taught him to treat burn wounds on the move and in the field. Becca's screaming and ripped top was making the ten others in the truck nervous, finally Johnson found his last syrette of morphine.
"The scar on my back, the large burn, that's what I go trying to save your brother" she said closing her eyes tight as if I would make the images leave her mind. "I know it doesn't bring your brother back, I know it won't save Oliver, but I'm sorry, I tried to save him, I did, I wouldn't have left him if I had the choice" assured Becca her hands sifting through her hair as she put her back to the wall.
Eleanor did not reply. Becca left the room.
Pulling out her diary she found a picture of Lewis, Richard and Harry stood at the top of one of the hills on the training routes. She'd swapped her standard issue cigarettes for the picture and looked at it from her bed. She ran a finger over Dick's face and brought her hand away, holding the picture close. They all looked so happy but knackered, she smiled, Lew was looking over at Harry with a laugh on his face as the two heavy drinkers were holding their thighs and Dick in the middle looked victorious over the top of them, holding his arms to show his biceps, a wide smile on his face.
"A visitor, Corporal, Major Charlton" smiled the nurse sweetly over Becca's head, cracking open an eye she shook her head.
"I don't want to see him" Becca croaked. The nurse smiled a thin line.
"He said you'd say that, only he's come from the War Office with orders, you don't have a choice" the Nurse smiled again and carried off down the ward, Becca could see Charlton looking around the ward with a distasteful look.
"It's not so pleasant if you're not an officer" remarked Becca "or a good-looking male" she winced and Charlton gave her a sincere smile.
"A pleasure to see you Corporal" he remarked awkwardly "I hope you're on the quick mend" he laughed tightly.
"Likewise, Major" she smiled before her tone dropped "what do you want?" she asked.
"For you to get out of hospital and show these bloody Americans how it's done" he chortled.
"Sir?"
"Africa was a disaster, that much is clear, the 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment ship in soon and my brass want you to join them" stated Charlton, "you're to join Easy Company, the main assault company" he added and Becca nodded, daunted. He turned to leave her bedside before turning back around "and oh, congratulations Lieutenant Kingsley, your information should be in this envelope" he winked and walked out, despite Becca's confusion she smirked.