Chapter Thirteen

What felt like several endless hours later Isabelle walked out of the tent to the fresh air. The orderlies were taking Bill to the recovery tent where she planned on sitting at his bed side until he woke up.

Dr. Hughes came out behind her, "Good work in there, Nurse Toye."

"Thank you, I am happy you were able to save the leg." She added still marvelling at what this mere man was able to accomplish in the conditions they were in.

He shrugged "Well, he will need a crutch for the rest of his life but at least it's something." He took a deep breath and then did something odd, he put his hand on her shoulder. Isabelle looked up at the older man who sometimes reminded her of her father but only ever fleetingly. "Isabelle, now we are out of surgery there is something I need to tell you-"

He was interrupted as a young GI came dashing up to them, "Are you Nurse Toye? Isabelle Toye?"

Isabelle recognized him as one of the med-Jeep drivers who ran the route to and from the front, she blinked, "Yes, I am."

He sighed, "Finally, I think I have asked every nurse here, looking for you."

"I am sorry son, but we are in the middle of something. If you wouldn't mind..." Dr. Hughes suddenly became very stern with the young man and Isabelle wondered what he had been about to tell her.

"Look, sir, I have stuff I need to get done too, just wanted to make sure you were all right, then I will be out of your hair." He stared at Isabelle, as if expecting an answer.

Isabelle glanced between the driver and Dr. Hughes, "I'm sorry all right about what?"

"What happened to your brother? Some Paratrooper wanted me to make sure you were ok or something. I'm just trying to keep my word Miss."

"Now see hear young man," Dr. Hugh bristled trying to cut the driver off but Isabelle interrupted them trying to make sense of what the young man was saying.

"My brother? Wait... What paratrooper?" Isabelle's heart stilled.

The driver shrugged, "I don't know, didn't give a name, just a pack a smokes and the request to make sure you were ok. Don't know how he thought I was gonna do that..." The last sentence was more mumbled.

"Does he have short brown hair, big brown eyes?" She asked desperately realizing just how vague a description that was. The driver nodded and Isabelle's heart leapt into her through. It had to have been George, who else wouldn't have wanted her checked on? "Did he look alright? Was he ok?"

The driver looked a little sideswiped, "As good as any of the guys out there look." The way he said it didn't bring any relief to Isabelle's heart. "Look I am sorry but I gotta go."

As the driver took off at a run back to his jeep the first part of his sentence caught in Isabelle's mind, "Wait, what about my brother?" But he was too far away to hear her. She looked at Dr. Hughes. "Dr. Hughes?"

Hughes looked immensely perturbed, "I'm sorry Isabelle, that was what I was trying to tell you. Your brother was brought in with Bill Guarnere. I wanted to wait till you were out of surgery to tell you because we really needed all hands on deck." Isabelle's heart stopped cold in her chest, Joe was brought in? "He is alive, that is what you need to know, and hold on to. Alright? He is alive and he is going home." Dr. Hughes said it firmly as if to brand that information on her brain. "But he lost a leg in the last round of heavy mortar fire they suffered." Isabelle gasped, feeling her knees go weak. Dr. Hughes instantly reached out to steady her. "He is out of surgery and everything looks as good as it possibly can. He has a hard road ahead of him, but before you go and see him you need to remember that he is alive and although he isn't whole anymore it could have been much worse for him. You need to remember that, so you can help him remember that."

Isabelle was biting hard on her lower lip trying to keep herself together. She couldn't break down, it would be worse for Joe is she started balling and screaming, which is all she wanted to do. She wanted this hateful war to be over, she wanted her brother to have never come in the first place. But he did and now he had lost his leg. Her big, strong, older brother.

She looked at Dr. Hughes desperately, "Where is he? I need to see him. Please can I see him?"

"Of course, this way."

"Dogs or cats?"

"Cats."

"Oh come on, that isn't the right answer!" Isabelle shifted in George's arms so she could turn over and look at him.

She pretended to glare, "There isn't a wrong answer to a question like that!"

He shook his head, "No, there definitely is. It's cats. Obviously." He kissed Isabelle on the forehead as they lay in bed together.

"Of course, you're a dog person." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey what is that supposed to mean?" George asked.

"On account of the fact you are so goofy-"

"Hey! I'm not goofy, just devilishly charming." Isabelle burst out laughing, "Oh you don't believe me? You will rue the day Miss Toye!" With that he tossed the comforter over his head and started attacking her body with kisses. Isabelle couldn't help but giggle and descend into happy oblivion in a Paris boarding house.

Isabelle sat up straight, shaking herself from her daydreaming as Joe started to come too. He stirred, then slowly opened his eyes coming out of the sedation. "I'm... where..."

"Joe?" Isabelle leaned forward putting her hands gently on the his arm on the bed beside her.

He looked over at the sound of her voice and did a double take, "Isabelle? Where am ..." His eyes searched the room around him.

"Joe, your in the aide station. You are probably very groggy from the medication you received." She spoke gently and calmly so as not to upset him in his disoriented state. His eyes fell on the man in the bed next to him, Bill Guarnere and it was like everything came back to him.

"Oh god," He moaned. He struggled to sit up.

"Joe, you need to rest right now, you just came out of major surgery."

"Oh god Isabelle," He looked down at the bed, his eyes falling on the dead space where his right leg used to be.

"Joe." Isabelle moved to sit on the edge of the bed by his waist taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. His face was crumbling into despair like he was about to completely fall apart. "Joe, you need to listen to me right now." His eyes met hers and she saw herself reflected back, "You are alive. You are going to be fine."

"Izz-"

"No Joe. You listen to me. You are alive. And I know right now that doesn't seem like much but it means the world to me. To our family that you are coming home. The rest is just detail we will work out together. As a family. A family that you get to see again."

He took a deep breath nodding his eyes filled with tears. "Izz, what am I gonna do?"

"I don't know Joe but I am glad we will get to figure it out." She pulled him into a tight hug and forced herself not to break down as her brother wept on her shoulder.

It had only been twenty-four hours and already Joe was about to leave. He and Bill were being taken to a military hospital closer to Paris and although Isabelle was happier he would be able to get more comfortable care, she hated to see him leave. She didn't realize, or wouldn't let herself realize, how much she missed spending time with her brother.

He had calmed down a bit, so had Bill once he woke up, Isabelle was pretty sure they were both in shock. She hadn't left Joe's side, and slept leaning against his bed.

"Oh come on, you're breaking my heart here. You know you'll be home soon, I mean you musta saved my leg just so I could take you dancing." Isabelle laughed at Bill's flirting, honestly he hadn't stopped since his pain meds had kicked in.

Isabelle felt herself blushing, "Thank you, Bill it is very flattering but I will have to decline."

"Oh come on Izz," Isabelle's head swivelled around to look at her older brother, "I mean, Bill's a great guy. A good Catholic, Pennsylvanian! You couldn't do better." Her brow furrowed as she looked at him.

"I don't know if that's a compliment, but again, I am going to have to regretfully decline."

"Oh, why?" Joe prodded. "You got someone else?" Joe said raising a teasing eyebrow.

Isabelle was so caught off guard she didn't know how to respond, instead she just went quite red.

"Oh she does!" Bill teased but all of a sudden Joe became serious.

"What? Who?" Joe snapped struggling to sit up.

Isabelle shook her head, "It's nothing Joe, we can talk about it later."

Joe was suddenly like a dog with a bone, "But there is something going on?"

Isabelle glared, "Joe, it isn't….look, we have more important things to talk about."

Bill scoffed, "Really, do you? Joe! What if he's a Marine?"

Joe looked at Isabelle from his friend with a disgusted glare, "Oh Izz, not a Marine. They let anyone in."

Isabelle rolled her eyes, "He isn't a Marine."

"So there is a someone, oh girl, you're breaking my heart." Bill moaned.

Joe's eyes were hard, "Mine too. He can't be better than Bill. Dump him."

Isabelle fixed her brother with a hard glare, "I am sure Bill is lovely, but my love life is none of your business. Besides, there isn't anything to discuss until the war is over. No point in making plans when nothing is certain." She looked down at her skirt, thinking about George and wondering if he was the one to ask the driver to make sure she was alright. He had to be.

Joe put a hand on Isabelle's knee and she looked up at her big brother, "Izz, if he knows what's good for him, he'll make it through, just to be with you."

Isabelle smiled at her brother, "Thanks Joe."

"As long as he isn't a marine." He added smirking.

Isabelle rolled her eyes, "Thanks, you were almost totally sweet." She crawled up on the bed and curled up next to Joe. He wrapped his arm around her and she rested her head on his chest.

"I wish you were coming home with me Izz," He said kissing the top of her head, just like when they were little.

"I'll be home soon. Someone has to look out for all the other boys."

"I'm proud of you, Isabelle."

"I love you, Joe."

"I love you too, Izz."