Alright, yay for getting another chapter out before the week beings. Haha, a forewarning, things may see a little, ehh, cryptic at first, but just hang in there, and everything will make sense. Anyways, thanks so much to my super awesome reviewers, BloodUpontheRisers, Bertha Jorkins and AlishaofTroy :) I appreiciate your comments ever so much, and hope ya'll keep them coming! Your support keeps this thing going :)
Alright, hope everyone enjoys!
-Ellie
"I think I really like your roommate…" Sidney whispered, pressing his lips to Tallulah's cheek.
She rolled her eyes, as she rolled over onto her stomach feeling the scratch of the starchy sheets on her bare stomach.
"You just like her because she isn't here." Tallulah accused, wagging a finger at him.
He chuckled and pulled her atop him, and instantly she was ignited by the sensation of their bare chests sliding together.
"That's exactly why I like her."
Giggling, Tallulah fingered his dogtags that draped across his slowly rising and falling chest.
"Why do you like me?"
He gave her a scolding smile, as he brushed his fingertips through her red curls. "I don't like you... I love you."
She could feel her face flushing at his affectionate comments, comments she hadn't heard since the very end of July.
"I love you too Sidney."
He lowered his chapped lips to cover hers, and Tallulah tasted the same sensuous mixture of salt and smoke she had only hours ago.
When he finally pulled away from her, his lips upturned into an instant grin.
A whining whimper served as her objection to the severing of their connected lips.
He hopped off the bed and trotted over towards the corner where his baggy dungarees lay.
She felt naked without him, as he ambled across the tiny cabin, and she tugged the rough sheets over her body.
With an amused expression, she watched him hop around the bedroom as he attempted to pull his pants back on.
"Sidney?"
"Hmm?" His answer was distracted as he fumbled with his zipper.
"Where are you going?"
He motioned to the tiny porthole window, out of which Tallulah could see the first flecks of golden light in the grey clouds.
"Back to the Island." He noted, "Or they'll count me AWOL."
"Ain't you been AWOL this whole night?"
He gave her a devilish grin, as if he could leer the questions away. "Maybe…"
"Then what's the rush?"
Seeing that his glare wasn't shutting her up, he strode across the room and kissed her into quietness, quelling the words with the touch of his lips.
"This morning is different. I, uhh, need to be there for roll call."
"They didn't check to see who was back last night after inoculations?"
"They'll check this morning."
Scoffing, Tallulah turned from him and waved a flippant hand in the air. "Go then. I'm busy. I've got work to do."
His tanned arms wrapped around her slender, naked figure, pressed a set of kisses into her smooth shoulders.
"Liar. All your patients left yesterday."
There was that word again.
That word that had followed her around more in the Navy than anywhere else.
She was starting to suspect that there might have been something to that claim.
"I've got some work to do."
"And I've got to get back to the Island."
"Liar."
He gave her a beseeching glance, his sandy head shaking.
"Aw, Tal. Don't you be angry now."
"I ain't angry. I just wish you'd tell em why you're running off to that damn base so fast." She glanced up at him, a finger between her lips as she bit her nails. "I was gonna make you some breakfast since it's early and no one will be in the galley."
The thought of sizzling bacon, frying eggs and steaming a steaming pile of pancakes cause him to visibly wince.
But he shook his head as he attempted to plant a final kiss to Tallulah's forehead.
"I've really got to go Tal."
She plopped down on the bed and folded her arms. She didn't mean to be selfish, she wanted nothing but the best for him.
But at the back of her mind, like an annoying tap on the head, was the reminder of the pending invasion of some other atoll.
The scuttlebutt she'd heard from most of the soldiers, sailors and marines was that they'd be steaming out no later than Sunday and no sooner than tomorrow.
"You know-"
He finished shrugging on his vest, and squeezed her hand.
"I know."
Her eyebrows furrowed as she felt hot tears spring to her eyes- he obviously didn't know.
"So when will I see you again?"
"Soon." He promised, his voice drawling over the word, as if by lengthening the syllables he could lengthen their time together. "You'll see me soon."
With that, he bounded out the door, fingering the pebble in his pocket, while his eyes scanned the foyer for Hisako.
x.x.x.x
His bare feet padded against the cool concrete creating that muffled tapping which reminded him he was walking on solid ground.
He'd searched the holds of the Solace for Hisako all morning, winding through narrow passageways and jogging across the broad galley.
He desperately tried to remember anything about her appearance, which he had cared so little about during her untimely appearance in the exam room. He'd been too spellbound, too enchanted by the panting blonde he had pressed to the table, to notice anything much about the annoying intruder.
Except when he was finally able to tear his feasting eyes off Tallulah, and turn his attention to the other nurse, he was unable to isolate one standout feature or recognizable trait.
Her dark, upturned eyes, her inky black hair, he porcelain skin- it all blurred into one a recognizable effigy, and culminated in his utterance of "Jap."
He was ashamed of it now, how quickly he had been to equate black hair and black eyes with one race, and how impulsively he had categorized that race as evil. He was embarrassed at how he'd hurled the term at her, the term that named all of those bastards he'd fought on the Canal and on Gloucester, those bastards that had bombed pearl harbor, those bastards that had killed Manny, and those bastards that continually kept him an just an ocean away from Tallulah.
Hisako was just a nurse cursed with having the iconic physical traits of those Asiatic.
But it he that had failed to make the distinction.
Failed to see past something he had come to recognize and associate with the war, with the fighting, with dying.
But it he who was blinded by a fearful prejudice that had caused him to look down upon Tallulah's friend, and a Navy Nurse.
And it was he who was slowly realizing with that the war had affected him more than he would ever admit.
Sidney was jolted from his thoughts when he saw a flash of white in the corner of his vision.
He whirled around, not bothering to notice huge steel vessels that whistled and steamed all around him.
"Miss Hayashi?" He called, maneuvering past a hole in the floor from where steam spurted upwards.
The figure, that had been retreating through the humid mist which hung low like a cloud over the entire room, turned around.
"Private Phillips?"
He bounded over to her, careful to avoid the cloud of hot steam gushing from vents in the floor.
"Miss Hayashi, I've been looking everywhere for you!" He told her, extending a friendly hand.
She gave a small nod, and took his hand with an appropriate reluctance. "It's Lieutenant."
He gave an sheepish grin, exposing his teeth in an effort to extract her sympathy.
"Lieutenant Hayashi, my mistake."
"What are you doing in the boiler room?" Her eyes demanded an answer, a penance for catching up with her.
He chuckled, "Like I said, I've been looking everywhere for you."
She didn't seem amused by his joke, and removed her hand from his, uncomfortable with the perspiration pooling in their palms.
"And what can I help you with?"
He had no better way of saying it. He had no way to lead into the subject, no good transition.
So he simply leaned closer to her, and whispered.
She shrank back at his proposition, her eyes stinging from how much they had widened.
"It's illegal." Hisako muttered. "It's not permitted in the Core."
"I doubt she'd care. I bet half-"
"I don't ask."
"Would you even consider?"
"I think you should think this over Private Phillips. It's shouldn't be an impulsive decision."
"I've been thinking about it since June."
"Three months isn't much time."
"It's enough."
Hisako sighed, and drummed her fingers on a metal pole.
Sidney could see the pressure rising up inside her like it was inside the boiler.
Except the boiler could blow over, it could release the steam.
It appeared that Hisako had no such outlet.
"What would I have to do for you?"
Again, Sidney leaned closer to her and his reply was almost muted by the screaming of the release valves.
She pulled away once more, and Sid could feel her studying his face- trying to derive everything about his morals, his intentions and his character in one sweeping gaze.
Finally she looked him in the eye, and nodded. "Alright."
"Alright?" He echoed, his voice rising in excitement.
He couldn't believe he'd convinced her.
"Alright." She concluded, gesturing him away. "Now stop being AWOL on the Solace. Get yourself back to Pavavu where you belong."
He grinned his thanks, and turned to go, but lingered a moment in the doorway.
"Can I ask why are you down here Lieutenant?"
She didn't even turn back to look at him but her tired voice somehow carried through the thick bands of steam that stalked the room.
"No more questions Private…"
x.x.x.x
Eugene kicked over the oil drum, angry at the black slick that coated his forearms.
"Why the hell are we doing this anyways?" He wondered aloud, "Is anyone ever gonna use these barrels for anything other than oil anyways."
"Probably not."
Eugene turned around to face the unfamiliar voice, wanting to see its owner.
The man that stood before him was dressed like Sidney.
He only wore a stained green vest, his dogtags, and a pair of dungarees rolled up to make shorts.
He looked like every other Marine that had been here for a while, and Eugene could tell by his russet tan that he wasn't a new recruit.
But when Eugene glanced down at the man's feet, and saw him wearing a worn pair of moccasins- he instantly knew the man's identity.
He'd heard stories of this machine gunner.
But not fables of him carrying a sizzling browning through the jungle that left him with third degree burns and a Medal of Honor.
He'd heard stories of this guy writing a constant stream of letters to some girl named Vera, while fucking an aussie named Stella.
He'd heard stories of him taking back his stolen chest from an officer's tent, and dumping the Lieutenant's underwear in the mud.
He'd heard stories of him shitting out peaches.
And of course, he was the only marine that continually wore a pair of rotted moccasins he'd swiped from an Army Captain.
Reading the name screened across his vest only confirmed what Eugene had already figured out.
This was Robert Leckie.
Eugene gave him a respectful nod, and extended an oil covered hand. "Private Leckie."
Leckie eyed the younger man's outstretched hand, while digging around in his dungaree pocket.
Finally, he pulled out at pack of cigarettes, extracted two, and then dropped one into Eugene's hand.
"Have a smoke will ya?"
Eugene stared down at the cigarette in his hand, and shook his head. "Thanks, but I don't smoke."
Leckie chuckled, and rummaged round in his pocket again.
"Have a saltine…" He offered, placing a small pack of crackers in Eugene's hand.
"Thanks." Eugene said, pocketing the pack of crackers for later.
Leckie struck at his lighter and then lifted it to his cigarette. "Scrubbing drums eh?"
Eugene nodded, and glared down at the sick sludge that had wedged underneath his fingernails. "Yep. Did you ever have to?"
Leckie shook his head full of frizzy brown curls. "Nah. I got here and the fighting started."
"No time to scrub drums huh?"
"Saving Guadalcanal trumps cleaning oil barrels."
Eugene chuckled. "Ain't you in the platoon with Sidney Phillips?"
Leckie nodded. "Ain't you the kid Ack-Ack caught attacking him the other week?"
Eugene felt embarrassment flush to his face. "Old friends."
Leckie scratched his head with the same hand that held the cigarette Eugene waited for his curls to burst into nicotine flames.
"Speaking of Johnny Reb…" Leckie pondered. "Where the hell is that guy?"
Eugene shrugged. "Last time I saw him was the other day. He was heading to the Solace for a vaccine."
Snickering, Leckie stuffed the cigarette to between his lips. "Ah, that explains it. Probably found him a cute nurse of something."
Eugene's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, well, isn't he considered AWOL by now?"
Leckie snorted. "I've been AWOL since leaving Melbourne."
"Really?"
"Really. They don't even keep track anymore. They quit trying."
"So Sid could probably stay there for days?"
"Until the next invasion. As long as he shows up for combat, no one cares."
Eugene stared out at the Solace wondering what his friend was actually doing.
He wondered if there was anything good to eat.
Maybe he'd try to slip off to that boat sometime.
"Don't get any ideas Kid." Leckie warned, tapping his cigarette to release the ashes. "You're still a recruit. They care where you are."
Eugene snorted, and Leckie turned to leave.
"Where ya going?" He asked, not wanting to bend over the oil drums again.
Leckie tossed his cigarette into the hot sand. "AWOL."
x.x.x.x
Tallulah tossed a clipboard into a stack of them that had piled up on the counter in her station.
She thumbed through a few more charts, reading the upcoming ailments she would treat. "Jungle rot, enuresis, open sore, broken finger…"
An interesting lineup for the evening.
Like she had only yesterday, Hisako burst through the curtain once more.
Tallulah whirled around, and shot her roommate a smile.
"Better than last time?" She joked.
"You have your clothes on at least."
"I had my clothes on last time."
"On. But not functioning."
Tallulah broke into laughter, and the same laughter that bubbled from her mouth, sprang to Hisako's strident eyes.
Hisako took her hand, and pulled her towards the door.
"I need you to come with me."
Tallulah's red brows bent. "Where are we going?"
Hisako delivered her famously infuriating reply. "You will see."
"Really, Saki, you can't tell me where we're going?"
"Sworn to silence."
"By whom?"
Hisako said nothing, but tugged on her hand and pulled her out the door.
She spied another nurse, and pointed towards her. "Nurse Conner, please take over station five."
The girl looked horrified, but she nodded in obedience to her lieutenant. "Mam."
Hisako waved her away and commanded Tallulah to hurry.
Mystified, Tallulah followed Hisako through narrow halls and dank passageways she hadn't known existed.
After climbing up sets upon set of vertical stairs, the girls arrived on the stern of the ship.
"We're leaving the boat?" Tallulah asked aloud, astounded by the idea.
Hisako nodded, and Tallulah watched as a marine saluted her roommate as she strode towards the ladder.
"And we're going where?"
Hisako gave her a smile that almost glittered in the blush of the evening's light. "You will see."
x.x.x.x
"This isn't Pavuvu…" Tallulah noted, as Hisako maneuvered the little boat into the shallows of another island.
There were no barracks, no machinery, and no marines befouling the beach.
As Tallulah stared at the pure shores of this other island, she began to suspect Hisako's mission was anything but medical.
"I thought we we're going to be doing some work on the officers on Pavuv."
Hisako shook her head, cringing at the secretive information she was about to reveal. "No time. The officers are already planning for the move out tomorrow."
Tallulah's reply was a squeak- a frightened noise that dignified and stoic Hisako would have been incapable of producing.
"Tomorrow?"
Her roommate nodded, and delivered a swift response, able to face the word with either much more courage or apathy than Tallulah. "Yes tomorrow…"
Tallulah grasped to a railing on the small dingy, her fingers wrapping around anything that could anchor her against an assault of fears and doubts.
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears to stay inside the confines of her braced eyelids.
She wouldn't even get to tell him goodbye.
She wouldn't even get to tell him she loved him again.
She might not even get to see him again- let alone kiss him, hold him, talk with him, or make love to him.
She could see trails of steaming blood leading to his body, slain in the sand. She could see a bullet ripping right through his unprotected chest.
She could see a dark coffin with a flag draped over it, much like that of Denise, the dead nurse. And much like her daughter, Tallulah could see herself clawing at the casket, her nails ripping the red, white and blue fabric of the flag.
Her eyes shot open in an attempt to rid herself of his lifeless image, but still, the scenery around her reminded her of him.
She saw his smile in the curve of each cresting wave that broke over the lagoon shallows.
The golden whisps of clouds that swirled around in the sky reminded her of the breeze tousling his blonde curls. And as she stared down into the sapphire sea below her, she saw the only sort of depth that rivaled calm shallows of the lagoon, she saw the only depth of water that could possibly fathom the deepness in his blue eyes.
She watched a few children wearing nothing but their sunkissed skin dive into the ocean.
"This certaintly isn't Pavuv."
"No it isn't." Hisako replied, "This is Banika."
Tallulah's gaze swept across the sandy beach, and she blinked at a figure that stood on the shore.
"And what's on Banika?"
"Tibal peoples mostly." Hisako replied, nodding towards the children, "Not too much else."
"We're doing Malaria stuff right?" Tallulah asked, although she was tired of asking questions. Her entire conversation with Hisako had been a series of inquires that Hiskao refused to answer.
"No. We're not doing malaria pills or boosters or vaccines."
"Then what the hell are we doing?"
Hisako pulled the key from the ignition, and cut off the motor. "We're not doing anything. But you are…"
Tallulah was about to scream, to yell, to shriek, to throw herself overboard to escape Hisako's vague responses, when she saw a blonde haired boy jogging down the beach.
He wore no shirt, but had strips of white cloth wrapped around his hips to make a skirt-like garment.
As he ran strings of colorful blossoms bounced against his chest, and Tallulah couldn't help but notice his dogtags that flashed in the sunlight.
"Sidney?" She breathed in disbelief as she climbed out of the boat.
She picked up her skirt, and stumbled through the knee-deep water until she reached the sand where she flung herself into Sid's awaiting arms.
"Sidney?"
"Yes?"
"What the hell are you wearing?" She took sputtered breaths between the relentless kisses from magnetic lips neither had control over. "What are you here? What the hell are you doing?"
He seized her lips once more, fervently, before grabbing her hand.
He gave her a grin, pure joy glinting off each tooth as her stared down at her, before he dropped onto one meaningful knee in the sand.
"I'm asking you to marry me…"
Tallulah felt her knees buckling and she sunk into the sand just like he had. She pressed a hand to the bodice of her uniform, trying to feel if she still had any remains of a heartbeat.
"You're doing what?" She rasped, all her breath escaping her.
He grabbed her forearms in an attempt to regain her waning attention, so that maybe, just maybe, she would listen to his desperate sting of speech.
"I'm not going to waste another day waiting to ask you to spend every single tomorrow with me Tallulah." She stared into the unfathomable depth of his sea colored eyes, and found that they begged her to keep listening.
"I made a mistake not marrying you this summer. I made a mistake not marrying you yesterday. I made the mistake of telling myself that there was always tomorrow."
Her breathing was rapid, her chest heaving as if his words caused her an immense amount of physical exertion.
"But there isn't always tomorrow." He concluded. "If tomorrow never comes, then I want to know that I didn't wait any longer. I wanted to know that I asked you, that I showed you what you meant to me. I want to know that I didn't wait any longer."
He blinked up at her, his eyes stinging from staring up at. "I want you to know that a time has come today. A time for me to ask you something I've been dying to ask you since we got back to Mobile…" From his pocket, her produced two identical ivory colored rings. He held out the smooth band to her, blinking against the harsh hues of the sunset that had not yet faded into delicate evening light. He watched her swollen eyes blink back tears as she stared down at the ring, a more permanent alternative to one he had carved her in the summer.
"Tallulah Kendall Adams, will you-"
She'd heard enough, he'd convinced her of his love and his intentions the second she'd met his gaze this evening.
In one swift movement, she had tackled him the sand and soon they became a flurry of tangling legs and grasping arms.
Her lips crashed into his, and the words 'marry me' dissolved into the wet heat of their mingled mouths.
Their tongues writhed together, creating loving patterns that said more than any sentence.
In each hand he cupped her flushing cheeks as if they were precious jewels, and her fingers traced patterns onto the skin of his bare back, making designs more intricate than any type of lace.
They finally pulled away, her teeth clutching a bit of his lip until she could no longer hold on without tearing his skin.
The little bleached streaks that served as his eyebrows rose in expectation, as he stared down at her. "Tallulah?"
Her speech didn't falter this time, as they had with Eugene.
When she stared up at the blonde boy who lay atop her, the boy who electrified her body, understood her soul, and eased her mind- she knew exactly what she wanted to say.
In fact, her words were militarized.
They surged forward, the armed syllables stinging her throat, as they demanded an instantaneous release.
Her response flew out in the form of a panted conviction, as she grabbed Sidney's dogtags and a handful of flower leis that draped around his neck.
She tugged downwards on the chains and the strings, inching his lips towards hers.
"Hell yes."
