Hi everyone! Rated t for abuse.
"New patient for you Miss Alexandra." This was said by the head nurse, Nurse Naila.
"Yes Ma'am. What's the case?"
"The poor man has been shot in the torso, He's already lost a lot of blood."
Alexandra's face fell. She knew that her duty was to help everyone but cases like this were nearly all lost causes. The soldier probably wouldn't make it through the night.
None the less, she thought, I will do what I can for him.
"Which tent?" Alexandra asked.
"Tent 3. Now hurry up. No dawdling. I know you have a tendency to get distracted." Her tone was curt and strict.
Alexandra swallowed and nodded. She started to leave when the head nurse said," And Alexandra? I'd do your best with this one. He's the general's second in command," Alexandra's jaw dropped and the head nurse smirked then continued,"And Alexandra close your mouth. You're not a salmon."
Alexandra blushed and rushed out of the tent.
Tent 3, Alexandra thought. The worst tent. Right next to the community grave. Where patients go to die.
She opened the tent flap and looked at the nurse on duty there. She nodded her head to the back and Alexandra thanked her.
He looked horrible. His torso was covered in blood and was torn apart. His face was pale and he was clearly in a lot of pain. She set down her medical bag and hurriedly looked for a clean cloth and a canteen of water. While she grabbed her items he looked at her and from the corner of her eye she saw his mouth drop.
Why is he looking at me that way? She wondered. That's when she saw his face. He looked like her long lost twin. The shape of their noses, eyes, cheekbones, and ears all looked identical.
The only difference was the freckles. While Alexandra's face was adorned with many freckles, the soldier's had none.
Other than that they looked identical. Even the dirt stains on their faces looked the same.
Alexandra brushed off the man's appearance and began cleaning his wound.
"I'm sorry sir but this is going to hurt. Did you want to bite this?" She lifted up the leather strap. Fear flashed in his eyes and he shook his head.
Alexandra continued cleaning his wounds in silence but then she saw his face. It was screwed up in pain.
She remembered when she was little how her mom would distract her from pain by talking to her.
"So I hear you're General Washington's second in command. Is that true?"
He nodded. Alexandra looked at him in interest. "Is that interesting? What do you do? Do you manage troops? Or are you his secretary?"
Alexandra was mortified by the questions. She blushed and immediately apologized.
The man didn't seem to understand why she apologized.
Alexandra had just began to stitch up the wound when he asked,"So you're a doctor?"
She shook her head. "Nurse." She replied.
He nodded and left her to her work. When she finished stitching up his wound and bandaging it she said,"Now sir don't move. You'll have to stay in bed for several weeks and even then I'd suggest not going back into the fighting."
"Not sir," he said,"Alexander. Thank you for taking care of me." She blushed and nodded.
Just as she began to leave he said,"If you don't mind my asking what's your name?"
"Alexandra," she smiled slightly at him,"Alexandra Hamilton."
His face dropped which confused Alexandra. She waved and said,"If you need anything yell. I'll check on you in the morning."
He nodded, still looking shocked.
Alexander pov:
My heart dropped when I heard her name.
"Alexandra. Alexandra Hamilton."
Hamilton, I thought, This can't be a coincidence. We share the same surname and look practically identical.
I contemplated while trying to ignore the call of sleep and the wild pain and throbbing of my waist.
Eventually darkness drifted in.
Alexandra pov:
I was thinking about my newest patient when I arrived back at the main tent. I walked in and saw Nurse Naila sitting at her desk. She looked at me evilly.
Oh shit, I thought, Not now! I tried to run but she caught me by the end of my braid. She yanked me back and my eyes watered from the pain.
"Scream and I'll kill you." I nodded.
She pushed me down on the floor and went back to her desk to grab her whip.
I braced myself for what was coming next. The first strike stung but by the twentieth the my back felt like it was on fire.
I unwillingly whimpered and I saw her smile cruelly. "Had enough?" She asked. I didn't answer.
Swip! Five more strikes. Tears were now streaming down my cheeks.
"Stop your crying!" She commanded. I tried but the tears weren't stopping.
Her hand smacked me and I could feel a the skin puffing up where it had hit.
"Next time I use this hand." She held up the hand with the ring. I nodded and wiped my face.
"You may go now." I thought maybe for once she would actually let me go but right before I was out the door she grabbed me back.
She cackled. "Did you actually think I would let you go?" She cackled again.
She wrapped her hands around my neck and squeezed. I couldn't breathe and I could feel the darkness coming on. Then she let go. I collapsed on the floor breathing heavily.
She looked satisfied. "You can leave now." She turned around and went back to her desk.
I lifted myself up and wobbly walked outside. "And remember Lexi—talk and you die!"
I ran as fast as I could. I wished I could just leave this place but it was my home. There was nowhere else to go. I'd end up living on the streets and would eventually just waste away. At least here at the camp I got a little food and water.
I saw my little nook. It was hidden in the roots of a tree. I climbed into my nook. I pulled my thin blanket over myself and curled into a tight ball so as to conserve body heat. I slowly drifted off, listening to the sounds of nature.
Narrator pov:
Alexandra woke in the morning feeling sore. She felt the crusted blood on her back and her neck and face were sore too. She grabbed her extra uniform and changed. She looked in the shard of glass she carried and saw the extent of her injuries. The bruises on her neck were bright purple so Alexandra put on her scarf. It was still cold enough to not stick out by wearing a scarf.
Her face was a whole different matter. Tear streaked and bruised, it made her look like an ghoul. She washed her face which slightly improved her appearance. That's when she saw the sun beginning to rise.
She put down her mirror shard and hurried to camp. She could see the other nurses staring at her face but she brushed them off.
Alexandra grabbed her medical bag from the main tent, ignoring the head nurse, and hurried to Alexander's tent. When she walked inside she saw him talking to someone.
She wondered who it was. Whoever it was they weren't supposed to be in there. They could have brought in germs and infected Alexander's wound. She angrily walked over and said,"Excuse me sir but you are not allowed to be in here." She glared at him.
From behind her Alexander said,"Um, Alexandra this is—" Alexandra interrupted,"I don't care who this is. They could be the honorable General George Washington or even the cursed King George but he is not allowed in here."
The man spoke,"I haven't heard that one for a while. Huh. Honorable. Well none the less thank you for the compliment." He smiled.
Alexandra's face drained and turned pale. She tuned back to him and stammered,"Y-y-you're G-g-general W-w-washington?"
He replied,"Pleased to meet you." He smiled and continued,"So I hear you're the nurse taking care of Mr. Hamilton?"
"What?" Her face paled even more. He looked confused but before he could say anything she nodded.
"How is he?" General Washington asked.
"Well he lost a lot of blood but luckily it missed and vital organs and veins. I'm not promising anything but I think he will make a full recovery within a few months."
The general smiled at Alexander. Alexandra then turned to him and shakily said,"So your name is Alexander Hamilton?"
He sheepishly nodded. She nodded back.
The general looked confused and asked,"What's going on here?"
Alexander and Alexandra looked at each other. Alexandra looked away first and began changing his bandages.
Alexander began to explain. "Well sir, see my name is Alexander Hamilton," the general looked slightly annoyed at this comment but Alexander continued,"and hers" nodding toward a focused Alexandra,"is Alexandra Hamilton."
Alexandra pretended to ignore the general's surprised look. He then gently asked her where she came from.
She looked away, the memories flooding in.
The sight of the thousands of dead bodies lying in the street—
Screaming when she found her best friend hanging from the ceiling, dead—
The streets filled with blood—
The scent of sickness thick—
She snapped back to the present to find the general looking worriedly at her with his hand on her shoulder. She flicked at the touch. He noticed and took his hand off her arm. "Are you okay?" He asked.
She nodded, embarrassed.
That's when Alexandra heard Nurse Naila yelling her name. She swallowed and quickly packed her bag, hurrying out. Alexandra yelled,"I'll come and check on you this afternoon! Yell if you need anything!"
The general and Alexander looked at each other.
Alexandra pov:
As soon as I got out of the tent Nurse Naila grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards her tent. Knowing what would happen if I resisted I just let her drag me.
We passed many nurses and doctors. They looked pityingly at me but I knew they weren't going to help me. If they did they would suffer the same fight.
She shoved me into her tent and started attacking me. She hit, punched, bit, and whipped.
After what seemed like an eternity she shoved me out of her tent. I fell and collapsed. Crawling away from the tent I found a small, dark nook. I shoved myself in there and began sobbing.
Pull yourself together, Alexandra. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. In and out.
I calmed myself and tried to make myself presentable. It didn't work.
Alexander pov:
After the nurse left General Washington looked at me.
"She is certainly something. Any relation?" He chuckled.
"I have no idea." I said.
General Washington thought for a bit. "I'm sure we can figure out if there is any relation."
I nodded.
We talked for several hours more about the war, current events, and of course the precarious situation I was in with Alexandra.
That's when I started to feel warm. My face was sweaty and I began to feel faint. The general looked at me, worried.
He asked,"Alexander are you okay?"
Then the world went black.
Narrator pov:
The general yelled for someone to help. Alexandra was the first one to hear and she came into the room dragging her medical bag.
She looked terrible and George saw that she was bleeding in multiple places. There were bruises up and down her arms and legs and there were tears in her clothes. Her face was puffy from the combination of crying and abuse.
She ran to Alexander's side and pushed George out of the way. Alexandra unwrapped his bandages. Her eyebrows furrowed. Alexandra sighed.
She turned to the general and said,"Luckily there is no infection. He probably passed out because of pain or dehydration. When was the last time he drank water?"
The general couldn't recall so Alexandra went to go get him some.
When she got back Alexander was awake. She breathed then shoved a canteen at him. "Drink."
He obeyed. That's when he noticed Alexandra's appearance.
She looked awful. He asked,"What the hell happened to you?" He looked extremely worried and she looked away.
"Nothing. I just tripped."
Alexander knew what that this was a lie. He knew abuse when he saw it.
"Don't lie."
More silence from Alexandra.
"Miss if someone's hurting you we can help." This was said by the general. Alexander nodded in agreement.
Alexandra yelled,"I'm fine okay!" She angrily looked away and said,"Now you need anything come and get me. Alex drink your water." She left the tent.
Alexander and the general looked at each.
"She's in trouble." Said Alexander. The general agreed.
"When I needed someone there no one helped me, but we have the chance to help her. We have to." This was said by Alexander.
"I promise, son," Alexander tensed,"That I will do everything in my power to help that girl.
During the next few weeks Alexander and the General observed Alexandra's injuries and general mood. Alex was able to get up and move again and eventually the two companions were ready to leave the medical camp.
Alexander and Washington's last day at the camp:
Alexandra's pov:
I'm sad to see them go. I wish and I know this sounds awful that Alex was still recovering. We had become close acquaintances.
Alex had one more checkup before he and the general departed. I looked at the sky for the time. It was about noon. I hurried to Alex's tent but was stopped on the way by Nurse Naila.
I looked at her scared. She grabbed my hair and pulled me into her tent. She continued with her regular routine: Whipping and then smacking. That's when she pulled out her knife.
Alexander's pov:
The general and I were waiting for Alexandra to come and give me my last check up. She was supposed to be coming at noon but that had come and gone hours ago. I was beginning to get worried. Alexandra was never late.
We waited a half and hour more before going to find her.
"Do you know where Nurse Alexandra is?" I asked a passing nurse. They just looked away. I asked several other nurses and received the same response.
I looked at the general. We continued to search until there was one tent left. Because it was a tent I couldn't knock so instead I just said,"Knock knock! May we come in?" A small groan answered and an unknown female voice came after. "No! Don't come in." A woman then popped her head out of the tent and said,"What do you want?"
"We're looking for Nurse Alexandra."
She looked nervous for a second then recovered. "I don't know where she is." That's when we heard a small whimper coming from inside the tent.
I looked at the general. He said,"Ma'm if you don't mind, I'd like to look around."
"Actually I would mind."
"I'm afraid this isn't a choice." He told her who he was.
Unwillingly she let the general and I in.
Narrator pov.
When the general and Alexander walked in they saw Alexandra lying on the floor in a bloody heap.
They rushed to her side and she whimpered. She was bleeding all over, cuts ornamenting her arms, legs, face, and stomach. She had bruises everywhere and she was barely breathing.
"Oh mon ami," Alexander breathed,"What happened to you?"
Then he turned to Nurse Naila and lunged at her. The general held him back while Alexander spewed curses at her.
Then Alexandra whispered,"Not her fault. Fell. Helping me."
"Don't try to protect her." Alexander scooped up Alexandra. He stumbled and the general took her from him.
"We'll be back." This was said by Alexander.
A little bit more than a year later…
Alexandra smiled at Alex. It was their birthday and the general was taking them to lunch to celebrate. That's right. Their. After long hours of investigation and researching the had found out they were in fact siblings. Not only that but they were twins. That explained the resemblance. John, Eliza, Angelica, and Peggy would be joining them for lunch.
Over the past year she had changed so much. She smiled more and was healthier than she had ever been.
The scars would never heal—physical or emotional but she knew they would fade.
For the first time in her life she was completely happy.
Thank you everyone for reading! Remember to review! Make sure to check out my other stories! Thanks again for reading! Also if anyone has any requests I'll take them! Also this is my longest story yet! Yay!