4/20/1775

Madeleine frantically searched through the newspaper, counting down through the list of casualties. "Fallsworth, Faroni, Favolise," Her heart fearfully skipped a beat as she came to the name "Daniel Alan Fenton." Mercifully, Daniel's middle name was James, after his father's father. She continued reading until she reached the name "Fishman," at which point she breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

4/26/1775

Daniel's head swam as he came to. He heard two voices call out his name. Opening his eyes, he saw two fuzzy orbs floating above him. His vision clearing little by little, Daniel came to recognize them as heads, he just couldn't tell whose. "Daniel?" asked the voice of Charles Atkins. "Are you alright?"

The two faces, the other belonging to Samuel, finally finished coming into view as Daniel responded, "I'm fine, Charles. How long was I out for?"

"A week." Responded Samuel. "These came for you while you were out. It arrived the day after the battle." Samuel added as he produced two letters and a package from Madeleine.

"The battle!" Daniel echoed. "What happened?" He asked excitedly, propping himself up on his pillow.

Gently pushing him back, Charles responded, "It's alright, Daniel, we won."

"We won?"

"I'm as surprised as you. Truth be told, I doubt any of us expected the outcome that we had. Scuttlebutt around camp is that it's a good omen, a sign that may indicate the outcome of the war. We'll leave you alone, now. Come, Samuel." Opening the letter, Daniel started to read.

19/4/1775

Dear Daniel,

The farm is doing well. The spring brought a veritable cache of apples. Our mare, Guinevere, gave birth to a foal just a few days ago. We named him Gawain.

I hope you make many friends in the Army. Write often. Your father and Jasmine send their love.

Love,

Mother.

Without waiting, he ripped open the other letter as well.

20/4/1775

Dear Daniel

I was so scared this morning as I scoured the roster of casualties, thanking God when I found out that you were still alive. I read your letter yesterday. Have faith, Daniel. We can win this war. The Admass seem to think so as well, even though Mr. Adams seems to think that his fellow congressman have deemed him "obnoxious and disliked", as he worded it. From what I read in the newspapers, we are doing well. Around town, everyone is doing as much as he or she can to support all the men who joined. Last night, Jasmine was talking about joining the army as a nurse, just so she could look after you, but I managed to talk her out of it. At least, I think I talked her out of it. You two always were the most incorrigible children.

Daniel, I may not like your decision to join the Army, but it was your decision. I know I can't always look after you like I did when you were a mere child, I just never thought the time to cut the umbilical cord would come so quickly. I'm glad to hear that you're being well-fed, and that you're making friends. I hope to meet Charles and Samuel someday. As always, father and Jasmine send their love.

Love,

Your adoring mother

It had been just less than a two months after the battles of Concord and Lexington when Daniel and some of his friends took Samuel out to a local pub for his 15th birthday. After a rousing verse of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow", the group dispersed, everyone conversing with someone else. Sitting down next to his best mate, he struck up a conversation.

"Now Samuel, I know you're from Mary-land, and that you have no girl to go home to, but that's all I know of you."

"What would you like to know?" Samuel asked as he gazed into his glass-bottomed mug of ale.

"Well…everything."

"Well, for starters, I was born in a cabin in the woods outside of Baltimore. My father wanted me to practice medicine as a trade, like he did. I new that I was destined for something different. One night, about a year ago, he and I got into an argument. I told him I wanted to join the Army and fight in my country's defense. My father wouldn't hear of it. He said that even if he did let me sign up for any military, it would be in the "glorious" service of Fat George. So, I ran away that very night and never looked back.

The next day, they found themselves again in the midst of battle, this time trying to defend Bunker Hill, Breed's Hill, and Moulton hill. The battle was over before it was begun. The British had learned a powerful message at Concord and Lexington, and they'd learned it well: never underestimate your enemy.

As they fought side by side, Samuel let out an ear-splitting shriek as a bullet pierced his shoulder. As soon as he'd dragged Samuel far enough away from battle so dirt wouldn't clog the wound, Daniel started to open Samuel's jacket. "Daniel, no, I'll be fine." Samuel said, fighting off Daniel as blood flowed freely from the wound.

"Samuel, stop fighting me! We need to take care of the wound!" Daniel snapped as he finally ripped Samuel's jacket open. "I can't do it if you're…" He stopped at the image that lay before him, for there was a long scarf wound tightly around Samuel's bosom, and Daniel could tell it wasn't a bandage, judging by the way the small, fleshy mounds at the top and bottom of the scarf. "But you're a-a…" He stammered, taken totally aback. This explained why Samuel had the most feminine features of any man Daniel had ever seen.

"Pvt. 1st class Samantha Elizabeth Manson, reporting for duty."

"But you said your father…"

"He wanted me to be a nurse, Daniel."

Finally able to understand that Samantha had disguised herself as a boy, Danny added, "Well, this bullet seems far too deep to extract it with human hands., and going into town to have it removed would raise some questions."

"What do you propose we do?"

"The only thing we can do."

Reluctantly, Samantha agreed to be taken to the Army medic, even if it meant a court martial.

"Nurse, we have a wounded soldier." Daniel said, addressing a red-haired girl who was busy preparing some medicine.

"Very, well, Daniel." The girl said as she turned to face him. It was his sister, Jasmine.