Thanks very much to the wonderful reviewers: a Guest (glad you like Lizzie!), indifferentshell (Wow, such a long review, I couldn't believe my eyes! Glad my English isn't too terrible... Hehe, yes, Nix can't be left out too long, I just like him way too much. Happy that you liked the interaction between Lizzie and Dick, and you know, maybe I'll even let him remember what she said that night... :-))), beth-rodrigues.77 (Yes, I confess, I really, really, really like to torture Dick... Hehe, but I'll also be nice to him, you'll see :-))), BatOutOfHell-Madness (I hope you weren't getting too impatient with me, but at least I did update now. It'll probably be some time until Dick is back with his men, but they'll play a major part in this story and I won't forget them...), ChocAndSnow19 (Thanks for the compliment! I love to write drama and then it's even better to know that it's actually appreciated. No, really, I could NEVER kill Dick, I promise. Glad you like Lizzie, she'll be around now, although I give you the small spoiler that it won't just be peace and happiness for the two of them for the rest of the story... ;-))) and Amanda (Hehe, glad you enjoyed and welcome to the story!).
Ladies (and probably not all that many gentlemen...), I present Chapter 4! As always, hope you enjoy!
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The next two days passed as if in a haze. Dick was sleeping most of the time, only being woken up by the frequent check-ups that had him wishing he was already asleep again. He could not remember seeing the dark-haired nurse, Lizzie, again, almost believing his foggy mind had made up the strange encounter in the first night of his stay. Instead, almost every time he was awake he saw either a blond, matronly nurse in her thirties with rather rough bedside manners, picking at the tubes in his abdomen until he was clenching his teeth in pain, or the doctor that had operated him, who was scrutinizing his work while chain-smoking one cigarette after the other. Dick also hazily remembered seeing Nix at his bedside, his friend unusually quiet, not saying one word in the time he was there.
On the morning of his fourth day at the hospital, the fog in his mind slowly started to dissipate. Dick woke up on his own, not being jarred out of sleep by the torture of the Valkyrie (as he had found himself dubbing the blond nurse) like the mornings before, feeling definitely on the mend. The high fever that had plagued him before and had brought him some disturbing dreams, was finally coming down. The pain was still there in his side, but more as a dull remainder of the past agony. All things considered, he was not feeling too bad.
The curtain was still firmly drawn around his bed and Dick found himself for the first time awake enough to think about this place. He must be in some kind of hall, he could hear the muffled sound of voices. There were probably two or three more patients in the ward. Shuddering, Dick found himself imagining what this place would look like in a few months, after the invasion had started. Probably not as quiet. Everything was still in training and in setting up, the military hospital included.
He also wondered how long he would have to stay. Hopefully not longer than a week, he really could not miss the vital parts of the training that awaited him in the next two months. As far as he knew, an invasion was planned for next spring or summer, which would mean that their program was crammed. There was hardly a worse timing for getting sick, he could not lag behind in training.
Just before Dick decided to go back to sleep again, because there was really nothing else to do and he was starting to feel drowsy again, the curtain was drawn open, revealing Lizzie, head down and concentrated on what must be his medical record. The short moment she was still immersed in the reading, Dick had the time to come to terms with the fact that she actually existed and study her features. The warm brown eyes were what had captured his attention first, matching the brown of her hair that was crammed under a blue nurse cap. She had a rather large mouth, that seemed quick to laugh, which contrasted with her high forehead that gave her a slightly brooding look. Her stature was neither too short nor too tall, ranging somewhere in the area of what could boringly be called "normal". Dick found his gaze being drawn to her hands, maybe her most striking feature beside her eyes. They were white, with long fingers, and she held them with a natural grace while skimming through the sheets. She suddenly looked up and promptly caught him staring.
"Oh, First Lieutenant Winters is awake", she remarked dryly, deftly reminding him of that awkward moment in the night. "And here it says you sleep all the time."
Thanks, that was exactly the part of their encounter Dick had tried to block out. He suspected that she was only teasing him, but he could not help feeling foolish again under her twinkling gaze.
"Lizzie, right?", he asked, his voice still rather weak, but trying to make it sound steady, while pretending he did not understand the meaning behind her comment.
"Yeah, right", she replied, suddenly a tiny little bit suspicious. "You remembered."
Yes, he remembered her name and bits and pieces of their conversation. But that night was more than just slightly hazy in his recollection, feeling more like a dream to him.
"Okay", she then said professionally, when Dick made no move to continue the conversation. "Let's see how you're doing. You surely look better than last time I saw you. How're you feeling?"
"I feel better", he answered truthfully.
"How is it with the pain?", she asked, her brown eyes meeting his gently.
"Fine", he replied, then inquired hesitantly, "How long do I have to stay?"
This made her snort.
"Already anxious to get out of here?", she asked, shaking her head to herself. "Then it would probably be better if I don't answer that question, it would only depress you."
"And if I still want to know?", he pried, feeling slightly annoyed he did not receive a clear answer. This was really important.
"Alright", she answered, sighing and setting down the clip board on the nightstand. "Let's see: you're still feverish, you've got tubes sticking out of your body that will have to be removed, there is some massive infection in your abdomen that might require another surgery or that might still lead to complications, you're on an absolute killer dose of both pain meds and antibiotics without which you would probably be dead by tomorrow, your stomach is too afflicted to tolerate any food for the near future and you're too weak to get up for days. Which translates to you: don't hold your breath while waiting to get out of here."
This answer irked him and he found himself frowning at her. He almost wished Valkyrie to be back, at least she was silent. Maybe he was a bit unfair, not exactly knowing if it was really Lizzie's manner of answering that irritated him or if he just did not like what he heard.
"Hey, what's it with you?", Lizzie exclaimed, opting for a lighter tone, since she received no answer. "Normally the soldiers I treat are not that eager to get back to training, with the good care and the female attention they receive here."
The last bit was said with a twinkle, but it was lost on Dick. There was not so much care, but treatment that he had received so far, and he could have done well without the female company. Valkyrie was keen on torturing him, while Lizzie had a habit of making him feel uncomfortable. And now he was stuck here for who knew how long, while the training progressed without him. After all, it was only a matter of months until they were sent into the middle of that hell on the European continent.
"Okay, look", Lizzie relented, now serious and her eyes thoughtful, noticing his sullen mood. "You have to stay for about three weeks, probably longer. Depends on how fast the infection is receding. If everything heals fine, you'll be back to light duty in six weeks at the very soonest and back to regular duty in about three months. If there are complications, it might take up to half a year for your abdomen to be back to normal."
That made Dick swallow hard. At least he understood now why Lizzie had not wanted him to know. Three months until he was back to normal? That was harsh. Who would replace him in Easy company? There was even the danger of reassigning him to another company. And how could he ever catch up on the things he would miss in these three months?
"Thanks for letting me know", he forced himself to reply to Lizzie, feeling numb.
"Yeah, that was a splendid idea, you look much cheerier now", she replied wryly, looking at him through some wayward strands of hair. "Look, it's not like your company will fall apart with you missing for a few weeks. They will be fine without you breathing down their necks and tying their shoelaces for them."
That was definitely the wrong thing to say to him. Dick looked up sharply, staring hard at her. Who was she to make such a comment, in front of him, without knowing anything about Easy company or his everyday struggles with Sobel? Did she even realize that they were training for war? All of this seemed to be more a game to her, boys in summer camp playing cowboys and Indians. Did she know that he would be responsible for people getting killed if he was unobservant or lagged behind in training?
"I don't think it's your place to comment on anything concerning my men or me", Dick told her frostily. For the first time, it was Lizzie's turn to look taken aback, her brown eyes suddenly wide.
"I see", she said in a clipped tone, while stepping away from his bed. "I don't get your problem, but since you don't like what I say or do, I'll see that someone else will take care of you for your stay here. Do me a favor and get well soon, Lieutenant Winters."
With that she turned on her heels and marched off, almost running over a surprised looking Nix that had chosen this moment to visit.
"What is that all about?", Nix asked him, eyebrows arched. But Dick remained silent, suddenly feeling tired and achy with the tension of the last few minutes leaving his body. Why could he not just sleep until the three months were over and he was back to normal?
"Dick, you're breaking a golden rule here", Nix remarked, sitting down on a chair. "Never piss off the nurses. They can make your stay in hospital either heaven or hell. Seems like you took a wrong turn back there."
Dick really liked Nix, but there were times when his friend's presence was more than just a little wearisome. This was one of these moments. Dick suddenly longed to be alone, he needed time to mull over all these things in his head. The message of his long recovery had shocked him and worst of it was, he had only himself to blame for it. If he had listened to Roe's advices, if he had turned back at the beginning of the maneuver, he would probably be out of hospital already and back on regular duty in a week or two. All of this was his very own fault.
"Hey, what's the matter with you?", Nix asked more softly. "You're awake and seem better than yesterday, but you look like someone pissed in your coffee."
Dick sighed.
"Yeah, I'm better", he answered slowly. "Just realized you were right for shouting at me a few days back, this must be the most stupid thing I ever did."
Nix looked taken aback by this self-critical assessment, then smiled a little.
"Oh that, yeah, sorry for the shouting. I hoped you wouldn't remember. It was more worry than anything else, I was slightly overreacting. But yeah, the facts stay the same and I agree with you, not getting help in time must have been the most stupid thing you did in a long while."
Dick looked into Nix's eyes, but saw there no glee. His friend was only offering his support, in his very own way.
"Thanks, Lew", Dick found himself replying wryly, the heavy mood lifting a bit.
"Oh, and I was asked to forward to you all the best wishes from the boys", Nix changed the topic, quirking a smile. "They already miss you and hope for your speedy recovery."
"Just tell me who is replacing me", Dick prompted his friend, being happy about the well-wishes, but already suspecting something else behind it.
"You're really better, at least your head is working fine again", Nix commented dryly. "It's Shames from Dog company. I'm sure I heard Guarnere one evening praying to the Virgin Mary for your quick return."
Dick felt himself wincing sympathetically. Shames had quite the reputation of being a flayer, shouting even the smallest orders and dealing out insults to the men on a regular basis. Poor Easy.
"The thing is", Nix continued, "he gets along just fine with Sobel. The two are really cut out for each other. I'm sure they're exchanging tips for humiliating the boys in the evenings."
"Well, just tell the men my greetings", Dick replied, feeling himself tiring. An annoying throb had started some time ago in his side and was increasingly calling for attention. "And that I'm doing my best to return as quickly as I can."
"I'll tell them", Nix promised, then got up. " Go on, get some rest, you can hardly keep your eyes open."
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The evening found Dick subjected to some more torture at the hands of the Valkyrie. Lizzie made good on her promise and did not show up at all. After a few minutes of picking and tearing from the Valkyrie, he found himself begging silently for the gentle hands of Lizzie. Although she had claimed Dick disliked both what she said and did, he realized during the painful administrations that he had liked just fine what she did, it was more what came from her lips that bothered him.
His wish was heard somewhere in the higher spheres, because the first thing Dick saw when opening his eyes the next morning was a displeased looking Lizzie.
"Don't even bother asking why I'm here", she began even before he had fully shaken the sleep from his mind. The morphine left him feeling drowsy all the time. "It's Betty's day off, so I'm stuck again with you."
Dick guessed that Betty was the name of the Valkyrie, so far he had not been that interested to know the name of his torturer. Blinking his eyes at Lizzie, he murmured softly, "Good morning."
"Yeah, good morning", she answered rather curtly, then immediately went down to business. "Any pain? Other discomfort?"
"No, everything fine, I think", Dick answered slowly, still not fully awake.
"Good, then you'll probably agree that it's time to cut down on the pain meds", she stated, not even looking at him, but writing something down on his medical record. "You'll only receive half doses of morphine now with the goal of weaning you from it in two or three days. If you tolerate drinking, we'll be able to switch to oral pain killers. And we'll remove the tubes today."
"Okay", Dick replied, not thinking that his approval was needed, but giving it anyway.
"Open up", she commanded, holding a thermometer in her hand. He complied, the resolute mask of busy professionalism on her face preventing him from even thinking of resisting. She took all his vitals in total silence. Dick felt a tiny twinge of regret, seeing that his comment must have bothered her more than he had thought, but it was soon forgotten when Lizzie disappeared and came back with a basin and a wash cloth, the look on her face speaking of pure determination.
Heat was rising in Dick's cheeks when he became aware of the fact that he was about to be washed. By her, of all possible persons. He was lying there only in that flimsy hospital gown with nothing on underneath, and she was already throwing off the blanket, a hand reaching for the thin fabric covering his body...
"It's fine", he stuttered, frantically keeping the hospital gown in place with both hands, his face probably bright red by now. "I can wash myself."
He was sure he could see the corners of her mouth twitch slightly.
"You can't", she tried to explain, while struggling for a straight face. "You can't even sit up by yourself. And it's not like I haven't seen anything there is to be seen before."
Dick was sure he had never felt more embarrassed in his entire life. Was she doing it on purpose?
"I'm sure I can manage", he replied, clinging to his dignity at the same time as clutching the gown in his fists with all his might. The effort woke a sharp pain in his side, but Dick could not have cared less at this moment, his hurt dignity smarting more than his abdomen.
"Hygiene is important", she pointed out in a voice that made clear that her patience was wearing thin, while trying to pry his hands from the fabric, then suddenly giving up.
"Fine, do whatever you want!", she exclaimed, now definitely more pissed off than amused, throwing the cloth at him and only missing his face by a hair's breadth. "Be difficult and make your stay here as awful as possible. It's your body and your health and your choice how to ruin it!"
Before Dick had the chance to reply, another nurse joined them. She was in her early thirties, with delicate features and reddish blonde hair. Dick had to notice with a certain consternation that she was pregnant, her belly rounding beneath the white coat she wore. This was getting better and better, they even let pregnant women work in the military hospital, which was about the last place to be for an expecting mother.
"What's the matter, Lizzie?", the blond nurse asked, her voice carrying an educated New England dialect. "Why are you throwing things at my patient?"
Lizzie sighed with frustration, then pointed a finger at Dick.
"Because he is insufferable", she exclaimed, looking accusingly at him. "And he is refusing hygienic treatment."
"That's not true", Dick now clipped in, feeling for all the world like a ten year old again, quarreling with the neighbor's girl in front of his mother and swearing he had not pulled her hair. "I said I could wash myself, but she wouldn't let me."
The nurse chuckled lightly, then came closer to the bed, reaching for his medical record.
"I'll let you sort that out among yourselves", she responded lightly, while reading the record. "We should rather see that we can remove that tubes from your abdomen, Lieutenant Winters. Movement will be easier once they are out."
When she began preparing the different instruments and Lizzie started drawing up a syringe, he asked hesitantly, "Shouldn't we wait for the doctor for this?"
The blond just smiled to herself, while Lizzie answered scathingly, "She is the doctor."
"Oh", was the only thing Dick could say, staring a bit faintly at the female doctor.
"I'm sorry, my fault, I didn't introduce myself", she replied, obviously used to the confusion about her profession. "My name is Doctor Coombs. My husband operated you. I'm acquainted with your case, so just try and relax while we get out these tubes."
Dick nodded, not knowing what other option he had. Lizzie injected him with a good portion of morphine, that brought him to the edge of sleep. However, as soon as they started with the removal, every thought of sleep was driven from his mind, the pain excruciating despite the morphine. It felt like someone had dug hooks in his side and then was slowly pulling them out, making him pant with pain. The end of the procedure was a bit hazy, Dick could not really remember if he just fell asleep shortly after they were done or if he fainted somewhere in between.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Lizzie was still frustrated when she went to scrub Winter's blood from her hands. It was strange that she felt this strongly about a man she hardly knew, but the few encounters she had had with him had shown her that he was just a self-righteous, stuck-up bastard. Well, maybe this realization was all the harder because she had first liked him, before he had started getting better.
When Winters had been brought in, she had been intrigued right from the beginning. Lizzie had only been to Aldbourne for something over a month, beforehand receiving her education in a civil hospital in Boston. So far she had only treated privates and once in a while a sergeant, all being brought to the military hospital because of accidents in the trainings or some illnesses. They had all been meek and miserable when brought in, but with some care had soon turned into little devils, all the time trying to sweet talk her into a kiss or even grabbing her ass when she was not looking. It was not such a bother to Lizzie, because she knew exactly what these men would be going through in a few months and if she could somehow make them feel a little better, well, then let them grab her ass. After all, she very well knew when to draw a line and she could be strict, if needed.
But then, Winters had been different. He had been in very bad shape when brought in, and the first worry on her mind had been to keep him alive. But she had been there to observe him after the surgery and she had found herself studying him closely. His face had something very special to itself, handsome and noble. She could remember getting quite protective of him when he had started waking up after surgery, his sleepy sighs somehow moving her heart. She had even told off his friend, the black-haired Casanova, so Winters could get his rest.
In the first night she had stayed close to him, which was why she had noticed his troubles in the first place. His old-fashioned introduction, all gentlemanly, and his desperate flailing for dignity despite his rather dopey state of mind had endeared him to her. Maybe she had even been flirting with him, she was not so sure anymore about her motivations back then in that night. Right now every thought of him disgusted her.
How could she have known that he was in fact such an ass? Shaking her head to herself, scrubbing her fingers with more force than necessary, she did not hear Greta walk up to her.
"Still angry?", the blond doctor asked, leaning against the sink. "What did the poor guy do?"
"He told me in no unclear terms that I'm just a lowly nurse, while he is the one to save the world", Lizzie answered heatedly, looking at Greta. "But it wasn't just what he said, his whole demeanor spelled importance and self-righteousness, while he thinks I'm the little girl playing with puppets. All I've done was trying to lighten the mood, taking his mind off the pain, but he's obviously quite comfortable suffering nobly alone and thinking of new ways to be even more stuck-up."
Greta smiled at her ranting.
"And I first thought you liked him", she broached the subject carefully. "That's at least what you told me."
"Yeah, I liked him when he was half-dead", Lizzie bristled, drying her now clean hands on a towel. "As soon as he was talking more clearly, only bullshit came out of his mouth. Maybe they did something to him while we spent the weekend in London."
Greta chuckled and shook her head, obviously greatly amused.
"Come on, let's smoke a cigarette, then you can cool down", the doctor suggested, pulling her to the door.
"Greta!", Lizzie exclaimed, staring pointedly at her friend's round belly. "You shouldn't smoke, you know."
"You know I won't", the doctor answered, almost petulantly. "But if the wind blows some of the smoke into my direction, I certainly won't refuse breathing."
Now it was Lizzie's turn to laugh, the levity slowly dispersing her anger.
"Okay, let's get you to some passive smoking."
Despite the nasty Autumn weather, the two women stepped out of the hospital, that was more a giant complex of barracks than a real hospital. Lizzie lit herself a cigarette, inhaling the smoke deeply, while Greta looked on longingly.
"It won't take that long until you'll be able to smoke again", Lizzie told her, tongue-in-cheek. "Just three months until you give birth and then another six months of breast-feeding."
Greta stuck her tongue out, then moved a hand to her stomach, probably feeling the movements of her unborn child. Lizzie had never really been able to picture her friend as a mother and when she had been told about it some months ago, it had taken Greta at least half an hour to finally convince her that she really was pregnant, no joke.
"You'll be a good mother", Lizzie said to her, studying her friend intently. That insight came even to Lizzie as a bit of a surprise, after all the nights they had spent together drinking and enjoying themselves in Boston. Although Greta was almost ten years her senior, Lizzie had instantly taken a liking to the doctor when they met at the hospital one and a half years ago. She guessed that Greta had been feeling quite lonely, her male colleges more than a bit intimidated by her competence and her good looks.
"You think so?", Greta asked, suddenly a bit self-consciously. "You know I never planned on having children."
"Well", Lizzie replied wickedly, "then you should have paid better attention to what you were doing with Paul six months ago."
"Watch your tongue, little nurse", Greta ground out good-naturedly. "Or it won't be your red-haired friend in there but me that will put you back in place."
Lizzie smiled at her, then suddenly burst out laughingly, "You should have seen his face when I tried to wash him! I got the impression that no female hands have ever been allowed to touch his most holy realms."
"Come on, cut the guy some slack", Greta replied, opting for a slightly more neutral tone. "Maybe he isn't at his best at the moment, no big surprise after what he's been through in the last few days. Paul told me that Winters has the reputation of being one of the most promising young officers on the base. And he also told me that Winter's men, who brought him in, are fiercely loyal about him. So maybe he isn't all that bad, you know."
"You're supposed to be on my side", Lizzie complained half-heartedly. "Since you're married you're always siding with Paul. And if Winters is the best the US can offer, then maybe we should hand in our surrender to the Germans tomorrow."
"Ouch, that's harsh", Greta replied, wincing, then they slowly went inside again, the steady rain and the wind driving them back into the warmth of the building. "You're still very young, my dear Fräulein Elisabeth, and maybe your sweet little heart has been broken one too many times, but you should take a step towards reconciliation with the male world and stop judging every man that crosses your path as harshly as you do."
"Never", Lizzie promised grinningly, then waved to her friend before going back to work.
-TBC-