In the middle of the night, I sneaked out of my tent into the supply room. I quickly found the antibiotics Hawkeye would need. And I was going to give it to him whether Frank knew or not.
I came into the silent post op desperately hoping Margaret wasn't on duty. I hadn't really thought this out too much. Luckily she wasn't, it was one of the new nurses that was recently transferred in from another camp.
She rose from the desk where she had been sitting and keeping an eye on the patients.
"Belle, isn't it?" she asked.
I nodded.
Before I could go on, she hurriedly said "I'm still on duty, aren't I? I hope I didn't do anything wrong..."
"Oh no, it's nothing like that, I just have to give Captain Pierce his medicine."
She looked skeptical. "Why isn't it on his papers? I mean, he did have a fever, but Major Burns said..."
"Because I requested that she does it." Hawkeye was awake.
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, right. I've heard about how you two are."
I stifled a sigh. Apparently everyone has.
She smiled at me and went back to her desk.
As I measured out his medicine, I whispered "Good idea, I was running out of things to say."
He yawned. "When you told me you would be back, I had no idea you meant at one in the morning."
"Well, we can't have Frank knowing about it."
I gave him the medicine and he swallowed it quickly. Then he settled back down into bed.
"I'm really sorry, Hawkeye."
"Don't blame yourself, lovely"
Which was harder than he realized.
I left the post op and headed to my tent for some sleep. Although I doubt I would get much. Hawkeye looked so miserable and I can't help but blame myself. And I was also worried what else Frank might do to him. And on top of that, it seemed that Hawkeye and I were the talk of the town.
My thoughts were interrupted by Frank's sharp voice. "Winifred, what are you doing?"
"Uh, I was at the latrine."
"The latrine is that way," he pointed to the opposite side of the camp.
"Well... what are you doing out here?"
"Top secret business!"
"And I'm sure Margaret was there!"
While he tried to stammer out a reply, I quickly slipped away.
I was not looking forward to doing this every night.