Disclaimer Apologies to Ian McEwan, who wrote a wonderful book, to Christopher Hampton, who wrote the script. Thank you to Joe Wright for his vision, and to Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai and the rest of the cast for bringing Joe's vision to life.
All rights to those who own them. I claim nothing.
A "What if...?" Story. "What if Robbie made it home?
Love Never Dies
by
Ninja Elizabeth
Chapter 2: Come back... come back to me.
The lights of the dormitory switched on. The sleeping nurses and probationers groaned. There was one of the senior nurses standing the in t door way.
"Shift two, get dressed and report back to the ward." the nurse replied.
Briony groaned. She and Fiona were on shift two.
"Another truckload of soldiers have arrived and the ward sisters want everyone on duty. Report to Sister Drummond for your assignments."
The ward was in a state of chaos like they had never seen before. Some of the soldiers had been processed and sent to an awaiting troop transport for deployment. Others were given a short examination that they too were sent to the troop transport. There were more soldiers than before. Some had injuries that needed tended to r other medical matters to address. Some were merely drunk and were off to one corner singing and having a jolly of a time. This was why the Ward Sisters called for the return of shift two.
Sister Drummond was overseeing the ward. Nurse Bennet was on one side and Sister Tallis the other, so it came to no surprise to Briony that she was assigned to Nurse Bennet's side.
Sister Tallis tended to the soldiers alongside the nurses. Everyone worked in pairs. She was going increasingly annoyed by the young probationer working with her at the moment's constant chatter and preaching about the importance of forgiveness and family.
"Nurse Maguire, will you please shut up?" Sister Tallis responded finally hearing enough. She could feel a migraine coming on and the nurse's chatter adding to the singing soldiers was more than she could tolerate. "These soldiers have been through hell on the battlefield they do not need to hear you preaching to them."
"But you do." Nurse Maguire replied.
"I beg your pardon?"
Nurse Maguire took a deep breath as Sister Tallis looked at her. "You need to hear what I have to say. You have a sister whom you've not spoken to in five years. She's here and you haven't even taken the time to greet her properly."
"My personal life is of no concern to you, is that clear?" Sister Tallis replied obviously annoyed. She then turned her attention back to the large black soldier she was tending to. He was in good health and good spirits. He had a wound to his right eye. She unwrapped the once white bandage to examine it further. It did not look good. As she cleaned the wound and prepared a new dressing it was apparent that Nurse Maguire was not giving up.
"What did Briony do to you that was so horrible? Why won't you speak to her?" she asked knowing that she would be disciplined later for pestering the Ward Sister about personal matters but to her family was the most important thing.
"I'm sorry. Please excuse me for a moment." Sister Tallis replied in a pleasant bedside manner to the soldier before turning to Nurse Maguire. "If you wish to discuss this matter or anything with me, please do so on your own time and when we are not so busy. I am always willing to listen or talk but not on the ward floor. Is that clear?"
A soldier on the other side of the ward began to yell, side effects of the mental strain of war or delirium drawing both Sister Tallis' and Nurse Maguire's attention. It was not uncommon for Sister Tallis to hear such screams in the EMS.
"I'm coming home! Wait for me!" the soldier replied at the top of his lungs. "I've come back! I love you!"
Sister Tallis turned back to the soldier before her. He was chuckling.
"There goes again," he replied referring to the soldier on the other side. "He's been like that since Dunkirk. Amazed we got him to shut up long enough to fake his well being to get him on the ship."
Nurse Maguire turned to the soldier. "Fake his well being?" she asked with confusion.
Sister Tallis answered. "A price one pays in war." she replied. "The wounded and sick are often left behind.
"He led us to Dunkirk," the black soldier continued. "Kept talking, rambling about, as Nettle put it, some crumpet he had to return to because she was waiting for him. Figured we owed it to him to bring him home. Try and find his girl."
Sister Tallis took a deep breath and tried her best not to think about it. She didn't want to get any hopes up. There were so many women left behind, 'his girl' could be anybody. She had heard it all before. "Get some rest." Sister Tallis replied. "You must know that your eye can not be saved. I'm going to order for a doctor to examine it further. It is probably enough for you to get discharged and return to civilian life."
The soldier nodded. "Thank you. Will you let me know how the Private makes out?"
"I will." Sister Tallis replied before moving on.
Nurse Maguire watched in awe as the Ward Sister casually went onto the next patient. She could now see how she could hate her sister. Briony said that she had a tender side but Fiona was sure it was all an act. It made her angry that someone could be that cold.
The soldier on the other side continued as he resisted his treatment insisting that 'she was waiting'. "No. I've got to go. She's waiting for me at the cottage!" he exclaimed. "An old cottage by the coast, white clapboard with blue painted window frames."
Sister Tallis swallowed hard as her heart skipped a beat. It was a typical image she told herself. A delusionary image of peace, serenity. She concentrated on tending to the soldier before her. Dehydration. Malnutrition.
"Oh, that cottage sounds so wonderful," Nurse Maguire replied dreamily. "Isn't it romantic? I hope he finds her."
"Nurse Maguire, your attention needs to be here." Sister Tallis scolded.
"How can you be so cold?" Nurse Maguire snapped. "Don't you even care?" She didn't care if she was out of line. Briony was her friend and she did not like seeing her upset. She could not believe how opposite the two sisters were.
Sister Tallis pulled Nurse Maguire aside. "Fiona, correct?" the ward sister asked.
"Yes." Fiona replied, surprised that the ward sister even knew her first name.
"Soldiers come in; we treat them and send them on their way. You tend to one then move on to the next one. Some live, some will die." Sister Tallis continued. "We cannot allow ourselves to get emotionally attached to one soldier or situation. If you cannot handle that, Nurse Maguire then I suggest you find yourself another form of employment. I don't know what my sister Briony has told you about me, but I will say again, this is not the place to be discussing my private life. Now pay attention or get out of my sight."
Fiona turned her attention to the soldier in front of them. She didn't want to start crying. She wasn't however going to let it go. She was going to wait until another time to confront the ward sister. For now she tried to focus.
It wasn't until the soldier on the other side's outbursts became more violent and threatening in nature did Sister Tallis take notice and show emotion. He was apparently getting physical and Sister Drummond had rushed over to help, but she was quickly losing control of the situation.
"I should have let you drown!" the soldier screamed. "I should have let you drown, you jealous little bitch!"
"Private! Unhand Nurse Tallis at once!" Sister Drummond replied.
Sister Tallis dropped what she was doing and rushed over to aid Sister Drummond, followed closely by Fiona. Inside her heart raced. She tried to calm herself. It couldn't be... she wanted it so much but she dared not hope. It had just become a dream. She was on the verge of accepting the fact that she would be alone. Marjorie needs your help she told herself as they reached the soldier who had his hands firmly gripped around Briony's throat.
As expected much to Fiona's disgust, Sister Tallis paid little attention or concern about her sister. She was however taken aback by the way she shoved Sister Drummond out of the way.
Sister Drummond was about to protest when she noticed the tears forming in Sister Tallis' eyes. The harsh exterior of 'Ward Sister' was gone, to expose the vulnerable Cecilia as she placed a tender hand on the soldier's cheek.
"Robbie," Cecilia replied through her tears with heartfelt tenderness. "Robbie, come back. Come back to me."
The soldier's grip on Nurse Tallis' neck loosened just enough for her to break free. Gasping and choking for air she allowed herself to be attended to by her friend and Sister Drummond.
Cecilia caressed the soldier's bearded cheek. He had a temperature and was still in a state of delirium. "Robbie, I'm here. I've been waiting for you. I love you. Come back to me."
He blinked and seemed to be confused by his surroundings. He saw the nurse beside him and smiled. "Two sugars please, Cecilia," he replied before passing out.
Cecilia snickered as she made him as comfortable as possible.
Sister Drummond watched as Cecilia gently lay the soldier down. She then turned to the nurses gathered and began barking orders for them to bring items so she could treat the soldier's infection. Sister Drummond was impressed and yet she wasn't. It was exactly why she had requested Cecilia personally. Regardless of her personal feelings, Cecilia was a professional.
Cecilia turned back to the soldier and began to unbutton his shirt to search for the offending infection. She did not have to look far. Right there in the center of his chest just under his solar plexus was a red puss filled would and by the looks of it, it had been festering for quite some time. She pulled out the soldier's ID tags to make note of his name for the medical records. She did not have to look back and forth to copy the number or spelling of his name. It was a number she had memorized. '6445891' Turner, Robert Ernest. She cried as she examined the infected wound.
The nurses returned with the items she had ordered and she thanked them. As she lovingly tended to Robbie's wound she knew that he might not make it. She had seen many soldiers with lesser infections die under her care. He was feverish and delirious which meant that the infection has spread. She found that there was a piece of shrapnel in the wound and proceeded to remove it after applying local anesthetic. Robbie barely stirred. She did her best to make him comfortable by wiping his neck and face with a cool towel. It gave her a little bit of comfort to think that he did see and recognize her before passing out.