WARNING

Before you read the chapter, I want you to read this text:

I finished this chapter only a couple of days before February 24, 2022 and was actually going to upload it that weekend. But because of the war in Ukraine I decided to NOT upload it.

Why? Because this chapter is a chapter that shows the horrors of war even more than the others.

Therefore: Do not read the chapter if you feel uncomfortable with all the news! I don't want any of you to feel bad because of my fanfic.

Raten M chapter!

Trigger Warnings:

War, weapons, injuries, blood, death

October 1943

"You must take care of yourselves. If you don't know what day it is, it won't be long before you forget yourselves."

Mary wrote those words to Bert and Elizabeth not so long ago. Since the attack on Hamburg, all three had decided to write to each other regularly - no matter how much or little there was to report.
But both Bert and Liz had noticed that Mary was acting quite weird while she was in Hamburg.
Liz guessed it was because she was in Germany as a British woman during a war. Bert, on the other hand, had a feeling there was another reason.

Mary Poppins was less worried at first and her spirits lifted slightly when she got back to England, but then the other two started writing wrong dates on their letters, or forgot the day entirely and just wrote the month and year. In fact, Elizabeth had dated her last letter November instead of October, which worried the nanny.
However, she was glad that Bert and Liz had each other - otherwise they would probably be completely lost.

Only a few days after Mary's last letter, the two forgot everything. They only knew when it was day or night. And they knew that the date didn't matter because all that matters was their life.

The deafening sound of gunfire, exploding shells and tanks echoed across the battlefield and shook the ground.
It was like this for what felt like an eternity, until towards evening things gradually calmed down on both sides - but not for everyone.

Peter and Liz had their hands full with the injured. Everything was there: from light grazing shots to multiple amputations. Eventually she and the other medical staff worked like an assembly line.
The triage was the worst for them, because they had to decide who to help first, who to keep waiting, and who to let perish.
It felt wrong to decide about the lives of others like that, but they had no other choice. Everyone in the field hospital knew that and everyone found it abhorrent.
They lacked staff, material and sleep.
Everyone only wanted one thing: that this miserable war would soon come to an end and that they could all go home.

Bert wasn't resting either, as one of his men, young private Jerry Butterfield, was still out there - And Bert wasn't going to give up until he had him with him.

When he became a sergeant, he swore to himself that he would take care of his men and that he would not leave until everyone was with him. And if the event happened that one of them fell, Bert would bury him with his bare, work worn hands.
Even if it was inevitable, he wished that day would never come.

Bert had discussed with the captain that he would go to look for Jerry that night. At first he refused because it would be against the tactic, but when Bert also sold it to him as a kind of "foray", he agreed. But he wasn't allowed to go alone, he had to take a small troop with him - This included just four people: Bert, Johnny, the Private Harold Smith, and Liz.
Bert wanted to leave the latter in the field hospital, but she argued so well in front of the captain that he actually insisted that the sergeant take her with him.

When the last rays of sun had disappeared behind the horizon for a good two hours, the four of them set off quietly.
Bert, Johnny, and Harold were armed with rifles, bayonet, pistols, and knives, while Liz carried only a backpack of medical supplies and a stretcher.
The plan was not to attract any attention; so if someone surprised them, they would first choose knives and bayonet before shooting.

They trotted through the muddy ground carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible.
Their faces were tense, their eyebrows drawn together. It wasn't the first time they did this, but everyone could feel their racing pulse.

There were corpses everywhere, the ground was muddy and sodden from the blood, and there was a terrible stench.
Bert and Harold skillfully ignored this and went looking for Jerry while Liz and Johnny got distracted by the dead.
It was particularly bad for the young paramedic, because she kept asking herself the same thing: Could she have saved one or even more of these soldiers with her magic?

Yes, some of the soldiers had all their organs sticking out of their bodies and some were no longer recognisable as human - but there were others who apparently died only a short time after the actual battle.

She grimaced when she spotted the first rats on some of the lifeless bodies and she had to control herself to keep the contents of her stomach inside her.
Johnny didn't do so well: he stood by a bush and threw up.

Elizabeth went to him and put a hand on his shoulder: "You okay?"

"Yeah," he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, "I guess I'll never get used to it."

"It's probably better that way..."

Johnny knew what she meant and nodded before they continued the search together.

While the others searched for Jerry, Bert mainly paid attention to the surroundings and literally guarded the little troop.
He wouldn't let anything happen to any of them just because he was looking for someone. He also cursed the captain a bit. If this had not been the case, he would have gone on his own quest and only endangered himself. But now he had to take care of himself and three other people - Including his so called "foster daughter".
His dark blue eyes wandered over the battlefield and he surveyed the immediate surroundings of the seekers again and again.
The former chimney sweep had an odd feeling about it, but he wouldn't leave until he found the private.

"Hey," Harold said with a quiet voice, waving the others over to him unobtrusively, "here."

Elizabeth and Johnny walked briskly to the private. She and the other two climbed into the crater where the wounded man lay while Bert drew his rifle and bayonet and stood guard.

"Jerry!" Liz whispered as she got to him and eyed the private: His leg was severed below the knee and he seemed pale - She couldn't tell more because of the pale moonlight and the dirt. Furthermore, he had seeped deep into the mud, so they had to pull him out first.
As she continued to scrutinise him, she noticed to her amazement that he had pulled a strap around his thigh. After all, he hadn't really listened to her when she tried to teach some soldiers about "first aid on themselves" not so long ago.

"What 'urts?"

He tapped his right thigh, "My leg."

Liz looked at Johnny and Harold, "I'll pull 'im out of the mud an' then we put 'im on the stretcher together, pull him up and take 'im back t' the field 'ospital."

The two soldiers nodded and waited.

"Okay, Jerry, that can quite 'urt now, but unfortunately there's no other way," she pulled a piece of cloth out of her pocket and held it out to him, "'ere, bite on it. Then you don't scream so loud an' you may be able t' process the pain better."

He nodded and stuffed the cloth into his mouth while Liz positioned herself behind him and reached under his arms: "On three: one, two, three!"

The young woman pulled him out of the sticky, muddy ground with all her might; His face was pained and he screamed louder than he intended.
The two soldiers quickly brought her the stretcher and the three of them put the private on it and tied him up.

Liz was the first to climb out of the crater when she heard quiet footsteps.
Quiet footsteps that didn't belong to them.
Quiet voices that didn't belong to them.
A quiet word that didn't belong to them: "Engländer!"

"Bert!" she hissed and drew the attention of her foster father, who was standing with his back to the opposing soldiers.

Bert turned and saw six soldiers coming straight at them.
He quickly jumped into the crater with the others. But they couldn't stay like that - they had to fight or they would be killed only in a blink of an eye later!

He doubted they would shoot as it would mean certain death for everyone. It would be foolish to draw any more attention to themselves.
The other two probably had the same thought as he did, since they all drew their knives at the same moment.

"Lizzy," Bert whispered without looking at her, "you take Jerry and pull 'im back with the stretcher. We'll cover you."

"What!?", she looked at him dumbfounded, "But-"

"No "but"! Johnny, Harold... We attack at my command."

Knowing there was no point in contradicting him, Elizabeth tightened her grip on the stretcher and prepared to carry the wounded man to a safe place. She wondered what would be the quickest way to get him to the field hospital, and then whether to return to support Bert and the others or to stay there and take care of Jerry.

The young woman couldn't even finish her thoughts when Bert called "Go!" and the three soldiers jumped out of the trench to the north.
Liz climbed out on the south side and ran as fast as she could with the stretcher back to the camp. Again and again she looked back to watch the silent struggle.
It was three against four.

Then she had an idea: She didn't have to bring Jerry back to the field hospital, just to a safer place!
She walked a few more meters before positioning him behind a hill: "I'll be right back."

"Will you leave me here alone now!?", the private asked in in disbelief and also with a hint of panic in his voice.

"I can't drag you all the way alone... Just trust me."

Jerry couldn't even answer as she was on her way again.

She couldn't see much because of the darkness, but she saw that everyone was engaged in a one-vs-one fight and one person was lying next to them.

Fear filled her as she did not recognise who was lying there and if the person was still alive.
But the fear quickly turned into an emotion that she could not interpret, but which gave her strength.

She ran and saw that Bert was sitting over one of the attackers and took a swing.
Then the person she saw lying next to them got up and looked at Bert hatefully.

"Nicht mein Bruder!" *
He pulled out a pistol and aimed it right at Bert.

Liz doubled her pace and concentrated on deflecting the bullet while throwing herself protectively in front of Bert.

But she was too unfocused, which is why the bullet hit her.
Elizabeth fell to the ground and after that everything was black.

As always, I would appreciate reviews.

Take care and stay healthy!

Translation:

* "Not my brother!"