a/n: please do not read this chapter if you're triggered by bombing or ptsd episodes because that's basically this entire chapter.
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William woke up to something pricking at his arm. He groaned, opening his eyes slowly, seeing the doctor that was speaking with Mary yesterday, poking a needle into his skin.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
"Mhm, it's fine. What are you doing?"
"Just giving you something that will calm your nerves. Mary said you would prefer to not have a lot of people surrounding you and a new group of soldiers are coming in and it may be loud and chaotic."
"What is it?"
"Hm?"
"What are you giving me?"
"Morphine. Just enough to-" William pulled his arm away, making the needle tear his skin. "William-"
"Lance Corporal Schofield. I'm only William to Mary. I don't want morphine and I know that you can't give it to me unless I'm of unsound mind. I'm fully capable of thinking."
"Will-Lance Corporal Schofield, we're trying to avoid what happened the other day. Some soldiers may think of you as a threat or-"
"Doctor Anderson, the soldiers have arrived." The soldier, being thankful for the interruption, rolled his sleeve down and held his arm to his chest, making sure that the doctor understood William wasn't about to be drugged. He wanted to be completely aware of what was going on.
"I'll be right there, tell the nurses to get ready. Find Nurse Blake as well, tell her that she should stay with Lance Corporal Schofield, just in case." William frowned as he watched the nurse nod before she walked away to find Mary. He didn't need to be babysat. "It's for the safety of you and the rest of us here. If you won't allow me to give you something, I thought that the nurse you've been fucking may help." William felt his blood boil and he stood up, grabbing the collar of the doctor's coat and walking forward until Doctor Anderson was against the wall.
"You fucking talk about Mary like that again and I'll make sure that you'll never fucking see another patient as long as you live. You don't look at her. You don't speak to her. You never even think about Mary again. You hear me?" Doctor Anderson's eyes were wide, shocked that William was able to move as fast as he did and he was as strong as he was.
"Will!" William backed up as soon as he heard Mary's voice, letting Doctor Anderson go and turning towards the nurse. "What the hell are you doing?"
"We're just talking." Mary frowned but didn't push him as he walked back towards his bed. "Now we know I can walk with no issue. Can I now walk outside?" He looked at Mary, who in turn looked towards Doctor Anderson, who looked at William and didn't dare look towards the nurse.
"Why don't you and Nurse Blake take a walk around the hospital as we move in our new patients. You'll be away from the action then." Doctor Anderson gave a tight smile to William before heading towards the patient's entrance. As soon as he was out of sight, William felt himself relax a bit more and he turned towards Mary, who was frowning at him. He just smiled, hoping she would forget about it.
~~
"So, are you willing to tell me or will I have to bother you until you tell me?"
"Hm?"
"Why'd you have Richard against a wall earlier?" They were outside, having left the building quite quickly as they heard the shouting of soldiers in pain entering the hospital. Now, they were in the hospital courtyard where other soldiers usually were, but since every nurse was helping with arrivals, William and Mary had the courtyard to themselves.
