In A Time of War: An imperial Love Prequel (1)

Chapter Four

Violet's words for John were incredibly helpful to him, he took all of her lessons and did his best to calm down a little more, starting by closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. And sometimes he thought of her hoping he would get help from her. Sometimes she didn't get to see him as much because she had to take care of the men that were dead, which was taking a strain on her. But then he was always there to help her and comfort her as well any time she lost a patient because he wanted to be there for her as well. Especially when things were getting worse with the death counts.

It was taking a toll on everyone, especially John and Violet, but both of them were coping incredibly differently. John didn't really think too much about everything Violet taught him, so he went straight to smoking to help him cope. John didn't even think clearly, his mind was never thinking clearly, but he wanted to think clearly if he was ever going to have a normal life again. Things were getting more and more difficult and wanted to be happy, but he didn't know how he was going to do that. He wanted to stop smoking the way he was.  

His days in Germany were proving to be the hardest days of his life, and it wasn't going to get any easier moving forward. His memories of his time before the war were starting to fade away. He didn't remember anymore when he was truly happy. He didn't know when he was going to find it again, he didn't remember home and he spent his time living in tents which felt like forever.

John wouldn't have gotten the help he did if it weren't for Violet, and wanted to show her his appreciation for all that she had done for him. He went over to her tent, and Violet waved at him, and John walked over and stood still.

"I'm working." Violet said, "What is it?"

"Everything worked..." John said, "But I'm smoking a ton." 

Violet walked over to him and looked to see if he was having any shakings. Violet mentioned to John that smoking was a common coping mechanism. She had seen people smoke at least 10 packages a day, maybe even more. John said he wanted to stop, but he then said how it wasn't getting easier each moment he spent in Germany laying in his tents. Lay, waiting to wonder when his death was going to be wondering when the next bullets were going to hit, wondering when the next bomb was going to drop. But he was scared to admit that he was still scared, but had no problem talking to Violet about it.

"You know, when the war is over things won't be the same as it was when it started." Violet said,

"I know..." he responded, "I've seen things, that I wish for no man to ever see, and if things get bad for me now I just don't want to bring it all onto my children."

John sighed and looked around.

"I just don't know what the future is going to hold."

Violet sighed and saw the distress on his face, and then heard the sound of Mabel coming into the tent, Mabel was panting and shaking. Violet saw the fear in her eyes, and it was a brand new type of fear, she didn't know what was going on. But Violet saw the distress and fear in Mabel's eyes.

"Mabel, what is it?" Violet said walking over to her,

"It's Benedict," Mabel panted, "He's wounded, he's wounded really bad."

Without even thinking, Violet rushed over to hear Benedict screaming in pain, he was screaming louder and louder by the moment, John walked over and came to rush to his aid, hoping he could figure out a way to help, but there was nothing that could have been done. John was getting more upset by hearing Benedict in pain, Jamie was walking by the same direction that Benedict was. 

"What happened?" Violet asked seeing Jamie.

"We were training in the woods and he got shot in the leg." Jamie answered a little nervous, "I told him to relax."

Then Jamie did an awkward laugh, and Violet looked over at Jamie, who was laughing, and slapped him in the face, she couldn't believe the way he was acting. Almost like a child would and wasn't taking any accountability. Benedict was lucky to be alive in that moment and nobody knew how he survived. John looked over and Jamie, almost disappointed he was still the cocky soldier that never respected anyone but himself, and John knew he shouldn't have said anything because he wasn't any better.

Jamie looked over at John, and John noticed that Jamie was flirting with Ciera at the worst timing possible. John was getting more and more annoyed with him by his childish behavior by the moment. Benedict started to calm down a little bit after Ciera had given him Morphine to help ease the pain. Benedict started breathing, and he looked over at Jamie as did everyone else. Jamie didn't say a word and he chuckled awkwardly, looking around to get the attention off of him. Mabel stared at him and so did Ciera, and Jamie wanted to get the attention off him and Violet looked at Jamie as well and Jamie looked over at John.

"This is your idea..." John said looking at Jamie, "Was this your idea?"

"We got into an argument," Jamie said, "And I was saying he can't hold a gun. So I showed him and it accidentally his leg."

"You're lucky he doesn't have to get it amputated." Mabel said,

"Jamie..." Violet said looking at him and thinking about the words that she was about to say, but she was going to be honest, "You're an idiot."

Jamie looked at Benedict, who was about as calm as a cucumber, and watched as Violet and Ciera brought him into the tent to clean his wound and take out the bullet. John and Wesley saw as Jamie went over to the tent that Benedict was in, and John went in as well to see how Benedict was doing.

"How are you feeling?" John asked,

"As if I was just shot in the leg." Benedict answered,

"That's a fair answer." Wesley said trying to not laugh, 

Benedict looked over at Jamie and asked if he was going to live, Jamie laughed and said he was going to live if he didn't act like an idiot. Which Benedict promised that he wasn't going to do. Wesley and John then looked at Jamie who was being a hypocrite with his idiotic behavior. But overall, everyone knew that he was a good fighter and could hold a gun and other weapons quite well, so they weren't too worried about whether or not he was going to die.

But John was then thinking as he started to look at a wounded Benedict, he thought about how he can no longer fool around, and how he needs to work really hard if he wants to survive the war, which John wanted to do.

One thing John was good at was doing things he could set his mind to.