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

Chapter Thirteen

November 1, 1917

John found himself finding moments during the past few weeks where he could spend time with Violet. She was everything he needed to get through his training. He did admit to her that he was getting more and more nervous each day, and he thought that what happened to Ciera was the big start of it all.

But like Jamie, he was trying to move on. He still felt bad for Jamie as well, knowing that his friend felt responsible for everything. But John was still reassuring that none of it was his fault. John watched as his friends were finally getting themselves focused and getting started on their training. And he watched as Jamie was shooting several bullets at a time. He started to wonder if the old Jamie was starting to come back, by taking his anger out on the battlefield instead of everyone else.

 John looked over and noticed that Simon and Wesley were too busy talking all of the time, wondering how they didn't get into trouble. John just smiled and watched as they were continuing their conversation and got himself back to work. 

As the whistle of the General was blown loudly, everyone jumped into a straight line. Wesley and Simon remained quiet and looked at each other and started to make faces at Mabel who was watching them from outside of her tent. John turned around and saw that Violet was standing next to Mabel. John was lucky, lucky to have all of the support from everyone, and Violet's support was most important to him than anything. Violet saved him, when he didn't know he needed to be saved. She was also the one that was always there to be supporting him, more than the rest of his friends ever did.

His time training was getting better, he was able to use guns, and really strong rifles. He was using rifles that he never had the opportunity to use before, and things were a lot different. He was proving more to himself to be a stronger soldier. Stronger than he was ever before.

He was noticing how he had gone a long way since he was in Germany and he didn't think he was going to survive everything that he had survived. He just had to keep training, and that was exactly what he had done. 

"I didn't think you cared." Jamie said,

"Of course we do." John said, "We all do."

They all knew that Jamie was distressed, and sometimes John didn't know how to help, so sometimes Simon would be there to make sure he was himself.

That night, John went to Violet's tent for a bit of support. He expresses to her that he was worried about Jamie, worrying that his grief was starting to get the best of him.

"Grief is normal," Violet said, "Of course, he is going to feel the way he was." 

John sighed and started to think that Violet was right. But knowing how tough Jamie was, he was getting more worried that Jamie's anger was going to get the best of him. 

"Jamie's an angry person most of the time, that's how he deals with his emotions," John said, 

"I know..." Violet added, "Given the way everything is, of course, people were going to die every day." 

John looked over at Violet and took her hand. He didn't want to lose her next and that was a little bit on his mind wondering if she was going to have anything happen to her, and she was also worried that something bad was going to happen to him. But Violet wanted to be optimistic, but it was very hard during these times.  She had seen people die on her watch every day, from wounds, illnesses anything that she could name and she knew that more people were going to die right in front of her, and especially when the Allied forces went into battle, which she knew was going to happen soon.

"Do you think you'll make it out of this alive?" Violet asked,

"I will... I promise..." John said, "I will get out of this alive."