Woke Up In A New Decade

Chapter Forty Three

Picture; Tatiana and Maria on the Standart c.1914

August 1914.
"And.. he di- dien't."
"Didn't." I corrected the wounded soldier who had fought hard for this country the Motherland. "Didn't, ever lie again!" The soldier finished with pride and joy. "You are doing so well!" I acknowledged. Since I was too young to be a Red Cross nurse, the little pair and I were keeping the soldiers company. We will play games, tell stories and teach them how to read. I was currently teaching this soldier named Boris how to read and he was learning very fast!

The little pair and I agreed that we would provide them with children's books at first since they are much easier to read and as the soldier progressed we would start taking the more advanced books out. "Alright Mr. Petrov, let's unwrap your bandages." Olga said. She was in her nurse uniform, it contained an elegant long sleeved green dress with a white apron which had a large Red Cross in the center. She also had a headpiece on like what Aunt Ella wears.

When the war started Mama opened up our palaces as hospitals were nurses could aid wounded soldiers. The big pair, Mama, Lili, Valentina and Anna were trained as Red Cross nurses. Valentina being the youngest of course. "Astrid Nikolaevna! Your sister truly is a saint on earth, pay attention to her. You could learn something!" The old man laughed. "Oh Mr. Petrov!" Olga giggled at the old man's words.

I didn't take insult to the old man's comment. He was still a little drugged up on pain meds since he got three bullet wounds to the leg. Everybody knew he got really lucky. If the billets had gotten him at his upper body, he would be as good as gone.

"I have a daughter like you back in Yekaterinburg." The old man said out of the blue. "Yekaterinburg?" I repeated, this caught me off guard. Valentina entered with some extra bandages. "I have some bandages if you run out of any, Olenka." She said as she placed them down. "Yes, a very small town but very well maintained. Do you know it?" The old man asked as Valentina quickly wrapped a bandage around his arm which was injured. "Uh yes, I need to go to the restroom, it will be very quick." I pardoned myself. I walked over to the nurses kind of break room and sat down. I had gotten a glass of water. "Hello Astya." Tatiana greeted. "Hello Tatiana." I muttered back. "How are the soldiers?" I asked her. "A pain but they seem to be getting better, very flirtatious too." She chuckled while washing her hands, Tatiana continued to speak to me but I had zoned out. Yekaterinburg, that house is jus stirring there waiting for us, a death trap. I wonder if Papa can order it to be demolished, would they have no choice but to let us leave? No Astrid! That is stupid they'll find another house to put us into.

"Astya are you even listening to me?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked to my sister. "What?" She sighed and then looked cautious. "I had an odd dream last night. I woke up in this bed, it was comfortable and it was bright. Somebody tending to me looked so young, a little boy. He asked me if I was okay and then somebody walked in claiming to be my boyfriend he also said I was schizophrenic like you once were. The little boy said he knew and I asked for my name. They looked at me weirdly and Said Ella Freud. It was so weird, so I tried to explain to her that I was Grand Duchess Tatiana and told them about my family. Then my boyfriend sighed and said I was probably having an episode. Then the boy sighed and stuck something in my mouth, it tasted so good and i felt like I could run a marathon without stopping but it still was weird." She explained. "I was thinking of Olishka, you, and where our family was. I remember asking 'Who are you?' And a lot of 'where am I?'s." She added.

"That is strange, really strange. Perhaps it's telling you something?" I suggested. "Maybe." Tatiana replied. She checked her watch and seemed to jump in surprise. "My break time is over! Bye Astya!" She left in a hurry waving to me the best she could. I got up and composed myself, I had to get back to the soldier. On the way I walked past Valentina who walked into the break room. I continued back to the large room containing wounded soldiers laying on beds in close proximity. I sped walked to Boris's to find him fast asleep. "You took too long and the old man fell asleep." Olga said, looking at me with her hands placed softly against her hips.

"Apologises, Tatya caught me in a conversation." I told her smiling. Olga chuckled. "Well go make yourself useful Miss Prophecy." Olga joked. She walked away from me, I walked over to a chair and sat down into it by a window with a unoccupied bed next to it, I peered outside. I was not a good at starting conversations with strangers like my younger sisters. I didn't have the charisma Maria contained and I didn't have witty remarks likr Anastasia.

"Astya!" I heard a voice behind me. I turned around, "Mama? What are you doing here? I thought you were in the surgery." My mama stood intimidatingly tall in her nurses uniform. "Why are you not helping the soldiers?" She scolded. "I am sorry mama, but I am afraid I can not be useful in the ways you expect me to be." I sighed. "Oh Astya what on earth are you talking about?" Mama asked me tiredly. "Mama, it's really scary talking to strangers. They're staring at me like I'm going to start the best conversation. I am shy!" I cried out. Mama took pity on me. She came closer to me, patting my dirty blond hair for comfort. She had her gaze on the window. "I know what it's like Божественно красивая, i was the same way when I was a little girl. You unfortunately get that trait from me, you would be a great addition as a nurse but you are too young. We must wait until November when you are at least 16 and then I will see what I can do." Mama intercepted.

"Thank you so much Mama." I was so very thankful for her. "Can I hug you?" I asked her. "Astya, we are in a public space. We must display an example-" I cut off my Mama by wrapping my arms around her waist and leaned my head against her side, since she was standing and I was sitting. I closed my eyes, feeling the motherly love I never had in my old life. "I love you mama." It took mama a few seconds to swallow her unexpectedness. She placed one hand on my head and the other on my back bringing me closer. "I love you too dearest." She whispered as we both continued to look out the window. Watching Cian and Caoimhe with the little pair conversing with wounded soldiers outside in the beautiful Tsarskoye Selo gardens.