The Way Back Home: A 1917 Fanfic

Chapter 14: Evermore

Amelia felt multiple eyes on her as Lt. Joseph Blake carried her outside, the cooling breeze fanning her face. Being the only woman present in a male-dominated camp should have made her feel meek and intimidated, but she had been through so much worse in the last day and a half than being ogled by strange men.

She had to rely on them for protection, after all.

Thankfully, most of the men had retreated to their tents with the sun setting on the horizon, so she was spared the annoyance of the less-than-chivalrous selection of soldiers whistling at her

Being in Lt. Blake's arms were different than when Schofield had been holding her, but she knew it was unfair to compare the two men. He was undoubtedly gentle while gripping onto her, not too tightly to be mindful of her bruising. Amelia gathered the sensation in her gut that she was on a mission taken upon by the Lieutenant to repent for his younger brother dying.

Lt. Blake's strides to the truck were steady, and she could hear the shaking of his breathing as he inhaled, his eyes staring straight ahead and avoiding looking at her. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, the anxiety battling within him for the task that lay ahead.

She glanced behind Lt. Blake's shoulder to see Schofield following close behind, a brown cloth pack filled with her supplies over his shoulder.

Amelia turned her head back in front of her to see Colonel MacKenzie and Major Hepburn standing on both sides of the ambulance. Both men's eyes slightly widened at the sight of her in Lt. Blake's arms, yet their faces remained stoic, Col. MacKenzie's sharp eyes meeting hers.

Feeling self-conscious, the next words out of her mouth sounded more demanding than she intended. "Joseph, please put me down. Now!"

"What's the matter? Did I hurt you, Miss Hunterson?" Lt. Blake asked her in a hurried yet concerned manner, setting her back down onto her feet.

"Amelia, what's wrong?" Schofield asked at the same time as Blake, setting down the pack and going to her side.

Lt. Blake's hands went to her shoulders, ensuring she was balanced on the ground before removing them. Schofield held her then by the waist, his hands careful of the discoloration decorating her skin under her thin shirt.

"I...I'm not in pain, Will. I...I just wanted to walk myself to the truck like a normal woman should be able to. I've been carried around enough as it is for the past twenty-four hours. None of you should be sparing a medical vehicle for me, let alone risking yourselves for my safety."

She could feel the Colonel and Major's confused gazes in her direction, but she could only focus on Schofield as he pulled her to him. His arms wrapped around her in one last embrace before parting... "Her arms encircled his waist, her fingers curling into his uniformed back.

Schofield softly kissed the top of her head, blinking away tears from his eyes.

"Had you not pulled me from that river, I would've drowned and not been able to give the message to save all those men. Nor to inform Joe about Tom..." He ceased speaking as his voice cracked with long-repressed emotion. Schofield refrained from succumbing to the grief again, especially in front of his superior officers. And he hadn't dared alarm Amelia by displaying such weakness in her presence.

"Miss Hunterson, no more of this." Colonel Mackenzie approached the woman standing in the Lance Corporal's arms. "The sun's nearly set. You need to get moving."

The wearied colonel took hold of Amelia by the elbow, attempting to pull her away from Schofield. Her feet were planted on the ground despite her injured leg. Her soldier's arms unwound from around her.