The Nightingale || John Egan

II

Iris was put with the 100th Bomb Group in May 1943.
Because one thing they required was for her to be on the planes at all missions, until she got to twenty five, and then, if she desired to continue then she had the free right to decide for herself. Although it was very common for men to accept and continue just for their lives to be stolen by death, as if success was the key to death, a death hidden so very well that in the eyes of joy, it was unmaskable.

Iris had come to know such consequences with her own eyes. She had witnessed men's victories to snatch their lives away, but before being inserted with the 100th, she had been with the 304th, where most were wise enough to retrrn back home after good 25 missions achieved.
She saw the planes arriving into view, presenting themselves from the clouds that hid them before landing on the runway. Men cheered for who was the one who achieved, and men remembered those who wouldn't be able to reach a number such as 25 in near future.
She of course, was not required for all. But when over the map, the odds didn't seem to be in their favor, she would be sent up along with the men. And the nights before were like a living sentiment of anxiety settling down in her chest, ignoring her pleadings for it to relieve her of the burden that taunted her frequently.
And she felt the need to squeeze the inside of her chest until all is gone, but no matter how brutal the anticipation was, the mission was worse than expected.

She did not know how things will go at Thorpe Abbots, but she knew deeply that it couldn't be worse.
She had seen horrific events occurring up in the sky, but she had yet to see those below.
And she hoped she wouldn't get to witness horrific war crimes, such as to what helped the war to continue further and further in time.
Iris, sat at the back of the plane as she awaited her arrival at Thorpe Abbots, not knowing what will come in near future. She knew that she would be a nurse in both ways, on the ground and in the sky, no matter what.
So she guessed that, at her arrival, she will be either be taken to the Medical Wing or to her sleeping quarters and since she had done nothing earlier that morning she hoped for the first option, or even be amongst other nurses.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted her mask as she took the map from the top and gazed at it, counting the minutes and hours to arrive to her destination.
The pilots that flew the train were two men completely foreign to her, but she expected them to be from the 100th; although she might right, or wrong. It wouldn't matter that much.

Luckily for Iris, time passed by quite quickly and she hoped for the war to do the same as the plane landed on the runway swiftly before it came to a full stop.
She removed her mask and stood up from her seated position before she made her way out of the plane, she opened the door and jumped out, keeping balanced as her feet landed on the solid ground beneath her.
The sun shone in the sky and the clouds were hidden elsewhere not visible to their sight.

Afterwards, the two pilots came out and stood before her and one of them smiled and her "Welcome to Thorpe Abbots, Iris Grey. How was that landing, to your liking?" he asked her with a wink and Iris raised her eyebrows and the edge of her lip lifted and spoke "I would have a few opinions of that landing of yours...?" she trailed off at the end expecting him to introduce himself, he muttered an 'oh' and offered her his hand "Pardon me, Ronald Jones" they both shook hands as the other pilot, the red haired one introduced himself as well "William Anderson".
"Nice to meet both of you" Iris said pleasantly and Ronald spoke once again "We've heart a lot of things about you, Iris Grey".
"Oh well, I hope good things?"
"Plenty" said the red one, William.

"So, how many missions have you been on so far, Grey?" Ronald asked crossing his arms.
"Twenty" she said.
"And are you looking g forward to do more than twenty-five?"
"Maybe, yes. I believe it's too early to go back home now, I'm helping now I might as well help as much as I can" she said honestly and the two boys nodded their heads with each words she said and Iris looked behind her and then back at the two, wondering why they weren't moving anywhere else.
"Are we waiting for someone?" she asked and both nodded and she decided against asking who they were waiting for and asked another question, outside the topic of whom was the individual.
"And on how many missions have both of you been on?"
"Sixteen" said Ronald.
"Fourteen" said William.

"Well, haven't you heard boys? Over eleven and you beat the odds" she said.
"How were things up there with the 304th ?" William asked her and that lead to a deep conversation after her answer as she went into details, leaving the two boys amazed and horrified and were happy they would be having a flight nurse, for they felt she would bring mostly reassurance on board.
"Our boys were happy knowing you'd be coming, giving them hope and reassurance." said William with a smirk.
"That's sweet of them. Is it a long walk?" she said and asked then, recieveing confused faces from the two boys.
"The medical wing, is it a long walk from here?" she asked and brih made understanding faces as Ronald nodded and answered "It's a nice twenty-five minute walk. I don't recommend it though-"
"Where is the major?" asked William impatiently.
"No, it's all right I am perfectly capable of walking, if only you can give me the directions?"
Ronald had told her to wait as the major would be here in little time before giving her directions.

"Well, thank you very much. I'll see you two around, all right?"
"See you tonight, Grey!" she heard William say from behind as she waved with her back turned and walked to the medical wing.
It wasn't a hard walk- but it was a tad tiring after a long journey.

And as she hadn't expected before she walked away, she heard honking from behind her, she did indeed bother to turn around but the jeep drove past her before it drove backwards as she slowered her pace as she saw a man sat, his hand on the steering wheel while the other over the passenger seat.
She looked at him for a bit as he sat there, his curls over his forehead, his light mustache over his lip.
"Iris Grey?" he asked, his voice raspy and a smile on his face as he squinted because of the sun.
"Let me guess, the major?" she asked, her tone steady and balanced as she observed as his smile grew wider until he was grinning.
"You know me?" he asked.
"You're the only major who I've heard about today who was late, is there another one whom I shall be warned of?" she asked as she got closer to the jeep, he looked up at her his smile still there, unmoving and unfazed by her annoyed tone.
"Major John Egan, call me Bucky" he introduced himself.
Since he already knew her name she nodded and said nothing before he reached over to open the door for her from his seat.
"You don't need to worry about it, I'm just a few minutes away from the medical wing" she said, completely unaware of the distance, and walked away from the jeep.
"It's ten minutes by car, another twenty-three minutes on foot, Grey".
She looked straight at the road she was supposed to walk on and looked back at the Jeep before she opened the door fully and sat in.
"Welcome to Thorpe Abbots, I see you've already met William Anderson and Ronald Jones, they good to you?"
"Yes, thank you" replied and glanced at her surrounding as light winds blew through her hair.

"I've heard you know how to fly a plane?"
"Yes".
"Will you be doing that here?"
"Only when necessary".

"Been on a lot of missions?"
"A few".

For the rest of the ride he dumped upon her head hundreds and hundreds of questions to whom she had given terse answers and he noticed that only after two questions.
Had he done something wrong? Or was she in a bad mood?
He side glanced at her and his eyes were back on the road.

Iris held onto her bag tightly on her thighs now becoming slightly anxious to meet people she would be working with.
And when John came to a stop, Iris opened the door and turned to him "Thank you for the ride, sir" she gave him a small nod and shut the door, he opened his mouth to say something but the girl walked away and into the Medical Wing, leaving John Egan amused by the girl who had shown no interest with him.
He shook his head with a smile and drove away.