My Patriot

6. Old Friends

You lifted your hair out of your face and slipped it into a perfect loop. With the annoyance out of your face, you continued working on the man in front of you. His chest was punctured in several different areas with all kinds of shrapnel, "Please stay still, Mr. Winston... I'm almost done."

You pulled the last piece out of of his chest and began addressing the new wound you had opened, "There. All finished." you handed him the bottle to help with his pain. Liquor proved to be effective on these men.

"Christian, Ryland, (Y/L/N)! Get out here!" Doctor Maltan shouted from outside.

"I'll be right back," you smiled at the man before rushing to see what the commotion was outside. Thousands of men were crowding the paths and you immediatly understood. Men go out... get hurt... come back... you heal. You, along with every other medical personnel began to help the soldiers into your tents.

"Sir, lean back." "I'm going to need you to show me your arm." "Ew... sorry, I mean..." "Can I get a saw over here?" "I'm going to put you out now."

The comments kept rushing in. You worked on each man one at a time. Your hands would be deep into one's body while trying to pull a bullet out of the next. The blood on your apron was a mix of dry and fresh and pieces of metal found inside of body clanked each time they were dropped into the small bowl.

***

You slumped down on the cot behind you. Checking the small clock on the stand. Midnight. 8 straight hours of working. Your fingers felt like they were going to fall off and your legs as if you were about fall over.

"(Y/N)? Shouldn't you be somewhere?"

"What?"

"You and Robert? I thought you guys were going to meet up tonight?" Darla asks you.

"I completely forgot! I'm too tired now... I'll try and go. Never Mind, he'll understand. Why don't you head to sleeping quarters. I'll hold down the fort," you winked at her while taking off your apron.

"Really? Thanks..."She ducked out and you were left alone with an empty tent and a stench of blood and vomit.

You began to think of ways to explain why you couldn't see Robert after a day like that. You tried to figure out a way to make sure you were in front of people, so he couldn't hurt you. Soon enough you were out. Sleeping as best you could on a med-cot. But then you were awoken. And you wanted to kill whoever woke you.

"What do you need?"

"You're a nurse right?"

"Doctor. What do you need?"

"I have a soldier, he was left after the troops came back. Can you help him?"

"Go ahead and bring him in." you cleared off the bed and watched as two men helped the third into the room. He was covered in dirt completely hiding his face. You immediatly began wiping off areas of his body to access his wounds.

The man kept groaning in pain as you placed any kind of disinfectant and pain medications on him. Once you were done with his appendages, you grabbed the shears and started to cut through his shirt already noticing the stains of red.

"Doll, I thought you'd be ripping off my shirt in a much different way!" he ended up shouting. Obviously trying to mask his pain.

"Excuse me?"

"Looks like failing science didn't cost you your career..."

"James?"

"(Y/N)- ow!"

"Sorry! Oh, James, wow... you're hurt... I definitely never thought about tearing your shirt off... alright. Hold still. This is gonna hurt, but you're accustomed to pain like this, right? Years of fights?"

"Just stitch me up, Doll..."

You began stitching his chest while trying to carry out a conversation, "So you ditched Sandra? How long were you two together?"

"Almost 5 years, she just wasn't right for me."

"Are you sure you weren't right for her?"

"I'm not a little kid anymore, (Y/N), I'm a lot more mature than you last remember. What about Mr. Grant?"

"Robert's fine."

His face dropped, "You're still together?" The other men in the room looked at eachother a little funny at his comment.

"Yes! He's here too!"

"Even though he hurt you?"

"James!" you slammed your hands down next to him on the cot, "Enough."

"He did?"

"I told you. It was one time and I fell! I don't assume you were in a fight everytime I see someone with a black eye, so stop assuming he hurt me! It's been years!"

"Years you've hidden it..."

"Shut up, James. Right now!" you yelled going back to your work.

"I'm just trying to help you, Doll."

"Well, don't."