"Excuse me sir do you know where the tenth are?" Bee asked a man with a cigarette. "Na sorry miss." He replied. I took Bee's hand, frustrated and pushed through the people, "Hey hey hey settle it down, where's the fire?" A tall man asked. "The tenth battalion!" I told him. "Straight down there sisters." He pointed down the row. I kissed his cheek, "THANKYOU!" I cheered, took Bee's hand and we ran, as fast as we could.
+++
"Excuse me Sir do you know a Private William Nykiel?" I questioned. "Who?"
"William wait Billy Nykiel?"
"Oh Billy, yea the sniper he's not here." The bloke blew out his smoke. "What?!" I asked shocked. "Yes ma'am half of the tenth are already on their way to France." The bloke explained. "Well what about Private Lawrence Deakin?" Bee asked. "Lawrie? Yep he's with Billy. Oh those four, Dave Jack Lawrie and Billy. Tightest bunch of mates I've ever seen." The guy smiled. I felt my top lip wobble, my hands covered my mouth. "Sorry Sisters." He mumbled. "It's ok we'll meet them in France." Bee said, taking my hand. She looked at her watch, "Goodness we're gonna be late." Bee pulled my blubbering body back down to the docks.
•+++FRANCE FEBRUARY 1916+++•
The ward was huge, big enclosed rooms that ceilings were higher than the length of the floor. "Sister Craig can I see you after your shift please." Matron O'Conner asked. There was something in her eyes that scared me greatly. "Yes matron."
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
I knocked on Matrons huge door. I was shaking, scared of what she was to tell me. "Come in...AHH Sister Craig take a seat." She smiled. I scuttled to a chair, my heart beating at a million miles an hour. "I saw how distraught you were on Lemnos when we were fixing Billy up. So I thought we could check up with him." Matron smiled. I furrowed my eyebrows. "Oh no matron that wont be necessary." I rose to my feet. "Well a letter came from his sergeant." Matron informed. "You wrote to him?" I questioned. "Yes on behalf of you and Sister Ollington. You two impressed me on Lemnos, it was the least I could do." Matron said, I looked nervously at my fingers. Matron flicked the letter across the table. "I do not wish to read it Matron... all I need to know is that they're breathing and where they're they are!" I clenched my teeth. "Now now Sister Craig if you don't wish to read it now you may later so take it and go into town, you, Honey, Caroline and Kathy have 24 hours leave, inform them for me will you." Matron shuffled her papers and I stood dumbfounded. "24 hours Matron we just got 300 casualties in I can not go on 24 hours leave, but I shall tell the girls." I nodded calmly. Matron sighed heavily, "You're a real trooper Grace." I shrugged and left quickly.
+++
"Sister Ollington, Sister Sandow, Sister Peters you three have 24 hours leave." I informed, picking up a bowl of bloody water. "Are you not joining us Sister?" Kathy asked. "No I shan't." I picked up the towels and walked to ward 8. "Sister help here p-please I need some w-water..." a dry, raspy voice stuttered. "G'day Private Cornwall, I'm Sister Craig but call me Grace." My hands still were shaking as I red his tag. (Little did I know that hands would be shaking for a lot longer.) "I'm Marty... a bloke in the tenth talks about a Grace..." he muttered, shaking a lot more than me. "That'd be my Billy." I chuckled. "Yea Billy that's it. I'm in the 22nd from Sydney." He explained. I scanned his body, blood oozed from his chest and thighs, but it was his stomach was what hit me the hardest. "We was puttin' out a line to blow up a gunners spot. My two mates Bacon and Rum, I'm Eggs, I told em to go right and as soon as the MG opened up they run. I'm twice as quick as em so I went left to distract the gunners anyway they made it back to the trench. I nearly did too. But I was hit by bullets and a shell 3 feet from the trench wall." Marty sighed, remembering the night. "Well you've lived to tell the tal-oh!" I gasped a I tore open his shirt. "Oh bloody hell." I cursed. "What've I done this time?" He rolled his eyes. "Well Private I do not wish to startle you but I can see your intestines." I swallowed picking up the two sides of skin that had to been sewn back together. "Well Mum'll be happy with that. She said that if I didn't come with a proper war wound then I wasn't trying hard enough she was only kidding but she also said I had to look after Bacon and Rum cause they're the stupid older brothers and I'm the immortal younger one." Marty chuckled. "You don't seem phased by how serious this is Eggs." I furrowed my eyebrows. "I figured sister if I were to die I'd already be dead." Eggs said. "He's got a point Sister Craig now you take him to surgery, he'll be fine." Matron smiled. I grinned at Marty, "Well Eggs let's see what we can do."
+++++++
"Today I had a boy he had just turned 22 and he was as happy as Larry. Ripped open his shirt I could see his intestines. Do you know what he said to me when he explained what happened? I figure if I was to die I would already be dead. Now, He is sitting in his bed eating porridge and drinking orange juice, surest 22 year old I've ever met and his names Eggs his two older brothers are Rum and Bacon." I told the girls making them chuckle. "I nursed him on Lemnos, he only had a bit of shrapnel in his hand but he made me smile." Kathy said. "He's a sweetheart." I replied putting my coat down. "A letter from Billy?" Bee asked. "No Hamish." I lied. "Who's Hamish?" Caroline asked. "Billy's best friend. He had his leg shot off. He's just had a baby with Billy's sister Meg." I explained. "Are they married?" Kathy asked. "No, well not yet." I replied. "You're not married are you Sister Craig?" Caroline asked. "Nope not yet...not yet." I replied opening the letter from Billy's sergeant.
Dear Matron O'Conner,
I received your letter, regarding Private (sniper) William Nykiel and Private Lawrence Deakin. Your nurses are extremely brave. The nurses will be pleased to know that both Deakin and Nykiel are doing very well. Both are still going strong and are fighting like true Australians. We are at the Somme at the moment and are being hit hard but the two are hanging in there.
Goodluck Matron O'Conner,
Sincerely
Sergeant McGregor
###
I smiled, they were alright. Everything was ok.
YOU ARE READING
Life Goes On...
Historical Fiction"Life goes on Grace, this war can and will take everything but our love is something it won't." Billy states, his hat brushing her cheek. Billy Nykiel is a charmer. Good looks have blessed him and he can play any sport you throw at him if he tried...
