Warrior

War Zone

 "All men from the age 18 to 60 are to be drafted into the US military due to the declaring of war against the United States, taking effect on this day of April 10, 1905."

 

That is what had gotten everybody to go crazy at town yesterday. That small newspaper print had caused so much stress and drama that no one stood around for the rest of the fair as planned. My father, being a retired Military General had to stay behind and speak with the mayor and one of his colleagues, leaving My brothers and I to find a way home by ourselves.

It wasn’t till late at night when Papa finally came home looking worn out. He did not speak to any of us, not even Dan, he just walked into his room and left us in the kitchen with millions of questions in our minds.

The Next day was no better. It started off with Papa telling James and Dan at breakfast that they were of course signed up for duty and that they all will be leaving home on Monday. That was two days from now.

"Papa what will happen to me then if you are all going off to war?" I asked after he finished explaining the schedule.

Papa looked down at me for a moment lost in thought. I knew I couldn’t join the military since I was only a fifteen year old girl, but since that was the case, I couldn’t be left alone at home either, and we had no other living relatives that would ever take me in.

"Why you’re going to join the Nurses Group, helping the wounded and the younger children" Papa finally said after a long pause.

"Nurses Group? Why a Nurse? I have never taken care of anybody before nor do I know how." I exclaimed

"That’s the closest I will be able to get you toward a battle field Alex. Its either that or I will ship you off to etiquette school" Papa said while taking a sip of his tea.

That shut me up. No way was I going to an Etiquette school.

"Why doesn’t Alex just stay at the house Papa and be like normal kids her age?" James said looking up from his breakfast plate that he had barely touched.

"Come on James, you know Alex is getting too old to have a governess looking after her. Anyway its better to have Alex become a nurse, she is growing up after all. We should make her use her time well. I don’t want her wasting her time playing board games and reading kid books like she is still a child." Papa said with a grim look on his face

"When will I leave to go become a nurse papa?" I asked quietly

"Tomorrow, you will be driven to the group out in New York. So why don’t you make sure you pack and get yourself ready right now." Papa said hastily.

I was shocked. Tomorrow?! That means I would lose the little amount of time I had left to be with my brothers and my father.

Why would he ship me off a day early? I looked around to find James looking angry, as If what Papa had just said was not right or not fair. I stood up and left the room.