Calumbra 23 - Book 1: The Maid

22 - Past and Present

So much death and carnage... She'd never seen so much in her life. Even the Titanic was better than the blood and guts and amputations that were all around her. The wounded, the infected, the dead... The world had changed overnight so it seemed and in all her years, she had never seen such destruction.
"Nurse? Nurse, are you listening?"
She turned back to the other nurse and smiled.
"Yes, Nancy?"
"This man needs to have his leg amputated; could you please find the doctor?"
"Of course."
She made her way through the men and finally found the doctor taking out bullet wounds from a young man's leg. She looked at the young man and fear gripped her heart. Whatever became of her darling Blackwoods? Did they join this ruthless war? Were they dead?
"Doctor, a patient in Line 8 needs your attention. Nurse Nancy says he may need his leg amputated."
"Tell her I'll be there shortly and to get things prepared for me."
Delaware nodded and went back to Nancy. She stayed with the patient as he laid there in silence, looking at the ceiling without a word. Delaware took his hand and rubbed it gently.
"You poor child... You were probably a beautiful child, the pride of your mother... Why would you do this to yourself?"
There was no answer, of course, but she sighed and set his hand down. The doctor came over just as Nancy came back and Delaware went to go to the more healthier patients to get away from all the blood.
As she walked down the narrow hallway and toward the back of the back of the hospital where the healthier and wealthier of patients were, she looked at the names on either side of the hallway on the doors. She recognized a lot of them from when she lived with the Blackwoods when she came across a name that she was surprised to see. "Sexton" it read on the small card and she turned her head at it. She opened the door and went inside.
"Who's there?" an authoritative voice said. "Speak, I can't see you."
Delaware looked up to find the middle-aged man looking about but had a white bandage wrapped about his head and eyes.
"I'm Nurse Tate..."
"Oh, a nurse... I haven't heard your voice before and I've been here for some time. I thought I knew them all."
"I have been working in the front with the more wounded soldiers..."
"I see... Tate... What's your first name, Ms. Tate?"
"Such manners! You tell me yours first, sir."
The man smiled and he reminded her of Arnold.
"General Radley Sexton, at your service ma'am."
"Delaware Tate."
"I had a feeling I'd meet you. My father talked all about you; the woman who never aged." He said with a kind smile.
"How would you know who I was?"
"Not many people named Delaware, ma'am. And he said you never change your name throughout your history. I'm pleased to be in contact with you; I'm afraid I don't know what you look like..."
"It's nothing. I don't know what you look like either. That bandage covers half of your face."
He chuckled. "Very true..."
"So you became a soldier instead of a doctor? I'm sure Arnold wasn't very pleased."
"Actually he said that he hoped it would break the bond he made with you but I have always wanted to study medicine. They say I should be able to get my eyesight back within a year, though not to their full extent. I'll have to wear spectacles but I am grateful that that is all I have to account for. My subordinate, on the other hand, is in a more serious condition."
"Subordinate? Are they in this wing with you, sir?"
"Yes. He is with the Blackwood kid. He wasn't hurt too bad but his friend was in critical condition last I heard from the nurses. I never really thought how close to home we were together and yet I'd never met the boys... It's a small world."
"Aye, it is..."
"Please visit me again, Ms. Tate. I have enjoyed our company."
Delaware smiled and excused herself from his room.

******************

As she traveled a little farther down the hallway, she saw the Blackwood name on the door and hesitated. She hadn't seen anyone in years and she doubted very much that it was her boys that were in there. It had been almost thirty years since she'd seen them and the army looked to have been taking young men and boys instead of grown ones. She decided just to introduce herself to these new Blackwoods and see if she could get any information out of them in regards to Tavit and Trinidad.
She opened the door and a young man looked up. His hair was black as night and his eyes were green. His leg was propped up in a sling but he looked like he was healing nicely.
"Hello." He said, putting his newspaper down. "I don't remember calling for a nurse..."
"You didn't... uh... Your last name is Blackwood, yes?"
"Yes. Do we know each other?"
"Not directly... I know your family. Uh, I used to care for Tavit and Trinidad Blackwood as children."
The young man looked at her and smiled.
"You must be Delaware. You're as pretty as Uncle Trin described you."
"You're Tavit's son?" she asked, walking in more.
The young man nodded. "Aye, I'm Huntley. My father's the Duke of Blackwood."
"Tavit is? Whatever happened to Trinidad's birthright?"
"He gave it up to my father. He'll be here shortly, he just went to find a doctor for Sullivan."
Delaware turned swiftly to the bed beside the boy when he pointed and sighed when she saw it was not the Sullivan she knew. He looked in grave pain.
"What happened?"
"He has a lot of shrapnel wounds that went all over his body. They are finding it hard to detect where they are and so whenever he feels pain, we get the doctor to examine him and then he has another surgery. He's been through hell."
"All of you have."
They talked discursively when they heard the door open and Huntley smiled up at whoever came in.
"Look, Uncle Trin." He said, pointing.
Delaware turned around and Trinidad dropped the wash basin that was in his hand, the bowl shattering into a million pieces on the floor. Sullivan opened his eyes a little from the noise and the two just stood there and stared at each other. She looked exactly as she had when she left the manor, all beautiful and glistening like a fairy queen. Her hair was the same and her eyes were still beautiful. She hadn't missed a beat.
To Delaware, she had missed everything. Her 'Little One' was not so little anymore. He was in fact towering over her in a massive amount of muscle and height. He had scars from battle and was tanned from being in the sun for long periods of time, but his golden eyes were no different than when she left. He was her 'Little One' but he had seemed to outgrow her in front of her very eyes.
"My, how you've grown." She said softly to him.
He continued to stare at her in shock and she smiled, getting up and walking to him.
"Look at you... You've grown up to be a fine young man, Little One." She said with a look to him.
He closed his mouth and then beamed at her, grabbing her up into a bear hug.
"Delaware." Was all he said to her and she hugged him back.