We've been through the war together

Chapter 3

A/N ok yep I am publishing another chapter today mostly because I may not have much time over the week as I am going to be very busy with a project for school so yeah if you dont know what polio is it is a disease that spread through contaminated water back in the 1930s Polio stated to spread as an epidemic and continued as an epidemic until 1955 when Jonas Stak (who's 100th birthday was a few days ago) created a vaccine that almost put polio out of existance however polio still had no cure, so what does polio actully do, well When you are infected and contagious you have flu like symptoms after these symptoms pass you are fine for a few days then boom 5-7 days later you cant walk, or worse cant breath paralytic polio would make you inable to use your arms and legs bulbar polio paralyzed your lungs and in rare cases your eyes so yeah it is not a fun disease with proper treatment however you can go from being paralyzed to gain complete or most of your formar mobility :) so yeah that sums up polio for you happy readings folks :) 

After a while I seemed to drift off watching his peaceful face was calming to me I suddenly found my self tumbling through a world so much unlike my own, it was so much more peaceful flowers growing all around me, grass tickling my nose and a boy laying in the grass only the tops of our heads touching each other I at first wondered who it was and clambered up onto my elbows and leaned over the boy’s face my hair gently touching his face I recognized his face instantly it was James we were in the same meadow that we met in just it was summer and there was no air raid sirens suddenly a truck pulled up out of the tail gait stumbled one boy and one girl but no one appeared inside the truck, when the girl opened the door it suddenly became visible that a couple, being our friends Mary and John were kissing Nancy and Tom (the people riding in the tailgate) just closed the door and laughed running towards us, wait a minute when did James and I become a couple? 

I suddenly woke up at 6 in the morning careful not to hit any of the steps that creaked I tiptoed down the stairs and made a pot of tea pouring myself and James each a cup and walking back upstairs and waiting until James woke up handing the cup to him as soon as he became awake enough not to drop it “Morning” I said taking a sip of my tea he soon enough got up, with the crinkle of the mattress luckily Mama and Papa didn't wake up so I made breakfast and wrote a note to inform them of where we were going. 

James and I ran through the streets I put my right foot in front and slid across the mud some muck spraying but not enough to make me feel the wrath of mama, maybe just cause her mutter to herself about how filthy I was. We seemed to be racing each other for no reason. Adults seemed to be staring at us as no normal 16 year olds raced each around town I had a job and James I had a feeling would help me “James take a left at the next intersection” I yelled back taking the turn  and waiting for him to catch up when he did I ran across a parking lot and into the hospital, where I worked. “Morning El who is this” Jenny, the secretary said “Oh this, this is James he is a good friend of mine and he recently moved in with me he is wondering if he could find work here” I said “Now El you know how short staffed we are on the polio ward right” Jenny said “Yes Jen thats where I work if you haven't remembered instantly James took a step back “James when they are admitted to the polio ward they aren't contagious we call that post polio syndrome” I explained as Jenny re-applied her vivid red lipstick “Um so I will be working there?” James said “Well Papa said you needed to work remember so I guess you may be interviewed and maybe you will find some work” I said putting on my mask and gloves and pushing the doors open to the polio ward I first crossed ward 1 which was filled with people of all ages stuffed into iron lungs, this ward had the most staff, the next one was where I worked ward 2 had only children in it with paralytic polio (ward 1 was people with bulbar polio it paralyses lungs) ward 3 held teens and adults with paralytic polio “Well hello Jimmy how are you today” I said to a child with braces attached to his legs and arms “good thanks Miss can I get a glass of water” he said trying to reach the sink I filled a glass up then sat him down giving him the glass “don’t drop it” I warned looking around Jimmy was in bed 1 Gerald-2 Michael-3 down the line up to ten Jordan, Thomas, John, Edwin, Gary, Joseph, and Paul all looked up at me ward 2 had a few more hallways of children on the other side of the room was the girls the row started off with a 5 year old named Mary, then Betty, Margret, Carol, Isabelle, Brenda, Donna, Joan, Martha, and lastly Gloria this was my ward I and a girl named Ruth both worked here taking care of these children, I worked here in the morning Ruth in the afternoon, I had been skipped ahead at school along with James and had graduated last year now working in the hospital with these kids was my job I took care of them until noon then I saw James through the windows to the other wards waving as he helped some of the kids, I heated some blankets up with hot water and placed them around each of the children’s legs, it soothed them so much especially the younger ones I then arranged a craft time moving a table into the room and helping each child to move towards the table with braces clinking as they slowly moved towards the craft supplies to make things to hang around the place since Christmas was in a few days each child made something that had to do with the holidays some had stars and stables others had wise men and sheep but when they all were hung up the place looked amazing then with a bit of help from the little children I lifted a tree and put it in the room, I am pretty sure Edwin was just hanging off the trunk of the tree adding extra weight because he couldn't lift much I worked with them all day because Ruth had fallen ill with the flu we hung the crafts on the wall and made christmas ornaments then hung up beads and popcorn on a string some things we didn't even know what they were called like this silver fringed cord that sparkled when it moved, it must of been expensive because I sure as I am standing here had no clue what it was after the day of fun each of the children hugged me and clambered into bed, the extra movement made them sore and tired but they all had happy little grins on their faces I walked out washed my hands and tossed the gloves and mask in the trash, I only needed to wear the mask one more day as because we wore masks for 3 weeks after a child had been admitted and Edwin was on the end of his second week here. “James how was working at the hospital” I said as he walked out of ward 2 “Fun in its own way I was in the second hall of ward 2 the children there are so kind” he continued “We decorated the place for Christmas” I laughed as Mr. Anderson handed us each $1 for extra hard work, Mama and Papa would be happy, they could buy extra food with the extra money so we headed back racing around the corner and back home putting the extra money on the table as we talked about our day eating up the soup hastily.

We both settled down and I wrote in my blue journal about my dream and my day and all was calm until I spotted a patch of moss on my wall “No” I grunted ripping it off the wall and tossing it in the trash I looked at James and we both started laughing. Every time he took a breath the newspaper would crinkle beneath his chest, it was very soothing and slowly put me to sleep but before I dozed off I rolled over to see that James was looking into my eyes and that was comforting enough to instantly make me fall asleep falling into the world of dreams.