Remedy

05

"You look positively wiped out, Dotty," Charlie said while sitting down at the table which the woman in question was leaning her head against.

"Is training a horse really that hard?" Dot asked while sitting up straight and looking at him. She didn't even question as to how she'd just accumulated a new nickname.

"Yes," Charlie answered and pointed a finger at her. "Haven't you ever tried it?" He asked, seeing the blunt look shot his way, he already knew the answer.

"No," she let out a sigh, her green eyes looking darker as she looked tiredly around. "I have a dreadful feeling however that I may have to." Dot rubbed her eyes and leaned her head against her hand. She stilled a yawn and looked towards Charlie, it was a gut feeling. Ambulance wagons needed to get pulled by something, and that something was usually a horse. It wasn't just her that would need to learn to manage a cart and horse, others would too.

The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent helping whoever injured themselves, this didn't repeat itself as much as the day progressed. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in everyone learning quickly, she just didn't think it would be this quick. Dot was admittedly thankful for that, it was amazing to see how much improvement people could have in a space of a few hours.

Although there were still the odd ones which hadn't quite grasped the concept of horse riding. The horses themselves Dot noticed, were very well tempered but then when she pondered over this thought she soon realised that they didn't know what was to happen. The unawareness of animals, there was probably some sense, horses were intelligent animals after all, but truly...Dot did not think they could comprehend this, all of this. Even she struggled. Then once Dot had pondered more on this thought, none of them, the nurses or the soldiers, knew what was going to happen once they were all over there. Which meant really, they were all in a similar state to the training horses; unawareness. It was truly a horrid, bleak and dreadful thought which seemed to keep popping up and bugging her.

"Are you all right, Nurse Blake?" Charlie asked in a slightly teasing tone. She flicked her eyes over to look at him and nodded slowly. Charlie didn't look bought, his usual smile was gone and his dark eyes looked at her worriedly. Even though she nodded, he could see she wasn't. Something was bothering this young woman. Charlie had the option to ask, but he had a feeling Dorothy Blake was the sort to keep quiet, contemplate and then tell when she was ready.

"What's with the formality, hm?"

"I'm just being polite." Charlie smiled again and leaned back in his chair. He was quite content to hear her mocking tone, no real seriousness in the tone as Dot smiled in return.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Dot had to admit that even though she had only known Charlie for barely a day that she actually quite liked his company. Throughout the day, while she wasn't having to deal with a clumsy soldier, Charlie would pop up and talk to her. He was funny, he liked to say the odd joke now and again which lightened the mood greatly. Some of the time he just happened to brag about his horse being better than James's and a man called Jamie's.

The atmosphere here was thick with hesitation and Charlie's odd quirky comments did help to lighten things up. "Your brother," Charlie said breaking the silence, he leaned forward in his chair and looked at her.

"What about him?" Dot replied, by now they had both seemingly come to the end of their work days. Between them both they decided to recline and sit in one of the many living rooms. Charlie was happy sitting in a plush cushioned chair, not that Dot was complaining. It was definitely comfortable.

"He's rather good at this. Has he ever done something like this before?"

"Never."

"Never ever?" Charlie questioned with a raised eyebrow, Dot slowly nodded and pushed herself out of her chair. "Is my company boring you?" Trademark smirk appeared again as he looked up at her.