𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 | | 1917

25. HIM

" Do you know how it feels to lose something you're pretty sure you never had? "

-

MAY 13th
1917
Paris, France

-

"JE VEUX QUE vous restiez sérieux et strict," Sister Mercier spoke as she walked with quick steps through the halls.

I want you to keep this serious and strict.

Jo was standing alongside the other nurses. She was holding her hands behind her back as she watched as the woman in front of her stopped.

"Cela signifie que vous ferez tout ce qu'on vous demandera de faire," she continued.
This means that you'll do whatever you're told to.

Jo was used to this. It was the same principles as before. Besides, when she first started working as a nurse the hospital in which she stayed at wasn't far different from this one.

Sister Mercier's words became quieter and quieter as she Jo felt herself slowly zooming out. She was extremely tired. To the point where you needed to keep your thoughts empty, to simply stop yourself from drifting off. We can all see how good well that went.
Not only were her days long as they were, but she now also regretted staying up the previous night.

She thought of the other nurses.
They had gotten quite fond of each other. Sharing laughs and jokes in between them.

She, Elise, Mila, and Francine shared a room. Inside were four beds and a window. The girls had tried fixing it up, making it a little bit cozier than it otherwise was. This turned out to be harder than they first thought.

Mila was standing next to Jo. Her fingers were fumbling together nervously, her slightly frightened gaze plasters onto Sister Mercier. She had a head of black hair, combed and pulled into a high bun underneath her cap.
She was new, Jo figured that out nearly the moment they met. It took some time before Mila could look at the wounded soldiers. Not to mention cleaning and taking care of them.
But Jo knew that it was like that for everyone, including her. It was not in our blood.

"Comprenez vous?" Do you understand?

"Oui soeur," the nurses spoke in unison. Jo blinked, her gaze falling back onto sister Mercier as she walked away. She was standing still as the others started moving. Only did she walk when Elise's lingering hand gently touched her shoulder.

"Allez," she hummed quietly, a smile on her freckled face. Come on.

-

Jo was putting away and folding towels. Baskets with more of them laid placed under the table. All cleaned and dried from previous use.

The window was slightly opened, letting the breeze inside. Though it did not take long for her to notice the smell of smoke louring its way inside.

When peeking her head out the small gap, she saw the fire. It was contained, but rather large. Surrounding it were mostly men and in their arms were clothes as well as dirty linens and other fabrics which they were throwing into the burning flames.

With this, she closed the window abruptly, pursing her lips and slowly moving back to her station. Waiting for a couple seconds.

The room was extremely big. The beds and tables reached all the way around. All covered in either things or people. It seemed to always be like that.
Once the healed soldiers left- even more, arrived the next day.