Until we meet again (A war romance) (#Wattys2015)

Matthew and Diana

Matthew:

I hoped it was all a dream when they told us, a nightmare. Deep down inside me I knew it would happen, but that was the part of me that I tried to ignore. Everything felt unreal as my gate closed even more, my soul silently breaking away. We marched forward, knowing that most of us wouldn’t return from where we were going: The front line. After six weeks on the reserves, I had started to think that we would never be needed, never have to go. I had always tried to be optimistic, not that it ever did me any good.

I hadn’t even had time to send a letter to Di to tell her. She still thought I was relatively safe on the reserve lines. The word ‘safe,’ had no meaning where I was going. I couldn’t do it again. I knew that if they asked us to go over the top again, my legs wouldn’t move. They would be frozen to the spot. My hands wouldn’t even reach for my rifle, they would shake and clutch the ladder. They would see who I really was: a tired, unstable man who just wanted to see his girlfriend again. I remembered that night we had spent together, how wonderful it had been. I tried to focus on it while I marched, but soon even that memory dulled and faded away at the sound of shells dropping softly in the distance.

We weren’t in the same trench, this one was wider and deeper, and went on for what looked like miles. The stench of rotting flesh was overpowering. Then I saw them: Bodies. Hundreds of bodies, lying in the trench. Some were half buried in the mud, some staring blankly up at the sky, some simply lying there. They could almost be sleeping. I tried not to look at them as we headed to our sleeping area. It was once again, a small dugout with only a single lamp for light and warmth. Tommy and I decided to share a bunk bed.

“I get bottom bunk,” Tommy murmured,

“How come you get bottom bunk?”

“You’re smaller than me, so the ceiling won’t squash you!”

I glanced at the ceiling of mud, and noted how low it was. I sighed,

“We’ll swap each night.”

“Deal.”

We shook on it, and climbed into bed. Tommy squirmed around on the bottom bunk, trying to get comfortable beneath the scratchy sheets. I couldn’t even do that! I just had to lay there, the ceiling just a few inches above me. The whole experience made me feel quite claustrophobic. By some miracle, I drifted off for what only seemed like a moment before the sergeant was yelling at us to “GET READY, OR NO BREAKFAST FOR THE LOT OF YOU!”

I slid out of bed, not before bashing my head on the ceiling. Tommy yawned and got up himself. “Sleep alright?” he asked. I nodded, “As well as could be expected. By the way, I think you missed out last night. The top bunk was so comfortable.”

“Don’t think I don’t know how uncomfortable it is! It’s my turn to sleep there tonight anyways.”

“Thank God!” We shared a grin before heading out. Breakfast in the trench reminded me how nice Mum’s cooking was. I missed decent meals. We all passed a big bottle of rum around, of which Tommy and I took several big gulps of. We needed it, believe me!

No sooner had we finished did a shell land further down the trench. Dirt exploded towards us and mud rained down, covering us, and the plates. We saw, through the mud, a few men being thrown through the air like rag dolls, due to the pure force of the explosion. They landed heavily, dead before they even hit the ground.

I realised I was crying, and was shaking uncontrollably, while the soldiers around me rushed to the scene of the explosion, trying to clean up the mess. Tommy knelt by me.

“Look at me, Matt.” I looked.

“That’s not going to happen to you, I’m not going to let it happen to you, just like I know you wouldn’t let it happen to me. We’ve got to stick together; you’re all I’ve got!”

I smiled. “Thanks Tommy.”

Just then, I heard other explosions go off, and every time I flinched. What was happening to me?

Diana:

“I’m what?” I said in disbelief.  Smiled, thinking the good doctor was playing some kind of joke on me, but his face was solemn.

 “But- I can’t be!”

The doctor put his hands together, and eyes me through his spectacles, “Have you had sexual intercourse within the last couple of months?”

I gasped, my chest suddenly feeling tight. That night… I blushed, and averted the doctor’s stare.

“It’s alright Miss Magee, anything you say here will be in complete confidentiality.”

I didn’t speak, but I nodded slightly, not really believing it. How would Mum react? She’d know what I’d been doing that night, and Matthew?

“And have you been experiencing cravings, sickness?”

“Yes.”

The doctor nodded, and a faint smile flickered onto his face. “Congratulations.”

I thanked the doctor and left his practice. I just couldn’t think of what I was going to say to Mum. I didn’t think she’d approve of it…

“Mum!” I called as I came through the door, and Mum came to me straight away.

“Hello, dear, what did the doctor say?”

“I think you should sit down.”

“Is it serious?”

“Just sit down,” I guided Mum to the armchair in the living room, and she sat. She stared up at me in worry.

“What is it, darling?”

I sighed, “I don’t know how to tell you this,”

“Are you sick; are you ill, are you dying?”

“Mum, shut up!” I shouted, irritated, “No, I’m none of those things.” I looked down, and breathed. “I’m- I’m pregnant.”

***

Author's Note:

Yes, I know, massive plot twist! What do you think? I hope you are enjoying!

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