I was one of five women chosen to serve our country, fighting side by side with the men, and only some of us had come home. Being surrounded by friends and enemies, having to choose who you can save, who you can love, and how to survive is something...
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Entering the village of Foy, I searched for men to treat. There were quite a few wounded men but Roe already took care of them. I checked with I Company and there were a couple who needed aid, so I set to work.
It wasn't long before the journalists and their cameras from up on the hilltop Battalion brought with them joined us in the village. They asked the wounded to sing and act as though this was just another wonderful day. They claimed it would not only boost the morale back home but the women would be anxiously waiting for these strong, brave men who sang as they slaughtered the enemy to return. The more these men spoke, the more disgusted by them I was. Of course, because they mentioned women, the majority of the men willingly sang for the cameras.
I finished looking at the wounded I Company men and began to wander through the village, searching for more to do. As I walked past the reporters, one of them stepped into my path, stopping me as he flipped his camera onto me. "Miss! Miss! Wait a moment!" I gritted my teeth, glaring at him and his camera as he asked, "Would you mind if we got a few shots of you? Show the women back home the dire and tragic circumstances we are in where we have to resort to bringing our women over to fight our wars?" The man's smile widened as he kept his camera trained on me.
I balled my fists as I watched the camera continue to roll without consent. I sneered, pointing at the man behind the lens as I shouted, "How dare you! Both of you! Don't you have any respect? Men are dying here and you want to tell people that things are fine? Things are not fine!"
I felt a firm hand grab my arm, pulling me away from the camera and reporters who laughed at my anger. They called after me, "This is great! Keep going! Show us that anger! This is exactly what we need!"
I kept my heated gaze locked onto them as I continued to be pulled away from them. I shouted back, "If anyone doesn't belong here, it's you and your stupid cameras!"
My eyes darted before me as I was lead around the corner of a house, just on the edge of the village square away from the cameras and their operators. The hand holding me released their grip on my arm to turn and push my back into the brick wall of the building. My eyes darted up and locked onto the dark brooding ones I grew to know well; Speirs.
"That's yet another moment when you've shown a backbone, Nurse Banks," he huffed, looming over me. "I'm beginning to believe you're actually tough." A sly smile started to form on his lips as he gazed down at me with amusement.
I blew a short sigh from my lips. "I'm sorry. It's just incredibly frustrating watching the stupid things they're doing, just for some good film."
Speirs nodded in agreement. "I can't argue with that one," he replied, "but if it helps with morale back home - "
I cut him off, my voice sharp like a dagger as I glared at him, "Morale back home? What about here? We're telling the men to pretend everything is fine to show people back home that war is a pleasant thing...How is that helping anyone?"
