charlotte tarvers is only 14 when the war breaks out, but 17 when she signs up. she's heard the stories from her parents, lovers who found each other by chance on the front lines in world war one in the country of france, now passing down the storie...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
" To make a difference in someone's life, you don't have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect. You just have to care."
- Mandy Hale
***
The mortars from the Germans hit Easy once again. Charlotte's heart dropped when she heard the voice calling for a medic.
" Medic!"
" Medic!"
" Medic!" It was Perconte's voice, loud and clear, as to where she had just been hacking up a lung with her nasty cough, when the mortars started. She assumed Gene was probably on his way there, but raced toward the source anyway. An explosion rattled and she made a dive into the foxhole, crashing in beside Perco and the cold ground. She turned and her heart froze. Skinny was there, shrapnel and sharp metal pieces stuck out of his skin.
" Oh Christ!" Perconte yelled. Charlotte felt like a statue, she was frozen watching a close friend injured and in pain. Skinny looked frozen too, body angled at such a weird position, hands shaking.
" Perconte you getting a jeep?" Gene asked.
" On it, Doc." Perconte said, pulling a radio for himself.
" Look what they did to my leg!" Skinny groaned, as Gene reached forward to cut open the fabric around Skinny's legs. Charlotte shook her head and leaned forward, cradling Skinny's head in her hands, and gently brushing snow and hair from his face in an effort to calm him down. His face was scrunched up in pain.
" It's ok, Skinny, we got you." she whispered gently, making eye contact with Perconte who's voice was rapid fire over the radio.
" Stay with me, stay with me." Gene said gently, pulling the fabric now from Skinny's legs. Small whimpers began escaping Skinny's lips and she coddled him closer, keeping a careful eye on the big metal pieces that were revealed to be sticking in his skin. Gene began pulling the shrapnel from Skinny's leg which made a few tears form in her friend's eyes.
" Look at me, Skinny, look at me." she whispered, as his eyes met hers and he cried slightly in pain.
" Shhh, shhh." she whispered, brushing snow from his hair and cheek. He sucked in a breath and grimaced, focusing on her eyes as more was pulled from the wound. Explosions rattled the entire forest, as Charlotte met Gene's eyes who pulled out some sulphur. Skinny's hands were shaking, so she quickly took them and held them in her own hands, to keep from his nerves getting to Gene. Gene sprinkled the sulphur on the wounds.
" Okay, Sisk, it ain't that bad, ain't that bad." Gene said calmly to the man.
" Ain't that bad?" Skinny asked somewhat in a daze. Gene pulled a bandage out and began wrapping it around, giving it a tight few pulls as Skinny groaned again in pain. Gene then pulled out the morphine and Skinny's hands shot out of the girl's.
