Hurting and Deserting (Completed)

Chapter 5

Alice waited and waited. Alexander was not early as she had hoped. At last he arrived.

"You took your time" she said.

"Sorry," Alex replied "I was getting us a few things for the journey."

"How? Alice asked "you said you didn't have any money."

"I didn't," Alex snapped, "I simply borrowed some from a few people."

"ALEX," Alice scolded, "you stole it. You can't steal money from strangers. It's against the law. You could have been arrested."

"Well I wasn't was I?" Alex snapped back "besides you only brought more bread and cheese. Maybe I wanted something sweet. May I tempt you with a Chelsea Bun madam?"

Alice tried to stay cross but she found that she couldn't. She looked at the paper bag with the Chelsea Buns in and smiled "oh very well. When we're on the train. I almost forgot....here."

She handed him the jacket. Alexander slipped off his red jacket and put on the one Alice had got him. He had to roll the sleeves up but it would more than suffice.

"Thanks" Alex said.

"You're welcome now, let's go catch a train."

They walked over to the board where the announcements for incoming trains were and looked at the chalkboards. "1:10," Alex said pointing at one of the boards "we'll have to be quick."

They moved off towards the ticket booth and Alice spoke "may we have two third class tickets for the 1:10 to Coventry please?"

"Certainly miss. That'll be 4 shillings please." The ticket seller said.

Alice looked in her purse. "I only have 3 shillings and sixpence will that not suffice?"

"No miss. The price is 4 shillings. If you haven't got it you can't get on." The seller replied.

The duo walked away. "We could always borrow some from someone else?" Alex suggested.

"No," Alice snapped, "we are not stealing anymore money."

"Fine," Alex snapped back "well then there's only one thing for it."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the platform. Platform 8. "Alex stop," Alice cried "where are we going?"

Alexander didn't reply. He simply pulled her towards the platform and into one of the open doors. Inside was a door to what looked like a cupboard. He pulled her inside.

Alice looked around in the dark and saw lots of bags of people's luggage. "Where are we?" She asked.

"Very soon we'll be on our way to Coventry. This is the luggage compartment. We'll never be seen here."

"But we don't have tickets."

"I know," Alexander replied "we'll just sneak off the train when we get to Coventry. No one will ever know we were here."

"Surely this is against the law?"

"Oh of course it is but how else can we get to Coventry?"

"Well I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am. If anyone comes in, hide and I'll give myself up."

"But then you'll go to prison."

"It's better than both of us going, isn't it?"

Alice wasn't so sure. She didn't want her friend to get into trouble. She rather hoped that he would never have to give himself up for her. She appreciated him doing this though. No one had ever offered to do something like that for her before.

Soon the train was off. Just as it began to pull away they heard heavy footsteps and a voice outside the door "just put her over there" a man's voice said.

"Right you are," another man replied.

They heard a squeaking noise and then a baby crying. "Oh god she's off again" the same man continued.

He quickly silenced the baby and began speaking again "I suppose I can read my paper now. You want to read it too. Being a guard you must spend all your time travelling."

"I do" the man who was obviously the guard replied.

They heard a rustling of paper and then the man who wasn't the guard spoke again "oh, did you hear about that bloke who's gone missing from the army?"

"Indeed I have" the guard replied.

"Why would any sensible man do that? I mean you're serving your country aren't you?"

"Quite so yes," the guard replied "I can't make out why anyone would leave either. It's the coward's way out. You know in the olden days of battles they used to say a warrior would either come back holding his shield or upon it."

"That's how it should be. No man should have an excuse to run away from it. Perhaps they'll reveal the cowards name today. He'll be in prison in a few days."

"No less than the coward deserves" the guard replied.

Alexander tensed. He was now certain that he would find himself in prison sooner or later. He couldn't wait to get home to his family. They would understand him. He'd be safe there. He would never have to think about the battles again. Only in his nightmares.

"Should we sleep to pass the time?" Alice whispered.

"You can if you want to" Alexander replied.

Alice moved to lie down. Alexander continued listening to the man and the guard outside when he saw that Alice was shivering. He removed his jacket and placed it over her.

"Thank you" Alice whispered, before she fell asleep.

It wasn't long before Alexander found himself dropping off too. He finally couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and leaned against the wall and fell into another nightmare.

The air was rife with smoke again. The sound of the guns echoed everywhere. No one could sleep after killing another man. No one.

Alexander had decided to ask their Regiment Leader about how to get rid of these thoughts. He had approached him one afternoon. "Sir, can I ask a question?"

"Certainly Stuart," their Leader replied "what is it?"

"Well I shot that German soldier yesterday and I can't seem to banish the memory of his death. I keep thinking about how I've killed an innocent man."

"He wasn't innocent Stuart. He's most likely killed hundreds of men just like you. That was your first, wasn't it?"

"Yes sir."

"Well it gets easier with each one. The next time you do it, it won't seem so bad."

"It won't?"

"No Stuart, it won't. That soldier you killed yesterday could have gone on to kill hundreds more British soldiers. How many can he kill now?"

"None sir."

"Exactly. Trust me Stuart, when we win the war you'll forget all about him."

Alexander hadn't been sure. He still wasn't. The last few moments of Hans' life played again and again in his mind. No matter how hard he tried. He couldn't forget what he had done. The boom of the gun. The sight of Hans falling limp. The scream from his fellow soldier of his name. Was he a friend, a brother? Who knows. The only thing Alexander knew was that both men were dead because of him pulling that trigger.

He jolted awake. "Alex are you alright?" Alice asked quietly.

"Yes I'm fine."

They heard the voices outside again. The man who wasn't the guard spoke first "ah there's the man who's missing. They've got evidence that he ran away now. He has deserted. Look, there's a picture of him."

There was a rustle and the guard replied "oh, what's his name then? He looks rather young."

"He is," the other man replied "he's only 19. Uh...ah here's his name....Alexander Stuart."