Still - h.s (au)

Chapter 1

1941

Grace

"We are expecting one hundred wounded tonight, we need everyone here to help." The chief nurse told us as we waited for new orders about what was going to happen tonight. We had received a telegram warning was we were going to receive many wounded, so we did our best to prepare our hospital for it. "I hope you have learned the basics because you will need it to save lives. This is the first day of the rest of your lives."

One hundred soldiers.

This was going to be my first real opportunity to test what I have learned in the last couple of weeks. I should feel frightened about it, but I can't feel anything but a wave of adrenaline running through my veins. This was the reason why I enrolled in this training programme to become a nurse weeks ago. Now I was only waiting for my 18th birthday to take the final test which was happening in a few weeks.

I just hope I am capable of the task I have in my hands.

"The soldiers are coming from France, you will see many deaths, perform many amputations and face several infections. It is our job to save these men because they have been fighting for us in the front." The chief nurse says, hoping her words will encourage us to do our best tonight.

She has seen it all during this deadly war, she told us what it was like during the Blitz, how many people died during those attacks, mostly normal civilians who were living their normal lives. All of us had experienced it, we knew what it was like being woken up in the middle of the night having to hide in the basement if you had one. Many people had to chose the underground stations to spend the night, as it was a safe place. It was a terrifying experience, but nothing like what our soldiers face in the front.

I look around me seeing my colleges with the same hopeful expression on their faces. We were all longing to be useful in this war that had already devastated so many lives. Most of us had already suffered a personal loss in our lives, some of us a brother, a father, a husband or even a mother in one of the multiple bombings. And most of us were here against the will of our families, who would rather see us in the comfort of our home, rather than here taking care of the wounded.

Unfortunately, we are at risk everywhere. There is not a single safe place in this war.

"Grace?" My friend and colleague Martha calls me after the chief nurse left the room. "I'm nervous." She confesses to me.

Martha was a sweet young girl who came from the countryside. This was her first time in London and considering the circumstances she was having the best time of her life here. She was the first person I met, and we are sharing a small bedroom together, just on the other side of the road of this hospital. Due to the constant bombings, this hospital was situated a little further away from the city, in a strategic place to receive soldiers from the trains that arrived from Dover. This hospital was prepared to receive the most serious cases which made it even scarier.

"Me too. Let's hope we don't ruin everything." She nods and we don't waste any time in preparing more beds. We are improvising some beds on the floor of the main hall of the hospital for those who are in better physical condition. Tonight is going to be chaotic, but luckily we were well equipped and had several nurses and doctors ready to save lives.

Martha and I work as a team and we manage to set several improvised beds on the floor of the main hall. These might be the last hours we have to rest because from now on, we will be too busy to even sleep. "This morning I received a letter from Mathew." Martha tells me as we move on to the next task, sterilizing the medical instruments, making sure they are ready for tonight.