(Picture above from 'weekenddoll.co.uk')
Hey everyone!
In this chapter, I use some of President Roosevelt's speech, 'A Date Which Will Live In Infamy', and this is where I got his speech, "Time.com, 'A Date Which Will Live In Infamy.' Read President Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Address." Written by: Melissa Chan.
(Sorry it's not the link, but this is where I got some of the the speech lines from)
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
———
Once we make it to the room, there was a priest standing next to a soldier who was seizing as the priest was telling him to hold onto his faith and reading some lines from the Bible to him.
I grab the butterfly needle and placed it into Danny's arm as Evelyn does the same for Rafe as their blood transfers from the tube and into empty glass coke bottles.
I turn my head back to Danny to see his eyes were already on me.
A light pink blush stained my cheeks as I noticed he was looking at me the whole time. I give him a small smile and tucked a lose strand of hair behind my ear.
"How long have you been looking at me for?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
"Not long enough." He says back as I lightly scoff and looked at the ground as he smiles at my reaction.
I look back up into his chocolate brown eyes, that I loved to stare into, as all the pent up relief and worry fall off me as I gently laid my forehead against Danny's as he closed his eyes at contact.
"I was worried about you." I whisper to him.
"Me too." He replies, "I was scared something happened to you."
I nod my head and closed my eyes, letting my heart take over, happy that Danny was okay.
"I'm just glad you're okay Danny, cause I-," I dryly gulp and take in a deep breath. "Cause I don't know what I would've done if you died." I admit.
I turn my head to avoid his reaction, but he placed his thumb on my chin and used his pointer finger to move my head back to face him as it made my heart flutter, and made my stomach do flips as small bolts of electricity emitted from the smallest bit of contact.
"If you died today, my whole world would've died." He told me.
I gave him a pitiful smile as I knew he would have Evelyn by his side.
My heart clenched at the thought as I break away from our embrace as I felt his hand fall from my hip as I didn't notice that it was there.
Just before Danny was going to say something, a man came into the room, asking for anyone that was able to help.
He looked back at me as I looked at him, silently telling him to go. He nods his head as I take out the needle from his arm.
Just before he leaves, he pecks my cheek and tells me that he would be back as he rushes out with Rafe to help the sailors that were still trapped in the harbor.
As I looked at the entrance, I felt a presence next to me, as I didn't pay mind to it as I took out the tube from the half full bottle of blood and placed a stopper on top of it.
"You know, he still loves you." Evelyn tells me, cause me to stop as I turn to her giving her a gentle smile.
"He did, but Evelyn, you're the one he loves." I tell her as I leave the room, giving it to a head nurse that volunteered to take it.
'Yesterday, December 7, 1941 a date which will live an infamy, United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan...'
'...it is obvious that planning the attack began many weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace...'
'The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost...'
'...the American people in their righteous might will win through absolute victory...'
As President Roosevelt was giving his speech, I couldn't help but cry as I remembered the horrific event that happened yesterday and the faces of Kohen, Loraine, and Betty as they lay dead.
I turn my body around and started to cry silently on Danny's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around me, crying into my hair, still listening to President Roosevelt give his speech.
'I ask that the Congress declare that since since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.'
(Again you can find the whole speech on Time.com, 'A Date Which Will Live In Infamy.' Read President Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Addresses, written by: Melissa Chan)
There was cheers and clapping from the radio after he finished his speech about going to war on Japan as I turn out of Danny's embrace, and walked over to Sandra, Barbra, and Martha and hugged them all.
A couple hours went by as the doctors dismissed us nurses to wash up and get some rest for tomorrow, as it would be another day of rebuilding Hawaii.
As I get home, we all take turns taking a shower as I was the last one to take one. I hop into the warm shower and watched as all the dirt, blood, and debris wash down the drain as flashes of what happened yesterday still play in my mind, like a broken record.
But as it did, I kept seeing Isabell holding Loraine's dead body, Kohen getting shot and killed, and finally, Betty's dead body being held by the guy who found her.
In a matter of seconds, my legs gave out from under me as I slid down the porcelain shower wall, hugging my knees to my naked chest as I started to sob.
Little did I know, Barbra, Sandra, Martha, and Evelyn were all listening to my broken sobs as tears fell down their cheeks as they all felt the same way I did.
After about 15 minutes of sitting there, the water started to get cold as I turn it off.
My legs felt like sandbags as I picked myself off from the bottom of the shower and grabbed a towel that was hanging up, to wrap around myself.
I get into my room and once I step foot in it, I'm hit with Betty's perfume as it lingered in the air.
I held back my tears as made it to my dresser and grabbed some clean underwear and a light purple nightgown.
As I craw into bed, I stare up at the ceiling feeling more and more memories flood my brain as I remember all the late night talks with Betty.
Thinking I didn't have any more tears to cry, I turn onto my side as I couldn't help but start to cry again, as the event played over and over in my head, and the deaths of so many people.
As I looked at the alarm clock, I saw that the time was 1:30 A.M.
An idea pops into my head as I turned on the nightstand lamp, shutting my eyes at the bright light, but quickly adjusted as I open up the top drawer and pulled out my journal and the pen resting next to it.
I get out of bed, taking my journal and pen with me, as I headed over to the vanity table and sat down, flipping open a blank page.
Having enough light coming from the night stand lamp, I pick up my pen and started writing what was going on in my brain.
Journal Entry #61
December 9, 1941
Two days ago, an event happened that shocked America as we were hit with a surprise attack by Japan on the Hawaiian Islands.
It was horrific and chaotic. People were scrambling for shelter as to try and not get killed, while some were unlucky.
Two days ago, I was aboard the U.S.S. California when they attacked us. I was with three other people when it did.
Loraine, a new recruit that was here for 4 and a half months. Isabell, a nurse that has been working here since she was 20, the doctor, who was on a different vessel, and I.
The sounds of men screaming and bullets hitting the deck, made me so scared that I didn't think this was real.
When it first started, Loraine went to go find Isabell as I stayed to help a sailor by the name of Kohen Peterson.
From the looks of it, has been there for quite some time.
I found him sitting against the wall as he had two bullet wounds as I removed them and patched him up.
After that, we decided to look for Isabell and Loraine together and when we did, Loraine was dead in Isabell's arms, but I knew that we needed to keep moving, so after a bit of motivation, I asked Kohen if there was a way off this ship and he gave us two options,
Jump into the water, or climb down the vessel without trying to get caught.
I picked the latter option as we grabbed some rope and went to the back of the ship and climbed down.
Just when Isabell and I made it down, Kohen makes a last minute decision to stay. I was about to say goodbye, when he was shot and killed.
I still remember the smile that was eminent on his face before he died.
After that, we made our way to the hospital as we both start to help there.
I then was helping a sailor try to remain calm as the doctor tries to remove a bullet from his leg and a chunk of metal from his abdomen.
But, I had to leave, so I gave him the bracelet that I bought for myself back when I turned 20.
My wrist still feels a bit bare without it on, but I hope that he made it out alive to give it back to me, and if he didn't, hopefully with my bracelet in his hands, he didn't feel like he died alone.
As more time went by, more sailors came in as we had to keep them outside and sort them out. M or morphine, F or fatal, and C for critical, and just as I finished marking a soldier, I see Evelyn talking to this one guy as he holds a motionless woman in his arms.
I join Evelyn's side and moved the lifeless girl's hair from her face and my heart stopped beating as I saw it was Betty.
It felt like my whole world stopped as I watched her body being taken away.
After that, we all went back inside and was ordered to get blood from people, when Evelyn and I saw Rafe and Danny walking down the hospital hallway towards us as they asked what we needed and responded with, "we need blood."
Evelyn took Rafe's, while I took Danny's. I don't know what came over me, but the relief of him being alive made me rest my forehead against his.
When our foreheads connected, I felt a bolt of electricity go through my body when we touched.
After a couple minutes of talking, a male came in asking for anyone who could move to help the men that were trapped in the harbor.
What shocked me most was Danny kissed my cheek before leaving.
I made my heart swell up and made hope flutter in my chest that he still held feelings for me, but when Evelyn told me that he still loved me, I knew it was selfish to think that way, but I told her what my heart and brain were saying...
——
When I woke up that morning, I noticed that I fell asleep writing in my journal, along with finally being able to get some sleep.
I get up from the chair and closed my journal, noting in my head that I'll finish it later.
I go into my closet and saw a dark bluish dress with white polka dots on it, with a note attached to it.
Confused, I take the dress out of the closet and lay it on my bed as I take the note and start reading it,
'Dear Em,
I was shopping earlier today and saw this dress hanging there, and I instantly thought that you would like it, so I bought it just for you.
Hope you like it!
-Betty'
Tears started to collect in my eyes as I read Betty's note as I lightly smile and decided to wear it today.
I put the dress on and looked into the mirror, admiring how I looked and applied a layer of mascara on my eyes and just as I left my room, I see Evelyn in front of the door.
My heart dropped to my stomach as I saw her standing there as she gives me a lopsided smile.
"That's a beautiful dress." She told me as I nod my head, not trusting my voice.
It was silent for a bit, until Evelyn cleared her throat and looked at me with a serious, but sadden look.
"I wanted to ask you something," she starts. I nod my head allowing her to continue. "So, remember when you said the nurses told you I didn't feel good?" She asks. I nod my head furrowing my eyebrows.
She looks at the ground, silently gulping, then looking back at me as a stray tear falls down her face.
"Emiellia, I'm pregnant."
The moment the words fall out of her mouth, a wave of emotions fell against me as I placed my hand over my mouth.
She turns her head away as more tears fall down her cheeks.
"And it's Danny's." She whispers as my heart completely shatters.
I tear falls down my face as I look down at the floor, wiping it away quickly.
"Wh-when did it happen?" I whisper.
I look at her as she gives me a sad look and looks back at the floor.
"That night in the parachute hangers." She said.
If my heart couldn't break anymore, I felt it shatter into smaller pieces.
"But I don't want you to tell him yet, not right now, not after what happened!" She rushed out.
I give her a sad smile, telling her that I wouldn't. "Which leads me to my question." She says.
I furrow my brows once again as she looks at me as she tries to rid her tears.
"I want you to be the godmother." She tells me.
My heart stopped.
She wanted me to be her baby's godmother?
Evelyn looked at me anxiously as her shoulders slumped a bit.
I take a deep breath in and looked at her.
"Evelyn, I would love to, but right now, I just need some time to think." I tell her politely as she nods her head and gives me a smile.
"Okay."
With that, I give her a quick smile as I pass her, and once my back was turned, the tears started flood out of my eyes.
I grab my black heels and put them on my feet as I walk out of the hut and to a place that I knew that would help me relax,
The Beach.
~
Chapter 22 completed!
And also, thank you guys so much for reading my story and the 100 votes! It means a lot to me.
Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter and I hope you have a good day wherever you are!
-NewWriterOnTheBlock_
(Word Count: 2737)
P.S. I do not own 'Pearl Harbor' or its characters. I also do not own the speech given by President Roosevelt, as I found it from Time.com and it was written by: Melissa Chan.
You can find the whole speech on Time.com as I only used some of the speech in my chapter as it doesn't belong to me and belongs to Time.