They Gave Us Expectations.... That's No Longer Seem Right.

[Circus Girl Patches]

This is the tale of the Great War, a Prisoner of War, and a German Nurse. Their story of meeting and what happened because of it. Their tales are only fiction though a story still to be told.






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[Circus Girl Patches]

I could almost remember the day I began to work in the largest Berlin Prisoner of War camp, it was bitterly cold like this one, I was known as a Nurse in training. Yet, today those memories seem to fade now, I believe it's because I'm getting old, my lovely grandchildren often visit me asking for tales upon what made my home so great... The people, my family, the scenes of life I had gotten used to, but the most important one was the tale of how I met my husband. I'll tell you this story before it begins to fade from my mind, but as I explained before it started long long ago in 1918.


1st January 1918,


Chilly was the day, I awoke before dawn. I must get ready for my shift, were one of the many thoughts running through me head, also the comforting thought of going back to bed until the late afternoon, but I had a duty to attend to, at Berlin's largest Prisoner of War camp and today was my very first day there since transferring from the country-side camps that I spent some much of my time studying practices and medicines. I had taken this role up since it was closer to the hospital my mother was admitted to in the early months of the last year, but unfortunately her health went down hill, and I couldn't transfer until a couple of days ago. I now live in the nurse share-house, that is built for nurses whom are working in the hospitals, and camps, that have no where else to go, or don't want to go home to their families after a long night of God knows what happening. Myself I share a room with a woman named Blair, whom works with me in the camp I'm starting at today.


Lazily, I sat up in my bed looking to Blair offering her a blessing morning smile, upon getting out of bed, and drawing back the curtains to see what the day had to throw in my face on the course of weather, since the radio we had in the building was broken we never got anything out of it other than static noises. Gloom was the look for today, with gray clouds and dark skies lining the world I knew around me. Bless I hoped the day would work out nicely, even if the weather was gloomy. Slowly I closed the curtains and moved to my chest of drawers as it seemed Blair had shifted into the bathroom to deal with her hair and other important things. So I had the whole room to myself in peace, so I could change.


Shivering bitterly I pulled the old top drawer outward seeing my uniform at the top of all my clothing, and carefully lifted out the newly pressed uniform out of the drawer, and moved to the mirror in my share room, pressing the clothes to my chest, smiling at the look of the gray fabric of the uniform that I could finally wear after so long. Though I quickly snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a giggle come from the bathroom door, and I snapped to attention looking to Blair, I felt blush crawl across my cheeks as I felt like had been caught out doing something extremely silly.


"Little Miss Serhild, you look like an excited little girl who got a new fork from her favourite uncle whom had been travelling or something stupid like that... A prisoner of war camp, isn't anything like that, and that's just a nurse's fork, just be happy you work and get paid for it..." Blair commented in a snappy tone, coursing me to look down with embarrassment.


Blair I had only known for a few days, and I knew already I didn't like her. Her comments felt hurtful most days, when I dressed nicely to visited my mother she'd insult me, and my mother's health. I felt my body pull out a rough sigh as I looked down clasping the uniform to my chest, moving passed her into the bathroom, that smelt of posh roses, or some knock off perfume. Sighing I pushed the door closed and opened the small window above the shower open, and let the room air out. After the room smelt clean once more, I stepped into the shower and washed myself before drying offer, and dressing in my gray dress, that came with a apron and red cross patch which was in the other room. I merely wore at the moment the stockings and dress I had.


Looking at myself in the mirror I began to pin my hair back into a nice bun, as I felt memories of when my father would jokingly try to put my hair up into a bun when I was a child at out countryside manor. It was a comforting memory I used to get away from Blair's nature, as I slipped out of the bathroom, not wearing any make-up or perfume, yet I wore my pearl earrings and necklace that I held close to my heart as my father gave them to me just before he died. Carefully I slipped my shoes, apron, and old coat on and noticed that I had the room to myself. When I noticed the clock I knew why, I was going to be late.


Quickly I rushed to the door with the things I needed for today, and shut the door, actually with little knowledge that the clock actually didn't work too in this old building. So I hurried toward the prison camp, getting inside before going to my first meeting with the officer in charge. We walked through the courtyard, and spoke like normal people, and he commented about my good timing. That's when I remembered being told about the clock the night before. Blushing shyly I giggled softly thanking the officer for the compliment, looking to all the soldiers from our enemy countries, and spotted one from the crowd whom stood out from the rest of them. He looked sickly and unwell, yet from a distance I could see a fire in his eyes.
​

 

[Kiroshiven]

"You ask me what it takes to become a hero. I tell you, all these medals and honors from the president don't make you a hero lass." My eyes drift toward the camera. "It's not all sunshine, prizes and happiness when you're a hero. You have tough calls, hard choices and difficult struggles." I turn back to the woman interviewing me. As one of the few remaining World War 1 veterans, they're giving me a special broadcast on the news. "And even after saving my friends and fellow soldiers, I still consider my greatest achievement meeting my wife. We've been through a lot since we met she and I, but it's been worth it. Especially now that we get to see our grandchildren every other month or so." I chuckle as I stare at the woman in her mid-twenties. "I still remember our meeting and the events that led to our escape from Germany like it was only yesterday, and if you'll give me the time. I'll gladly share." The woman nods and I relax in my chair.





1st January, 1918





It was as cold a day as any other. I had managed to survive another day of "interrogation" as the Germans called it. Torture is the right word to describe it. I was a hostage of the German military and had been questioned for a week straight about the intel I'd gathered, but the truth was there was no intel. My mission had been to help evacuate noncombatants from Berlin before things got ugly. Sadly and in a weird twisted way thankfully, I had stayed behind so that my squad could escape. I'd always had a habit of putting the squad's health before me and this time was no different. Needless to say, a bunch of American soldiers trying to leave Berlin with a bunch of Germans seemed like something bigger was going on. I was captured, tortured and now they were finally dragging me off to one of their PoW camps.


The truck ride from Munich to Berlin was not one that I could say was enjoyable. I was stripped of my uniform and left in rags. I had a broken arm and I was darker than a coal mine on a moonless night from bruising. Despite these circumstances, I couldn't help but keep my head up. I was alive, my squad was alive and for the time being I was going to be safe, at least as safe as I could be as a prisoner. Every pothole, curb and bump threw me and the two other soldiers that had been captured around. The two of them tried to support me, but I wound up supporting them. They were good kids, barely eighteen and only joined the service to be heroes. They wanted to go home, flash some medals and be able to start a new life. I knew it wouldn't be that easy for them, but I wasn't going to let them know that.


James and Peter had been my cellmates during the interrogations. They were brothers from down in Louisiana on a pepper plantation. They didn't know combat and they sure as heck didn't know how to face danger so head on as I could. They put on a brave face, but at eighteen they weren't ready for the kind of damage I came back with every day. I wished that they could've gotten free, but at least they were going to be at the PoW camp with me. There they'd be better off than at the hold in Munich. I looked between the two and they feigned smiles and I just pat their shoulders. "Lads, don't worry about it. We're not going to be facing that kind of interrogation anymore. They realized we're just privates and the we don't know anything. That's why we'll be going to the camp. It may not be great, but at least we won't be beaten anymore." I put on a true smile and the two laughed.


"How do you manage to keep so positive?" James asked. His red hair had grown since they'd been imprisoned. It was stubby and fuzzy to the touch as I rubbed his head. Peter on the other hand had curly brown hair that grew like a weed. In five days he had a full head of hair after having nothing when he was captured. The two of them were like the little brothers I never had and they really seemed to look up to me. Of course, I was higher rank so it only made sense, but still it was the thought that counted.


"Would it help to think negative?" I asked tilting my head before getting thrown to the ground. I let out a cry as I fell on my broken arm. We'd stopped and I wasn't ready for it. James and Peter quickly helped me to my feet and I put on another smile. "Okay, so the journey isn't starting out as nicely as I'd hoped. Oh well, at least there SHOULD be some nurses to tend to our wounds." I joked and the two laughed. It was good to see them relaxed again. It wouldn't do them any good to stress out over the current situation.


The doors opened and the two men that drove us escorted us out into the prison.The walls were grey and the guard towers were more menacing than the interrogators had ever been. Four guards armed with the latest sniper rifles watched closely. Two of them kept their eyes on James, Peter and me. They were going to make sure we didn't try and make a break for it. To be honest, I wouldn't have tried with a broken arm. That was just plain suicide. As we moved inside, the walls kept their bleak grey coloring and the cracks in the walls only added to the despair that the prison brought. This was going to be my hovel for however long it took, but I knew I would escape at some point.





It must've been around lunch time when we arrived, because we were immediately brought to the holding block for prisoners and given some bread and water. That was apparently the meal of the day. I looked around me as James and Peter ate ravenously. We were surrounded by numerous troops of different factions. And although my situation was bad, there were plenty of soldiers worse off. Some were missing an arm or both of them while others had bandages over their eyes. It was like I had gotten off easy on my torture. Seeing as there were too many people for the staff to help, I stood up and began to help my fellow prisoners. I was taught to never leave a man behind and I couldn't stand by while other soldiers were being left to rot by their own allies.


The first person I went to had no arms. It looked like some of the others had stolen some of his bread. I broke off a piece of mine and held it near his mouth. "Here you go friend. It's going to be alright. You're going to get back home someday." I smiled as the soldier looked at me and started crying as he tore into the bread. He looked so happy to have someone willing to help him in his time of need that I couldn't help but smile and pat his head. I helped him finish off his bread and made sure he got some water in him before moving on to the next soldier. I was getting some nasty looks from the guards, but I wasn't causing trouble so they let me be.

 

[Circus Girl Patches]

I felt happy watching my husband from the side lines his recounted tales of those days, those fine memories of our time together. I held my cane in hand happily, I was just a bit younger than my husband, we were born in two different worlds. Yet still we met, and married while my mother was still alive, I still remember her smile, as she welcomed Gregory into our family. More surprises followed from that day with a few months later finding out we were going to have our first child after my mother had passed and we'd moved to America. People were different my treatment wasn't the best, though after a while some people warmed up to me and I made some friends. Our baby was born healthy too, but I'll tell you more of that story soon, be patient... I'm a old bird with so much time.





Lunch Time, 1st January 1918.


I watched this man from a distance, he was so kind, and willing to help people when he was so very unwell. It made me smile, his kindness within a camp filled with hate for my people. Slowly I walked through the crowd, looking to the officer speaking with him, noticing all the food the prisoners were given and frowned, carefully kneeling by one. He was French, his features and way he held himself told me that, as I carefully choose my words, looking to him. "Is this all you have to eat in one day?" I asked softly in the sweet tongue of the French people, and saw the man's face lift to look me in the eyes, his sad set of emerald green. I watched his eyes carefully, and understood his gaze, and gently took this stump where his hand once was and smiled. "Your gaze tells me enough, I'll try to make things better here from now on. For we have no right to leave you men to suffer, for in someone's heart you are still their hero, and so many of you must go home to your loved ones." I spoke kindly to the prisoner, before lifting myself off the cold soggy ground, getting rather concerned and confused looks from the German soldiers around me before I stood tall and looked to them.


"I don't see the point in seeing so many young men die, when they can go home at the end of this hell of a war, and tell their stories so such situations never happen again. The treatment here is horrid and needs to change, if these men were our soldiers I would expect different treatment. Thus, these men here before you all have a story, a home, a country for whom they wish to see free, so why shall we treat them differently for being born with a different race. We still bleed the same, and in the end we'll all be lowered into the ground with our memories and secrets going into the grave with us.. So we shouldn't let the birth of another define us. This man before me like many others, need more food, because the lacking of food, doesn't give their bodies enough energy to heal. So if you have a problem with gaining the foods, I'll make sure you get the gains and stocks to provide these men... For my brother does indeed own a large number of the farming groups in the country, and Austria for that matter." I stood strong looking to the head officer speaking to him, though making it loud enough for everyone to hear.


I could sense the confusion in the air, and pulled a simple smile before heading the hospital ward in the camp. Making my way through vast rows of tables, before stopping at the table where the young man helped another one of his fellow men. "You need your share too, come by the hospital ward later, tell them you have been told by Nurse Serhild, you need that arm of yours attended too..." I spoke softly looking to the kind soldier before, moving off into the distance. Discussion filled the courtyard, as I heard the officer from earlier follow after me in a hurry. Stopped on my way to the hospital ward, I looked to the hand that stopped me clasping my arm in a firm manner, it hurt.


"Those men are not our soldiers, they are the enemy, how dare you treat them the same..." I heard the soldiers words as I was pushed against a wall roughly looking to him with shocked eyes of blue. His gripping nails digging into my flesh, though I wouldn't cower, I knew I mustn't those men needed better treatment, and it seemed I was the one whom had to fight for it. I held my gaze firmly, I wasn't going to back down on what I believed in because, my blood was also English and French.


"They are no different from us, you are an officer, so are they.. Just one can do something, and they can't because they are here. So many of us German people have French and English in our blood, they are our family, and we must work with the soldiers, to make them heal, and to make ourselves heal. Because there won't be much hope for us at all if these broken ties don't mend.." I spoke carefully to the officer, looking into his eyes, his reflected the hurt I knew well, many of the men in the last room had those eyes. "You have the same hurt, why not help them if you can't help yourself." I told him kindly, and with that I felt his grasp let me go, and I continued on my way to the nurse's station, where I set my things up on a new desk provided for my work.


Sitting down in my seat I sighed, with such relief it had seemed I had gotten through to that officer, the head officer of this camp in few moments of knowing him. Carefully I traced my fingers along the desk I sighed softly, thoughts of my mother when she was nurse back when I was a child made me smile, she was mixed of French and English, born in Britain though she was loved dearly by all the people she worked with. "When did the day become so complex... Germany should have never gone to war because our fears were tearing apart the bonds with countries we loved ever so dearly." I whispered to myself before standing to a siren which meant lunch was over and all nurses had to get their bags and go out and work on the soldiers.


Moving into the station where we got our first aid bags I noticed Blair was with her friends, the other nurses and doctors and they were speaking rather disrespectfully about the men out there hurt and scarred. It made me sickened to think about these people as I grabbed my bag and moved out the door after them. I walked to the little sick bays set up for the soldiers to visit, and moved around looking for the files getting my first out for a young red head whom seemed to only just come into the camp because they only have a file on what they did to him while they were in being questioned, which made bile rise to the back of my throat. "So your name is James? What's your second name, I must set up a file for you in this camp, just think of it as somehow someone will know where you are if you're here. All the injuries you have I can start treating today, and if anyone else is out there as hurt as you, can you please bring them in?" I asked him softly in English, my accent was strongly ringing through though it was a language I had to learn as a child.


I spoke with most of my patients that I attended to, held a few of their hands, some of them didn't make it through the day due to poor health conditions and lacking in the right amount of food for a long period of time. Which I felt simply heart broken about. Sitting down in the benches where I saw so many men earlier in the day, I felt the chill settle in once I took my lunch break.
​

 

[Kiroshiven]

"Love at first sight is what most people would expect me to say here. But the truth is I was a bit preoccupied helping my soldiers to think about love when I saw her." The interviewer seems surprised. "Truth be told, I just knew that the girl was a firecracker. And my dad had always told me that a man should look for a spitfire. A girl that won't let you get away with nohtin'. My mom was that way with him and it was something that surprisingly kept their relationship strong." I rub my thumb over my knuckles. My old hands ached from arthritis and I would have to get something for them soon. "But you don't want to hear about that, you want to hear more about my time in the camp. So let me get back to it before we run out of time." Clearing my throat I keep the tale moving along.





Just after Lunch, 1st January, 1918





I was in the midst of feeding a blind soldier when the voice echoed throughout the camp. I turned to see a dark haired nurse speaking to some of the soldiers. She had a fire in her eyes that I'd only seen in a few people. It was a passion for the lives that mattered and it was something I could respect. However, it wasn't my place to get involved. I continued to help the soldier, cleaning out his hair and helping him clean up his hands and actually eat his lunch. This was the fifth soldier I'd helped since I'd gotten there and I'd completely forgotten about trying to feed myself.


That's when I felt a gentle hand rest upon my shoulder. I looked to see the blue eyes of the vocal nurse earlier. She told me to come by the hospital ward later. She wanted to make sure I was fine. I was about to tell her to worry about the others when she was pulled away by a man wearing one of the German uniforms. From the way he carried himself and spoke, I could tell he was an officer. However, I lacked the knowledge of the language to understand what they were saying, but from the way he was handling her, I could interpret that he was not pleased with what she said.


They spoke briefly before she was released and started walking away. Unable to contain my annoyance at how he had treated a woman, I approached. "Sprichst du English?" It was one of the few German phrases I had to learn before coming over here. The soldier glared at me before nodding in confirmation. "Thank goodness. Look, I don't know how you do things in Germany, but in America we don't treat women like that. So I suggest you watch your hands next time.......sir." I had to remember my position here as the soldier looked smugly at me. I was hunched over the next second gasping for air as he spouted off something in German. The lowly bastards had punched me in the stomach. Thankfully, he left my arm alone.


I chuckled as I stood up again. Peter and James rushed over to make sure I was okay. "I'm fine boys. If that's the best he's got I could take him down even WITH my broken arm." The two shook their heads and I put on yet another smile. I had to keep everyone smiling. Hope was the only thing we had to keep us going in this war. I looked to the two of them as we were suddenly confronted by another German officer. He looked annoyed as he motioned for us to get moving towards where the girl from earlier had run off. "I guess we're headed to the hospital ward boys. They need to make sure we're healthy before really mixing us in with the others here." I put my good arm over Peter as we all were escorted down the hall.


The smell of antiseptics and other cleaning supplies were there, just like a regular hospital. However, there was still the stench of disease and decay that came with people dying from poor treatment. It was definitely not the best place to be kept, but it beat getting assaulted daily. The staff looked at the three of us like we were the scum of the Earth. A small group pointed at us and made jokes. The group giggled and laughed at our suffering, but I played it right. I smiled and waved to them as if I didn't care. The laughing stopped and it seemed I'd just ruined their moment. Good. Now they can get to their jobs. I wanted to say it but was sat down as James was led into the office. It seemed that it was Nurse Serhild's office. It dawned on me that that was the name of the woman who had spoken to me.


James and Peter each took their turn in the office. They came out with a smile on their face and might as well have had hearts for eyes. I nearly fell off my seat laughing at how much the two were like puppy dogs. "Boys, don't be gettin all lovesick now. She's still a German and this is still war. We may be safe for now and she may be the nicest gal you ever met, but she's from another world. You two deserve some good ol' love from a girl stateside. Besides, I bet you there are at least twenty girls just as good lookin waiting for us when we get home." I pat each of their heads before starting to move to the door. "Keep your heads in the game boys. We're still soldiers and we still have to make it home."


I put on my best smile as I walked in the door. I knew I probably looked terrible. I was bruised up, in rags that made me look husky, and had my arm in a sling. It wasn't exactly my best showing, but I had to make do. I looked around the small office and saw the usual medical supplies that the nurses had back home and felt myself more at ease than I had been. There was a soft scent that I couldn't recognize floating about, but it wasn't antiseptics and it DEFINITELY wasn't the smell of illness. I took a seat without thinking and looked over to the woman from earlier. "Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Serhild. It seems you put on quite the charm for my boys out there. They look like little puppy dogs that just found their mama after a long day of being lost." I made a small joke and chuckled as I tried my best to keep the mood light while still keeping her at a good distance. I was still a person of interest for the Germans and I wasn't going to just suddenly start yapping about random things when any of the soldiers could've been listening.

 

[Circus Girl Patches]

My hair of white was pulled into a neat bun, I watched my husband with a loving gaze, thinking about his tales recounting them in such a calm manner, before stretching feeling a settling ache go into my back. I still remembered the smell of my oils burning peppermint in the office, for it helped me focus and it took away the bitter smell of antibodies and rot infections.





Doctor's Office, January 1st, 1918.


I sat at my desk taking few notes, before sitting up hearing the last of the three men enter my office. Writing away the last few of my notes on the last patient I had seen. I felt a smile pull on my face with amusement, before turning to the man before me. "Mrs. Serhild is my mother, I'm Alice-Odile Serhild, it's a pleasure to meet you." I greeted him in perfect English offering him a soft smile before standing up going to the sink to wash my hands, drying off my hands I turned to look at the gentleman with quite a surprised expression, before giggling freely. "I highly doubt I could charm two young men which I have barely met..." I spoke with amusement, before putting on my clean apron, before putting a clean sheet on the patient bed.


"Could you please sit down here? I have to look at your arm, and elbow. Along with your chest, and back because it's important to find out that you don't have any damage to your back." I asked him calmly looking and waiting by the beside for him to get onto the bed. Once he was on the bed I began working on removing his shirt, and sling giving me a chance to look at the damage down. With horror I looked to him, before speaking. "You were caught outside one of the countryside camps weren't you?" I asked in a dull whisper, before taking a deep breathe. "You were trying to free other men prisoner's with your men, yet you stayed behind to make sure they got anyway didn't you?" I asked him softly, as I gently placed my cold hand against his shoulder feeling around for any damage, before pushing softly on a spot, noticing something and I stopped short worried I'd hurt him.


"Can you please put your healthy palm on my shoulder, and I need you to push inward on it when I push on your shoulder, because it has been left dislocated for some time and this is going to be difficult, because I need to get it back into place then, I'll be finding something to get your arm dressed in until it heals." I asked him and waited for him to do as he was asked to do, before I quickly applied the pressure and pushed the shoulder into its original location, before looking down at him worryingly. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't intend to harm, I just needed that back in place before anything went ahead with your arm and such." I commented moving to a cabinet and finding a needle, then a pain killer. Slowly I walked over to him and gently filled the needle with medication, my hand held steady as I looked to him. "You'll feel a little bit of pressure in your shoulder, but this should deal with the pain and send it numb and the rest of your arm, while I deal with the broken bones on this arm..." I told him before carefully picking a place and injecting the substance of the needle into his body, watching him carefully throughout this time.


It took quite a while for his treatment and I felt bad for coursing him pain if I ever did, though when I sent him away I had bandaged his arm with a large metal rod in the lining to keep his arm straight. I had someone show him to where the church was because it was time for the evening mass when I took my break. Now I found myself in the courtyard holding my warming cup of tea in hand, as I whispered a song that made me feel calm, when I felt so heart broken about the condition of these people were in.


I thought about that man the last one I took care of, and I felt worried about him, though upon my worrying the prisoners began to flood into the lined tables and benches, as it seemed the mass had finished and they all still had to spend time in their courtyard. I looked around for certain faces and noticed the two young men from earlier though slowly behind them the wounded proud soldier seemed to always follow. Slowly I felt the need to clear away from my bench looking to few prisoners whom wanted to sit and smiled. "Go right a head, I must be heading to my office anyway." I smiled softly before carefully holding my mug in hand as I moved through the crowds, careful not to hurt anybody as I walked through.


I could hear Blair and friends in the distance standing in the staff room no body told me about, before I went on break, they looked at me and laughed, and I looked down feeling somewhat defeated by this day. Moving through the halls I caught ears with the officer from earlier in the day and kept walking before heading into my office, and closing the door, sighing at the desk, seeing a letter from the hospital of which my mother was in.



​

 

[Kiroshiven]

"I'll tell ya what, I could tell why the boys fell for her as fast as they did. She was a beauty with a heart of gold. Kind of a diamond in the rough if you will. We were surrounded by people that wanted us dead and this woman was fighting the good fight. I would've gotten wrapped up in all of it myself, but I was a lot more resilient to that kind of thing back then. Call me a skeptic, but that's just how I was." I look over to my wife as she seems to get a bit stiff. "She's here with me in the studio, do you mind if she comes over with a seat? She was just as much a hero as I was. And I think she wouldn't mind talking either." The interviewer nods and someone brings over a chair. "C'mon hun. They'd love to hear about our tales. And I know you'd probably like a seat." I'm a bit too stiff to stand, but I still try and move. After she takes her seat I turn back to the interviewer. "Moving on with our tale......"





Doctor's Office, January 1st, 1918





She was a looker, prettier than any girl that came into the shop back in New York. I swallowed as she tried to make the air less high strung. "Sorry Ms. Ohelid, but I'm gonna have to call you that until I feel more comfortable around you. You may be a nurse, and you may have said that, but I don't trust anyone outside of the soldiers kept prisoner here." I wasn't going to give away any weakness while I was trapped in a prison built to for war, especially after what I'd already been through. It didn't mean I was going to be rude, but I certainly was going to be stubborn. I watched as she patted the bed. I managed to get up from my seat and climb over. She kept her smile, but I wasn't going to be charmed as James and Peter. "As for charming them, you probably could charm any other man in this prison with ease. You've got the looks for it." The compliment came off kind of brutish, but it was the only way I could do it while keeping my guard.





She started trying to talk about what I was doing before I got caught. Of course. That's what she wants. I held back my smirk as I looked down at her. "So the stick didn't work so they're trying the carrot huh?" I jokingly play it off as if nothing was meant by it. "Sorry Ms. Ohelid, I can't really disclose any information about what I was doing before getting captured. Enemy territory and what not." I smile at her as she examined me. She carefully ran her hands over my torso, focused primarily on the right side of my body. She hit a spot that twinged and I cringed a bit. She seemed worried and apologized. "Eh. What you're doing is nothing compared to what happened in the last camp, so don't stress about it." Her words were at least that of a professional as she moved forward with the examination.


I followed her instructions and wound up pulling her a bit close when I put my hand on her shoulder. We were mere inches apart and my eyes got locked on hers. I felt a bit awkward as I rarely kept eye contact, especially with a woman. Naturally, I felt my cheeks get a bit red, but thankfully the bruising should've kept it hidden. I heard and felt the pop as my shoulder was relocated and nearly bit my tongue off holding back the stream of profanity that would've normally come forth from that kind of feeling. Exhaling, I relaxed a bit as she apologized again. "You sure do apologize for doing your job Ms. Ohelid." Then she brought out the needle and pain killers. "Oh deary. I hate needles." I sighed as I readied for the inevitable pinch.


It came and it went, but thankfully I could get distracted by the two idiots trying to look in the window. I gave them a glare and they moved away. "Idiots. Acting like they're five and their best friend got sent to the principal's office." I sighed as I noticed that she was bandaging up my arm. "Well alright then. I'm gonna at least be back in shape in a few months." I'd read in a book that six to eight weeks was the healing time for a broken arm. I hoped it'd be sooner as staying locked in prison wasn't exactly one of the most comforting ideas. However, the steel rod also gave me a small idea. Easy access to a weapon in time. I mentally nodded to myself as I started trying to piece together plan ideas, but had to focus on conversation.


"Well, Ms. Ohelid. I thank you for patching me up. But would you mind if I put my shirt back on now? I may be a sight for sore eyes, but still. It's a little drafty in this place." I joked as I started throwing my shirt back on. "Well, I will probably be seeing more of you over the next few days Ms. Ohelid. Thank you for the time and I look forward to meeting you again." I nodded as I exited the room. James and Peter rushed over excitedly and it took a great deal of control not to smack them upside the head. "What are you two kids all giddy about?"


"Wait, you're not wanting to talk about what a looker she is?" Peter asked with a dumbfounded expression on his face. "I mean come on! She's gorgeous." Peter was about to look in the window when a guard started ushering us down the hall. The man looked at me skeptically when he noticed the rod in my wrap. It seemed he pieced it together quickly though as he kept us moving along. The three of us were confined to our own individual cells. Mine was in between the brothers. It would be a long while before I'd get to sleep. "So you really aren't drawn to Ms. Alice at all?"


"Ms. Ohelid, is a nurse for the Germans, Peter. Remember where we are. It's a war and we have to keep our heads about us. If we show even a sliver of weakness they'll use it against us." I sigh as James nods in agreement. Thankfully, he wasn't one to be driven by emotion and desire like his brother. Yeah they both wanted to go back heroes, but Peter was the one that REALLY wanted to use the opportunity to pick up girls. It was rather funny to think about James being drug along on Peter's adventures in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. "Anyway boys, we'd best get some rest and relaxation in while we're here. Otherwise, it's going to be a loooooooooong stay." I curled up onto my bed and spent the rest of the time til dinner either napping or contemplating an escape.

 

[Circus Girl Patches]

I heard my husband's words, and felt a warm blush creep onto my cheeks. Smiling softly at his words I weakly walked over to him, as I gently shook the young woman's hand, and then moved to the seat beside my husband kissing his cheek. "Quite an age you are, yet you still share, sometimes a little nice for you to be selfish love. What you did brought many young men home and that's an important story." I felt my voice speak sweetly, yet I was so very tired, my age had been beating me around. "Though I'm not surprised, our tale is somewhat closer than you ever thought love." I smiled sweetly looking to my husband carefully taking his hand in locking my fingers between his.





Supper Time, January 1st 1918





I spent my time carefully assessing more men throughout the time before supper, my worries for the health of my mother were carrying rather expressively. My heart aching inside, for she had carried the roles of mother and father for such a very long time, even with the help of servants it was something. I found myself thrown into helping the soldiers where I could never help my mother and before supper I found myself writing a letter to my elder half brother with the request of flour, eggs and many other things being brought to the camp I was stationed at.


It was five o'clock and I heard the ringing of the church bell and I stood from my office seat, carefully wiping up a few drips from the table that was made by loose ink. Slowly I stepped through my office doors, and began looking for a soldier whom was in the compound that I knew as a child. I found him unlocking cells down the hall, looking to him I softly, before being pulled into a hug. "It's good to see you Alice-Odile, I heard of your being transferred and all about your stunt pulled earlier... What were you thinking?" He drew back with a face of concern before, I drew back a sigh looking at him with my blue eyes.


"My cousin's they were prisoner's of war, and not even on my father's side, they were from my mother's side, the French/English side of my family, they were two young men, and I met them in the other camp on their death beds, it was horrid seeing what happened to them over such a short time." I began to discuss things with him as we walked down the cell line before coming to a stop. "You would have done the same if you knew that girl you fancied somewhere in America was in one of these camps, you remember writing to me about it when your father took you there for business." With those words we stopped by the two brother's cell, and the young man from earlier. I saw his frozen expression of shock and took the keys from him, opening up their cells.


Standing in on the enterance of Gregory's cell, I carefully walked into it and touched his shoulder as it seemed he was sleeping. "Supper time, you should go and eat you need to have strength for your wounds to heal." I told him softly looking down at him waiting for him to get up before I walked out of the cell, offering to show the three young men to where they needed to go, and it seemed like Fitz was going to follow us too. He had snapped out of his shock when I opened the cell doors for the young men inside. And he seemed to keep a keen eye on the men while they were around me.


Flitz was a tall pale man, with the manner of something like a gentle pale giant. I met him as a child because he was friends with my brother's though also for a while there we knew of our fathers' intentions to marry us to each other, though when my father died it all got frozen, because my mother said we shoulder decide what happens from there marriage wise when we're old enough. I knew all along a marriage wouldn't work between us, most of all when he went to America for the family business of publishing and when they met with a book store owner he met the daughter and fell for her. Since I gave up on the small feelings I had for him and only aloud myself to look at it as if he was still interested in her after all this time, and that we could only be friends.


Coming to to the courtyards, I watched the other's flood in before turning to the young men and smiled softly. "This is where supper is though you'll need these coats." I held up three reasonable sized woolen coats. "The other men have got them too, don't worry about that side of thing, you're not getting any special treatment." I spoke and I meant it towards Gregory in a way to make it look like he wasn't being spoilt while other's were suffering. Before leaving I heard an anoucement for me to go to the gates on stand by because the hospital was full and it seemed we had a few bombing just out of Berlin a few hours earlier and the saviours were coming in now.


Quickly I grabbed my skirt and began running quickly towards the gates, where I saw the first few trucks waiting and I opened the gates with help from a few officers, which also helped with getting the main sister of this place out of the truck and out to address people on the course of action that was to be done. This was my first meeting with the woman though I knew I was going to get along with her it seemed only mere minutes after seeing her for the first time.
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[Circus Girl Patches]

((Bump?))

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