In Love and War

by Natalie Brock

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it then, Welles. G’night mate.” Thomas walked away and Edward turned his attention back to his gin wondering which of these girls would blow out his candle. He rose from his bar stool, took the bottle of gin, and headed to where the blonde was sitting.

  “Whassa nice girl like you doing in a place like Devon?” Edward said, drunkenly slurring his words.

  Norma looked up at him and smiled. She rested her chin on her palm and batted her eyelashes. “Waiting for a handsome RAF officer to buy me a drink.”

  Chapter 9

  "The constitution does not provide for first and second class citizens."

  -- Wendell Willkie

  Mary had just nestled into her army cot and closed her eyes, trying to keep herself from thinking about her hideous first day on base. She comforted herself with the thought that at least things couldn’t get any worse. Next thing she knew, Kay came charging into the dorm room, disrupting Mary’s peace.

  “What’s wrong?” Mary asked.

  “Everything. Dr. Mason ... he treats me like garbage. I hate it here.” Kay paced back and forth.

  “That makes two of us. Bet your day wasn’t as bad as mine.”

  “I’ll take that bet,” Kay stopped pacing and began to unbutton her shirt and get ready for bed.

  Sally entered the room and looked at her two new roommates. She removed her army-issued overcoat, only to reveal a disheveled shirt and a couple of missed buttons resulting from her earlier encounter with Sergeant Richards. Kay and Mary glanced at each other.

  “What?” Sal’s good mood turned sour on a dime. “What are you both looking at?”

  “Nothing,” Kay covered. “We were just talking about our day.”

  “Sounded to me like you were complaining about your day when I walked in.” Sal scolded.

  “How long have you been on base, Major?” Kay asked, trying to change the subject.

  “You mean at this base? Fourteen months.” Sal splashed water from the wash basin onto her face and patted it dry with a washcloth. “I was stationed in Oxford for a year before they set up the medical unit here in Devon.”

  “Wow,” Mary groaned. “That’s a lifetime.”

  Sal sighed. “Get used to it, kiddo. The faster you get used to it, the easier it’ll be.”

  “I can’t imagine anything being easy around here,” Mary said as she hugged her knees to her chest.

  “Me either,” Kay admitted. “The men here are all so chauvinistic. I feel like a second-class citizen.”

  “Well, you are,” Sal replied, sounding resigned. “You’re in the Army now, Doctor. This is a male-dominated society.”

  A low rumbling noise sounded in the distance.

  “What was that?” Mary asked. “Was that thunder?”

  “No. It’s just bombing,” Sal said.

  Mary’s eyes flew open wide. “What??? Are we going to be killed?” Mary asked.

  “Probably not tonight,” Sal answered flatly as she climbed into her cot and pulled up her blanket. “It’s coming from London. You get used to it.”

  “Oh god,” Kay said. “I doubt I’ll ever get used to being here. I think I made a mistake.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Mary.

  “Joining the Army. I think it was a mistake.”

  “Well, why did you join?” Mary asked.

  “I joined because ... because of my husband.” Kay looked at Mary and Sal’s inquisitive faces. “My husband died ... three years ago. And I almost died with him.”

  “Were you in a car accident?” Mary’s innocent question made Kay smile.

  “No, honey, he was a fireman. He died on the job.”

  Mary’s eyes widened. “You mean he burned to death?”

  Kay nodded and tears puddled in her eyes. “He died fighting a fire in downtown Sacramento. I was 23 and just getting ready to graduate from nursing school when it happened.” Kay looked off into space, the room disappearing and her mind’s eye taking her back in time. “Stewart was so proud of me. He told me that together we could make the world a better place, that the two of us were unstoppable. Then ... when he died, I immersed myself in my studies. I didn’t want to think ... or feel. I just wanted to be busy. So after I got my nursing certificate, I kept going to school. I just couldn’t think about living my life without Stewart. I can’t even remember making the choice to become a doctor. It was as if it chose me.”

  “Everyone has a story,” Sal said, trying not to get caught up in Kay’s. “Everyone has a reason for joining the Army.”

  Mary ignored Sal’s dismissive remark. “That’s so sad, Kay.”

  “I didn’t even know what I was going to do when I got out of medical school. I ended up in an accelerated program because of the war and the shortage of doctors stateside. Then one day, about a month ago, someone handed me a flyer that said ‘Join the Army.’ And I remembered Stewart’s words about making the world a better place. I thought it was a sign. That’s why I joined.”

  Even though Sal was moved by Kay’s story, she stuck to her policy of not showing emotion because the men she knew made it clear that being emotional was a sign of weakness. “Good, that was a smart move.”

  “I’m starting to doubt that.” Kay said. “I feel like a fish out of water around here.”

  “Me too,” said Mary.

  Sal snapped. “Oh please, don’t tell me someone as young as you has a sob story too.”

  “Didn’t you hear what happened to me today? I was thoroughly humiliated!” Mary exclaimed.

  “Why? Just because you fainted in the operating room?” Sal asked coldly.

  Kay looked at Mary sympathetically. “Oh, that’s right. Are you okay, honey?”

  “I’m not even talking about that,” Mary replied. “A couple of Sergeants or Majors or something ... they pulled up the shower curtain while I was in the outdoor stall. Taking a shower! Naked.”

  Kay gasped, her prim Irish upbringing made her blush at the thought of being exposed like that. “That’s horrible!”

  Sal waved a hand at Mary. “Please. That’s nothing. It’s happened to me too. Why just the other night, someone turned on the public address system when I was with my ...um ... never mind.”

  Kay was incredulous. “How on earth can you put up with that?”

  Sal shrugged. “You just do. And if you don’t, you’ll be miserable every single day you’re here.” Sal looked at Mary and pointed a finger at her. “You need to toughen up, Missy.”

  Mary got defensive. “I’m tough!”

  “Not tough enough,” Sal warned. “You’re gonna get a lot tougher before you get out of the Army. You have to. You’re gonna see a lot of life while you’re here, and a lot of death too. You’re going to do things you never thought you were capable of. And if you survive, you’re going to come out a stronger person. Now lights out. Go to sleep.”

  Mary put her head on her pillow and watched Kay do the same. Sal closed her eyes and appeared to fall asleep immediately. Kay stared up at the ceiling, looking like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders.

  Mary took a deep breath and curled herself up into a ball while she tried to block out the sounds of bombs exploding somewhere in the distance, but not distant enough.

  Chapter 10

  As dawn broke, so did the sleepy silence that fell upon camp overnight. A bugle played reveille over the base loudspeaker, followed by a series of announcements made by Sergeant Louis Richards. Louis barely had a sense of humor, but he fancied himself a comic at times, and whenever he had the microphone, he tried out his act.

  “Good morning boys and girls. Time to rise and shine. Today is Wednesday, 22, March, nineteen hundred and forty four. It’s Training Day, people, and we have a full schedule of activities at camp today, starting with calisthenics in the Quad. After morning exercises, troops will report to your drill sergeant for your assignments, by land, by sea, and by air. If you don’t know where you’re supposed to be, don’t come crying to me. />
  And don’t forget, boys and girls, a week from Saturday is the big USO dance. The United Services Organization will be on site to organize the big event, so put on your dress whites and prepare to trip the light fantastic. The dance will be held in the Conference Room from 8:00 until whenever the last person leaves. If you’d like to volunteer to help decorate, see Maggie Simpson in the Mess Hall by tomorrow. Here’s some music to live and die by. That is all.”

  ~~~~~~~~

  When Norma woke up in Edward’s room, she was relieved to find that he was already gone. She got dressed quickly and tried to shake off what happened last night. She cringed just thinking about it. Both of them were drunk, but that was no excuse for her cheap behavior -- or his. The RAF officer was not a considerate lover. In fact, he played rough, too rough, and she had some aches and pains to prove it.

  But she decided it was best to forget the whole thing. The RAFs would only be on base a couple days anyway. She left Edward’s room and found herself missing David like crazy and regretting the fight they had.

  As ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B’ blared over the loudspeaker, Norma came bursting into the nurse’s dorm. “Hey, I heard there were some new nurses in here!”

  Kay, Mary, and Sal were groggily getting dressed and ready for their day. Sal looked at Norma with disdain. “What do you want, Norma?”

  “I want them,” Norma pointed at Kay and Mary. “Wanna see something amazing?”

  Mary nodded excitedly. “I do!”

  Norma led Mary and Kay out of the dorm and walked them to the Quad where dozens of shirtless soldiers were doing their morning jumping jacks, even in 40 degree weather. “Whadaya think, ladies? Worth waking up for, isn’t it?”

  “Ooh, yummy!” Mary squeaked.

  Kay did a disapproving double-take. “Mary!”

  Norma blew her off. “Don’t be an old prune danish, Kay. Or at least don’t ruin it for the rest of us. You’re blocking my view, by the way.”

  Kay shook her head. “Have a nice day ladies. I’m going to get some coffee. See you in the Commissary.”

  Kay passed Sal on her way to breakfast. “Major, join me for breakfast?”

  “Sorry, I can’t. I have to speak to Louis ... I mean Sergeant Richards ... about some paperwork.”

  Sal was walking briskly toward the administrative offices when a hand grabbed hers, stopping her in her tracks. She looked up to find Edward’s hand holding her arm.

  “Sally love, can you help me?”

  “I’m sort of busy. What do you want?”

  “I’m conducting a flight training exercise for your boys this morning, and I can’t find my gloves. Had them with me when I arrived yesterday. Must have lost them somewhere.”

  “Do I look like Lost and Found?”

  “Sally, sweetheart, I can’t blame you for being short with me. I behaved deplorably yesterday,” Edward said sincerely. “I was hungry and travel-weary and I acted like a spoiled child. I humbly apologize.”

  Sal looked into Edward’s bright brown eyes and felt her heart soften toward him. He sounded sincere. Maybe he wasn’t an asshole after all. She smiled at him.

  “Well, the PX doesn’t open until noon, but ... I have a key to the lost and found closet.”

  “Then you’ll help me out?”

  “Sure. After all, I’m supposed to be your tour guide. Follow me.” Sal led the way to the PX.

  “Is it always this noisy on base?” Edward asked, looking around at the hustle and bustle in the Quad.

  “Mostly,” Sal replied. “Today is a little crazier than usual because of all the training activities going on. But you already know about the training, right?”

  Sal and Edward walked through the empty PX and toward the lost-and-found closet. She used a key to unlock the door to the vault-like room where lost items wound up. If unclaimed for 90 days, the items would get auctioned off on base and sold to the highest bidder.

  As the door to the closet closed behind them, Sal reached up and felt around the upper shelves. “You’re taller than me. Can you see any gloves on the shelf?”

  “Wish I didn’t have to leave so soon.” Edward commented, out of left field.

  “Why’s that?” Sal asked as she continued scanning the shelves.

  “I’d like more time ... to get to know you.”

  Surprised, Sal whirled around and faced Edward. “Me?” She looked at Edward as if she were looking at him for the first time. When he wasn’t acting like a jackass, he was actually handsome. Even stunning. Suddenly, Sal also wished he had more time before he left. “Maybe you’ll come back ... someday.”

  “Perhaps, but that’s doubtful. What I’d really like to do is make the most of the time we have together now.” Edward bent forward and his lips descended on Sal’s. She thought she’d fall over when his arms wrapped around her body and lifted her off her feet as he continued kissing her. Next thing she knew, he pinned her down on the floor of the closet. Sal pushed him away.

  “Stop. We can’t do this.”

  “Why not, love?”

  “Because I’m not that kind of girl.”

  Edward laughed and scoffed. “That’s not what I’ve heard. In fact, I’ve heard you’re precisely that kind of girl.”

  Sal felt her anger rising. “What? Who told you that?”

  “Any number of people ... ‘Sweet Cheeks’.” Edward kissed Sal again and Sal pushed him away again.

  “Get the hell off me, you arrogant asshole.”

  Edward breathed out through his nose and his jaw clenched. He backhanded Sal across her face, shocking her more than hurting her. While she struggled to regain her composure, Edward pulled at her slacks until they were down around her knees. Sal’s mind was telling her this can’t really be happening, but her body could tell that it was. She tried as hard as she could to push him off her, but he was much stronger than she. She screamed for help repeatedly, but her screams couldn’t be heard over the activities in the Quad and the music blasting over the loudspeaker.

  Chapter 11

  "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned"

  -- Playwright William Congreve

  Edward was long gone, but Sal just laid there on the floor of the Lost and Found closet for the next hour, maybe longer. She wasn’t really sure how much time had passed.

  Finally, Sal sat up. She smoothed her hair and clumsily got to her feet, pulling up her slacks and refastening them. She pressed the back of her hand to her cheek where Edward hit her and a sob escaped from her throat. She closed her eyes and steeled herself as she left the PX. She was Sal Bradley and she would not cry. She was Sal Bradley and she would not show any weakness.

  Sal grew up an Army brat, so she knew all about being tough. Her father, uncle, and brothers were all career Army. In fact, her parents fully expected her to be a boy when she was born and they didn’t even have a girl’s name picked out. She was supposed to be Stanley Eugene. And even though her parents didn’t get another son, Sally Jean Bradley learned how to be a good little soldier.

  As she passed the large Conference Hall building on the way to Louis’s office, she heard his voice. That disgusting, unmistakable cockney accent. She boldly walked inside the meeting hall and saw Edward at the head of the room, drawing a diagram on a chalkboard and explaining the Bristol Bomber’s functions to a classroom of airmen and top brass, including Colonel Morton.

  From the back of the room, Sal caught Edward’s attention. “I want to talk to you,” she yelled, not caring that she was in a public venue. All eyes turned and looked at Sal.

  Edward raised an eyebrow upon seeing Sal in the doorway. “I’m a little busy here, love.”

  “I don’t care if you’re entertaining the King of England. Get over here now!”

  The Colonel stood up, prepared to intervene, but Edward waved him off, indicating he would handle it. Edward laughed lightly as he strolled slowly to the back of the room, addressing the class. “Girl troubles. P
ardon me for a moment, Gents. I’ll be right back.” When he reached Sal at the back of the room, he grabbed her arm and pulled her outside.

  “Let go of me, you asshole.”

  “Calm down Sally. You’re out of control.”