The Girls of Pearl Harbor

by Lane, Soraya M.

  Eva didn’t say a word as she found her nightgown and placed it on her bed, helping Grace to remove her coat and shirt, until she was standing in her undergarments, shivering despite the warm air.

  But Eva’s hand stopped when she saw her bare skin, and Grace stood, letting her friend look at her.

  ‘How bad are the bruises?’ she asked, not wanting to look at her marked skin.

  Eva didn’t say anything as she reached for the nightgown and helped her into it, as she might have assisted a small child.

  ‘Who did this to you, Grace? We should be reporting him. Are you sure it wasn’t Teddy, because you can tell me.’

  ‘No! Teddy would never hurt me.’ She shook her head. ‘But I don’t want anyone to know; I don’t ever want to talk about it again.’

  Eva stood, and Grace watched as she poured some water into a bowl and collected a piece of fabric.

  ‘Let me check you over, wipe your skin,’ she said softly. ‘Do you need me to check down there?’ she whispered. ‘Did he . . .’

  Grace’s lower lip wobbled as she shook her head and whispered, ‘No.’

  ‘You know you can tell me, if he did hurt you down there. I can nurse you, and we don’t need to talk to anyone about it.’

  She shook her head again. ‘Teddy got me just as he was . . . when he was about to, he was . . .’ She stumbled on her words as it all came back to her: the smell, the fear, the pain.

  ‘Shhh, you’re okay. No one’s going to hurt you now.’

  She let Eva coax her down onto the bed, her hands gentle as she traced over her skin and wiped her forehead.

  ‘As soon as you’re asleep, I’m going to mend your clothes,’ Eva said. ‘The others won’t be back for a few more hours, and I’ll have everything all as good as new by then.’

  Grace listened with her eyes shut, clasping Eva’s left hand as she wiped her face with her right.

  ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

  Eva kissed her cheek and tucked the blankets up over her. ‘You’ve nothing to thank me for. But I do think you should tell your sister.’

  Grace gulped. ‘No. She’d be so disappointed in me; she told me not to go, she told me I wasn’t safe, and I rolled my eyes at her and told her to stop telling me what to do.’

  Eva shifted beside her and made another lamp flicker to life as she collected up all her clothes.

  ‘I can’t stop thinking if Teddy hadn’t found me, if Teddy hadn’t been there—’

  ‘But he was,’ Eva interrupted. ‘Did I ever tell you that it was Teddy who told me about my Charlie? That it was Teddy who held me in his arms after I yelled and punched at him for telling me the news?’

  Grace snuggled deeper into her bed. ‘You never told me that.’

  ‘Well, he did,’ Eva said, threading her needle. ‘He’s a good man, Grace. The world could do with more like him.’

  Grace squeezed her eyes shut. Teddy was a good man, and she would never forget what he’d done for her.

  And Eva. She was the kind of friend who’d never let her down, no matter what.

  April was a good sister, too, the kind of sister who’d risk her own life to save hers. But that’s why she couldn’t ever let her find out, because she’d never forgive herself for letting it happen. And nothing about this was April’s fault.

  It was all on her. She’d been the stupid one. And she’d almost paid the ultimate price.

  ‘Tell me about Arthur,’ she whispered, wanting to listen to Eva speak rather than be left alone with her thoughts.

  Eva laughed, just a gentle noise as she leaned in toward her. ‘Arthur is awful,’ she said. ‘But if I don’t laugh about the man, I’ll only start to cry.’

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  APRIL

  ‘Grace?’ April asked, touching her sister’s shoulder and shaking her gently to wake her. ‘Grace, are you feeling all right?’

  April watched as her sister’s eyes finally opened, but unlike their usual sharp, vivid blue rimmed with white, they were shot with red.

  ‘What on earth did you do last night? You look terrible!’

  Grace didn’t move, and April sighed. ‘Come on—you have a shift to get to. If you don’t get up, you’ll miss out on breakfast.’

  ‘Take it easy on her; she had a late night,’ Eva called out from the other side of the tent.

  The other nurses they shared with had already gone down for breakfast, and April wanted to get moving so they didn’t end up at the end of the line.

  ‘Since when do you think it’s okay to sleep half the morning away?’ April asked. ‘I thought you’d be the first to tell sleepyhead here off for being tardy just because she had a night out.’

  She looked between them, wondering what on earth was going on.

  ‘Is there something I don’t know about?’ April asked, perplexed.

  ‘I saw Teddy last night,’ Grace muttered. ‘We talked for hours, and it got so late that he had to walk me home in the dark.’

  April’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Teddy? How was he?’

  She watched as Grace pushed the blankets back, not used to seeing her sister move so slowly. Grace was usually first up, as bright and bubbly as could be when the rest of them were aching to be back in bed again.

  ‘He was good. He has a few days’ leave, I think, and we just talked.’

  ‘Did he ply you with alcohol, or was that your own doing?’ April asked, picking up Grace’s jacket and sniffing it. ‘Ugh, this stinks.’

  Grace snatched it off her. ‘I’ll air it out for a minute while I wash up and get dressed.’

  Her little sister filled her helmet with water from a large jug April had prepared that morning, splashing her face and under her arms. April watched for a moment before turning away and going outside, lifting her face to the sun and feeling the now-familiar warmth spread across her skin. The mornings were always pleasant, before the depth of the heat swept through every room in the hospital and left them all sweaty and desperately craving cooler weather.

  ‘I’m ready,’ Grace mumbled from behind. Eva was standing with her, and April studied them both, certain there was something more going on than just her sister seeing Teddy.

  ‘Nothing happened between you and Teddy, did it?’ she asked.

  ‘I would never do that to Poppy,’ Grace answered quietly. ‘You know that.’

  April nodded. ‘Of course. You just seem a bit under the weather today, and it got me wondering if you were regretting something—that’s all.’

  ‘Only the number of drinks I had and the lack of sleep I got,’ Grace said, seeming more like her usual self. ‘Next time I have an afternoon and night off, I’m going to spend it sleeping.’

  ‘Good idea. I think when we finally get home, we could all sleep for a week without waking.’

  They all walked down to the breakfast line, and April braced herself for whatever goop they’d be eating. She was craving home cooking almost more than sleep right now.

  ‘How’s everything going with Arthur?’ she asked Eva.

  ‘Ugh, that man is infuriating. I’m in charge of his physical therapy at the moment, and I can’t even convince him to get out of the bed, let alone actually do any of the exercises. I’ve gone from being so compassionate to just wanting to shake him.’

  April smiled over at Eva. Arthur might be driving her friend crazy, but something about him had almost brought her old friend back; she wasn’t as withdrawn or quiet as she’d been when they’d arrived. She’d been so worried about Arthur reminding Eva of Charlie, but it didn’t seem to be the case anymore.

  After they’d finally eaten and slugged down a cup of lukewarm liquid that was supposed to resemble coffee, April made her way through the wards, checking on her patients as she passed on her way to find Dr. Grey.

  ‘Good morning!’ she said as she bustled into the surgical ward where he was working.

  ‘Morning, April,’ he said, without looking up. ‘It’s been a busy morning. We’ve already had one surgery this
morning, and I’m going to be going all day from the look of it.’

  She nodded. ‘What can I do?’

  When he finally looked up, she couldn’t stop the warmth that spread up her body and flushed hot into her cheeks. His gaze was long and steady, his hazel-brown eyes appraising as he studied her.

  ‘I’d like you by my side today,’ he said. ‘Prepare the patient while I get ready.’

  He passed her, almost too close, their shoulders an inch from brushing.

  ‘Your hair suits you like that, April,’ he murmured, and she instinctively raised her hand and brushed her hair, pleased she’d played around with the style while she’d waited for Grace to wake up. Her pulse was racing as she realized just how hard she’d started to fall for the doctor and how capable she now felt after all the responsibility he’d given her.

  April bent over the patient and reassured him, taking his blood pressure and temperature and getting him ready for the anesthetist to put him under. The poor soldier had a tourniquet around his leg above the knee, and he was bleeding heavily from his arm and leg too.

  While she waited for Dr. Grey to return, April murmured to him and bathed his face, cleaning him up and smiling down at him, hoping that at the very least she might be distracting him a little from his pain.

  Within minutes he was out cold on the table, and she stood beside Dr. Grey and watched him work, cringing as he took the leg off with a saw—the most gruesome thing of all to be witness to—and although she tried hard, she had to look away. The smell of flesh and bone being hacked at and the noise of the bone splintering away sent ripples through her, and she knew she’d never become used to the sound of a limb being discarded and thrown into a container to be disposed of.

  If she’d been braver, she’d have asked the doctor how he’d decided to remove this particular limb, what had made him choose that option over any other alternatives, but she was always too shy to bring it up again. I don’t want to offend him by questioning his medical skills. She smiled as she passed him an instrument. She knew that was the reason, and the last thing she wanted was to be asked to leave his service when there was so much for her to learn in the operating theater. Just do it. Don’t just stand by. Eva’s questioning of his practices and the way she’d so gallantly defended him were playing on her mind too. She knew he was an excellent doctor, but she wanted to understand him and the choices he made instead of just blithely accepting them. He certainly seemed to remove a lot of limbs.

  ‘Dr. Grey, may I ask a question?’

  He barely paused, reaching out his hand as she passed him the scalpel. ‘Of course.’

  ‘I’m very interested in medicine, and I wondered if you could explain how you make your decisions? Are you working instinctively in here, or are you following specific guidelines about when or when not to amputate, for instance?’

  ‘And you’re back to questioning me again.’ He laughed and glanced at her. ‘You’re very inquisitive for a woman, aren’t you?’

  She swallowed, not sure whether he was praising or criticizing her. He didn’t answer her question, but he seemed relaxed about what he was doing, so she decided to confide in him. They got along well working side by side, and she was tired of hiding her ambition. Why wouldn’t he be supportive of her desire to work in the medical profession one day?

  ‘The reason I’m so inquisitive,’ she said in a quiet voice, ‘is because I would like to study to become a doctor once the war is over.’

  He was silent, finishing the stitch he’d moved on to, before straightening his back and holding the needle in the air. He was smiling, but it wasn’t directed at her.

  ‘Did you hear that?’ he called out to no one in particular, but she realized his words were meant for the anesthetist who was tending to another patient nearby. ‘My nurse here wants to be a doctor one day. A doctor!’

  She gulped, hand shaking as she took the needle from Dr. Grey. But when she saw that he thought it was a joke, both men laughing at her statement, she bravely cleared her throat.

  ‘I’ve always dreamed of being a doctor, and working here with you has only made me want it more,’ she said. ‘You’ve been an inspiration to me, Dr. Grey.’

  Another nurse joined them, a patient with her that she’d prepared for surgery, and April’s cheeks burned as she realized it wasn’t just Dr. Grey who’d know her ambitions now. Soon everyone would know.

  ‘April, I’d caution you against dreaming,’ he said, and she couldn’t help but notice the cool edge to his tone. ‘You need to remember your place as a nurse.’

  She nodded. ‘Yes, of course. I was only—’

  ‘And as a woman,’ he added, before smiling and gesturing to the other nurse.

  ‘I’m sorry; I should have kept my thoughts to myself,’ she muttered, feeling a fool.

  ‘You’re an excellent nurse; I just don’t want you getting carried away.’ Dr. Grey was smiling again as if they’d been talking of something as trivial as the weather or what she might wear out to dinner. ‘But I’ll forget you ever mentioned it. Thank you, April—please get the patient to recovery, and then come back to assist me again. I have two more to operate on with extensive internal injuries, so it’s going to be a long afternoon.’

  ‘Yes, of course, Dr. Grey.’

  She assisted the corpsman to move the patient and walked slowly from the room. All these years she’d never admitted her dreams to anyone, and now she’d been made to look the fool. Why did I tell him? Was I trying to impress him? April shuddered. Nothing was going to stop her from becoming a doctor one day, but from now on she was keeping her mouth shut.

  ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

  April looked up as she almost collided with Eva. ‘Sorry. I was a million miles away,’ she replied.

  ‘I know the feeling,’ Eva muttered. ‘You have time for a coffee? I don’t know how I’m going to keep my eyes open for another four hours until the end of my shift.’

  ‘Let me finish up here, and I’ll join you. I have to go straight back into surgery with Dr. Grey, but I could do with a coffee first.’

  April settled her patient into his bed, blanket tucked around him and his chart updated at the end of his bed. Then she did a quick walk-through of the ward, pleased most of her patients were asleep, before she found Eva again.

  ‘How’s your day been?’ she asked.

  Eva sighed. ‘Same as usual. I deal with Arthur as best I can, but it’s almost a relief when I’m called away.’

  ‘He’s no better?’

  ‘No.’ Eva shook her head as she poured them both a coffee.

  The coffee tasted terrible. ‘You know, the only thing this drink has going for it is that it’s hot.’

  They both sipped and sat back, and April studied Eva. She’d been so withdrawn ever since the bombing, but she was starting to see glimpses of her again, and it was nice. Now that Eva was holding her ground with Arthur, he actually seemed to be good for her.

  ‘Is it hard for you? With Arthur being a pilot, I mean?’

  Eva didn’t look up right away, but when she did, April saw tears glistening in her eyes. It surprised her; she’d never, ever seen Eva cry before, and she certainly hadn’t expected it then.

  ‘Yes, it is. Sometimes I just want to shake him,’ Eva said. ‘He’s so infuriating, and I want to scream at him, but when I feel like that, I bite my tongue and walk away until I feel I can deal with him again. I can’t imagine what he’s going through inside.’

  April set her coffee cup down and reached for her hand. ‘I should have known how hard it would be for you. I’m sorry.’

  Eva gave her fingers a quick squeeze before withdrawing her hand. ‘Tell me about you. Are you still enjoying working with Dr. Grey? Grace is convinced you’re having some secret love affair.’

  April laughed. ‘Oh, I wish we were having some clandestine affair! The most exciting exchange we’ve had is side by side, scalpel in hand, unfortunately.’

  ‘I’ve seen the way he look
s at you,’ Eva said. ‘All jokes aside, I think your sister’s right about him being interested.’

  It was on the tip of April’s tongue to tell her about her dream of becoming a doctor, but she didn’t, not wanting to recount what had happened when she’d told the doctor. She also wasn’t ready to be rebuffed twice in one day, even though she was almost certain Eva would encourage her.

  ‘I promise I’ll keep you posted if anything happens between us,’ she said with a wink.

  They sat a minute longer, drinking their coffees, before April reluctantly stood. She took Eva’s cup to rinse them both out.

  ‘Do you think everything was all right with Grace this morning? She seemed—I don’t know—not herself, I guess.’

  She was certain she saw Eva hesitate. ‘I think seeing Teddy rattled her; that’s all. And she probably had too much to drink.’

  ‘Hmm, maybe.’ April stretched out her neck and sighed. ‘She always was sweet on Teddy, but after Poppy, after everything we all went through, I don’t know. I suppose I thought those feelings would have disappeared.’

  ‘Would it be so bad if she and Teddy got together after the war?’ Eva asked. ‘After all we’ve all been through, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to see them together, if it made them both happy.’

  April’s brows shot up. ‘Has she said something to you?’

  ‘No. But you’d have to be blind not to see that there’s something between them, something they’re both trying far too hard to pretend doesn’t exist.’

  April watched Eva go and thought about what she’d said. Perhaps she was right; maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing. She just couldn’t stand to see her sister get hurt, and as great as Teddy was, she had a feeling it would be her sister who’d end up with the broken heart. April picked up her pace and hurried back to Dr. Grey, not wanting to give him any excuses to be angry with her. Again.

  ‘Morning, April.’

  April smiled as Dr. Grey approached, falling into step beside her. She hadn’t seen him since their day of back-to-back surgeries two days ago; she’d been resting in the tent most of yesterday, but she was still on a high from their work together.