by Alexa Kang
"All right boys," Warren said. "Move along. Nothing to see here." He ordered the other two to walk away with him.
The soldier with raven dark hair was still watching her as he walked away.
"But how? What…How is this possible?" Anthony asked after they left.
"I got myself assigned to the 33rd Field Hospital. It's all I ever wanted to do since you were drafted. To follow you."
"But you've got at least another year of training!"
"No. I switched to a special program right after you left home. I wanted to finish as quickly as I could. As soon as I found out you were assigned to the Sixth Corps, I wrote to everyone I could think of and asked to be assigned to the same division. And now, I'm here. I've been here for two weeks. I've been waiting for you to come back from the front."
"Dear God! Tessa!" He pulled her into his arms again. "So stupid! You're so stupid." He said over and over again while kissing her face and her head. "You're so stupid. What have you done? You shouldn't have come here. So stupid."
Tessa was now laughing and crying at the same time.
"Oh Jeezes!" he pushed her away. "I'm so dirty! I haven't showered in two weeks. I stink! Argh! How can you have me see you like this?" He caressed her face and ran his fingers through the locks of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail, touching her lightly as if he was afraid he might damage her. "I got you all dirty."
"No, you didn't. Anyway, I don't care." She threw her arms around him again and put her face against his chest. How she had craved to feel his warmth and his heartbeat.
"Come here!" He took her hand and led her to the front steps of an abandoned building where they could sit down and talk away from the crowd.
"How did you talk Mother and Father into letting you come?" he asked.
"I didn't tell them."
"You didn't tell them?"
"No. I told them I had a weekend shift at the hospital and I wrote them a letter telling them where I had gone. Ruby gave it to them after I left."
"My God. They must have had heart attacks."
"Probably. I'm sorry."
"What am I going to do about you? Is there any way I can send you back? It's not safe here."
"It's not safe here but you're here. I can't send you back either." She took his hand. "I don't want to go back. I want to be with you. We'll face this war together."
He put his arm around her and pulled her close against him.
"Those soldiers back there, are they your friends?"
He didn't answer but just looked at her and smiled.
"What?" she asked him.
"I was just thinking, your British accent is so cute."
Tessa punched him lightly and he gave her a soft kiss on her cheek.
"They cut your hair." She ran her hand over the side of his head.
"Does it look bad?"
"No. Not at all." She touched his arm. No. He didn't look bad, but he looked different. Less boyish and rougher than how he used to be. His entire body manifested strength. A primitive kind of strength that made her want to touch him. "I'm so glad to see you."
"I wish you hadn't come to this hell, but I'm glad to see you too." He kissed her again. "I missed you so much."
It's all worth it, she thought to herself. Everything she did to get here was worth it. If she had to climb mountains and cross the oceans to get here, it would still be worth it. She would do it all over again.
IX
Part Nine - Jesse Garland
30
For Jesse Garland, life was all about survival. This was the case in his life before the army, and this was the case in his life in the army. By survival, he didn't mean surviving enemy attacks and escaping bombs and shells in battles. What he meant was survival of the thing called life. He didn't know what it meant to enjoy life. For him, life was a series of circumstances which he must necessarily deal with for the sole reason that he was alive, and dealing with it meant figuring out how to navigate life to his own best advantages. Sometimes, it could get tiresome, but it was never beyond him to figure out what situation he was in, the chips with which he had to bargain, and the best way to game the system.
He had never questioned his life before or how he lived it. He never knew anything different. This was how life had always been. Life was about getting through the day, day after day. Where it ended and how it would get there, he never had any reason or desire to give it a second thought. As for people? He never cared about anyone, and no one ever cared about him. And that was all right.
So why did the sudden appearance of that girl shake him up so much?
The instant he laid his eyes on her, he felt as if he saw a revelation, a monumental revelation that made him question what everything in life was all about.
Why was she causing a tsunami in his mind? She wasn't even his type. He preferred blondes. Full-figured, buxom blondes with long, shapely legs, dewy eyes, and sweet honey lips. This girl was a brunette, and she looked a bit too thin and willowy for his taste.
But she was so beautiful!
All of her was beautiful. In her nurse's uniform with her blue cape floating in the air, she was a white vision to the answer of life itself. And those eyes. He had never seen such clear and perceptive eyes. They mesmerized him. There was a moment, a quick, blinking moment, when their eyes met. The look she gave him arrested his heart. He felt like she could see through him into his soul.
No wonder Ardley was out of control when he saw her. She must be his girlfriend, the one whom he refused to stray from and who he said was a nurse. Where did he meet this girl? He never mentioned she was coming.
And yet, there was that moment when she looked right at him when he, Jonesy and Warren were walking away. Was he delusional to think she actually noticed him?
You're doomed, Jesse Garland, he laughed at himself. The joke was on him. He thought he had life all figured out. But now, everything had changed, changed into shapes and patterns he could no longer recognize. How to navigate this? He didn't have the faintest clue.
Returning to the company quarters, Anthony braced for the worst. Of all the men who had to be there when Tessa came, it had to be Jonesy. That big mouth. No doubt, everyone in the unit must have heard by now about his public display of affection like news hot off the press. This news would be talked about for days, maybe even weeks, passing along as hearsay upon hearsay, with new twists and details piling on until it morphed into something entirely unrecognizable. Never underestimate the imaginations of bored men stuck in the army with little to do. Their capability to gossip could put any village woman to shame.
Coming upon the abandoned villa where his company had set up their quarters, he took a deep breath before he entered. The property, a neo-classical residence that might have once been the home of an affluent Napoli family, now housed a troop of unruly soldiers ready to make him the target of their jokes.
He would never live this down for the rest of his army life.
Just as he expected, everyone gave him curious stares as soon as he walked in, smirks hanging on their faces. Needless to say, Jonesy had the biggest smirk of them all. Ignoring him, Anthony swept his eyes across the room. To his relief, Captain Harding and Wesley Sharpe were nowhere in sight. He headed straight to the stairs for his room. He had no desire to stick around here.
"Lieutenant Romeo," Jonesy said in a sing-song voice, just loud enough for him to hear but not so obvious that the comment was directed at him.
He ignored the loudmouthed sergeant and went upstairs. Best to admit nothing and deny nothing. It was the only way.
In the common area upstairs, Warren and the other officers threw him questioning looks too. Only Jesse, reclining in one of the sofa seats, behaved as usual. Immersed in reading a copy of the army weekly magazine "Yank," Jesse didn't even look up when Anthony entered.
"What?" Anthony said to Warren.
"Nothing." Warren held up his hand. "I didn't say anything."
"Want a beer?" Clayton, the office
r from the signal company held up a beer bottle to Anthony.
"No thanks." Anthony had no interest in dishing out details to Clayton or anyone. His only interest was to get back to his room away from everyone and let the gossip die.
"Come on, Ardley. Have a beer with us." Clayton got up and put his arm around his shoulder. Anthony hadn't realized they were now buddies. "Who was the girl? You sonofabitch. You just got here. How'd you hit up a nurse so quick?"
"I didn't hit up a nurse," Anthony said. "She's my girlfriend. My girlfriend from home."
"The same girl in that photo you carry around?" Warren pointed to Anthony's uniform pocket. Anthony couldn't help smiling.
"Your girlfriend was coming and you didn't say a thing?" Clayton asked.
"I didn't know she was coming. It was a surprise to me too."
"You didn't know? Right. We're supposed to believe you?"
"Believe whatever you want." He shook Clayton's arm off and started to leave.
"We should take her out," Jesse said without looking up.
"Come on, Garland. Not you too."
"I'm not being facetious." Jesse put down the magazine. "I'm completely sincere and serious. She just arrived, right? We should show her a good time. Make her feel welcomed." He leaned forward from his seat. "Let's take her to see the army band perform tomorrow night."
"Great idea, Garland," Clayton said. "You can get a few more nurses to join us and we'll make it a party."
"No," Anthony said. He needed to put a stop to this. He was not going to impose on Tessa to spend an evening with all these guys. "She has to work. She can't come out on a whim."
"I can get her off work," Jesse said. "I'll talk to Marcy Sanford, the nurse who works at the hospital's administrative office. She manages staffing. She'll do anything I ask. I can ask her to give your girlfriend and a couple of nurses I know the night off."
"Marcy Sanford!" Clayton said. "That old lady? My God, Jesse, is there anyone not off limits to you?"
"She's not old, she's thirty-five. Anyway, it's not like what you think. She's a widow. She gets lonely. All she needs is a compliment or two now and then. Besides, how do you think I get all those extra medicines and supplies the other units can't get their hands on? She doesn't get much attention from men. A little flattery goes a long way. She likes me. She'll give me anything I ask for." Casting the magazine aside, Jesse got up from the sofa. "I'll head over to the hospital now to talk to dear sweet Marcy, and we'll have ourselves the company of some fine young ladies tomorrow night." On his way out, he winked at Anthony, who could do nothing but watch everything fall further out of control.
"Thank you, Marcy," Jesse said as he took the extra bandages and sulfa she had secretly stocked away for him. She was having a bad hair day again. Every time it rained, her frizzy hair would puff like a balloon of weeds. The afternoon shower just now did not do her any favors.
"Don't mention it," she said. Then, lowering her voice, she handed him a bundle of small scissors and said, "Take these too." She shoved the bundle into his hand and closed his fist. "We're short of supplies. These just came in. I grabbed them for you. Last time you said your unit needed them."
"Marcy! You're a darling!" Jesse put the scissors away into his supplies pouch.
"Oh, and one more thing." She pulled out a radio from her desk drawer. "One of the GIs who went home left this behind. He was so excited to be discharged. He said he won't need this anymore. I thought one of your boys might want it."
"Thank you," Jesse accepted everything she gave him without question. "So, I'm going to ask you again. Are you sure you don't want to come dancing with us tomorrow night?" He asked even though he knew she would refuse. Marcy was too shy and too old. She wouldn't dare to go out with the boys, but he knew he could make her giddy by asking.
"Oh, no." She giggled and waved her hand. "Don't be silly. Dancing's for you young folks. I wouldn't be able to keep up with you all."
"I'm crushed," he said. "I'm very disappointed." He would have said a few more things to flatter her, but Fran Milton was approaching. Milton was one of the few people here he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Not that he couldn't find a way to push her buttons if he wanted. That woman clearly had unfulfilled wishes and dreams, and he was in the business of selling dreams. A case like hers would be too easy for him, but no way. That woman was bad news. Her negativity seethed over like a stewing pot of a witch's brew. He could do without that.
He better leave now. When Milton came and discovered Marcy had given away precious extra supplies to him, poor Marcy would be in for it. He didn't want to be there when that happened. "I must get going now. Thanks again for giving the nurses the night off tomorrow."
"You're welcome," Marcy said, still not realizing Milton was coming.
Jesse put everything in his pack and walked away. Milton passed without noticing him. She was zeroing in on Marcy.
Behind him, he could hear Milton scold Marcy. "Sanford! Have we received the new delivery of medics' supplies yet? I've asked you twice to follow up on this. How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Sorry, Ma'am." Marcy shrunk in her seat. "I'll check on it right away."
Poor Marcy. She was in for it all right.
"…Why don't we ever have enough scissors for the medics? I'm tired of all the complaints…"
Smiling, Jesse adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and continued walking.
With her mind still in the clouds after seeing Anthony earlier today, Tessa was glad that all she had to do for the rest of the night was to clean and sanitize surgical equipment. It was a simple enough task, not like helping to treat a patient, or worse, assisting with a surgical procedure. She didn't know how she could possibly concentrate.
Of course, she would force herself to focus if she must, but she would rather not have to do that at the moment. Right now, all she wanted to think about was Anthony and everything that happened when she saw him. She could give herself that little indulgence after all those months they had to endure away from each other. She wanted to relive every moment of their reunion in her mind.
Another reason she was glad was she knew she had a silly grin on her face. She must look like an idiot but she couldn't help it. She was bursting with happiness. Thank goodness she was in this room alone. She didn't want anyone to see her with this foolish grin.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the person leaning against the side of the doorway watching her. She moved here to there around the room, doing her work but with her mind somewhere far, far away. When she finally sensed she was being watched, she looked over at him. Standing by the door was the person she saw earlier when she went to look for Anthony. The one with raven dark hair, intense eyes, and extraordinary good looks. Wary, she stopped and stared back at him.
"Hi. You're Tessa Graham?" the person said. He wore a white band with a red cross on his arm. "I'm Jesse Garland. I work with Lieutenant Ardley. I came to give you a message from him."
Tessa relaxed. She noted his gold stripe rank insignia and gave him a reserved smile. "Lieutenant Garland."
"Please. Call me Jesse."
"Okay." She minded herself not to be rude to Anthony's friend. "Hello, Jesse. You said you have a message from Anthony?"
"Tomorrow night, eight o'clock. Be ready. He and the rest of us are coming to take you for a night out to see the army band perform."
"The rest of us?"
"Us. His friends in the division."
Tessa hesitated. Why would Anthony want them to be out with a group of people? They only just reunited and barely had any time together. Wouldn't he rather be alone with her if they could see each other? But then she remembered he had planned a special evening introducing Mary Winters to all his friends back when they were dating. Could he have planned something similar for her this time?
He must have. He wanted everyone to know she was his girlfriend. "I would love to go," she said, "but I have to work tomorrow night."
"Don't wor
ry about that," Jesse said. "I talked to Lieutenant Sanford. She's given you the night off."
Just then, Irene entered. Irene was the nurse Tessa had met on the first day she arrived, the one whose sister was an actress in New York. "Hi Tessa," Irene said, barely acknowledging Tessa before turning her full attention away. "Hi, Jesse." Her voice changed when she spoke to him. Low, suggestive, and much more feminine.
"Hello, Irene," he said. He lowered his eyes to her. His voice, too, changed. Deeper and seductive.
Irene passed him, swinging her hips and tossing her hair as she walked. She opened the medicine cabinet and browsed around, looking for something. "What brought you here at this hour?"
"You."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not lying. You," he said, then threw a quick glance at Tessa. "And Miss Graham here. We boys are taking you both out to see the army band perform tomorrow night. Lieutenant Ardley's order. That's Lieutenant Ardley, Miss Graham's boyfriend. He wants us all to give Miss Graham a very special welcome."
"Really?!" Irene let go of the cabin door. "Have you talked to Sanford yet?"
"All taken care of. I invited Sanford too. I know she'd never come. She wouldn't dare do anything that might appear improper, but she was so flattered to be asked, she was never going to say no about you girls coming."
"Oh, Jesse, you're the best!"
"Tomorrow night. Eight o'clock. We'll pick you both up in front of the hospital."
Irene grabbed a random bottle of pills and, before leaving the room, walked up to Jesse and straightened his uniform collar. "I'll see you tomorrow night," she said, her voice breathier and even more titillating than before. Jesse ran his hand slowly down her waist and backside.
Awkward at being present, Tessa looked away and did not see Jesse watching her reaction as he ran his hand down Irene.
"Eight o'clock tomorrow night," Jesse said to Tessa and left with Irene.
Her high from seeing Anthony now subdued, Tessa continued cleaning the surgical equipment. She wondered why Irene never mentioned that her boyfriend was a medic here.
