by Stacy Henrie
Joel relinquished the Bible to his friend. He didn’t know Sergeant Dennis all that well, but he trusted the man’s sincerity. Resting his head against the headboard behind him, he stared at the window across the room.
The exercise earlier, however brutal, had stirred restless energy within him. If only he could persuade the nurses to let him try walking again. The more he attempted it, the stronger he’d be and the sooner he could leave the hospital. Perhaps a short walk, to the chair across the room, would convince them he could handle greater amounts of exercise.
He called for one of the nurses, asking her to help him to the empty chair by the window. Just as he’d hoped, the short distance seemed to deter her from refusing. Joel took his bird notebook with him. After a few halting but less painful steps, he made it to the chair. The light wouldn’t fully disappear for a few more hours, so several soldiers and nurses were still making good use of the back lawn. Joel scanned the trees bordering the grass, hoping to see some birds.
A movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. A nurse, without her cap on, held the hand of a young boy. Joel recognized Evelyn’s dark curls at once. Who was the child? He watched them walk across the lawn and sit beneath one of the trees. Evelyn withdrew what looked like bread from her pocket and handed it to the boy. The lad ate the bread slowly as the two of them talked. Even at a distance, Joel sensed the amiable companionship between them.
Evelyn will make a good mother.
Regret followed closely on the heels of his realization. Ralph would never get to see this side of the woman he’d loved.
Would his best friend want Joel to look after Evelyn and her child?
“If I had to do things over,” Ralph had said recently, “I think I would’ve been more like you, Campbell.”
A fresh wave of shame heated Joel’s neck at the remembrance. What would Ralph say if he were to show up now? Joel wasn’t sure he wanted to know. His behavior today hadn’t shown the kind of discipline and benevolence he’d strived to live by, especially at the front lines. If nothing else, as Ralph’s squad leader and closest friend, Joel owed him. Perhaps helping Ralph’s girl would assuage some of his guilt, as long as Evelyn didn’t learn the truth about that day by the ravine.
Joel blew out his breath and returned his gaze to Evelyn and the boy. Her curls fell loose around her face without her cap to keep them back. What did her hair smell like? Was it soft to the touch? He shook his head at the foolish questions.
He couldn’t deny an innate desire to look after her, something he suspected went beyond his friendship with Ralph. But he still knew so little about her, and getting to know her once he left the hospital would be next to impossible. He’d have to decide before going to the convalescent home what he intended to do.
Then we’ll do this on my terms.
Joel would consider marrying Evelyn, but only after he got to know her better. Chances were he’d come to the conclusion he only needed to assist her in some way—not ask her to marry him.
Whatever happened, Joel wouldn’t allow a repeat of his experience with Rose. If she hadn’t been right for him, surely Evelyn Gray wasn’t either, despite her pretty looks and kindness. He mustn’t confuse thoughtfulness with duty either. Evelyn was a nurse first and foremost, and her proposal was a business arrangement. Nothing more.
Chapter 6
Evelyn rinsed the surgical tools in the stream of water, brushing a sweaty curl off her forehead with the back of her wet hand. The surgical wards typically kept their windows shut for sanitation purposes, and though the rooms were located in the basement and therefore cooler than the wards upstairs, she still found the temperature too warm in her condition.
“Nurse Gray?” Dr. Dupont rubbed at his spectacles with a cloth as he approached her. She turned off the water. “You do excellent work.”
“Thank you. My father deserves the credit, though.” She began placing the tools on a clean towel beside the sink. “He let me assist him with a few emergency surgeries when I was in high school and whet my interest in helping that way. Still, it’s been some time since I’ve taken part in an operation.”
“Your skills have clearly returned. I am pleased to have you helping down here.”
A bit embarrassed at his effusive praise, she changed the subject. “How do you think that young man will fare, without his leg?”
The doctor placed his glasses back on his nose and frowned. “I cannot say for certain, but he is lucky the gangrene did not spread.”
“I imagine it will be some time before he feels lucky,” Evelyn murmured, more to herself than to the surgeon.
“You are probably right.” He took a step toward the door. “I am going up for a late lunch. Would you care to join me?”
She hesitated, though the man had been nothing but respectful toward her. He was at least twice her age and she did not know him at all. What would the other nurses say if they were to find the two of them eating and talking by themselves in the dining hall?
While the rules governing doctors and nurses were different than those of soldiers and nurses, she was still smarting over Joel’s rejection. Thankfully she hadn’t seen him since their disastrous conversation two days earlier.
“Thank you, but I think I’ll finish cleaning up first.”
He bowed his head in a gracious nod. “Some other time perhaps. We have no other surgeries scheduled for this afternoon, but I will find you should something arise. ”
“Yes, sir.” Evelyn almost wished there would be an influx of patients. The few surgeries she’d helped with had kept her mind occupied, leaving her little time to think about the uncertainty of her future.
At the door, Dr. Dupont paused. “You remind me very much of my daughter, Bridgette.” He leaned against the doorjamb, his gaze distant. “She and her husband live near Sedan, under German occupation. Right before the Germans invaded, she was pregnant with their first child.”
A ripple of fear walked up Evelyn’s spine. Had the man already guessed her secret, and after only one day of working together? Would the sisters know before much longer?
“We have had no contact with them since. I still do not know if I have a grandson or a granddaughter.” He removed his glasses again and wiped at his glistening eyes with his thumb. “When this war is over, I suppose we will know then.”
Evelyn’s alarm faded into relief. He wasn’t telling her he knew her secret; he was simply talking about his daughter, whom he missed. The sadness on his lined face tugged at Evelyn’s heart, bringing memories of her own father. “She must be equally devastated to be separated from you.”
Dr. Dupont replaced his glasses. “I held out hope she and my son-in-law were together, but I have heard some of the Frenchmen in the occupied villages have been sent away by the Germans. I pray to God every night that He is watching over them.”
Is that what her grandparents hoped and prayed for, too—that God would watch over Evelyn? If only He were, if only she hadn’t been left on her own. “Do you have any other children?”
“A son. He is serving in the French army. I haven’t heard anything from him in two months. I tell myself he must be fine and it is just our sporadic mail.” For his sake, Evelyn hoped it was the slow mail system, too, and that the kind surgeon wouldn’t receive the same devastating news she had about Ralph. “At least my wife is safe in our village. With both our children gone and encountering who knows what at the hands of our enemies, she has turned our home into a refuge for children. Those who have lost one or both parents. They help with the garden and chores and, in turn, receive meals or a bed, whatever they need.”
Instinctively her hand rose to rest against her stomach. Her own child had already lost a parent. What would happen to the baby if something were to befall her, too? Her grandparents would only be around for so much longer. Then who would provide her child with all the love and security she’d experienced growing up, however isolated Evelyn might have felt at times?
With slightly trembling hands, sh
e dried the tools and placed them in the nearby cupboard. She couldn’t bear the thought of her child being alone in the world, relying on the kindness of strangers.
Desperate for something else to think about, to talk about, she noticed the half-empty supply shelves and seized on their existence as a new topic of conversation. “It appears you have about the same number of supplies as we do upstairs.” She locked the cupboard with the keys the doctor had entrusted to her.
“We are going to need more soon, if we are to continue performing surgeries. Even our supply of bandages is growing frightfully low.” Dr. Dupont released a heavy sigh and straightened. “I will bid you good day, Nurse Gray. Thank you for indulging a father’s ramblings.”
“I think I’ll join you after all,” she said on impulse. The poor man had to be as lonely as she. “Everything is clean down here and I’m starving.” She meant it, too. Her usual nausea had ebbed away by midmorning and now she felt hungry enough to eat the kitchen clean.
“I would enjoy that.” The man’s dark eyes crinkled with a smile as he motioned for her to lead the way up the stairs.
Evelyn entered the dining room first and found several sisters and nurses still eating. She needn’t have worried about being alone with the doctor after all, though after hearing the sad tale of his daughter, she no longer cared what others thought. The man simply needed someone—especially someone who reminded him of his daughter—to talk with.
After collecting their food, Evelyn followed Dr. Dupont to one of the occupied tables, where they sat across from each other. He reminisced as they ate, regaling Evelyn with stories about his son and daughter’s childhood days. She listened with interest, but there were moments when her mind caught hold of the happy image of family he created and she no longer heard his words. A life with a mother and a father, and hopefully siblings, had been what she desired most for her child. To have the family setting she hadn’t really experienced but longed for.
“Are you all right, Nurse Gray?” The doctor’s kind gaze watched her closely from behind his glasses.
Evelyn forced a light laugh. “Yes, I’m fine. I was only thinking how idyllic life sounds in your French village.”
Dr. Dupont tore a piece from his bread. “It may sound that way now, especially given all the horrors we have seen in recent years. But there were struggles, too. No life is without them.”
And I’m going through the worst of them now.
How she longed to unburden her secret to someone. Someone who would listen and help. Someone unlike Joel.
As she tried to think of a suitable response, Evelyn glanced up to see Alice frantically waving at her from one of the dining room’s doorways.
“If you’ll excuse me, Doctor.” She stood and hefted her tray. “Thank you for sharing your stories. I thoroughly enjoyed them. And I sincerely hope things work out with your daughter and her family.”
“God willing, it is the way we would like,” he said with a soft smile. “But I am able to sleep at night because I trust He is caring for her.”
A feeling of loneliness enveloped Evelyn as she made her way toward the kitchen to deposit her dishes. She envied the doctor’s peace of mind, especially given the uncertainty of the world at present. At one time, she’d felt confident and peaceful about her life and God’s hand in it. When had that disappeared, and would she ever find it again?
Forcing such disheartening thoughts from her mind, Evelyn went to find Alice. Her roommate paced the hallway outside the dining room with agitated steps. “Alice, what’s the matter?” Evelyn had never seen her in such a frenzy.
“I need your help, Evelyn.” Alice stopped pacing, her expression grave. “I went to find you in the surgery ward, but it was empty.”
“We just finished up. What’s wrong?”
Alice kneaded her hands together. “Sergeant Dennis and a few others were moved to the recovery ward this morning.”
Evelyn waited for her to elaborate, unsure why that fact would upset Alice. If anything, she would have thought her roommate overjoyed to have the gregarious sergeant out of her regular ward.
“Sister Marcelle came to find me,” Alice continued in a rush of words, “right after they were moved, and asked if I would move to the recovery ward and work with those learning to walk again. Just like you’ll be doing.”
“It’ll be nice to work together again,” Evelyn offered. She liked working with Alice and had missed the opportunity they had to talk when they were on the same schedule or serving in the same ward.
Alice looked near tears, though. “Yes, but guess who the sister in the recovery ward assigned me to help today?”
“Sergeant Dennis?”
Alice gave a vigorous nod.
“Why should that matter?” Alice’s strong reaction wasn’t making any sense. “You’ve never worried about handling yourself around him before. Did something happen?”
“He said something yesterday that got me thinking.” She wouldn’t meet Evelyn’s eyes as she added, “Maybe he isn’t such an oaf after all.”
Evelyn frowned. It was bad enough the sergeant had taken such an interest in Alice, but if Alice was warming up to him…Better to keep the two of them away from one another. “Would you like me to walk with him instead?”
“Yes.” Alice’s face brightened. “I think Sister Giselle was going to have you help Corporal Campbell, but you don’t mind switching, do you?”
A victorious smile lifted Evelyn’s lips. “Not at all.” Now she could keep an eye on Sergeant Dennis and continue to avoid Joel, too. It was the perfect solution.
Alice linked her arm through Evelyn’s. “Thank you. I just need a little more time before I talk to him again.”
“Be careful, Alice.”
She couldn’t help the repeated warning. Alice reminded Evelyn of herself. The way she’d been before meeting Ralph—idealistic and naïve. Though she wouldn’t trade meeting Ralph, she was beginning to wish she’d stopped and considered things more carefully during their short time together, instead of allowing her emotions to dictate her decisions.
Alice laughed, drawing Evelyn’s attention back to her. “I didn’t say I wanted to elope with the man. But I have to figure out how to have an actual conversation with him, without one or both of us getting frustrated.”
Evelyn gently squeezed Alice’s arm, wishing she could tell her more. How one conversation—with a handsome, attentive soldier—could change the course of one’s life forever.
* * *
While the recovery ward looked exactly the same as the wards upstairs, Joel had been told he would have more opportunities to go outside now that he was downstairs. If he hadn’t been placed on the opposite side of the room from where he’d been before, with Sergeant Dennis on his right instead of his left, he could easily imagine he hadn’t moved floors at all.
He set his lunch tray on the bedside table, using his good arm. It was still tricky maneuvering with his left arm in a sling, but he was managing all right. Now if he could get his leg working properly again—and have a chance to talk to Evelyn—he would feel a lot better about his time at the hospital.
As though materializing from his thoughts, Evelyn pushed a wheelchair into the recovery room. Nurse Thornton wheeled in another chair behind her. They both headed toward Joel’s corner of the room.
He tamped down his disheveled hair with his hand, his heart beating double time at the sight of Evelyn. Joel told himself it was only because he needed to talk to her and not because he’d missed seeing her. Evelyn hadn’t shown up the past two nights with the other nurses on the night shift, nor had she appeared in his ward during the day. Wherever she’d been hiding, it didn’t matter. Not when he would finally get the chance to tell her he’d changed his mind about her proposal.
“Afternoon, Sergeant,” Evelyn said, somewhat smugly. “It’s time for me to help you outside.”
Sergeant Dennis looked downright glum at her announcement—the man had clearly been hoping to go outside with N
urse Thornton. Sharp disappointment lanced through Joel as well. He peered at Evelyn as she stepped to the other side of the sergeant’s bed, trying to catch her eye, but she didn’t spare him a glance.
She’s avoiding me again.
Could he blame her, though? He hadn’t been overly tactful with some of the things he’d said the other day.
“Let me help you into the wheelchair, Corporal.” Though a petite thing, Nurse Thornton always managed to assist him without aggravating his injuries.
“Will I be walking today?” he asked once he was seated.
“Yes.” Nurse Thornton slipped his shoes onto his feet and placed his cane across his lap.
“How did it go the other day?” She stepped behind his chair, but she didn’t move.
Joel watched as Evelyn pushed Sergeant Dennis out of the ward. He needed to figure out a way for them to switch nurses. “The walk went fine.” Fine until his conversation with Evelyn.
Nurse Thornton began wheeling him across the room, but she seemed perfectly content to maintain an unhurried pace. Joel gritted his teeth with impatience. Was she purposely trying to go slow? At this rate, Evelyn would be halfway across the lawn in no time and his chance to speak with her would be lost. He didn’t know how soon he’d see her again.
Once outside, Joel blinked in the bright afternoon sunlight. The air felt muggy against his skin. The few nurses and soldiers outdoors had retreated to the shade of the trees. Several walked the perimeter of the lawn, but they appeared to be sticking to the shadows to avoid the direct heat.
Joel spied Evelyn and Sergeant Dennis off to his left. Evelyn was helping the sergeant out of his wheelchair, a walking stick in her free hand. What should he say when they came alongside them? Before he could think of something, Joel found himself being steered in the opposite direction.
“This is where I walked the other day,” he blurted out, scrambling for any excuse to change course. “I’d like to try the other side.” He twisted around to look up at Nurse Thornton. “If you don’t mind,” he added with a smile.
