charlotte tarvers is only 14 when the war breaks out, but 17 when she signs up. she's heard the stories from her parents, lovers who found each other by chance on the front lines in world war one in the country of france, now passing down the storie...
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" Sometimes you have to the accept the fact that certain things will never go back to how they used to be."
- unknown
***
Welsh was taken away by one of the Docs that was at a nearby aid station, and the two exhausted medics were led to a small mess hall where a cook was working behind the counter cooking some food. He looked up when he saw the two medics enter the mess hall, he hurried over to them.
" Have a seat, I'll get some tea, and food." he said to the two. Gene took Charlotte's shoulder and led her to sit down at a table. She slowly slid in and Gene took the seat across from her. He slowly pulled the helmet and medic satchel from his body. Charlotte sat with her arms across her chest, sniffling with a few stray tears on her cheeks. Gene leaned forward and gently pulled her helmet from her head and placed it next to her. She smiled weakly at Gene, then pulled her medic satchel over her shoulder and put it on the ground next to her feet. She wiped at her eyes, and sniffled before letting another cough rattle her throat.
" I'm sorry, Gene." she whispered. She wiped her eye again, and looked at the table.
" I'm a mess." she whispered. Gene reached forward and took her hand in his, and rubbed it gently.
" Hey, remember, cherie, you're my mess." he said with a small chuckle. She had to let out a small giggle his way. The cook arrived back with two cups of tea, and placed the steaming substances down in front of the two of them.
" Thank you." Gene said.
" Thanks." Charlotte whispered, bringing the small cup of liquid to her lips and letting it run down her parched throat. The tears almost snaked their way out again, at the warmth she finally felt inside. She glanced at her watch, it was sometime past 0200 in the morning, but everything suddenly sounded quiet and with a gentle atmosphere. Charlotte glanced at Gene. He was staring at the tea in front of him swirl in circles, but he looked warm, content and happy for once in the time they'd been out here and Charlotte couldn't feel anything but happy that the man was finally warm and happy after so long on the cold. Gene looked at up at her.
" You never really finished your story that other night with Spina." He said softly. She looked at him slightly confused.
" About why they picked you for a combat medic." He said sipping his own tea. Charlotte smiled gently towards Gene who looked genuinely interested in whatever she had to say.
" And I'm guessing you want to hear the entire story now?" She asked softly. Gene smiled.
" Did you think war was going to be like this?" He asked her.
" No." She whispered shaking her head. " I mean sure, we'd lose some guys, but after losing one others, that I never would've guessed, and now they're gone, just is sad." Gene knew she was thinking about Skinny and having to drive him to the aid station and leave him for God-knows how long. He knew she missed him... a lot. Sometimes throughout the day, he'd see her staring aimlessly where Perconte and Skinny's old foxhole was, and kinda just stare and then continue walking, or she'd actually go and sit by the edge and 'sort' through her medic satchel as she sat there. At first, he really thought that it was just because it was a close friend, but he was such a big brother figure to her, that him not here, was messing with her mind a bit.
