In Love and War
by Natalie Brock
~ About This Story ~
War is hell. That’s a given. But for the women who served on an American military base in Devon, England during World War II, it was a different kind of hell. Kay, Sally, Mary, Maggie, and Cathy -- each of them joined the cause for entirely different reasons, but none of them had any idea what lay in store.
In Love and War is an unforgettable tale that explores the loves and losses of the women assigned to the base. As the story unfolds, you will witness their evolution and the profound effect of experiences they never expected to have -- experiences that will change each of them forever. It’s a story that will stay with readers long after the last page is read.
In Love and War
by Natalie Brock
Copyright 2013 by Natalie Brock
All Rights Reserved
Thank you for purchasing this eBook. This eBook is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons or places real or fictional, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Kindly respect the author’s hard work and do not share, reproduce, copy or distribute it any way, except to recommend it to others. Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.
Dedications
With love and gratitude to my husband, friends and family, and especially to my online community of friends and faithful readers who have encouraged my writing with their kind words, continued interest, and voracious appetite for reading my stories.
Table of Contents
Characters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Characters
Medical Personnel
David Mason - Chief surgeon, 30 years old
Sally (Sal) Bradley - Head nurse, 25 years old
Kay Nolan - Doctor, 26 years old
Mary Clayton - Nurse, 18 years old
Ned Jansen - Ambulance driver, 21 years old
Military Personnel
Louis Richards - Sergeant, base administrator, 28 years old
Willie Wilson - Company clerk, 21 years old
Joe Douglas - Private, first class, 22 years old
Michael Zacharius - Private, first class, 22 years old
Norma Walker - WAC, 24 years old
Bill Morton - Colonel, 42 years old
Edward Welles - Royal British Air Force Group Captain, 27 years old
Thomas Hudson - Royal British Air Force Group Captain, 28 years old
Commissary Staff
Doris Carson - Cook, 23 years old
Maggie (Margaret) Simpson - Server, 38 years old
Cathy Lang - Server, 21 years old
Millie Connors - Cook, 22 years old
Susan Stevens - Cook/Officers Club bartender, 21 years old
Ray Henderson - Chief cook, 27 years old
Non-Military
Alexander Fielding - English gentry, 30 years old
James - Alexander’s butler, 50 years old
Chapter 1
~March 1944, Devonshire County, England~
She checked her hair in the mirror of her compact, deciding the updo made her look older. Good. That was her goal. One swipe of Max Factor Berry Red applied to her lips should add a few more years and complement her strawberry blonde hair. But when the jeep hit a bump in the road, the tube of lipstick she was holding made a diagonal smudge down the side of her chin. At the same time, the sway of the jeep caused her to lean just a little too hard against the woman sitting next to her as the sardine-packed vehicle rocked from side to side.
“Sorry,” Mary said.
“That’s alright,” the other woman replied.
Mary looked at the woman she was sitting next to. An extremely pretty blond with a fair complexion, five, maybe ten years older than Mary. Mary was keenly attuned to ages lately, probably because she needed to pass for 21 when she was really only 18.
Mary didn’t even realize she was staring at the older woman until the woman offered her a handkerchief. “Oh, no thank you,” Mary said.
“I think you should take it. You have lipstick all over your chin.”
Mary pursed her lips together and took the handkerchief. She moistened it with her tongue and tugged hard against her skin.
“Gone?” Mary asked.
“Almost. Here, let me.” The woman took the handkerchief back and targeted the errant swath of color. “There. That’s better.”
“Thanks. Um, I ruined your handkerchief,” Mary said apologetically.
“Why don’t you keep it.”
“Thanks,” Mary said.
“My name is Kay Nolan. What’s yours?”
“Um, Mary. Mary Clayton. Are you a nurse?”
“Actually, I’m a doctor,” Kay explained.
“Really? I didn’t know there were women doctors.”
“I was the only female in my graduating class. Are you a nurse?”
“Yes!” Mary answered just a little too fast, but she was thrilled that Kay even asked her that. In reality, she wasn’t quite a nurse, only because she didn’t complete the coursework yet. She took a first aid class in high school and some Red Cross training before she signed on to be an Army nurse. The Army didn’t even question her credentials when they accepted her application. She guessed her fabrications were believable enough.
“There’s a serious shortage of nurses in the Army. They’re going to be very happy to have you,” Kay said.
&nbs
p; “Oh I hope so.”
“Trust me, they will. You nervous?”
“Nervous? Me? Psshh. Not a bit.”
“Well, I am.” Kay admitted.
“Really? Why?”
“I’ve never been outside of Sacramento before.”
“Where’s Sacramento?”
“Spring Valley.”
“Where’s that?”
Mary laughed. “Kentucky.”
“I’m not even sure where Kentucky is located, except that it’s really far from here,” Kay said.
“That’s okay with me. I’m really excited to be away from home.” The more space Mary put between herself and Spring Valley, the better. Between an abusive father and the reputation she got for being “easy,” she was beyond ready to make a fresh start. If she never saw her hometown again, it would be too soon. No more rolls in the hay with boys she hardly knew. The only reputation she wanted now was to be respected as a knowledgeable and caring nurse. So she turned her focus to the here and now and felt excited just to be talking to a friendly person after the long, lonely trip from Kentucky to England, by bus, then train, by ocean liner, then railway, and now the last leg, by jeep. “I’ve read so much about England.”
Kay nodded. “Most of what I’ve read about England has been in Jane Austen novels. She made me want to see the English countryside. ... Oh, looks like we’re here,” Kay noted as the jeep made its final turn into the military encampment.
The base was about 20 miles inland from the coast -- the coastline of the English Channel -- and a boat ride from strategic sites along France’s coastline. As soon as they pulled into camp, Mary’s stomach fluttered with excitement. There was so much activity going on. Men and women in uniform rushing from building to building. Older men barking orders, younger men doing calisthenics in the courtyard, Privates saluting the officers. Her senses were assaulted by a loudspeaker blaring muffled announcements and war songs, and the smell of grass mingling with English mist, dirt and sweat.
The women were ushered out of the Red Cross jeep and a uniformed woman with platinum blond hair greeted them brusquely and motioned for them to follow her.
The group of about 12 women stopped outside a building marked with a red hospital cross. The uniformed woman turned around and addressed the group.
“Welcome to Devonshire, England, and the 1044th Division base of operations. My name is Major Sally Bradley. I’m the head nurse and you’ll all be reporting to me.” Sal took a deep breath before continuing. “The 1044th is comprised of 400 men and women representing all branches of the service handling various operations in conjunction with the war effort. This is a restricted zone, ladies, meaning you may not leave base for any reason. Is that clear? ... I didn’t hear you.”
Mary and the other women murmured “yes” and nodded weakly.
“The correct response is ‘yes sir, yes ma’am, or yes Major.’ Now, I’m going to give you a quick introduction to camp, so listen good because I’m only going to say this once.” Sal looked at the group and made sure she had everyone’s attention before launching into the orientation speech she’d given many times before.
“This base is built on the campus of Devon University, which was abandoned when it lost funding during the Great Depression. The common area, which we call the Quadrangle or Quad, is surrounded by eleven buildings, including an administrative office, conference facilities, classroom training facilities, dormitories, weapons and munitions, a garage for storing and maintaining our military vehicles, a Commissary, an officer’s club, a PX or base store, a chapel, and of course, a hospital. We have indoor plumbing, as well as outdoor showers for soldiers and guests who have a short layover. The woods that surround the campus serve as a natural fence for the base. And the clearing to the north of campus is used as an airfield by the American Air Force and the allied British Royal Air Force.” Sal pointed upward to her left. "See that? That’s the old bell tower, minus the bell. It’s used as the air tower and lookout post. Spotters are stationed there 24 hours a day to help guide our airmen back to base and keep unwanted visitors out.”
Without turning around, Sal pointed at the hospital. “Now, behind me is our medical center. We have an operating room, hospital ward, triage unit, and infirmary where we treat as many as 200 soldiers a day, with a staff of only 12 doctors, 25 nurses, and 10 medical assistants. At present, we have 45 patients in residence. Let’s go inside. Follow me.”
As the women filed into the hospital, a tall, dark, and handsome, wavy-haired doctor walked by and planted a kiss on Major Bradley’s cheek.
“How’s it shaking, sweet cheeks?”
Major Bradley stiffened. “Dr. Mason. I told you not to call me that in front of the nurses.”
Dr. Mason eyed the women. “Are these the new blood?”
“These are the new medical personnel. Ladies, this is Dr. Mason, the chief of surgery here.”
David Mason smiled seductively. “Ladies, I’m looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you -- in the biblical sense.”
Giggles and gasps escaped the lips of the women as Dr. Mason departed. But before he did, he gave the Major’s behind a little smack.
“Don’t mind him,” Sal said, even though she was highly annoyed at the doctor for undermining her credibility in front of the new staff. “His bark is bigger than his bite.”
Sal led the women further into the hospital. She stopped at the vestibule outside the operating room. “I want everyone to grab some scrubs. We’re going into the O.R.”
The women donned surgical caps, gloves, gowns, and face masks before entering the operating theater. There were 10 operating stations, and four were in use. Mary was awestruck by all the modern-day equipment. She had been to doctors’ offices back home, but they were nowhere near as sophisticated as this.
Mary’s eyes fell upon a surgery in progress. A man’s leg had just been amputated and blood was squirting out. The surgical team was frantically trying to stop the bleeding and stabilize the soldier’s blood pressure.
The sight of blood, the lack of food and sleep, and the smell of ether hit Mary like a ton of bricks. Her eyes rolled up behind her lids and all she saw was whiteness, followed by blackness.
Chapter 2
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” -- Harry Truman
Kay stood with her arms crossed, tapping her foot as she watched Dr. Mason wave a pen light back and forth in front of Mary’s eyes while holding each eyelid open, one at a time. The longer she watched, the more annoyed she got.
“I told you I could have done that.”
“You’re just a nurse. A hot nurse, but a nurse nonetheless,” David said, matter-of-factly.
“I’m a doctor, not a nurse,” Kay fumed.
“He’s just being a jerk, Dr. Nolan,” Sal said, playing peacemaker. “Don’t worry about him.”
“Don’t worry? He’s the head of surgery,” Kay pointed out. “If he’s like this, I can only imagine what the other doctors are like.”
David glanced at Kay before turning his attention back to the patient on the examining table. “Look nurse ... doctor ... lady, if you can’t take the heat, get out of the profession.”
The color rose in Kay’s cheeks. She bit her tongue and addressed Sal. “It looks like you’ve got this under control, Major Bradley. I’m going to check on some other patients.” And with that, Kay left the examining cubicle.
Sal sighed heavily. “I do believe you just broke your own record, Dr. Mason. You alienated a new medical professional in no time flat.”
David grunted. “Ask me if I care.”
“That’s a given. ... So what’s wrong with her? Why did she pass out?”
David put his hands on Mary’s throat to check her thyroid. Mary stirred, opened her eyes, and pushed David hard. “Get away from me. What are you doing?”
“Welcome
back, cutie,” David smiled.
“It’s alright, Nurse,” Sal said. “He’s just examining you.”
Mary was vaguely disoriented. “Why?”
“You fainted,” Sal explained.
“I did? I don’t remember.”
Tired of the small talk, David gave his official diagnosis. “Looks like she’s suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. She’ll be fine. Now get her out of here. We need this examining room for real patients.”
David hurried off as Sal shook her head. “Asshole,” Sal muttered in David’s direction before turning back to Mary. Mary started lifting herself off the examining table. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“The doctor said I’m fine,” Mary replied. “I want to take a shower. Um, where is it?”
“The showers?” Sal looked at her wrist watch. “Look, I have an appointment. I’m supposed to play tour guide for a couple of British officers who are visiting the base and, thanks to you, I’m late.” Sal turned to leave.