The K-Rations

She was Chosen...

         She was chosen.

         It was an order directly from General Douglas MacArthur, said Head Nurse Merrill. She and forty-four others would be shipped to the Bataan Peninsula to set up two hospitals for the fighting taking place there. They would be even closer to the battle front, ready to take on the wounded as fast as they could come in. It was MacArthur's plan to take hold of that area and their services were needed immediately.

         She told herself she was ready and prepared for this. Working in Corregidor and coming face-to-face with death so many times had conditioned her for whatever lay ahead. Throughout the journey, she read her pocket book of the New Testament, marveling at God's words and His ability to keep her safe from any major dangers so far.

         Back home, her long black hair and matching eyes had garnered the nickname of 'Black Bella'. At twenty-five, she was the oldest of five children, following in her mother's footsteps as a nurse in the Brooklyn area. She considered herself a tough gal - able to stay toe-to-toe with the boys, especially since she dealt with her delinquent younger brothers on a daily basis. Her father had passed away when she was ten due to a severe case of tuberculosis. It was a turning point in her young life; having to watch the once strapping man slowly wither away before her eyes. Mother had been powerless to stop the deadly disease, and had retreated into the shadows, quitting her job at the hospital to stay home for her children. Bella had refused to give up, and took to attending the classes given to young women who were interested in helping the sick and the elderly. If Mother approved of her decision, she never mentioned it, which was fine with Bella. As long as she kept sending home a part of her paycheck each week, it was bound to work its magic on the growing rift between mother and daughter.

         Signing up for the war effort had been a totally different matter all together. She had done it for purely selfish reasons. The man she loved had joined the war, training to become a bomber pilot with promises of returning to marry her when it was all over. Days and nights rolled into one, endless hours spent wondering and praying for his safety. Finally unable to deal with the silence of not knowing, she had jumped at the opportunity to sign up as part of the first contingent sent to Europe. She knew her man would be there and looked forward to searching for him and perhaps surprising him with her presence. Besides, it would also be a wonderful chance for her to see what Italy was like. She had heard it was quite romantic.

         However, all romantic notions were thrown to the wayside once they landed. From small time hospitals and dealing with sick children or old men and women, absolutely nothing could have prepared her for the sight of young men dragged into makeshift hospitals with limbs torn off or entrails hanging off the side of their stretchers. She had fought the urge to scream in horror, gathering herself quickly as the head nurse forced the women to stop gawking and get to work. For hours, she was on her feet, moving from one stretcher or cot to the other, bandaging, cleaning, injecting, and praying. There were more nurses than there were doctors and crash courses to soldiers became the norm. Sometimes they'd have to improvise when supplies ran out, using anything from ugly green tarp, to taking chances and relying on local herbs to form some sort of healing paste. Time had no meaning, as days and nights bled into one. All that mattered were the men who clung to her for dear life, who came screaming in terror, longing for either a chance to survive or for their suffering to end quickly. The stench of blood, human waste and death filled her nostrils, and stuck to her like a second skin. She had long given up knowing what 'real' fresh air was like. There seemed to be no end in sight to the wounded soldiers she met everyday. Their faces eventually became a blur and she was almost grateful for it.

         And then came the news of an air raid gone awry in the skies. She had yet to hear from the man she loved, even though she had requested information about him from his superiors, and had been overseas for almost a year. She held her breath and watched the bodies come in; dark eyes filled with fear and yet hope that she would not have to see him amongst the dying.

         She was lucky in that regard, for she learned he had died instantly. The German plane had nosedived into his, a split second before he could make his escape. There would be no body to recover.

         She had no time to mourn. She felt she could not mourn. She wasn't even sure she cried when Nurse Duckett pulled her aside to tell her the news. Like an automaton, she had gone back to work, smiling at the men who welcomed her with open arms as she sought to rescue them as best she could. The tears would come a week later, while doing her rounds and standing before the bed of a young man who didn't look any older than twenty. She could not remember his name. Nurses were not required to look at dog tags as each soldier would become more 'personalized.'

         "Say, Nurse Bella," he gasped with a weak smile. One of his eyes was heavily bandaged, and the blue of the good one was startling against his pale countenance. He looked frail within the narrow cot, his breathing shallow before a fit of gut-wrenching coughs over took him. He bled from his mouth and she wiped it away, almost absently but in a gentle manner.

         "Don't try to talk," she said with a warm enough smile. "I'll just give you your shots and you'll be all better, hmm? Some rest is what you need."

         He shook his head and tugged at her sleeve gently. "Just...you know that song? 'Don't Fence Me In?' huh? You know it?"

         Her smile became more genuine. Of course she knew the song. It was one that was played on the radio a lot back home. She had a thing for Bing Crosby. "Yeah, I know it."

         The soldier grinned, revealing a crooked set of teeth. "Could you...maybe sing it for me? I haven't heard it in a while...my dad loves to play it. Please? Just one time?"

         She blushed and looked around the crowded tent. A few of the soldiers were listening in with attentiveness, while others moaned in pain or slept away the horrors of the war around them.

         "Well...only a little," she finally gave in and cleared her throat. Her voice was low and rich, growing in momentum as she reached the chorus and a few soldiers, who knew the lyrics, joined in.

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.

         She was unaware of the tears that coursed down her cheeks, that she had stopped and the men were now singing in her place, or that the young soldier before her had taken his final breath with a smile of gratitude on his lips. She thought of her man's smiling face, of how big and strong and brave he had looked as he walked away in his brand new uniform. She thought of his kisses and his touch, of the stolen nights of passion and promise of a future together. She thought of the fear he must have experienced in his final moments, of his bravery in making sure his crew had escaped before he did. Had he thought of her one time during the flight? She would like to think that. She really would.

         Inwardly, she cursed the war and the havoc it caused. She looked at the men that surrounded her, noticing them watching her in silence and understanding within their battle-weary features.

         "We love you, Nurse Bella!" one of them cried out and it elicited laughter and a few cheers.

         She couldn't help giggling through her tears. They were all special in their own ways. With a deep breath, she tried to pull herself together, knowing now that she was their only ray of light in a world so bleak and dark. She would love them all in place of their mothers, wives, and daughters. She would be as strong for them as they were trying to be for their country, and if she could end up saving one more life at the end of the day, that would be the greatest reward.