Chapter 41
Beth stirred, her body still languid. She burrowed her head deeper into the pillow, avoiding the sunlight streaming in.
It had been a long time since she had slept so deeply.
‘Because of you, I couldn’t sleep.’
Her toes, embarrassed by the thought, hid under the blanket. The feel of her tousled hair brushing against the sheets was oddly comforting.
Last night, Debert had simply looked at Beth in silence. She had met his gaze just as quietly. By the time the cold breeze crept in, he finally spoke.
‘Shame. My shoulder isn’t fully healed yet.’
It didn’t take long for her to understand what he meant.
Watching her surely flushed face, he had chuckled briefly, offered a final ‘Sleep well,’ and then returned to his quarters.
Beth had listened intently until the sound of his footsteps faded into the distance.
She wondered how he spent the night.
Did he sleep well?
Had he taken his medicine?
The one she gave him was probably running out by now. Did he have enough?
These clumsy, hurried thoughts jumbled together in her mind.
“Beth! Get up!”
Dixie’s voice rang out from downstairs, followed by the faint sound of someone scolding her for being too loud.
In response, Beth banged her hand against the wooden frame that jutted out from the wall, signalling she was awake. The noise downstairs quieted briefly, only to resume as everyone went back to their tasks.
It was a morning like any other.
As usual, she donned her cleanly pressed nurse’s uniform, tied her hair back neatly, and prepared herself for another day of routine work.
The only difference was that Ines’s morning preparations seemed to take a little longer than usual.
“I woke up way too early!”
Ines walked into the room, her face aglow. The youthful excitement of a recently engaged girl was clear on her fresh, bright face.
“The people downstairs just couldn’t stop talking. I’d need more than one face to take it all in.”
She held a mirror and some makeup in her hands.
Sensing Beth’s gaze, Ines squeezed her eyes shut and spoke with embarrassment.
“I know, Beth. I’m a bit too excited right now. But.”
She couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. Her cheeks blushed a rosy pink.
“It’s an engagement! A once-in-a-lifetime event! I don’t even recognise myself right now.”
Her light, clear laughter filled the room.
Ines’s expression suddenly turned serious as she took Beth’s hand.
“What I said yesterday wasn’t just words. I don’t know what your situation is, but if you find it difficult to go home, come to mine. The hospital in Wayne has accommodation, doesn’t it?”
“No! I’ll find you a house!”
Dixie burst into the room, cutting off Ines.
“Who doesn’t know my family’s rich? My father’s obsessed with buying up houses right now.”
Dixie skillfully dodged Ines’s reprimanding hands and took a seat beside Beth.
“I’ll start a business in Wayne, and you can work at the hospital. How about that? We’ll invite Ines over every night. Sounds great, doesn’t it?”
“And date the Duke too,” she added in a whisper, loud enough for only Beth to hear. “What’s that about?” Ines asked, but Dixie pretended not to hear.
“Oh, it’ll be so much fun. I can’t wait to get back to Wayne!”
Dixie stomped her feet excitedly.
* * *
“So, Miss Coleman, you’ll inform the soldiers about the eve-of-battle festivities.”
As she closed the file, Molly signaled the end of the meeting.
“The word has already spread far and wide. Hehe.”
“Just to be clear, the festivities start in the evening. You all still need to do your part today. Even though the war is over, the wounds haven’t healed. Please keep that in mind.”
A faint smile passed over Molly’s usually stern face.
“Let’s look forward to the festivities and disperse.”
Everyone who emerged from the director’s office had an unusual sense of excitement.
“Once your shifts are over, please help decorate the lobby and the first floor for the banquet.”
Dixie was the first to rush down the stairs, calling out orders as she went. She even managed to enlist a few passing soldiers, guiding them to the now-familiar storeroom.
As she shook out the red velvet fabric meant for decorating the ceiling, a cloud of dust rose into the air.
“Cough, cough. This is useless.”
One of the soldiers grumbled, and Dixie’s face became as stern as the general’s.
(T/L: If I am not wrong Ms. Molly is the general of the hospital right. Readers do tell me if I am wrong TT)
“There’s no such thing as impossible. A man who’s survived battle gives up over a bit of dust?”
Her words, ambiguous as to whether they were praise or scolding, made the soldier blush as he redoubled his efforts to shake off the dust. Dixie’s knack for managing people was evident.
Meanwhile, supply trucks arrived continuously, just in time. They carried everything from supplies delayed by bombed roads to gifts from the Emperor celebrating the victory. The once quiet hospital bustled with life.
For the first time, the hospital, which had been filled with either eerie silence or bloodcurdling screams, was alive with laughter. The guilt-free joy was as light as a feather.
Those with severe injuries, unable to move, passed the time watching their comrades awkwardly chase chickens and ducks around the yard.
The phonograph, though it occasionally made a scratching noise, performed its duty admirably, and the polished champagne glasses were neatly arranged on lace-covered side tables.
(T/L: This is phonograph)
“Oh, this is too high.”
Standing precariously on a chair, Dixie reached up, but the chandelier in her hands was far from touching the ceiling.
“Doctor Barden is out on a house call.”
Sophia muttered, looking disheartened.
“I’d love to help, but my leg’s in this state.”
Gale, leaning on his crutches, chimed in awkwardly.
Looking around, there wasn’t anyone who could help with this task. The soldiers who had been assisting had long since run off at their superior’s call.
Dixie pouted, her lips jutting out in frustration. There was no one to help her perfect the pre-battle party.
Dixie walked into the yard, hands resting on her hips. Amidst the crowd of livestock, vehicles, and people, she spotted two individuals perfect for the task at hand.
Tall, strong, and not likely to refuse.
“Over there! Duke Debert and Prince Arthur! Come and join us for a good cause!”
Debert, who had been inspecting a supply vehicle, and Arthur both turned their eyes towards her. There stood Dixie Coleman, summoning them with the authority of a general.
“Don’t you think we’ve been caught in something?” Arthur murmured without moving his broadly grinning lips.
“Hurry up and come over!”
Despite their hesitation, the footsteps of the Nexus Army Commander and the Imperial Army Commander were reluctantly slow.
As soon as they entered, Debert’s eyes were drawn to Beth, who was awkwardly holding a chandelier. At least, that was all Debert seemed to notice.
“Could you hang this chandelier, please?”
Arthur stepped forward at Dixie’s request.
As Arthur climbed onto the chair, Beth, now with nothing to do, fidgeted with her empty hands. Debert was right in front of her, but somehow, today, even making eye contact felt embarrassing.
“About last night—”
“Beth!”
Just as Debert began to speak, his words were cut off by a voice so loud it sounded like someone had swallowed a megaphone. At this point, Debert didn’t even feel anger anymore. He merely gave Beth, who was staring wide-eyed, a dismissive nod.
“Hurry up!”
The impatient Dixie grabbed Beth’s hand and pulled her along.
Dixie hurried outside, and from the back of the newly arrived supply truck, she dragged out a large parcel. She barely managed to load the heavy parcel onto a cart and then pushed it towards the back entrance.
“Ugh, why is this so heavy?”
She straightened up and groaned as they reached the front of the dormitory. But her face was full of undisguised satisfaction.
“Do you know what this is?”
Beth thought for a moment before raising her hand to mimic eating.
“Food? Ha, no. This is…”
Dixie whispered conspiratorially.
“The dresses and shoes we’ll wear to tonight’s party.”
Dixie hurried off to the hospital, her excitement barely contained.
“You can look forward to it! Now, let’s get back to work!”
By the time the sun began to set, the hospital had taken on the atmosphere of a proper banquet hall.
Oil lamps hung by the windows in the corridor where there were no light bulbs, resembling a miniature version of Wayne’s famous light festival, and warming the hearts of those who saw them. Even the worn floors and peeling walls took on a quaint charm in the dim glow.
Broken windows were boarded up, and a few skilled with needlework had turned torn shawls into makeshift curtains.
The chandelier, which Dixie had painstakingly hung, glimmered intermittently to the rhythm of the music, and a few early-arriving soldiers sipped champagne, trying to contain their excitement.
Meanwhile, the nurses gathered in the dormitory were in an uproar, busy unpacking Dixie’s parcel.
For those who had followed the warfront out of sheer necessity, a dress was a rare luxury. Except for Ines and Dixie, the women hadn’t even dared to dream of such fine clothing. Knowing this, Dixie had asked her father to ensure everyone had something special to wear.
Exclamations of delight erupted all around.
“Oh, these are for Beth and Ines.”
Dixie quickly retrieved two dresses from the pile. The soft, sky-blue and blush pink dresses were neither too extravagant nor too plain—just enough to lift spirits without being over the top.
“Did you see the face of the man who asked Sophia to be his partner? He looked like a tomato.”
“Do you remember the man who came in last time with a wounded arm? The one with the scar on his forehead? He said he’d come to pick me up.”
“No one’s asked me. Oh well, I’ll drink until I’m tipsy and dance alone.”
The constant chatter filled the dormitory like a lively radio. Those who were ready began to head to the hospital one by one.
Dixie, who seemed to have a natural flair for these things, quickly finished her own preparations and called for Beth.
“You wore your hair down on your first date, so this time, we’ll braid it.”
She murmured the plan to herself as she went about the final touches.
“Dixie, Beth. Let’s go.”
Ines, the last one left, urged the two to hurry.
After a brief hesitation, Beth picked up a pen.
[Go ahead. I’ll come in a bit.]
“Then come quickly.”
Only after hearing the door close did Beth approach the mirror.
Her hair, braided to one side, gently brushed her collarbone. On the opposite side, she had pinned a small hair ornament shaped like a delicate branch, which shimmered subtly.
It was a far cry from her usual appearance, almost as if she were dressing up for a market day.
As she took a deep breath, her chest, wrapped in a blue bodice that was cut just low enough to be modest, rose and fell.
With each step she took down the stairs, her heart pounded in her chest. She hadn’t made any specific plans with Debert. Yet somehow, she felt he would be there.
He had always shown up when she waited.
Finally, after nervously biting her lip, Beth cautiously pushed open the faulty door.
Outside, snow was softly falling. It was the first snow she had seen at the outpost.
And there he was.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
The man she had hoped to see was standing there, waiting.
(T/L: The dynamic…TT)
