Nightmares fill thy mind - Open -

[Stephen Colly]

Location:Royal London Hospital, London, England
Time: 8am
Weather Conditions:Sunny, Spring day.

Stephen walked up and down the ward, his feet becoming cold on the slabs of the floor as he walked up…and back down it.

”Stephen dear, come on, back to bed.” a nurse came towards him, a candle in her hand as it was dark outside, ”You don’t want to wake the other patients…” she was cut off from the glare that she got in return for that kind advice.

”Can’t sleep.” Stephen said reluctantly as he was pushed gently back to the bed, he crawled into the bed and covered his now ice cold feet with the cover that was warm and warmed them up slowly. He lay his head back on to his pillow, staring up at the ceiling, he smiled as he heard the nurse walk off again down the corridor back to the room at the far end. A few of the other patients had stirred but none had opened their eyes.

Stephen glanced around the room, shifting onto his side and staring at the floor, closing his eyes slowly and soon enough he was off to sleep.

******

The reason he was here was simple, he had been found, cold, tired and covered in mud near to the British front lines by a sniper team who had thought he was a dead German spy and had gone over to find not a German spy but a British private.

He had been taken back to the front lines and off to the field hospital, he had insisted to go back to England, he had important information that needed to be told to Liam Brentwood, he had been allowed back to England and was now lying in the bed, he didn’t have any wounds on him but the doctors wanted to make sure he was alright and healthy before they allowed him out.

He needed to talk to Brentwood, he needed to tell him what he had seen out in France…Edward McMillan was alive and that was all that mattered…but Edward could have also been a murderer and Stephen could still feel the blood on his hands from the body of the child he had picked up to bury and then had decided against it…his mind was full of the images of the twisted body of the girl, the man dying in his arms, the woman lying with a cut throat and the pained look on the dead older boy as he had slowly bled to death…also the body of the little boy…he had had nightmares of those images, mixed in with the talk he had had with Edward.

***

Morning dawned bright and early; Stephen hadn’t slept much at all and was well awake before the sun had risen. The ward was busy with patients and of visitors who had arrived early to see their loved ones before work. Stephen didn’t see any point in him filling up a bed. He would be out in a few days or so…

[Jason McCarthy]

Jason had been up early that morning due to so many guests and visitors coming. Since he had done most of the on-the-spot surgeries to save what he could of the men he had very many people thank him in their own ways. He hadn't had much to eat or sleep in the last few days. The reason for this is every time he looked at food it reminded him of some type of gore that he had seen in the last few weeks and everytime he tried to sleep he'd think of that one man he couldn't save or that one person he couldn't help. He tried to block these things out, but it wasn't working. He still tried to have a happy attitude in all of this.

Jason walked past a room which he looked into out of curiousity. He stopped in his tracks and backed up. There he saw a very young man lying in a bed. Jason went in and picked up the clipboard at the bottom of his bed and read it. Stephen Colly. He read to himself. There's nothing wrong with him. He knew that every person in this hospital had a reason to be there. Whether it be rehabilitation, post-battle distress, or just a battle wound. Jason saw none of these problems with the young man. As far as he could tell anyways. Many of the men in this hospital were either crazy or near insane, so he would never just assume he was ok. Jason had to talk to many grown men, even older than he was, like small children even. It saddened him very much to see such brave men having to spend the rest of their lives not understanding how the world has gone on with their sacrafices.

"Good morning,lad. How are ye today? Is thar anythin' I can get ye? Jason asked in his kind, Irish accent.

[Stephen Colly]

The morning had been slow. Stephen had just sat and watched the people come and go, not recognising a single face in the small crowd that had been in that morning. His head began to ache and he stretched a hand out to grab the glass of cool water that was on the bed side table.

He took a sip from the water, feeling it run down his throat…it felt wonderful…refreshing. He set the glass back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. It wasn’t a very exciting ceiling…just plain white…how dull.

The boy heard footsteps and a medic approached the end of his bed, taking the clip board and reading the name that was scribbled upon it. Stephen watched the man as he spoke…Irish…Daniel Brennan was Irish, or Stephen thought so….or was he Welsh? No…Irish. The medic had a kind voice.

”Alright.” Stephen shrugged and shuffled up onto the pillow more, crossing his arms over his stomach. ”No, I’m alright thank you.” he smiled softly, ”Didn’t sleep to well last night.” he said truthfully to the medic. He didn’t like admitting that he hadn’t been too well…ah well.

[Jason McCarthy]

Is there a reason why ye haven't been sleepin' very well?" Jason asked. The young man looked very anxious and almost bored. He knew more than anyone how boring the Medical Wards could be,but right when you almost die of boredom there something big happens. As did just now.

Before Jason could engage in more of a conversation a nurse rushed into the room. Doctor we need you. There's a wounded man out front." she sounded very frantic.

Sorry I couldn't talk more with ye,lad. But duty calls." Jason got up and started jogging towards the front.

He saw two men carrying one with his leg completely obliterated from the knee down. Jason ordered them men to put him down on the nearest bed.

"I'll need scissors,alcohol,and some wraps if'n ye have 'em.

"We don't have any alcohol,sir." The nurse replied.

What kinda' hospit'l be this then. Nevermind it. Get me some whiskey or somethin' of tha sort." Jason replied.

He took the scissors and cut the pant leg off up at the thigh area and began pulling out some shrapnel with the tweezers he had.

"Where's me alcohol,lass?"

Here,sir. She said as she handed him some of the native whiskey.

Jason took the bottle and gave the man a little bit to drink then he poured it directly over his leg. This made the man yell.

Sorry,lad. It has to be done,though."

Jason was in there about forty-five minutes before he was able to wrap the wound up knowing it would be free of infection or any other problems. After he was done he went over to a chair and collapsed in it. He was exhausted.

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen shrugged; he couldn’t say anything else because the man had just rushed off to a man who had just come in. Stephen propped himself up on his pillows and looked across at the man. The lower part of one leg was missing.

Stephen winced at the thought of how much pain that man must be in right now. Stephen shuddered and turned away from the noise as the man yelled in agony. He didn’t like seeing men in pain…his thoughts then turned to that family he had come across in the house after meeting Edward…but that family could have turned him over to the Nazis…so…but still, the children hadn’t needed to die…

Forty-Five minutes later, Stephen glanced over at Jason, the medic. He had gone to slump in a chair. He looked worn out already.

Stephen decided that he might as well make some sort of conversation to the man so called over. ”You now look tired yourself…” maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say but ah well, he was talking to the man that surely couldn’t be a bad thing could it?

[Jason McCarthy]

Jason was slouched in a chair with his head resting on his hand. He felt like he was about to fall asleep when he heard a voice. It sounded very far away until the last few words when they sounded like they were booming over a loud speaker which made Jason jump a little.

"Aye, and it only be..." He looked at his watch. "Ten-thirty." Looking at his watch made him feel even more tired.

"I could use some coffee,lad. How's about you?"

Jason knew a cup of coffee would do him good. It would also take his mind off of anything that would make him sad in any way. He,like many other people, didn't enjoy being sad. Since the war started all he knew was sadness. All he ever saw was sadness and death. He was a medic what would you expect? Though he had very many reasons to always be like was just explained he tried to keep positive by spending his time with his patients or writing letters back to his home.

"I never did introduce meself,lad. The names Jason McCarthy 'tis."

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Moderation Post:

The following CP has been issued:

Colly - 3CP, had a short one

McCarthy - 4CP

-JT