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"I was thinking last night," Mira carelessly tossed the remaining bandages into a wooden crate.
The bottles of iodine clinked as Cate set their box by the window. The berry red glasses caught the watery morning light. The color sparked a memory of Ted's hair as it had fallen in tufts from her fingers. Gritting her teeth, she peeked over her shoulder at Mira.
"What were you thinking?" Cate brushed her hands on her apron and joined her friend in organizing the supplies.
"Why all these guys are hornier now than in peacetime."
One of their fellow nurses, a replacement named Alice from Chicago, snorted as she picked up the iodine to bring it out to the waiting truck.
"That seems to be the only thing on your mind, Miriam Bradley," Alice chided, nudging her as she passed.
Mira smirked without protesting the statement, "Anyway, I have a theory."
Cate nodded mutely, rolling a thin layer of gauze.
"Well? Don't you want to hear it?"
Setting the roll into the box with a sigh, Cate arched her eyebrows expectantly, "I suppose I could use a laugh this morning."
"It's a primeval instinct, caveman stuff, you know?" Mira's dark eyes widened conspiratorially, "They are driven by a biological need that is amplified due to their circumstances."
"You know, Mira, if someone didn't actually know you, they would probably think you were smart."
"Seriously, listen," Mira leaned forward onto the table, "They know their chances of dying are high so the chemicals in their brain kick in and tell them they need to procreate now. It might be their last chance. And here we are! Their waiting vessels for reproduction to keep the family name alive in case daddy gets it."
The way she talked about the gruesome truth of their situation made Cate nearly feel normal. Mira reflected on their reality like it was a movie, distancing herself enough to maintain her emotional sanity. The closest she had come to shattering, like some of the girls in their Corp had, was when Joan had been killed. Mira never spoke of it. Cate wondered if she ever would.
"Well, Doctor Freud, be sure to tell me what the board thinks of your dissertation when you have presented it. I will be first to special order the published copy," Cate replied, shaking her head wearily.
"Ah, don't count on it. I'm planning on sending it into a small academic journal instead, saves time and money," Mira winked at her, "By the way, thank you for returning the shaving kit. How did it go with your mysterious gentleman caller anyway?"
"Fine."
"Just fine?"
"Yes, just fine." Cate pursed her lips and shoved the crate towards her, "It's full. You should bring it out to the truck. We will be leaving soon."
Mira scoffed and hoisted the crate onto her hip, "Clearly someone didn't get any last night."
Cate ignored her. She picked up the inventory list and checked off the last few items. They were fully packed and ready to move. Cate pressed her lips together as she surveyed the bare room that had been their small Field Hospital.
She wondered what life would feel like once they were no longer nomadic. How many hospitals had it been since they arrived in Europe? She had lost count.
The Army trucks rumbled to life out in the street. Picking up a final box containing the last of their morphine syrettes, Cate walked to the door.
It wasn't as bitter as it had been during their stay but the morning was damp. The girls miserably murmured as they huddled together in twos and threes, trudging down the ruined street to their transports. Cate struggled with the latch on the back of a supply truck while balancing the box on her hip.
"Let me get that."
The box was taken from the crook of her elbow. Cate turned and stood back from the stubborn latch. Ted didn't look over as he yanked hard on the muddied lock by the hinges. It fell free, the door to the truck bed clanging down and lightly jostling the neatly organized boxes behind it.
"Thank you," Cate mumbled, tugging her sleeves over her gloves.
"You're welcome," Ted grunted in reply as he placed the box in the truck and hitched the door closed, "So, they are moving you guys out?"
"We got the orders first thing this morning. I don't remember where but they are taking us off the front line."
"Lucky."
"I heard your platoon suffered a casualty last night," Cate commented, folding her hands in front of her.
Ted shrugged, his eyes drifting over in the direction of the river, "It was a patrol to capture POWs. The mission was successful. There is a rumor they are planning more."
"Why?"
"Grill the Krauts to find out things we don't need to know. Just to earn our betters new sets of oak leaves."
Cate nearly winced at the edge that had returned to his voice with a vengeance. He looked like an entirely different man in the light of day. He let out a heavy breath and ran a bare hand over his freshly shaved chin.
"I am sorry," Cate faintly offered.
Ted cut his weary gaze towards her and held eye contact. Blood hummed in her ears. 606Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3qyYacF6i
"Cate-"
A mortar shell screamed over the river and into a building that sat on its bank. Cate and Ted instinctively crouched behind the supply truck and waited for more. Cate closed her eyes.
"I am glad they are moving you." Ted muttered as he dug into his overcoat pockets.
Cate glanced over curiously as he pulled out a scrap of paper and the stub of a pencil.
"I know you are leaving right now but first," he pressed them into her palm and met her eyes, "Write me your address in New Hampshire."
With trembling fingers, Cate swiftly jotted down the information on the uneven sideboard of the vehicle. When clearly there were no more mortars on their way, the two trucks filled with the remaining nurses in her Corp rolled towards them.
Cate folded the paper and returned it, holding his hands as they stood together.
"If I make it to the end of this thing, I will let you know as soon as I can," Ted fiercely promised, his breath warm against her face.
"But what if I don't make it?" Cate gave a mirthless half laugh, recalling the letter she had purposefully left behind on the mantel in her quarters.
"Now you and I both know that's not going to happen," he reached up, cupping the side of her face and running his thumb over her cheek, "None of this is simple chance, remember?"
The first truck belched out a smoggy plume of exhaust as it drove by them.
"Well if it isn't Catherine's gentleman caller come a'courting! Why don’t you come with us, baby? We got plenty of room!" Mira hooted as the second truck puttered past.
Cate gripped his hand firmly then trotted down the road to catch up to her ride. Alice held out a hand and heaved her up into the bed. Catie stayed standing, swaying with the vehicle.
She clutched the naked metal framing over their heads and peered down the road into the ruined city. Ted stepped out into the lane and faced the retreating convoy.
Neither of them waved or called out but stood motionless until the truck pulled out of sight.
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