.png)
The world that came into view again was quiet.
There were no gunshots, no grenades exploding, no screams, no shouts, no corpses. Only the pale, incandescent light illuminated the hospital.
Annette was counting the items, oblivious to his presence. Her face, now significantly gaunt and rough, looked unusually pale under the incandescent light.
Heiner stared at her for a moment, then slowly lowered his gaze. There was no gun in his hand.
But his fingertips still trembled slightly, and his breathing was erratic. These were symptoms that often appeared whenever his mental state became unstable.
Heiner has participated in numerous wars on operational missions. Ironically, he rarely served in the Padanian army.
During his time in the war, Heiner often saw nurses at the field hospital as Annette. Even when he was half-conscious after being shot in the shoulder, he mistook the nurse treating him for her.
After coming to his senses, he laughed at himself, dumbfounded. There was no way she'd be doing something so dangerous in a place like this.
'I never thought that vain fantasy would become reality.'
Heiner's eyes followed her fingertips. Her slender fingers counted out the items one by one.
When she reached the end of the inventory, Annette checked the chart again. She tilted her head, wondering if something was off.
Heiner stood about ten paces away, his eyes wavering as he watched her. His lips moved slightly, as if about to say something.
If we...
What if we had met here?
Just an ordinary soldier and nurse, what would it have been like if I had first met you here?
I came here injured, you treated me, and that's how we first met. I asked your name, and you told me mine.
I'll be trying to figure out if you have a fiancé or a lover, circling around you like a helpless dog, wondering if there's anything I can do to help.
On our days off, we might sit side by side in front of a campfire, as soldiers and nurses often do. You and I would watch the others dance and laugh.
We could go to a nearby tavern together and have a long talk...
Heiner's limp fingers still trembled faintly. His gaze remained fixed on her face.
Maybe, maybe.
If only I had met you here, in this place filled with the smell of blood and moans, rather than in that huge and beautiful Rosenberg mansion.
Even if I met you in an old nurse's uniform instead of a clean white dress.
Even if I had met you, not as someone of some unreachable status, but as an ordinary woman volunteering to join the army.
Maybe I am you...
After checking the items, Annette straightened up. She rubbed her eyes, as if tired, and turned away. Her thin back looked as if it might collapse.
Heiner clenched his trembling fingers. The thought that had begun as a hypothesis ended without further thought.
He had to return to the barracks. Even though the fighting was over, it was wartime now. There was no time to waste here.
He had to go back.
She, too, had to go back.
Heiner barely managed to turn his steps without falling. Inside the field hospital, the soldiers' groans continued unabated.
He opened the half-closed tent. The space beyond the tent entrance felt even darker than the inside. After a moment's hesitation, Heiner stretched out his foot.
At that moment, there was a loud thud from behind, and the sound of something falling down was heard.
Heiner unconsciously turned his head. But the bed and medical tray obscured his view below.
"Oh!"
A nurse passing by knelt in surprise. She raised her head and shouted to those around her.
“Who fell down!”
Dear Annette,
It's been cloudy and cold in Sinsier for days. How's it going there? It shouldn't be too cold. I'm including a scarf, but I'm not sure if it'll get delivered. I heard that the letter and package Mrs. Hoss sent to her son were either lost or delayed.
(...syncopation...)
If I had known you were going to the front lines, I would have done whatever it took to stop you. Annette, you are seriously out of your mind!
Are you healthy? Nothing hurts? We're doing well. Olivia still can't speak. When will she be able to? I can't wait to hear her call me Mom. I'll make sure to teach her Annette's name. By the time you get back, you'll be able to hear Olivia calling you.
(...syncopation...)
We all miss Annette. When the war is over, don't wander off and come straight home to us. Understood?
December 13, 721
With love,
Katrine Groth
Dear Annette,
I'm writing this in the hope that things will improve by the time my letter arrives. I heard the Montiolet front is deadlocked. I hear operations are being redeployed. I just hope as many people as possible return safely.
(...syncopation...)
Oh, do you remember Hans? The idiot who randomly hit on you at the fruit stand. He's Brunner's younger brother. I heard he's enlisted, too. He's a new recruit, so he's probably going to the rear.
He's a man without a single good deed, yet I cried when he told me he was going to war. Everyone is living in agony because of the war. I go to church every day these days. I always pray for Annette, too...
To my proud Annette.
Ah, what a happy day!
As soon as I saw the victory extra, my legs gave out, and I almost collapsed. I somehow glimpsed hope in your last letter!
Of course, I don't expect the war to end like this, but we're all feeling a great sense of relief. Frances is facing significant international criticism, so is it too much to hope that you might just step down?
(...syncopation...)
Oh my goodness, you met your ex-husband? Honestly, I expected him to come looking for you. He called me as soon as he heard about your military enlistment. He was so scared of your anger... So, did he listen to your opinion?
(...syncopation...)
Annette, do you plan to stay there any longer? We hope you return to Sinsier soon. We heard that many soldiers and medical personnel were injured and killed.
Of course, I know I'm not in a position to stop Annette, but I think they should at least move you to a safer hospital.
Annette, I know it's boring to say, but please take care of yourself until the very end.
May the Lord always guide and protect you.
Congratulations on your victory, with love,
Katrine Groth
Annette lifted her heavy eyelids.
Her dark vision trembled as it opened. Her entire body felt heavy, as if buried in a stone tomb. She could barely move her fingertips.
Because she just woken up, her thoughts were dull, and she couldn't grasp the situation. However, jer head felt much clearer than before.
Annette turned her head. Inside what appeared to be a makeshift barracks, dim lights were on. It was an unfamiliar place.
She fumbled through her memories. She was clearly working on checking items. It seemed like she hadn't been feeling well up until then...
Recently, her headaches and dizziness had gotten worse again. She was in good health even on the front lines, but it seemed like she was under a lot of mental stress.
Annette groaned as she got out of bed. She seemed to have slept quite a bit, as her fatigue had subsided somewhat, but she couldn't check the time.
She couldn't even tell where she was. It was more like a private room than a treatment center. As far as Annette knew, there was no such thing in a field hospital.
'Is this an empty officer's quarters?'
That was strange in its own way. She wasn't seriously injured, just dizzy at best, so they could have just laid her down on the empty bed...
Annette hurried out of the room, feeling a sense of unease. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it, and the door creaked open.
She looked up through the half-open door. Contrary to expectations, outside the door was not a hallway, but another room.
A yellow lamp was lit on a spacious desk in the room. As she began to wonder about its structure, her eyes met with a man holding documents.
Annette froze involuntarily. Everything was too sharp and precise—a face that seemed unrealistic at first glance was facing her.
"...Ah?"
He was the commander-in-chief.
He noticed Annette and stood up. There was a creaking sound as the chair was pushed back. Annette still stood there, motionless.
Heiner trudged toward her with long, slow strides. A shadow fell across Annette's startled, deer-like face. A familiar low voice rang out overhead.
“Are you awake?”
There were no gunshots, no grenades exploding, no screams, no shouts, no corpses. Only the pale, incandescent light illuminated the hospital.
Annette was counting the items, oblivious to his presence. Her face, now significantly gaunt and rough, looked unusually pale under the incandescent light.
Heiner stared at her for a moment, then slowly lowered his gaze. There was no gun in his hand.
But his fingertips still trembled slightly, and his breathing was erratic. These were symptoms that often appeared whenever his mental state became unstable.
Heiner has participated in numerous wars on operational missions. Ironically, he rarely served in the Padanian army.
During his time in the war, Heiner often saw nurses at the field hospital as Annette. Even when he was half-conscious after being shot in the shoulder, he mistook the nurse treating him for her.
After coming to his senses, he laughed at himself, dumbfounded. There was no way she'd be doing something so dangerous in a place like this.
'I never thought that vain fantasy would become reality.'
Heiner's eyes followed her fingertips. Her slender fingers counted out the items one by one.
When she reached the end of the inventory, Annette checked the chart again. She tilted her head, wondering if something was off.
Heiner stood about ten paces away, his eyes wavering as he watched her. His lips moved slightly, as if about to say something.
If we...
What if we had met here?
Just an ordinary soldier and nurse, what would it have been like if I had first met you here?
I came here injured, you treated me, and that's how we first met. I asked your name, and you told me mine.
I'll be trying to figure out if you have a fiancé or a lover, circling around you like a helpless dog, wondering if there's anything I can do to help.
On our days off, we might sit side by side in front of a campfire, as soldiers and nurses often do. You and I would watch the others dance and laugh.
We could go to a nearby tavern together and have a long talk...
Heiner's limp fingers still trembled faintly. His gaze remained fixed on her face.
Maybe, maybe.
If only I had met you here, in this place filled with the smell of blood and moans, rather than in that huge and beautiful Rosenberg mansion.
Even if I met you in an old nurse's uniform instead of a clean white dress.
Even if I had met you, not as someone of some unreachable status, but as an ordinary woman volunteering to join the army.
Maybe I am you...
After checking the items, Annette straightened up. She rubbed her eyes, as if tired, and turned away. Her thin back looked as if it might collapse.
Heiner clenched his trembling fingers. The thought that had begun as a hypothesis ended without further thought.
He had to return to the barracks. Even though the fighting was over, it was wartime now. There was no time to waste here.
He had to go back.
She, too, had to go back.
Heiner barely managed to turn his steps without falling. Inside the field hospital, the soldiers' groans continued unabated.
He opened the half-closed tent. The space beyond the tent entrance felt even darker than the inside. After a moment's hesitation, Heiner stretched out his foot.
At that moment, there was a loud thud from behind, and the sound of something falling down was heard.
Heiner unconsciously turned his head. But the bed and medical tray obscured his view below.
"Oh!"
A nurse passing by knelt in surprise. She raised her head and shouted to those around her.
“Who fell down!”
***
Dear Annette,
It's been cloudy and cold in Sinsier for days. How's it going there? It shouldn't be too cold. I'm including a scarf, but I'm not sure if it'll get delivered. I heard that the letter and package Mrs. Hoss sent to her son were either lost or delayed.
(...syncopation...)
If I had known you were going to the front lines, I would have done whatever it took to stop you. Annette, you are seriously out of your mind!
Are you healthy? Nothing hurts? We're doing well. Olivia still can't speak. When will she be able to? I can't wait to hear her call me Mom. I'll make sure to teach her Annette's name. By the time you get back, you'll be able to hear Olivia calling you.
(...syncopation...)
We all miss Annette. When the war is over, don't wander off and come straight home to us. Understood?
December 13, 721
With love,
Katrine Groth
***
Dear Annette,
I'm writing this in the hope that things will improve by the time my letter arrives. I heard the Montiolet front is deadlocked. I hear operations are being redeployed. I just hope as many people as possible return safely.
(...syncopation...)
Oh, do you remember Hans? The idiot who randomly hit on you at the fruit stand. He's Brunner's younger brother. I heard he's enlisted, too. He's a new recruit, so he's probably going to the rear.
He's a man without a single good deed, yet I cried when he told me he was going to war. Everyone is living in agony because of the war. I go to church every day these days. I always pray for Annette, too...
***
To my proud Annette.
Ah, what a happy day!
As soon as I saw the victory extra, my legs gave out, and I almost collapsed. I somehow glimpsed hope in your last letter!
Of course, I don't expect the war to end like this, but we're all feeling a great sense of relief. Frances is facing significant international criticism, so is it too much to hope that you might just step down?
(...syncopation...)
Oh my goodness, you met your ex-husband? Honestly, I expected him to come looking for you. He called me as soon as he heard about your military enlistment. He was so scared of your anger... So, did he listen to your opinion?
(...syncopation...)
Annette, do you plan to stay there any longer? We hope you return to Sinsier soon. We heard that many soldiers and medical personnel were injured and killed.
Of course, I know I'm not in a position to stop Annette, but I think they should at least move you to a safer hospital.
Annette, I know it's boring to say, but please take care of yourself until the very end.
May the Lord always guide and protect you.
Congratulations on your victory, with love,
Katrine Groth
***
Annette lifted her heavy eyelids.
Her dark vision trembled as it opened. Her entire body felt heavy, as if buried in a stone tomb. She could barely move her fingertips.
Because she just woken up, her thoughts were dull, and she couldn't grasp the situation. However, jer head felt much clearer than before.
Annette turned her head. Inside what appeared to be a makeshift barracks, dim lights were on. It was an unfamiliar place.
She fumbled through her memories. She was clearly working on checking items. It seemed like she hadn't been feeling well up until then...
Recently, her headaches and dizziness had gotten worse again. She was in good health even on the front lines, but it seemed like she was under a lot of mental stress.
Annette groaned as she got out of bed. She seemed to have slept quite a bit, as her fatigue had subsided somewhat, but she couldn't check the time.
She couldn't even tell where she was. It was more like a private room than a treatment center. As far as Annette knew, there was no such thing in a field hospital.
'Is this an empty officer's quarters?'
That was strange in its own way. She wasn't seriously injured, just dizzy at best, so they could have just laid her down on the empty bed...
Annette hurried out of the room, feeling a sense of unease. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it, and the door creaked open.
She looked up through the half-open door. Contrary to expectations, outside the door was not a hallway, but another room.
A yellow lamp was lit on a spacious desk in the room. As she began to wonder about its structure, her eyes met with a man holding documents.
Annette froze involuntarily. Everything was too sharp and precise—a face that seemed unrealistic at first glance was facing her.
"...Ah?"
He was the commander-in-chief.
He noticed Annette and stood up. There was a creaking sound as the chair was pushed back. Annette still stood there, motionless.
Heiner trudged toward her with long, slow strides. A shadow fell across Annette's startled, deer-like face. A familiar low voice rang out overhead.
“Are you awake?”
Previous Next
Comments
Post a Comment