Episode 7: Becoming the Enemy’s Nurse (7)
Earlier, Ashley had removed the bandages from both his hands and untied the carefully stitched sutures. Once everything was ready, Agatha grabbed her bag and walked out of the hospital room with him.
Outside the field hospital, a military truck was waiting to transport the wounded soldiers. It had a canvas roof, but it wasn’t very comfortable for transporting injured people. Still, in wartime, you couldn’t be too picky. Three wounded soldiers and two armed guards were already in the truck, so all that was left was for Ashley and Agatha to get in.
As they stepped forward, Miller ran up and saluted Ashley.
“I’ll make sure you get to Noelle Military Hospital safely.”
“Thank you,” Ashley replied.
Miller led them to the jeep and stopped, opening the back door and stepping aside.
Without thinking, Agatha grabbed Ashley’s arm. He noticed her white hand, then looked up at her.
“Aren’t the wounded supposed to go in the truck?” she asked.
“Officers don’t travel in the truck,” Miller answered instead.
Agatha frowned, feeling uneasy. She didn’t like being separated from the other wounded soldiers. Ashley, looking serious, climbed into the military vehicle.
As Miller was closing the door, Ashley’s sharp voice cut through:
“Sergeant Miller.”
“Yes, Captain?”
“Make sure Nurse Natalie sits beside me.”
“Do you mean the nurse?” Miller asked. Ashley just fixed his gaze on Agatha, giving a clear answer without words.
“Come on, Nurse, get in,” Ashley commanded.
“I… I was going to take the truck…” Agatha started.
“Get in. No need to argue,” Ashley said firmly. Agatha clenched her fists. Spending two days in a confined space with him wasn’t something she could handle. She was about to insist on sitting in the front seat if it wasn’t the truck, but Ashley beat her to it.
“Remember, Nurse Natalie is accompanying me as my personal nurse,” he added, giving her a serious look.
Agatha accepted the duty and the next two days in her mind, deciding to set aside her personal feelings. She took a deep breath and stepped into the vehicle.
“Natalie?” a voice called from behind. Agatha turned and saw senior nurse Adele and nurse Eliana.
Adele bowed politely to Ashley in the back seat.
“Captain, safe travels.”
Eliana whispered to Agatha, “You’re going in the same car as him?”
Agatha nodded silently. Eliana winked at her, looking a little envious, then politely greeted Ashley.
“Thank you for seeing us off, Nurse Eliana,” Ashley said. Eliana’s heart skipped a beat—she hadn’t been able to nurse him before, and now he remembered her name.
“Let’s go, Nurse Natalie,” Adele said gently, nudging Agatha toward the vehicle.
“I’ll do my best,” Agatha replied and climbed into the back seat. The military truck ahead seemed to be leading them, likely as an escort. Miller followed behind in the jeep.
Eliana watched the vehicles drive off.
“It’s two days to Noelle, so we’ll be back in five days at most,” she said.
“Nurse Natalie won’t be returning to the field hospital,” Adele added firmly.
Eliana blinked, surprised. She had assumed Agatha would come back after escorting the captain.
“Work time, Eliana. Return to the wards,” Adele said strictly. Eliana watched the vehicle shrink in the distance.
Agatha had told herself she only needed to endure two days, and now she had no choice but to follow orders.
The bumpy road led them to a forward checkpoint. Two military police approached the vehicle.
Miller showed them his ID and the transport papers. Another soldier peeked at Ashley and Agatha in the back. Ashley looked indifferent, while Agatha nervously bit her lip.
Was she really this anxious? She had seen armed soldiers before, yet she seemed tense.
“Don’t worry, Nurse. You’ll be safe with me,” Ashley said arrogantly, turning his head.
They passed the front line, but it wasn’t safe to let their guard down yet. The terrain was rugged, and enemies could appear unexpectedly.
After hours, the truck stopped on a quiet dirt road. Miller also slowed down and parked.
“We’ll take a short break,” Miller said politely, opening the door. Soldiers and wounded inside the truck got out at the same time, likely to relieve themselves.
“What about Nurse Natalie?” Ashley asked, hiding a smirk.
“I’m fine,” Agatha replied. She had barely drunk anything since last night, so she could hold it until they reached the hospital.
“If not now, it’ll be another five hours,” Ashley said, but Agatha remained firm. She stayed in the truck while he got out.
Ashley pulled out a cigarette a little way from the vehicle. He shouldn’t be smoking considering he wasn’t fully recovered, but Agatha didn’t feel like stopping him. She clasped her hands behind her back and stretched, casually observing the soldiers smoking behind the trees.
Her gaze drifted back to Ashley, then to the soldiers again. Suddenly, everything changed—the air turned tense, and a chill ran down her neck.
She knew she had to warn him, but her body was frozen. Forcing herself, she stared at him intently.
Ashley, standing nearby with the cigarette, noticed her gaze and looked back. She was running toward him.
Bang! Boom!
Bullets flew toward Ashley, and without hesitation, Agatha threw herself on him. Ashley, reacting instinctively, shielded her as they both fell to the ground. The armed guards and wounded immediately drew their weapons.
“It’s the enemy!” someone shouted.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two attackers aiming at Ashley were quickly shot dead. Ashley held Agatha close, breathing heavily, checking if she was okay.
“Nurse Natalie, are you alright?” he asked.
She didn’t respond. The fear of losing her made his chest tighten.
“Nurse Natalie…”
His voice trembled slightly.
“Answer me, okay?”
Her lips remained sealed as his chest pressed against hers, damp and sticky with blood.
“No… don’t do this…” she whispered weakly.
Ashley ignored his racing thoughts for a moment and tightened his embrace around her fragile, warm body.
“Nurse Natalie…”
Her upper body was soaked in blood, seemingly beyond help. Ashley grabbed a handkerchief and pressed it against her shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.
“Open your eyes… I said open your eyes!”
Clutching the bloodied woman, Ashley’s voice rang metallic and sharp with urgency. She stubbornly refused to open her eyes. Rage and fear surged through him.
“Natalie, open your eyes!”
Miller and the other soldiers rushed over.
“Captain! Don’t do this! The nurse—” Miller stammered.
“I’m taking her back to the field hospital,” Ashley growled, carrying her in his arms as he strode toward the military truck.
