Left And Right
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Tia Nicholas, Grade 5, Belgrave South Primary School
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Short Story
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2014
Excellence Award in the 'The Text Generation 2014' competition
“All righty girls, lets get these beds unfolded so them men can be comfortable!” said cheery General Nurse Trait. I set to work, busily preparing the hospital for the wounded men coming in, and soon enough I had produced a huge amount of sweat.
In the distance, we could hear the sound of the men, calling for those in their quarters to come out and join the fight.
In a few minutes, the first solider was rushed through the door and hurriedly lifted onto the bed I was standing near.
“Quick, can you grab that medicine to help stop the blood flowing so out fast. Also tend to this fellow while I see to our other patients,” Trait ordered me, gesturing to the boy, who lay hardly conscious.
I rested his head up with some pillows, and in not much time at all the blood had slowed, and I had his leg firmly secured with a cotton bandage.
For what seemed like forever, he lay there, silent and as still as a solid brick wall. Finally, he eyelids began to flicker and he opened his eyes. He moved his leg around testing the pain.
Gradually, he looked up and gave me a huge smile. His expression was filled with such emotion and gratitude, that he brought me to tears. I turned my face away so he would not be upset.
After a few days he had improved, but we still decided to send him home.
The next day, I saw he off as he boarded the train, and I gave him one last wave goodbye then I turned my back and walked away. And that was my biggest mistake ever.
A few days later we heard word that a German spy in the form of a wounded soldier had escaped the hospitals and has set off a surprise attack.
I gasped loudly when I realized that the spy was in fact the handsome man I had attended to a few weeks past.
“All this, the new battle, is all my fault,” I thought with self-pity. “If the enemies win because of this its all my fault. The fate of the horrific war could now be written in the stars because of the carelessness I showed,” I concluded, struggling with the mass of pressure I now found myself facing.
I promised myself I would do something about my mistake, or die trying.
I brainstormed on solutions and finally remembered that the dashing fellow had mention something about heading south. I knew of a lonely, deserted town that way, the perfect place to set an army base.
As soon as I comprehended this statement I rushed to the nearest war office, ignoring the fact it was ten at night and most ordinary people would be in bed by now.
The Officer agreed with my suspicions and contacted soldiers near there. “They are on their way,” he confirmed.
So I went back to my quarters, satisfied I had done everything with my power.