Life Is Beautiful
023.
Rebecca awoke with the crisp morning air hitting her open wound.
She winced, feeling the cold touch her arm and whined out.
Frank hurried over to her side, "Rebecca, what is it?"
Rebecca took a quick look at where she was. She was laying on a cold metal table along with other wounded soldiers.
"My arm. What happened to my arm?" She asked, her breathing accelerating.
"You were shot last night. I'm so sorry."
Rebecca's eyes widened and she looked down at her arm.
The blood around her arm had dried up and turned a dark red. It had run down to her fingers.
"What's going on?" Rebecca asked and tried to sit up. Frank helped her up and leaned her against his chest.
She took in her surroundings and realized they were in a field somewhere in Germany. It looked to be a rest post for the Allies.
Frank spoke, "The Allies took us both in after they saw my dog tags. They're going to try to help your arm. We're here for another night but afterwards I'll be joining a platoon and get back into the war."
Rebecca looked up at him wide eyed and confused.
"What about me?"
Frank sighed, "They don't know. They'll put you with the rest of the civilians."
"But what if the Germans find me?" Rebecca asked and slightly pushed him away.
"I don't know! The best I can do for you right now is find someone for you to stay with but I'm shit out of luck. For all we know all of these people could be nazi's."
Rebecca moved back closer to Frank.
A familiar looking soldier came over and interrupted their conversation.
"There's transportation to France for your friend. She can probably find a home there." The soldier spoke softly, trying not to make things worse.
Rebecca realized it was the soldier from last night and responded. "Thank you."
The soldier looked down at the young girl and felt a rush of sympathy. Her blue eyes were icy with tears and the scarlet blood drenched on her arm contrasted with her ivory skin.
He swallowed the lump in his throat at the thought of her being sent away to a concentration camp with the rest of the jewish civilians.
"Maybe I can make a few calls and see if there's a specific place she can stay."
Frank smiled and sighed in relief. "Thank you Alex."
Alex smiled back, "No problem. It might be easier than we think since she could pass as just a young French girl. Do you speak French?"
Rebecca looked up at Alex, "Not very much."
"Well, we'll just have to make it work. But as for now, a medic can get the bullet out and stitch you up."
Frank helped Rebecca off the table and Alex led them to the medic a few feet down the field.
"This is Carl. He's one of our best."
Carl smiled at both Frank and Rebecca. "Nice to meet ya." It was evident he had a southern accent. "I'm gonna stitch you up and close that wound for yah."
Rebecca smiled, "Thank you."
Carl shook his head, No worries darlin, that's what's I'm here for. Now just lay here on the table."
Frank helped Rebecca on the table and held onto her hand tightly.
"Now this is gonna hurt a bit, we're low on morphine."
Rebecca nodded and closed her eyes tightly.
-
Hours had passed and Rebecca was laying sound asleep on Franks lap.
The sun had set and most soldiers were huddled up in groups talking amongst themselves.
"So why's she with you?" A young soldier named Erick asked Frank as he gnawed on a tooth pick.
"Its a long story."
"We're all up for a story, aren't we boys?" Erick chuckled and the rest of the soldiers cheered.
Frank laughed, "Alright, alright I'll tell you."
The group of soldiers around him huddled in closer to hear.
"My squad had been shot down a few miles down from Amsterdam. We had no food or supplies so they sent me to find whatever we needed. Little did we know how dangerous it was. On the way there I came across a German soldier who had shot me but I managed to take him down."
The soldiers listened closely and intently.
"I stayed in the streets for two days wounded and tired and one day a couple noticed me. They were out shopping and could easily tell I didn't belong. They took me in. At that moment I didn't really care what happened. I figured I'd be better off dead. For all I knew they were going to kill me. They took me to their home and the man took me upstairs to the attic where Rebecca and her family were hiding from the Nazi's. It was just her and her parents above the couple who had rescued me. Her father was thankfully a doctor and stitched me up. Weeks passed and I soon became close with them. But four days ago someone tipped off the nazis about Rebecca and her family hiding above the Henry's home. They came and ransacked the place. Rebecca and I hid in the vents for two days, waiting. Just waiting for a sign or for a word from God. And then we heard you guys outside. Now we've ended up here."
The group of soldiers was speechless. They stared blankly at Frank.
Frank just smiled, "Now I've got Rebecca."
She winced, feeling the cold touch her arm and whined out.
Frank hurried over to her side, "Rebecca, what is it?"
Rebecca took a quick look at where she was. She was laying on a cold metal table along with other wounded soldiers.
"My arm. What happened to my arm?" She asked, her breathing accelerating.
"You were shot last night. I'm so sorry."
Rebecca's eyes widened and she looked down at her arm.
The blood around her arm had dried up and turned a dark red. It had run down to her fingers.
"What's going on?" Rebecca asked and tried to sit up. Frank helped her up and leaned her against his chest.
She took in her surroundings and realized they were in a field somewhere in Germany. It looked to be a rest post for the Allies.
Frank spoke, "The Allies took us both in after they saw my dog tags. They're going to try to help your arm. We're here for another night but afterwards I'll be joining a platoon and get back into the war."
Rebecca looked up at him wide eyed and confused.
"What about me?"
Frank sighed, "They don't know. They'll put you with the rest of the civilians."
"But what if the Germans find me?" Rebecca asked and slightly pushed him away.
"I don't know! The best I can do for you right now is find someone for you to stay with but I'm shit out of luck. For all we know all of these people could be nazi's."
Rebecca moved back closer to Frank.
A familiar looking soldier came over and interrupted their conversation.
"There's transportation to France for your friend. She can probably find a home there." The soldier spoke softly, trying not to make things worse.
Rebecca realized it was the soldier from last night and responded. "Thank you."
The soldier looked down at the young girl and felt a rush of sympathy. Her blue eyes were icy with tears and the scarlet blood drenched on her arm contrasted with her ivory skin.
He swallowed the lump in his throat at the thought of her being sent away to a concentration camp with the rest of the jewish civilians.
"Maybe I can make a few calls and see if there's a specific place she can stay."
Frank smiled and sighed in relief. "Thank you Alex."
Alex smiled back, "No problem. It might be easier than we think since she could pass as just a young French girl. Do you speak French?"
Rebecca looked up at Alex, "Not very much."
"Well, we'll just have to make it work. But as for now, a medic can get the bullet out and stitch you up."
Frank helped Rebecca off the table and Alex led them to the medic a few feet down the field.
"This is Carl. He's one of our best."
Carl smiled at both Frank and Rebecca. "Nice to meet ya." It was evident he had a southern accent. "I'm gonna stitch you up and close that wound for yah."
Rebecca smiled, "Thank you."
Carl shook his head, No worries darlin, that's what's I'm here for. Now just lay here on the table."
Frank helped Rebecca on the table and held onto her hand tightly.
"Now this is gonna hurt a bit, we're low on morphine."
Rebecca nodded and closed her eyes tightly.
-
Hours had passed and Rebecca was laying sound asleep on Franks lap.
The sun had set and most soldiers were huddled up in groups talking amongst themselves.
"So why's she with you?" A young soldier named Erick asked Frank as he gnawed on a tooth pick.
"Its a long story."
"We're all up for a story, aren't we boys?" Erick chuckled and the rest of the soldiers cheered.
Frank laughed, "Alright, alright I'll tell you."
The group of soldiers around him huddled in closer to hear.
"My squad had been shot down a few miles down from Amsterdam. We had no food or supplies so they sent me to find whatever we needed. Little did we know how dangerous it was. On the way there I came across a German soldier who had shot me but I managed to take him down."
The soldiers listened closely and intently.
"I stayed in the streets for two days wounded and tired and one day a couple noticed me. They were out shopping and could easily tell I didn't belong. They took me in. At that moment I didn't really care what happened. I figured I'd be better off dead. For all I knew they were going to kill me. They took me to their home and the man took me upstairs to the attic where Rebecca and her family were hiding from the Nazi's. It was just her and her parents above the couple who had rescued me. Her father was thankfully a doctor and stitched me up. Weeks passed and I soon became close with them. But four days ago someone tipped off the nazis about Rebecca and her family hiding above the Henry's home. They came and ransacked the place. Rebecca and I hid in the vents for two days, waiting. Just waiting for a sign or for a word from God. And then we heard you guys outside. Now we've ended up here."
The group of soldiers was speechless. They stared blankly at Frank.
Frank just smiled, "Now I've got Rebecca."