Iron O'brian

By M. L. Becker

It is 1862 and nineteen-year-old Cassie OBrian has been traveling for three days on a train to reach a camp surrounded by a scorched wasteland. Cassie, who hastily joined the army when her fianc died at Bull Run, is ill-equipped for her new life as a Civil War nurse. But no one cares about her past as she is quickly ushered off the train and thrown into the horrors of war. Now all Cassie has to do is survive in a harsh reality comprised of mostly men.

Cassie somehow muddles through her heartbreak by nursing soldiers back to health and staying numbthe only way she thinks she can continue living. As her adventures take her into bloody battles, the black market, and to a man who will eventually heal her broken heart, Cassie becomes braver, resilient, and determined to endure in an unforgiving world. But as the war ends and she travels to Washington City to start anew, Cassie soon realizes that nothing in her past has prepared her for the challenges of being an outspoken Yankee feminist.

Iron OBrian is the historical tale of death and rebirth as a Civil War nurse journeys from the darkness of grief to the horrors of battlefield and beyond as she learns about loveand most of allherself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Feb 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781491778340

M. L. Becker

M. L. Becker lives in the Catskill Mountains with her husband and children. This is her second novel, which has won both the silver award for Romance and the gold award for Historical Fiction from the IBPA Ben Franklin Awards. She shares these awards with her publisher, iUniverse.

Book preview

Chapter 1

C ASILDA O’BRIAN KNEW SHE COULD CALM HER NERVES IF THAT GIRL in the back of the wagon would only stop crying. The tears had started flowing as soon as they had stepped off the train in Virginia. Maybe it was their charming host that inspired her. He was a lump of a man. His uniform was a disgrace, not at all like those of the trim soldiers that had marched through the streets of Boston.

With a thump the wagon hit a rut in the road, and her body rose a foot from the roughly hewn plank that served as a seat. Not only did this flight bring a sharp pain to her posterior, but her straw hat fell to one side as well. Making a wild grab, she tried to right it before giving up to hold on for dear life.

Hot and dusty, the young woman wondered what she had gotten herself into. Why am I sitting next to this gruff, unshaven soldier who is treating me and the other girls with utter disdain? She glanced back at her companions from the train. Oh my, she realized, they have nothing to cling to. The once-animated group was now reduced to a colorful heap of sprawling arms and legs in the back of the wagon.

Must you go so fast? Cassie shouted to the driver.

Listen, lady, we’re in no-man’s-land. It belongs to neither North nor South. Perhaps you want to get your pretty little hat blown off, but I’m keepin’ my head.

Upon the driver’s loud Yah! and a crack of his whip, the large, brutish horses set off at an even faster pace than before.

Cassie tried to comprehend the meaning of no-man’s-land as he spewed tobacco juice in every direction, including on himself. She turned away in disgust. Obviously, this was the source of his distinct odor. Indignantly, she wiped a bit of his drool from the sleeve of her stylish new Zouave jacket.

Cassie, buck up. This is exactly what you wanted. This is what you volunteered for. You couldn’t stand idly by with so many men dying … with the man you loved dead … It just wasn’t enough to roll bandages and gossip over tea in her mother’s kitchen. But … am I ready for whatever is to come?

The air became thick with putrid smoke, and she felt her heart beating rapidly. There is nothing to worry about, she told herself. Haven’t I been to Boston’s poorest houses with Mother? Cassie had seen sick, dirty people before, but she always knew her mother had shielded her from the worst of it. Many times hushed voices coming from behind closed doors had stopped abruptly when she entered the room. The vision of her mother’s face suddenly disappeared. Cassie’s eyes were stinging. Her delicate hand brought a lace-trimmed handkerchief to her nose and mouth.

There was no turning back. Three days’ train travel with connections through Boston, New York, and Baltimore had brought her to this hideous conveyance. They were arriving. Cassie held on to her hat and strained to see the camp through the smoke. It was silhouetted against the beautiful evening sky but surrounded by a scorched wasteland. Small fires still burned. Something must have happened not too long ago.

A large tent was really two tents connected. That must be the field hospital. It seemed as if her whole life had led up to this moment. Caring for the poor, her mother’s training, was all for this. I’m a good nurse. I’m ready. I have to be.

The wagon lurched to a halt in front of the hospital tent. The soldier who had been driving jumped from his seat, quickly secured the horses, and hurried off. Cassie hadn’t expected fanfare upon her arrival, but to be totally ignored stunned and confused her. People shouted and scurried around her, all of them seemingly knowing what to do. But she did not know what to do; so for the moment she sat silently, trying not to cry, while in the back of the wagon that horrible girl, Marie, continued to cry. Now the other girl, the larger one, Ermengard, was comforting her.

To escape them, she climbed down from her perch. An officer came out of the tent and inspected her. He was tall and also unshaven. Are there no razors in this godforsaken place? If so, a well-groomed beard would be perfectly acceptable.

She extended her hand.

How do you do? I’m Miss Casilda O’Brian. I’ve been assigned as a nurse for …

Great, I’m Captain Vaughn; we need you inside, he said as he took her arm.

He gave a quick glance toward her disheveled fellow travelers. Ermengard stood up as if to speak to him but abruptly turned and retched over the side of the wagon. He must have decided against asking them to join him, because Cassie was brought into the tent without delay. Thank heavens someone is taking charge of me. She sighed, deeply satisfied that her dream of nursing the brave soldiers of the Union Army was about to come true.

Her dream did not last long, though; she woke up as if she had been slapped. The flickering candles spread an eerie light on an area where there was no space to walk, no way to avoid trampling the wounded soldiers. Yet she was being summoned to come to the far end of the tent. As she tried to step over them, men moaned, cried, bled, and vomited. Cassie stopped.

For God’s sake, O’Brian, walk around it, the captain urged brusquely.

But Cassie couldn’t move. She couldn’t make herself walk past a pile of limbs. Her eyes could not leave the sight of tangled arms with dirty hands and ringed fingers pointing nowhere. The hairy legs had bloody edges where they had been hacked off to expose chunks of flesh and white bone. The smell was overwhelming. Perspiration dotted her forehead.

O’Brian, take it easy, the captain whispered. He extended his hand, and Cassie took it and looked away.

A groaning soldier reached out to her, and she paused again to help him.

Don’t bother with him.

The soldier’s distressed face tormented her, but the captain had her by the shoulders and pushed her on ahead.

Listen to me, O’Brian, he said from behind. "Ignore the slightly wounded and the mortally wounded. We’re here to save lives. Understand? Save lives. Now I need your help over here. Get rid of that hat, and grab an apron."

Cassie looked around. There was a ledge in front of a small looking glass. She removed the pin from her still crooked hat and laid it on the shelf. Her image stared back at her from the mirror. Her hair was still together confidently in a tight bun, but her large, dark eyes reflected an extremely young and inexperienced girl.

O’Brian! the captain shouted, and she pulled an apron free from a long nail embedded in a crude pole. With a quick dismissal of her emotions, she ran toward the sound of his voice. She was next to him, but he didn’t look at her. They were both staring at a gaping shoulder wound.

Our job is to stop the bleeding and debride. Cassie turned to him, not comprehending the last word. He also stopped to look at her. For a moment his expression revealed his annoyance for her incompetence, but patiently he explained, "That means we clean out the dead tissue or any foreign matter from the wound.

She whispered, Yes, and they moved on.

I sew up wounds and put splints on fractures, but mostly I amputate. He looked into her eyes closely. And … you will help me. Do you understand? She hoped that the inner terror she felt was not evident in her face as she nodded a quick assent.

Cassie spent the rest of the night following the captain through a maze of bloody work. He expected his orders to be obeyed, so he didn’t bark them out at her. Everyone seemed to respect him; and from what she saw of his skills, she began to feel the same respect.

Before Cassie knew it, it was three o’clock in the morning and she was removing her hat from the shelf. The image she saw in the mirror was now much altered. Her hair was no longer neat or tightly wound. Her curls had randomly broken free from their restraints. She looked like a madwoman, but she made no attempt to smooth the coiled mess and turned away. Her head was throbbing with all she had seen and learned.

Looking down past her rolled sleeves, she saw that her arms were giving off a pink hue. Closer scrutiny by candlelight revealed that her scrubbing had not removed all the blood from her hands and forearms. Maybe it would never be fully removed. Her tinted fingertips went to her temples.

She was tired. More tired than she had ever been before. But so close to the battlefield, she felt as if she had accomplished something and finally had a purpose, no matter how unpleasant. A red-haired girl appeared in front of her.

Hello, miss. I’m Tilly; the captain asked me to show you to your tent. The nurses sleep in a well-guarded area, so you needn’t worry, she said, patting Cassie’s arm.

Cassie O’Brian, was all she could manage for the moment.

As she walked along with Tilly, she wondered why she wasn’t more worried. Too tired, she supposed. She walked silently into a little tent, and without undressing, she fell onto a cot and was asleep.

When Cassie awoke facedown, she took a few moments to reacquaint herself with her new surroundings. Where am I? There were the sounds of voices and people walking close by. Her body turned instantly and sprung up into a seated position. Oh yes, I’m in a tent with a small bunk and locker. A basin sat atop the locker. Everything was even smaller and more dismal than the night before. No matter, I’m not here to be comfortable. Is the ordinary soldier comfortable?

She cleaned up as best she could with the cold water from the basin and looked around to find a towel. None could be found. Her skirt would have to do. After some trial and error, her hand found the flap of the tent opening. She emerged into a bustling camp—bustling, but not as frantic as the night before. The stream of men walking by swept her into their throng and brought her along with them. Lifting her head toward the sun, she could tell it was about ten o’clock in the morning. Why has no one sent for me?

Nurse O’Brian, do wait, a cheerful voice bade her. I’m Miss Talbott, from last night. I don’t suppose you remember me. We were so frightfully busy. As the older woman came to her, Cassie admired her black riding habit. With her confident gait, Miss Talbott’s manner was proper but friendly as she put her arm through Cassie’s. Miss Talbott continued. Last night was very chaotic when you arrived. Welcome to Virginia. We aren’t usually so rude to our new volunteers. I hope you’ll forgive us.

There’s no apology necessary, Miss Talbott. I was glad to be thrown right into my work.

That’s very good, Miss Talbott said with a laugh. You’ll be thrown into the fray quite often around here, but I do want to say that we’re very happy to have you, my dear.

Miss Talbot, can you tell me what happened to the girls I arrived with?

They seem ill suited for the job. They were sent to their bunks immediately upon arriving. Did you know that they had been drinking?

"Yes, ma’am. I tried to speak to them in Baltimore about their conduct, but they had been imbibing for a long while with some soldiers. Thanks to a few well-meaning but foolish women from a Brooklyn relief organization, free whiskey flowed quite liberally in New York. After their donation was given, the quality of the behavior from both the soldiers and the girls deteriorated rapidly. It was impossible to get a civil word out of any of them for the rest of the trip.

I simply hid behind my nurse’s manual to be safe from their alcohol-induced mischief. Cassie knew she was talking too much by Miss Talbott’s strained expression of patience. Stop talking, her mind shouted, but her mouth refused to follow suit. Do you know that two soldiers picked up Marie and swung her around like a rag doll? It was very cute and innocent enough at first. But in time, they threatened to throw her from the train window.

Oh no, Miss Talbott exclaimed with laughter.

Oh, yes, Cassie insisted seriously.

Cassie felt a little calmer when her tirade was over, and they walked in quiet conversation discussing the virtues of temperance. Miss Talbott stopped and gracefully extended her hand to lead Cassie to where the medical staff was sitting and drinking coffee.

Captain Vaughn was there with a few of the other assistant surgeons. Tilly beckoned for Cassie to join her with a fluttering hand, while Miss Talbott sat with the doctors in an obvious position of honor. Cassie was just glad to be welcomed by someone and to get seated out of the way. Her entrance into the circle had caused all eyes to fall upon her.

Miss Talbott stood up and introduced Cassie, stating, Miss Casilda O’Brian from Massachusetts, and she followed up with an introduction of the group. There was the thin and polite Doctor Henry Clayton and the disinterested and rude Captain Thomas McDaniels. As Cassie pondered Captain McDaniels, the introductions continued: two more nurses, assorted orderlies, and a hospital steward. Oh, I’ll never remember them all.

Then Miss Talbott came to Captain Jonathan Vaughn. He was clean-shaven now, and Cassie was where she could take a good look at him. On further inspection, he was still tall, but now she could see he had blue eyes. He also had a full mouth that went slightly crooked when he was amused, and he seemed amused with her. Why hadn’t I noticed all this last night?

Was it because she had been too concerned for her patients, or maybe because his mouth had found nothing to smile about in the confusion of blood and shattered limbs? Oh no, he’s speaking to me.

We thought we’d let you sleep in this morning. Our little world can be rather fatiguing for a newcomer. I hope you slept well.

Thank you, sir, I did sleep well, replied Cassie. I was as much fatigued from my journey as from last night’s events. I’m sure I’ll settle into the routine soon.

It had better be soon, Captain McDaniels growled. We have no time to coddle schoolgirls. You’re damn near at the front line.

I’m quite aware of where I am and what I have to do, she lied, and she put her hand to her reddening cheek. His hand rose up to dismiss her as he turned to speak to the others. Demanding his attention again, Cassie called, I’ll have you know that I am not a schoolgirl. I am nearly twenty.

A chuckle rippled through the group, but Cassie held her steadfast gaze on Captain McDaniels.

Look at her; why, there’s nothin’ to her, he said with disdain. "The only nurses we should have here should be approved by Dorothea Dix. Now she knows how to pick ’em. They have to be over thirty and strong as an ox so they can turn a man over."

According to old Dragon Dix, she also has to look like an ox, one of the orderlies blurted out. It must have been a good joke, because Cassie heard the gathering laugh while she still burned from Captain McDaniels’s remarks.

I don’t think that being homely guarantees a good nurse, Miss Talbott observed. I would not want such restrictions when choosing my nurses.

Captain McDaniels glared at Cassie. Nuns, that’s what we need. No one cares what they look like, and they keep their mouths shut. They take a vow of silence. That’s what they do.

Captain Vaughn smiled at Cassie. Don’t take McDaniels too seriously. He treats us all badly.

Doctor Clayton looked at her with the most sensitive brown eyes she’d ever seen and said softly, I hope you’ve had your childhood diseases, Miss O’Brian—diseases such as measles, mumps, scarlet fever.

Yes, I believe I’ve had all of those.

That’s very good. We lose a lot of our people to disease, especially those who have been on the farm and isolated all their lives. Poor things, they’re the first to go.

The conversation mercifully took a turn toward the orderlies. Should they be on the battlefield? Should nurses take over for them? Cassie really didn’t care either way. She was only glad that the attention was off of her.

Her eyes drifted to a field at the other end of the tent. There she caught sight of a man kneeling with a piece of wood behind his legs; his arms were placed on either side of his knees, and his hands were tied in the front. There was also a small piece of wood in his mouth; a string tied behind his ears kept it in position.

She looked quizzically toward Captain Vaughn.

He’s in what they call a buck and gag. He got drunk and called an officer a … Well, that doesn’t matter, Captain Vaughn explained while sipping his coffee. Cassie looked at him in disbelief. Don’t worry, Nurse O’Brian; they hardly ever put nurses in those things. You don’t drink, do you?

He then grinned at Doctor Clayton as Cassie felt her eyes widen.

Chapter 2

T WO DAYS LATER, CASSIE FOUND THAT HER INTRODUCTION TO hospital life had been a mere skirmish. A full-blown battle was another matter, and such a battle began with the deafening sound of approaching artillery.

As she hurried to fill her pillbox full of lint, Cassie found that the girls she had arrived with were packing up after the first blasts. They pushed her out of the way in their haste to leave.

Ladies, please. We can do this together, Cassie pleaded, but nothing would stop their flight. All of them would be gone with the mail.

Cassie stood with her hands on her hips, watching them and shaking her head, ashamed of her gender. Why should I be surprised? The big-boned farm girl, Ermengard, the homely sort that Dorethea Dix liked, had told her that she had joined only to escape a strict father; and the other one, Christine, had come to marry a soldier, preferably an officer. Marie, the crier, was at it again.

Cassie’s attention quickly turned from the girls to the men preparing for battle. The Union cavalry rode out with their regimental silks waving and their patriotic songs filling the air. It was glorious. She swelled with pride for her country and its just cause. The drummer boy was drumming, and she smiled broadly when she heard a Yankee huzzah.

After a while, word came up for the orderlies to come forward. Cassie followed them through the thicket and onto a field of overturned wagons, fallen men, and dead horses.

The army’s advancement had made it possible for the use of stretchers to bring the wounded to the rear. Her head instinctively turned away from the smell of burning flesh. There was a pain in her chest. Smoke was everywhere. She put her arms out, inching ahead, almost toppling over at times. Moaning was all around her. Someone shouted to the right of her. The smoke cleared enough for her to see an officer on horseback. A private ran frantically away from the fighting.

"Halt! Go back and hold your line. Do you hear me, soldier?" the officer shouted.

Despite the stern command, the soldier kept running in the wrong direction. She watched in horror as the officer took careful aim and shot him. The force of the blast caused him to stop awkwardly. His body hung in the air for a second, and then he fell to the ground. Cassie ran to him. He did not move again. She couldn’t believe what she had seen.

Cassie fumbled forward and tried to remember why she was there. A man cried out to her. Falling to her knees, she grabbed for the lint in her pillbox. She would put some on his wounds. Yes, that’s what I’ll do, she told herself. But where is he wounded? It was impossible to tell. Blood was everywhere. A severed hand lay next to him. Is it his? She brought her canteen to his lips and crawled to the next bloody man. His intestines were exposed. She vomited on him.

Miss, Miss, a soldier called to her. Cassie went to him, dragging her skirt, which was now heavy with the dampness of dew and blood.

Help my friend, please. He’s worse off than I am.

Cassie looked around, but there was no friend—no living friend.

I will, she assured him, and she applied lint to his side.

The mayhem came closer. Cassie could hear the notorious Rebel yell, but she kept moving toward a stand of trees. Men were crying out to her. When she was among them, they clutched at her ankles, telling her she must inform their loved ones what had happened. They held out slips of paper and tiny picture frames. Without thinking, she took something round and smooth from a boy who called her Jeanie.

All hope is gone, he informed her as she backed away and slipped the trinket into her pocket.

We’re retreating; go back, go back! shouted a young boy, his drum hanging from its strap. He pulled it off of his neck and began to run.

How can I leave these wounded men? I won’t do it.

The killer officer passed her on horseback again and pulled back hard on the reins.

Miss, you can’t stay here; they’ll be on us in no time. Come, I’ll take you to safety.

Cassie stepped away from him.

No, I can’t leave the men, she whispered, terrified that he would shoot her too.

Oh yes you can, O’Brian. Captain Vaughn said, walking out from the brush. You’re of no use to us dead. He shouted up to the officer, Thank you, I’ll take care of her. He lifted her onto his horse and then joined her.

Cassie held tightly to the saddle horn, and the ride in the brisk air cleared her head. When she slid down the horse’s side at the hospital, she reached into her pocket. There was a watch in it. Jeanie, she whispered before she shoved it back into her skirt and went to work.

Hour after hour passed, and Cassie lost track of the how many men she’d cared for, how much brandy she’d given out, and how many times she’d soothed with a kind word. She noticed the orderlies give each other sidelong glances at her kind attention to the men. They didn’t even try to hide their snickering. Despite the men’s obvious suffering, the orderlies were all business; but Cassie couldn’t see the harm in a gentle touch and a little sympathy as long as it took no extra time. The men responded to her and were grateful, sometimes thinking she was a sister or sweetheart come to say good-bye.

It was late afternoon when she was summoned to the operating table, which was simply an old door ripped from its hinges. Join the others, she was told by Captain McDaniels, and hold it firmly. The doctors were amputating a leg. She stared at their bloody aprons but was determined not to faint.

Averting her eyes, she walked around a pile of limbs that was as tall as she was. But just the sight of the saw being raised started her heart beating quicker. She had learned that first night to use the table to steady herself throughout the worst of it, even if the outer edges of her vision began to close in with blackness. Cassie had found that if she could turn and gasp a little air once in a while, she could remain standing.

She felt very grown up that day, as if she could handle anything—until a large rat ran before her. Suddenly it was a higher being than she, scurrying and gathering bits of bread from the ground. Horror overtook her until she was summoned for another amputation.

Cassie focused again and handed forth bandages and lint. She thought to herself, At this rate they can’t keep coming. But they did. The sun went down, the battle ended, but the wounded kept coming.

Chapter 3

A S CASSIE WENT ABOUT HER DAILY DUTIES, SHE BECAME WELL known among the soldiers. They seemed very interested in the woman who had chosen to give up hearth and home to be with them. They came from all over the camp just to stare at her and treat her as if she were a beautiful queen.

Cassie wondered why. She looked down at her attire. The hoopskirt was gone for practical reasons. There were times the medical personnel could barely fit in the field hospital with all the wounded men, so there was certainly no room for the unnecessary hoops. The latest fashions in hats and clothes were also lost to her. Her hair was either in a braid to the side or severely pulled back in a bun with only her fine blonde curls managing to sneak out occasionally. Drab skirts and sturdy boots were the only fashion now. Still Cassie felt she stood out from the other girls. She wasn’t like the farmers’ daughters who came to do laundry or to cook for the regiments.

Never a coquette, Cassie felt she must remain a lady to gain respect. Her bearing must tell the men that she was well brought up, not wealthy or spoiled, but educated and caring. The English award that she had won during her last year of school was securely pinned to her blouse to emphasize her accomplishments.

The other girls flirted with the soldiers while Cassie looked away, preferring to remain reserved. She wasn’t in the army to secure a husband—just the opposite. Her mind was focused on forgetting a fiancé. The last thing she wanted was to love a wonderful man like Will and lose him to the war again.

The sound of laughter brought her glance across the tent to the nurses, who were smearing molasses onto slabs of bread. Her reserve did nothing to endear herself to them; in fact, they openly showed their contempt for her. Mary was simpleminded with a plain, mousy appearance. Her thin hair was unkempt and hung in a braid down her back. She was a follower who couldn’t think for herself, but it was the other one who concerned Cassie. She seemed careless with her ample body and walked in a seductive way.

Too high above us to spread molasses? the large one asked her.

No, I’d be honored to help you, Cassie assured her, and she went to the girls.

Did you hear that, Mary? She’d be honored. Oh, that’s so good of you, said her fellow nurse.

Excuse me—what was your name again? Cassie asked.

My name is Louisa, she said as she slapped a gooey piece of bread onto Cassie’s chest.

With a gasp, Cassie looked down and fought hard for restraint. The hospital was not the place for a crude scene between two women. Doctor McDaniels would surely use such an incident as an excuse to rid the Medical Corps of silly, unprofessional females. Stoically, she turned and searched for a towel to dislodge the unwelcome gift from her blouse. Once that was done, she resolved to work as far away from the giggling twosome as was possible.

Miss Talbott entered the tent and smiled at Cassie, who now wore a shawl around her shoulders to cover an unsightly mess.

Everything looks fine, she said, inspecting the cots Cassie had made and the blankets she had folded. After Cassie smiled back and found some other occupation to make herself useful, Miss Talbott turned to the other girls. Cassie worked methodically but listened with interest.

What are you up to, Mary, Louisa? I told you to make up bunks, not to eat molasses and bread.

It’s for the men, Mary said, her words muffled by chunks of bread.

I see. Give me that jar and get back to work.

They handed the food over and strolled away in conversation. Miss Talbot cleaned off the jar with a towel before placing it on the shelf.

Returning to Cassie, she asked—more to herself than to the younger nurse, What am I to do with those two? Was there ever a time I was so young and foolish? Cassie was doubtful, and her face must have revealed her feelings, because Miss Talbott laughed and added, But if I was young and carefree, I always kept my mind on my duties like you, my dear. Work always came first.

Yes, Cassie thought. Work should definitely come before attacking your coworker with molasses. Her hands still felt sticky; and there were some bits of goo in her hair, which made it difficult to push it away from her face.

A confused soldier with a head wound, named Harris, slowly rose and kneeled on his bunk to recite, She walks in beauty like the night … He extended his hand to Cassie as she stood before him. The occupants of the tent paused to watch and listen. Of cloudless climes and starry skies, And all that’s the best and bright meets in her aspect and her eyes … An embarrassed Cassie scanned the staff members, and her nervous fingertips stuck awkwardly to her face for a moment.

Who does he think he is, Hamlet? Captain Vaughn said to Cassie as he came closer.

No, sir, she corrected, He thinks he’s Lord Byron.

He bowed his head to her.

You’re right, O’Brian.

He took the patient’s arm.

All right, M’Lord, settle down, the captain said to Harris, but he flashed his beautiful smile at Cassie. She blushed. Was he impressed by her superior knowledge of poetry, or was it her earnestness? Some people found that amusing. She didn’t care. He was being exceedingly charming. She was pleased with herself until she saw Louisa’s mean eyes on the both of them.

What am I doing that is so wrong? Louisa is angry at me yet again. Her nasty claws are almost ripping the pillowcase she is supposed to be folding.

Louisa, I need your help with the parcel of bandages that just came in, Miss Talbott said, removing the pillowcase from her hands.

Cassie turned her attention back to Harris.

Good night, sweet prince, the captain said when his patient finally closed his wild eyes for his much-needed rest.

Captain Vaughn’s endearing smile was now being given to Doctor Clayton instead of her as he walked away to talk things over with his friend.

Miss Talbott went to Cassie and suggested that she go to get something to eat, but she thought immediately of changing her blouse and washing her face instead.

When she returned from lunch, she held the remnants of an apple in her mouth. She nibbled happily until she noticed the other girls were huddled in a private, but loud, conversation. The officers were gone, and so was Miss Talbott. Louisa and Mary were now free to degrade Cassie for the amusement of all. She took the apple slowly from her mouth and threw it to the ground.

With irritation Cassie demanded, Are you two discussing me?

The surrounding audience, both personnel and patients, looked away. She was on her own. Cassie brought her thin frame to its full height in front of the hulking Louisa.

The beastly hellion glared at her defiantly. Well, as a matter of fact, we was, she assured Cassie.

Why don’t you just say what you have to say to my face? I try very hard to get along with you.

Don’t git all upset, Mary said as she stood at Louisa’s side. We was just tryin’ to figure somethin’ out. Why don’t you never be nice to the men?

How can you say that? I’m very nice to the men.

Why ain’t you extra special nice likes they want you to be?

That was a difficult question, and before Cassie could form an answer that involved her high values and integrity, Louisa jumped in. We was actually wonderin’ if you wear one of them iron things?

Cassie frowned slightly and asked, What are you talking about?

You know, Mary said in a loud whisper, pointing below Cassie’s midsection, those things to keep the men away.

Louisa laughed and called out to everyone, I saw it in once in a picha book. It’s called a chastity belt.

Cassie took a deep breath and felt her face flush with heat. She spun around to see what the men thought of such talk. Their heads were all down as though they were innocently involved in other occupations. All the while Mary and Louisa hugged each other with laughter. Cassie could only think to stand there, still somewhat sticky and humiliated.

But Louisa wasn’t through and turned directly to her to add, I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a pair of those iron bloomers on right now—Ole Iron O’Brian.

Now the whole tent shook with laughter as Louisa tried to raise Cassie’s skirts. She couldn’t believe the soldiers had joined in against her, and she pushed Louisa’s hands away. Her pride was stung, but she forgot it all when she saw Harris wildly waving his arms. She gathered what was left of her dignity to do her job while the two clowns still chattered behind her.

Mary, Louisa said, do you see Harris nearly fallin’ out of his bunk with all that poetry nonsense just to get O’Brian to turn those black eyes of hers on his pockmarked face?

Mary also called over. Ain’t gonna do him no good. All he’ll git for his trouble is a nice cup of beef tea.

Suddenly the levity and the attack were over. Cassie turned to see why. Miss Talbott had returned. An odd silence fell over the tent, and the inhabitants returned to their previous activities of folding blankets and reading in their bunks. Miss Talbott put her hands to her hips. Her mouth was stern.

After Cassie checked the bandage around Harris’s head, she settled him down with a few soft words. Of all the casualties of war, an injury to the brain was the worst. In his mind Harris resided in many different places, and he called Cassie by an assortment of names, including Jehovah.

Patiently, she counted the seconds on her newly acquired pocket watch while holding his wrist to feel his life pulse. She tapped the timepiece to keep it going but was distracted by another soldier’s loving gaze. He was fresh from the farm and obviously hoping she felt the