@treunar 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩 .
❛ nurse beauchamp ! ❜
claire had taken to sleeping in her field uniform . it wasn ‘ t a foreign feeling at all . whenever she woke up with her blouse twisted ‘ round her torso & a belt buckle digging into her abdomen , she fondly remembered rickety cots , dense rainforests or dry desert landscapes , & of course her dear uncle lamb . a small smile sprang to her lips as she joined fellow nurse ruth pennington outside the tent , wriggling her toes & stomping her feet to get properly into her boots .
the sun had scarcely risen ; what little light it provided was washed grey by persistent clouds . the encampment was yet quiet , no lamps were burning . fussing absently with her wild curls , claire didn ‘ t have time to ask her companion what was going on before she was wordlessly whisked away toward the medical tent . the girl ‘ s pinched face looked very grave & very pale . neither claire ‘ s initial confusion at being woken so abruptly nor the warm echo of quentin beauchamp ‘ s memory could prevent her stomach from sinking .
inside , the tent was bustling with life . a gaggle of uniformed men ––– boys , really ––– were crowding around a field cot occupied by an unmoving body . by the glow of the kerosene lamps claire could immediately tell how torn & scuffed their clothes were , though none rivalled the patient ‘ s in raggedness . one of the soldiers quickly accosted them & began to talk insistently at claire .
❛ step aside , gentlemen , ❜ she interrupted , giving the young man a gentle push in the general direction of an empty stool . ❛ let me through ! ruth , where the hell is doctor hampstead ? ❜
❛ he ‘ s coming . here , ❜ motioning toward the man with a pair of scissors the same time as claire withdrew her hand from his heated brow , ❛ carefully . he ‘ s been lashed . ❜
together they turned him onto his side , only to find the white linen there drenched in blood . the soldier ‘ s eyelids were now fluttering open & shut periodically , his pupils aimlessly rolling around . claire grabbed him by the chin & tried to get his attention while nurse pennington snipped away at the pathetic remains of his uniform dress shirt . his face was a handsome one , though covered in sweat & barely animate , hanging limp in between her hands . she shook him again & his eyes finally snapped open . they focused for the briefest moment & claire saw something like understanding in them .
❛ mr . fraser , ❜ ruth started to say , dangling something shiny somewhere next to claire ‘ s head . she decided to go with it .
❛ stay with us , mr . fraser . do you hear me ? ❜












