The Girl In The War (Under Editing)

Part Four

The next day Rose was busy in the makeshift aid station getting soldiers ready to move. "Johnson!" Rose turned towards Winters as he came up to her smiling, "this was just delivered for you" the lieutenant held out a dirty envelope "from the Pacific" he stated and rose smiled before whispering "Eugene" Winters looked at the medic smiled as she grabbed the envelope, thanked the lieutenant and walked off. Nixon came up behind him and watched the medic as well "what was that?" He asked Winters looking at his friend "a letter from the Pacific" he stated with a knowing look, Nixon smiled "oooooo she must have a boyfriend or something" The pair walked off talking about the female medic and the letter trying to guess who it could be from while talking about how it made her smile.

Meanwhile, rose found a quiet spot which was surprising as the whole area was crowded with soldiers. rose sat down and stared down at the letter, the name was smudged and the envelope was an off white colour, dirt covered it and you could clearly see the finger tips that had touched it printed on the paper. Rose slowly opened it and began to read
My darling Rose,
I hope this finds you as the last I heard you had become a paratrooper and was about to jump into Europe. I hope easy company is treating you well and I'm glad that Sobel is no longer causing you any trouble. Your last letter couldn't have come at a better time as we too are about to fight. We have been to so many islands they all seem the same but I am counting the days until I am home and get to see you again.
I keep the picture you gave me close to my heart and look at it at least once a day because you are the only thing keeping me together.
I cannot wait until we are both home, in Alabama, so I can kiss you again. I often think about that kiss and my friends laugh at me because when I think about that kiss I smile and apparently I look "goofy"
I have began to smoke and every time I do I can hear your voice say "I told you so" but there is something about a cigarette that is calming when you have thousands of Japs waiting to kill you but do not worry I will fight just as hard as them because I have you to come home to. I promise to take you out on a date when we get home and I'll be the best date you will go on in your life.
I hope to see you soon when the war is over and we have won
With best wishes
Eugene Sledge x

Rose smiled as she folded the letter up and placed it in her pocket before going back to work with the soldiers silently ordering herself to find the time to write back to her friend in the Pacific.