𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 | | 1917

37. ANYONE ELSE

" It was a quiet, starry place. Far away from here. But, oh, how wonderful it all felt. "

-

THE MEETING OF two eyes would always be more intimate, more perplex, and more naked than any attempt at talking. Because nothing spoke of the soul more than something your own tongue couldn't pronounce. In people's eyes, it just came and went, not caring for loss or stammering.

And Jo could have remained silent if she truly wanted to. It would be easier- but still, she somehow couldn't allow herself to.

"I have your coat," she spoke, lifting forward the piece of clothing tugged beneath her arm.

Will smiled, taking it gently whilst holding his gaze upon hers. "It appears so."

She took another step back, putting her hand on the doorframe and nodding for him to follow her inside.
He glanced at her for another second, before taking his first step inside. The low continual yattering in the background growing around the pair.

Her eyes flickered away for a moment, away from him, giving her a momentary pause to build up some sort of courage for herself. She pursed her lips and hesitantly looked back at him, only to see that he was already staring.

Her pulse jumped, for no reason she could point out. He had looked at her a thousand times before, but there was something different in this gaze- an intensity she did not know from before.

"Do you get used to it, this place?" he asked.

"Well, it doesn't get much better than this," she spoke back, looking down at her feet as they continuously and rather clockwise- took turns in taking her forward.

"I suppose." Will brought his hands behind his back.

"But the front is worse," she slowed down slightly, glancing at him through the corner of her eye.

"Also true," he said. "But I suppose it's more easily noticeable here than in the trenches. It's like another world over there- no one notices things anymore."

She hummed, her attention shifting back onto her surroundings as they slowly passed through. Some of the other nurses were looking at her with desolate eyes, their lips curling slightly upwards once their gazes met hers, next to them were more soldiers- some wounded- others nearly dead.

"It's getting better in here, I think," said Jo, crossing her arms above her chest. "When I came here, everyone seemed so doomed from the start- but now... I don't know."

"I think the war, in general, is coming to an end," Will said, causing her to side-glance him once again.

"You're probably the first one to say that."

Will tugged back a faint smile. "I mean- think about it. We have both Italy and America on our side... and the Germans have already lost Craonne and Messines Ridge, just the past few weeks."

"Maybe you're right," she mumbled, the ends of her mouth lifting upwards.

As she placed her hands away from her chest as to lay on either side of her hip, she noticed a dark stain on her upper arm- and although it slightly horrified her at first, she soon realized that it was tea from before. She must just have missed it at the moment.