The flashing, the noise, the light. The banging of guns ringing in my ears. Bennett grabbed me by my right arm and dragged me back. Everything hurt, I couldn't tell if I was sobbing or if it was blood. I closed my eyes and everything went dark.
I violently shook awake. I sat up and looked around. My arm, throbbing. I looked over at my left arm to see just a little stub, spewing blood everywhere. I screamed, a blood-curdling scream. The doctor heard my scream and burst into the medical tent. "What happened?!" The doctor yelled as I turned to him. I held up the little stub that was spewing blood everywhere. The doctor stared at me for a few seconds before nodding like he understood how much pain I was in. "I ordered your prosthetic, once it's here-" The Doctor paused and walked over to me. He grabbed what I presumed was a cloth and started to put it on my arm. I screamed in pain and he applied more pressure. "- Once it is here, you will return back to America, back to your Mother, Levi." I looked the doctor dead in the eyes. "I can't go home". The doctor stopped applying pressure and looked up at me. "You have to, without your arm you are no use to us, Levi." I sighed at the thought of having to face my Mother and what her reaction will be when I tell her where I was.
I was sitting in the trench, next to Bennett. He was shuffling cards in his hand. He slowly dealt out 7 cards. "What are you going to do once we get out of this place?" He asked me as I picked up my cards. An ace, 7 of spades, king and queen of hearts, 4 of clubs, Jack of diamonds, and a joker. "I actually don't know, probably go back to America and get a job," I replied. He nodded before asking "Do you have an 8?" I shook my head "Go fi-" I was interrupted by shouting. "THE GERMANS ARE COMING, THE GERMANS ARE COMING!"
My prosthetic came a few days later. I have yet to get an infection and bleeding has slowed. I'm hoping that the doctor used clean utilities. When I tried on the prosthetic is was the most uncomfortable thing in the world. It was stiff, chunky, and aggressively swung by my side with each step I took. With a few changes made, I was able to get the swinging under control and got used to the stiffness and chunkiness (Sort of).
Bennet and I poked our heads over the trench walls to see Germans marching towards our trench. "Oh, shoot," Bennett exclaimed before climbing down and grabbing his and mines guns. He climbed back up and pointed his rifle at the Germans feet. He pulled the trigger and it went off with a bang. I followed in pursuit. We managed to knock off most of them but we heard the blast of a grenade go off in the distance. Bennett grabbed my wrist and dragged me down the zig-zag trenches. Bennett and I went on for miles and miles until we reached the end. A couple minutes later a few more troops came sprinting towards us.
I lie awake, pondering random things when I looked at the end of my bed. I saw a girl and screamed. "Shh!" The voice called out before trotting to the side of the bed. She placed a hand over my mouth and guided me to my feet. Her hand smelt like ginger and cinnamon. She removed her hand and helped me put my prosthetic on. After helping me she left. I sat there in confusion about what the heck just happened. I shrugged it off and laid back down. The prosthetic was uncomfortable as I laid down but I got used to it. I rolled over and went back to sleep.
Our General instructed us to get out of the trenches and move onto the next ones. They were in France. There was a Trench line in Ypres, Belgium that needed troops. That was where I lost my arm. Bennett and I started a new game of Go Fish with me, and I was starting to win. "Haha! I'm winning." I called out as I picked up a card, ace of hearts. Bennett rolled his eyes. "Do you have an Ace of Hearts?" I laughed as I handed Bennett the card "I guess I do."
Back and forth I went to the doctors for the past 3 weeks. "You need to do this" and "You need to do that". It was all getting so annoying. I learned to lift my arm with the prosthetic on and I still don't want to go home. I have yet to see the girl I saw the other night, the one that smells like ginger and cinnamon. Today is the day I will be forced onto a bus and forced onto a ship and forced to go home. I choose a seat in the back of the bus and sat closest to the window. This trip is stupid. I look up to see the bus doors still open. I could run, book it, and never go home. I could go to Paris, and find love and live my life without having to go home. I stood up and stepped out of my seat. I took a step down the bus isle but the girl that smelled ginger and cinnamon pushed me back into my seat! "What the heck, lady," I called out. She looked at me and smiled. Oh my gosh. I rolled my eyes and turned back to face the window. I shut my eyes and fell asleep.
