[ WP ] Two wounded soldiers from opposing sides of the war find themselves in the care of the same nurse and snowed-in until spring .

Her hair was chopped - ragged and unseemly to the top of the collar of her shirt. 
 
 The smock looked like it came from a butcher's. Her hands were chapped and warm. She had placed me on the floor. There was a blanket under my back but the chill was there. Frost thickened on the window plains. 
 
 `` Jak masz na imię?'' Her voice was nice, and it surprised me. The cot by the fire had a body in it. I could see it breathing. `` Jak masz na imię? Jesteś Amerykaninem?'' 
 
 I knew that word. `` Da. I'm American.'' I grinned, pulled out my tags. `` G.I.'' 
 
 She frowned. `` Da.'' When she repeated it her voice was flat. `` *Da* mówi amerykański.'' 
 
 `` Yeah.'' Thank God. `` American, doll. What about my pal over there?'' 
 
 The breathing was raspy. Nurse scowled, made to spit on the floor. 
 
 
 `` German?'' I asked. `` Uh... Deutsche? Hans?'' 
 
 
 `` Hans? Nie.'' She pointed to herself. `` Gosha.'' Then to the cot. `` Sebastian.'' 
 
 Those were n't German names that I knew of. `` James. Jimmy, my friends call me. Seeing as it's you, me, and the Invisible Man, you can call me that too.'' 
 
 
 `` Jimmy.'' When she says my name is sounds strange. Not as bad as the French but I'd learned not to get so cut up about it. Her hand comes down above my knee. `` Twoja noga jest złamana.'' 
 
 No translation for that. I ca n't even move my ankle. Not a surprise it's broken. I squint up at the ceiling. There's a draft from the front door. Its licking in from the bottom. It feels like when some joker blows on the back of your neck. Christ it's cold. Gosha moves her hand to my knee. The skin feels too hot, stretched right over the bone. 
 
 She pats it twice then rocks to her feet. I can see her socks. The leather is pulling back from the soles. `` Might want to put some newspaper in there.'' 
 
 She just walks away. Sebastian, poor bastard, has lungs that rattle like a vacuum cleaner. 
 
 My chest did n't hurt but now I'm too aware of it. I can feel my nose drip down the back of my throat. What a mess. What a goddamned mess. 
 
 My pack. Where - it's by the fire. Gosha has a hand in it. She's pulling out K rations and smelling them. 
 
 `` Hey.'' I say. `` Hey. What're you doing? What'dya think you're doing? Put those back.'' 
 
 She ignores me. I look away, back the ceiling. Its very dark outside. I do n't even know the time. My watch is missing. Does she have my gun? I used the last of my ration to keep the barrel dry. Not that it would do me good here, in the middle of the godforsaken end of Europe. 
 
 
 Fuck all of this. I did n't cry in Wisconsin. I did n't cry in Italy. I'll be damned if I cry here. I look over to Sebastian. All I can see is the uneven lump of his body. His chest if going up and down, shallow. He's not coughing. I do n't know if that's good or bad. He does n't smell too bad. Not like rot. If someone's feet are going there's a stink that follows them around. 
 
 I ca n't feel my toes. It hurts too much to sit up. Gosha notices and forces me flat. She's jabbering away. My stomach really hurts. Its like someone shoved a hot poker in my guts and gave them a twirl. I'm not going to cry. 
 
 I manage to get my left hand up the bottom of my shirt. There is a perception when your fingers are frozen that they feel like someone else's. It's the opposite here. Under my fingers is stitches. They feel hard and black. I ca n't see them but I know. They feel black. My throat is tight. My ear... In my right ear is a buzzing. Loud. High. Like those German bombs, those screamers. What did she do to me? 
 
 I do n't know how I got here. I remember the town. I remember the white walled houses and the funny gingerbread roofs. We were talking, me and Ben. Hankie was in the back. His radio made him look like a space man. Before we even heard the shot Sean's brains were over the road. I remember how soggy they looked. Like chucked meat. 
 
 Ben had shouted `` Sniper!'' and we scattered. I had ended up with Fed on my left behind one of the whitewashed huts. Sean was still there in the middle of the street. A pot of flowers jumped off a windowsill. I could hear Ben swearing. I did n't know where Hankie spilt to. Fed was breathing so loud that he was wheezing. It sounded like an empty pump. Just sucking air. 
 
 Just sucking air. Then I ended up here. What happened? I pulled my hand away. It hurt but I ignored it. I did n't cry. I just closed my eyes. 
 
 # # # # # 
 
 The next morning I met Sebastian. He was propped at the table. He looked like shit. In front of him was a bowl. It looked like the Italian stuff. Polentia. Polntia. Hell if I know. Cow chow. I could n't see Gosha anywhere. Sitting up did n't work so I leaned back on my elbows. A blanket was draped over his back. 
 
 
 `` Hi. I'm Jim.'' 
 
 
 He nodded. `` Sebastian.'' His face was gaunt. I could see the pulse in his neck. It was as skiny as a chickens. He was a dead man walking. 
 
 
 `` Great.'' 
 
 
 I watched him eat. There was nothing else to do. The guy drank five glasses of water. It reminded me I had to piss. No point asking. 
 
 When he stood the collar of his shirt sagged. I could see every rib to the sternum. Jesus. No idea how he could stand. He did n't walk right either. He only had socks on, thick enough to be doubled up, and shuffled back to the cot. He staggered as he sat down. 
 
 
 There was a pack propped against it. I guess it was his. There was a pack of smokes, some papers, a journal, five books. He set the mess carefully next to him then pulled out a knife. It was ugly, edge blunt and pitted. There was a double lighting on the handle. 
 
 
 He caught me looking. `` Bastarzi germani.'' 
 
 
 I did n't figure him for Italian. `` Yeah, pal. Bastarzi germani.'' 
 
 He grinned. `` Ce fac?'' 
 
 I knew some Spanish. Close enough, right? They're all fascist now. `` Bueno.'' 
 
 
 When he laughed I could see how grey his teeth were. `` Nu. Bun.'' He pointed left. `` Bueno,'' then right. `` Bun.'' 
 
 `` Okay. Yes. I got it. Sí. Thanks.'' 
 
 
 He packed everything away. He shrugged. `` Cu plăcere.'' 
 
 It was straining my back so I sank back. Something popped in my spine. It trickled like water. God, it felt good. I was getting hungry. Sebastian might not have finished the cow chow but I did n't want to be the ass who made him suffer back to the table. Besides, I did n't know the words for it. 
 
 I wondered where Gosha went until I fell asleep. 
 
 # # 
 
 God, the light was bright. I kicked out. If Billy was fucking with me again, I swear to... 
 
 It was n't my brother. It was n't Saturday. I had n't slept in. It was Gosha in the doorway. There was a cord of wood in her arms. Nothing makes you feel more like a cad then lying down with a woman hauling timber. 
 
 
 `` Just let me help,'' I started to sit. There would be no way to stand with dignity. If I got upright I would piss all over the floor. Fuck. Sebastian managed to kick the woodbox over. It was feeble help at best. What wastes we were. Gosha silently loaded the box and dragged it back. In the cold light she looked younger then I expected. Her knuckles were badly swollen and her nails were white and blue. 
 
 `` Take my gloves.'' 
 
 She looked up. I dig into my pockets then tossed them to her. She took them without a word. 
 
 `` Mulțumesc.'' Sebastian gestured between her and me. `` Mulțumesc.'' He was pretty worked up but Gosha gave him the cold shoulder. 
 
 
 I had to piss. It felt like it was about to come out of my ears. 
 
 `` Hey. Gosha. Uh, toilet? Baño?'' 
 
 She was looking at the table. 
 
 `` Come on Gosha. Girl like you ca n't keep a man waiting.'' 
 
 
 Sebastian watched from his seat. Then he asked, `` Toaletă?'' 
 
 Christ. `` Buzz off.'' I tried being louder. `` Gosha.'' 
 
 
 She had cleared the table and was heading for the door. No. `` Gosha.'' I tried again. `` Gosha. Toilet.'' 
 
 Before she got a hand on the knob a boot thudded into the wall. 
 
 
 `` Toaletă.'' Sebastian repeated. He pointed at me. `` Toaletă.'' 
 
 Gosha paused. Her free hand clenched at her side. She did n't like me but I could see she hated him. What a great group we made. You and me and the Devil makes three. 
 
 She dropped the bowl to the floor. `` Powinienem zrobić jesz z ziemi jak pies.'' Gosha was n't too strong. Her hands dig under my arms. Her fingers hurt. They got in deep. It stretched out my stomach something awful. My guts felt waterly. My leg... My leg. The splint rocked as she pulled. Why did n't she just cut it off. I had a pal who's grandfather was at Shenandoah or some other Confederate shithole. A cannonball broke his leg and they just cut the whole fucking thing off. 
 Not a bad trade. 
 
 I did n't shit through force of will. There was n't an outhouse. She just propped me against a tree, said `` toaletă'', and turned her back. 
 
 
 It was embarrassing and took too long. I could n't bend over. I could n't reach my pants. I could see them pooled around my ankles but they looked too far away. Gosha still had her back to me. I think she was watching the trees. It was so cold. The sky was so blue it hurt to look at. 
 
 `` Gosha.'' 
 
 She turned around. I felt about four years old. She helped without a word. 
 
 # # 
 
 [ End of part one ]
