Chapter 4. Over the top

Finn smiled as he ran the straw colored twine of

Vies' necklace through his fingers. A small flat pendant hung

from it with a simple "V" engraved on it.

He found it after getting back to Oxford, as he was packing his

things the next day before reporting to the RAMC for training.

Vie must of slipped it into his pocket when they'd said their

goodbyes at the train station in St.Ives.

How long ago was that? It couldn't be more than a year,

but it already seemed like a lifetime ago.

''Stretcher bearers up! "

It was last call before the signal to begin the attack.

Finn pocketed Vies' necklace.

The stretcher bearers stood quietly in teams of three

at the back of the soldiers trench.

Finn was paired with a hardened veteran named Syd

and between them stood a new recruit Olwynne.

Finn couldn't remember being told during his

training in England about how the soldiers reacted to

front line stretcher bearers. He soon learnt about

it when he arrived at the regimental first aid posts in France.

In the anxious minutes before an attack, some soldiers

wouldn't look or talk to them because they thought it

was bad luck. Others would jostle them and try to

touch the stretchers they carried for good luck.

Occasionally, soldiers abused them.

"Why don't you bastards do something useful and

pick up a gun."

"Who the fuck are you talking too?" Olywynne said.

He started to go after the soldier who'd said it.

Syd tugged on Olwynnes' uniform.

Olwynne turned around, red in the face.

Syd shook his head. "Don't take it personal Olle,

their blood is up and they don't mean anything by it."

Finn could see that Olle was still angry.

Syd stood in front of Olle and straightened his uniform

like he was a nervous schoolboy on his first day of

school.

"You stay low and keep you head down when we go

over the top." Syd said. "You stick close to Finn

and me, and if your lucky, we'll all live through this today,

so that tomorrow, we can line up and do it all again."

The color started to drain from Olles' face.

The Captain blew his whistle.

"Here we go boys." Syd said.

*