Chapter One Thousand Three Hundred Eighty-Seven
6th August 1960
Jilin Provence, China
“Our fight isn’t in wars between nations” Father Lehmann said, “Our fight is against the tools of the Devil himself; fear, ignorance and disease. If we combat those with everything that we have then we are in fact preventing wars from having to be fought. There is no higher calling for those in the Medical Service than what I am asking for volunteers for.”
Kiki had volunteered, but not because of Father Lehmann’s sermon. It was because the mission itself sounded interesting. Crossing to the other side of the Yalu River with three lories of medical supplies and offering treatment for anyone in need who wanted it seemed crazy. However, as Lehmann had said they were not at war with China yet and their entire job was to save lives without question. Let the politicians quibble over the political garbage. They had a serious job to do.
When she found herself sitting on a lorry getting scrutinized by Chinese soldiers armed with machine pistols on their side of the bridge was when Kiki realized just how her choice had been driven by idealism and naivety. Unfortunately, it was a bit late to change her mind by then. Though they had been waved through, the nerve-wracking day had only just begun.
They had driven many kilometers down twisty mountain roads as directed by their local guide. Kiki was certain must have doubled back around on themselves because she knew that field hospitals were usually located just outside artillery range behind the lines. She assumed that it was in an effort to confuse any Intelligence Officer who might be among the small group of Surgeons and Sanis who had crossed the river. Tomorrow morning, they would get escorted back to the bridge. So, they had to get as much done as they could during that time.
Once there, Kiki had found herself sorting out who was most in need from those who could wait. To her surprise, most of the Chinese soldiers were grateful for her efforts though she had trouble communicating with them. As she did quick examinations on the soldiers, she pulled out the “federal” tags and tearing them off at the appropriate line after writing a brief description of what she thought was going on. Seeing a solder with severe case of the immersion foot syndrome of the sort that they had been battling on their own side of the river, Kiki realized that this man would be lucky if he only lost his toes. She tore off the tag at the red bar and she saw the instant look of fear on the man’s face. Even across languages and cultures the meaning of those tags was well known. Moving on, she noticed that one of her minders was another westerner. He had an slight olive cast to his skin, making her wonder if he was a Spaniard. On his head was a green beret with a parachutist’s badge. Sewn to the sleeves of his uniform were a rank insignia, an eagle with a single arc over it. She tried to remember what she had been taught about the uniforms of foreign armies. He was a Specialist 2nd Class, roughly equivalent to a Stabsgefreiter.
“Can I help you with something?” Kiki asked.
“Jonny, uhm… Sergeant-Major Casey, I mean… He said to keep a close eye on you” The American said nervously.
“You can keep a closer eye on me if you help as opposed to standing around gawking” Kiki said to him, “Fahnenjunker Fischer, by the way.”
“What?” The American asked.
“My name” Kiki replied, then added “And my rank.”
“What exactly is a fawnenyunker?”
Kiki didn’t laugh at the absurdity of that question and how he had mangled that word. “Probationary Officer Aspirant” She replied. That was as close to a translation as she could think of at the moment. She them went to the next patient; this one was complaining of abdominal pain. Kiki took a close look and wrote that she suspected that he had tape worms, one more thing that she had become familiar with in Korea. She tore off the tag at the yellow bar.
“I thought you were just a nurse” The American said, he was nervous again. “I’m Richard Valenzuela, my friends call me Ritchie. I’m a…”
“Specialist, 2nd Class” Kiki replied, “I already knew that, and I wouldn’t say that I am your friend Specialist Valenzuela.”
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It was absurd, Jonny thought to himself.
For lack of anything better to do at the moment, his Squad had been tasked with keeping an eye on some Kraut Doctors and Nurses. Then it had gotten complicated. This one German girl, a Medic by training had gotten the Runt to help her. Then Simon and Huck had gone to see what he was up to. Before they knew it, they were helping the girl like Ritchie was. Shortly later, the rest of the Squad followed along.
“What the Hell do you think you are playing at Cadet Fischer?” Jonny asked.
“I am not in the Kaiserliche Marine” The girl said indignantly, “I am only attached to one of their units at present.”
“The what?” Jonny asked getting a look of annoyance from her.
“His Majesty’s Navy” She replied. She would probably would have been a pretty girl if she had put in the effort. Glasses, curly hair pulled back into a braid and a thin face, she looked like someone’s little sister. That was how she had been able to get Jonny’s men to help her. She was the sort who men wanted to help, and she wasn’t afraid to ask.