Love on a Battlefield

A Story by Jason Joiner

A soldier and a nurse who fell in love make their way through the closing of a long civil war

Dust floated through the air and dirt fell occasionally from the ceiling of the subterranean room, knocked loose by the repetitive thuds and explosions of artillery shells hitting the ground just short or long of the trench. Justinian lay next to Juno in the makeshift bunk they’d dug into the earthen walls of the room they were in. the light of a makeshift candle flickered dimly on a table in the center of the room. Juno moved turning onto her stomach and laid her head on Justinian’s chest and softly began crying. Justinian clenched his jaw and stared at the ceiling overhead. He had just told her that his unit would be the first over the top in tomorrow’s assault on the enemy trenches. She looked up and tried to look him in the eye. Her voice failed, and Justinian refused to look at her. Finally, she mustered the strength to move up and kiss his lips delicately and longingly. She forced him to look her in the eyes. The eyes she had fell in love with at first sight so strong and full of wonder at the world now brimmed with tears at her sight. With the slightest breath the tears spilled over and he began to sob. He wrapped his arms is desperation around Juno, crying into her shoulder trying to form words his mind failing him. She wrapped her arms tenderly around him and cried silently allowing her tears to run down her cheeks and drip into his hair. They lay like that the minutes passing like leaves in the wind.

After a while Justinian said with a crackling voice, “I… am scared. I don’t want to leave in the morning. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to leave you.”

Juno caressed his face tenderly and smiled, “I know dear. I don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay. I want us to leave and go home. I want us to make it to your village and I want us to get married. I want this war to end and I want you. I will be here tomorrow. I’ll wait for you.”

Justinian stared into her eyes thinking of all the time they had spent together. They had met in the trenches when the country made its military nurses care for the men in the trenches, so they could return to the fight as quick as possible. Of course, their relationship was technically prohibited but with all the hell going on around them many such relationships had inevitably formed. They were permitted because no one felt like enforcing the rule. Everyone had to find something to tether them to reality. If it was a relationship or drawing or carving spent shells into works of art or gambling. If it didn’t affect your fighting ability it was allowed.

Blinking, Justinian leaned up and kissed Juno for a long while holding the kiss trying to put all his love into it. Speaking quietly, he said, “I’m first up in the morning. I’ll go up without any cover or smoke to obscure me. I don’t know if I’ll return.”

Hitting him softly on the chest Juno said, “Don’t say that. Don’t you dare not come back to me Justinian Lavinius.”

Justinian kissed her again, “I will come to you again. I promise.”

Juno smiled and said, “Say it again.”

“I will come to you again. I promise. I promise. I promise.”

Juno pressed her ear to his chest listening to his heart beat. It always calmed her to hear his heartbeat. She desperately wanted to hold him tight. To feel him with her. To never let him go. She clung to him with all the strength she could muster. Feeling her weight on top of him Justinian wrapped his arms around Juno and held her close, cursing that he couldn’t be closer to her. To be with her. To see her mind to share with her his own. To share the same breath. To be as close as two people could possibly be. The hours passed, and they fell asleep clinging to each other the entire night through.

The morning came too fast and Justinian was up and on the line. His saber on his side, his rifle fixed with bayonet gripped tightly in his hands. He could still feel Juno’s lips on his as she bid him farewell from their room. She had made him promise to return one final time and clung to him saying that she didn’t want to let him go. The dark of the morning was softening into gray at the first brilliant rays of orange and pink streaking the sky the whistle came. The call was raised. The Battle cries of a thousand hoarse and desperate men rang across the field. In a flash Justinian was over the top and sprinting outright towards the enemy lines. His comrades sped up to keep pace. In turn men further down the line began running as well. The first sounds of gunfire and many faltered and many fell. Justinian was hit in the shoulder, but the pain was far away from him. He had but one thought on his mind. Juno’s face. He seemed to leap the remaining distance and landing in the enemy trench fighting like a devil.

With the flash of the muzzle he fired his rifle and reloaded firing until empty. The enemy charged in and thrust his bayonet at the possessed soldier. Justinian dodged and swung the butt of his rifle catching the man square on the temple. Crumpling Justinian stabbed him with his bayonet. Pulling free he swung around found himself face to face with many more of the enemy. Leaping into the fray and slashing indiscriminately he quickly downed the entire group, causing the few who remained to run. By now his comrades had begun filling the trench and they advanced with Justinian at the lead.

Justinian roared at the top of his lungs and drew his saber. The enemy would fall to him. He climbed out the back of the trench and widening his already serious wounds ran forward. Pushing the enemy back and slaying those unfortunate enough to find themselves beneath his blade. At dusk he fell. Crawling forward he tried to regain his footing and fell again. Crawling again forward and pushing his feet to take his weight he fell, slumping against a tree he slid to the ground. His comrades now advanced without him. He rested his head against the rough bark of the tree and breathed out a ragged, painful sigh. He thought of the morning and how Juno held him. He had to get back to her. He had to move. Moving, however, proved to be too painful to do. So, he sat amid the mud and the blood of a thousand dead soldiers. The darkening night blinding as well. Just as the last rays of day were absorbed by the night Justinian lost consciousness.

Sometime later he awoke to a sobbing voice that called his name repeatedly. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could make out the shape of a body in front of him. His addled mind couldn’t make sense of it and he mumbled, “Mom?”

The body threw its arms around him and whispered into his ear, “No, you wonderful idiot. It’s me.”

“Juno?”

“Yes,” Juno laughed, “It’s me, darling.”

Justinian tried to move his right arm but couldn’t. The left arm could move and with it he embraced Juno saying, “I told you I would come back. I promised.”

“I came to you dummy.” Juno said softly.

“I didn’t die though.”

Justinian leaned forward and settled his head into the space between Juno’s shoulder and her neck. She wrapped her arms around him and cried out into the night. Sitting there Juno listened to his ragged breathing as he slept against her and felt an overwhelming sense of joy. Here he was, severely injured and near death, but he was still alive. He had come back to her alive.

Days later Justinian woke up in a hospital wrapped in many bandages and dressed in white hospital clothes and on the first soft bed he’d slept on in two years. He saw Juno sitting in a chair near his bed. She was knitting something. She looked happy. She seemed peaceful.

Looking up from her work she caught him staring. She smiled widely, and his heart melted. She asked, “How are you feeling Justinian?”

Smiling back, he said, “Everything hurts, but seeing you here makes me happy.”

Justinian raised his arm and reached out for her. Juno Clasped his shaking and injured hand in her hands and placed it back on the bed. She said to him, “Take it easy my love. You are not healed yet. Move too much and you’ll open up your wounds.”

“I know. I just needed to reach out to you. To try and…”

“Don’t worry about it. Right now, you need to rest. I will be here for you. Always.”

Justinian looked at Juno and saw in her something he’d not seen before. He couldn’t place the word for it, but he knew he was seeing it because it was just them in the room. She seemed happy and content with just being there with him. It was to him like she exuded beauty from every part of her body and all he could do is drink it in with his eyes.

To Juno, she saw him there wrapped in bandages and was amazed at the quiet strength he radiated. Even in such condition he made her feel safe. She stared into his eyes aware that he was looking as intently at her as she was him. She didn’t want to look away. She placed her hands on the bed beside him, leaned forward slowly and kissed him. Neither could tell you how long the kiss lasted. To both it felt an eternity. When they finally had the strength to pull apart Juno kept her face very close to Justinian’s. They stared with a hunger neither had known was there for one another. She had never seen such brilliantly golden pools. He noticed the way her eyes shined like twin stars. What had once seemed like a steely gray now shone radiantly alive. He noticed every feature of her face. From how the skin around her eyes wrinkled in her smile to the freckles dotting her cheeks. How he wanted to kiss each and every one. He found the way her lips curled up into a grin to seem more beautiful than the goddess she was named after. He felt as though he could see every hair as is splashed is golden waves over her shoulder as she tucked it behind her ear.

For Juno she found herself staring in rediscovery of his features. She saw his nose and how it curved slightly up at the tip. She thought it was cute. His stubble was starting to break the skin as it grew. She didn’t know what he looked like with a beard since they weren’t allowed in the military, but she suddenly had the desire to see him with a full and long beard. Maybe one day she would get her wish. Looking to his jaw she noticed how strong it looked. His mouth slightly open as he breathed still shallow and raggedly. The hair that stuck out from under and around the bandages was straight and soft. It swept down towards his eyes and seemed to her to be like wheat in the sun. His eyes held such a kindness that she felt her heart quicken its pace and seeing the look in them she thought to herself that she was very happy to be with this man. This man who had promised to come to her again and again and never leave her behind. She knew then she wanted him and that he wanted her. She had never understood the cryptic words so many had said before. “When you know, you know”. Now she knew, and now she understood. He would be the man she died with.

Unable to help himself and needing to kiss her again, Justinian Raised up from the bed and caught her mouth quickly in a kiss. Into that kiss he poured his love, desire, passion, and life. He kissed her with the hunger that had awakened in him. She kissed him in turn, wrapping her arms around him and supporting his injured body. As they kissed the doctor came into the room and startled them. Justinian quickly laid back causing him to cough harshly for a few moments. Juno for her part stared intently at the knitting project in her lap, her cheeks flushed as red as a sunrise.

The old doctor chuckled warmly as he stepped towards the bed saying, “Don’t be so embarrassed. I have walked in on couples having sex. Which I will remind you is not permitted. But you two kissing is ok. Hell, considering how many don’t get that chance it makes me happy that you can. It also tells me that your recovery is going well if you have the energy to do that.”

The doctor checked Justinian’s vitals and began to take the bandages off his right arm and shoulder saying, “I’m going too check to see if your wounds are healing. I’ll do it one by one so things don’t get too messy.”

Once the arm was exposed Justinian could see him arm was covered in stitches. The doctor told him that just his right arm had over a hundred stitches. From many different cuts and stab wounds. The gunshot to his shoulder had been bad but was healing well. After re-bandaging his arm, the doctor moved on to his head. After the bandages were gone the doctor looked at the only cut on his head right on the forehead. The doctor moved from there to his left arm. The cuts were just as many as the right and Justinian didn’t understand how he had gotten so wounded. Once his torso was uncovered however Justinian saw the extent of his injuries. Here he had taken stabs, cuts, gunshots, bludgeoning, bites, and scratches. He couldn’t imagine the blood he’d lost taking that much damage. He asked, “What happened out there? How am I still alive?”

The doctor shrugged, but Juno smiled and said proudly, “You fought like a demon. You singlehandedly broke a fifty-yard stretch of the enemy’s line. When your comrades got to the area of the trench you were in firstly they found over forty dead enemy soldiers. And you tearing into another group of what seemed like twenty or so. After you killed them your men grabbed you and said that they were going to advance. The enemy fled in front of you. those that stumbled, you slain. Those that fought you died. You and your men fought and pushed the enemy lines back almost four miles that day. They said you fell at dusk and kept crawling forward, fighting until you collapsed against the tree I found you under. They say you slew almost two hundred men that day. I found you under an oak tree almost dead. It was four in the morning before I found you, and almost five before you came around. Your men didn’t even know you had fallen. They kept pushing forward, but thanks to you this war may be over very soon.”

Justinian slumped forward and rested his arms in between his legs. He had fought this war for almost four years. To think that it may soon be over was confusing. What would it mean to go home? What would his place be? How could he look the mothers of the friends he’d lost in the face? He would be nearly alone in number of men from his village who had been killed in the war. So far as he knew only one hundred and eighty men remained from his village. Theirs had been a large village with close to a thousand men going to the war. He started to feel an ache in his chest. Nearly all his friends and at least three of his brothers were dead. He felt a great pain grow from his heart. He allowed the doctor to finish his checkup. Once the doctor was out of the room he turned his face to Juno and opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. She sat on the bed next to him and hugged him. She could see the sadness and grief on his face. After four years of losing friends and relatives he finally felt the weight of it hit him like a ton of bricks. She laid back gently pulling him with her until he was laying back down. Curling into her body he began to cry, tears spilling silently down his face his grief beyond sound. They lay like that for the rest of the day until they fell asleep.

Waking the next morning Juno went to get out of the bed. As she tried to walk to the bathroom she felt his hand grab her wrist. She turned around and gently pried his fingers off her and said, “It’s ok love. I’m just going to the bathroom.”

When she returned Justinian was sitting up in the bed staring out the window. He said, “The sun rises every day. And, everyday more people die under its gaze and yet it does not care. Why?”

Juno had no words to comfort him. She began humming a song softly remembering the words. Finding them and fixing them in her mind she began to sing:

Under the moon

We’ll be together soon

When our pain

Falls like rain

And our life feels in vain

We’ll be together soon

In the light of a November moon

When we are apart

You’re with me here in my heart

When all we have is taken and gone away

I’ll wait for you here

In the light of a November moon

I’ll be with you soon

Counting days like flowers

Feeling our grief in a shower

Of rain and snow

We’ll be together soon

In the light of a November moon

Under the moon

We’ll be together soon

When love blooms

Like blossoms in spring

And all our pain is washed away

I’ll wait for you

In the light of a November moon

When we’ll be together soon

Juno finished singing and hummed the chorus a few more times before stopping. Justinian stared open mouthed at her. He’d never heard her sing before. Juno turned away blushing at his gaze.

Justinian tried to get up. His legs protested but he steadied himself and stood erect at his full height. He tried to take a step and stumbled. Juno rushed forward to catch him. Supporting his full weight, she got him carefully back into bed and embraced him as hard as she dared to not cause any pain in his broken and bruised ribs. Justinian, however wrapped his arms around her and embraced her tightly. Whispering into her ear he said, “Will You marry me?”

Juno leaned back and looked into his eyes. She saw him and everything about him. She smiled and breathed out a hushed yes before getting her voice back and saying more confidently, “Yes, Justinian Arcturus Lavinius. I will marry you.”