27. The Book Of Revelation (1/2)

chapter xxvi

the day after receiving the news of blythe, julia took a one day leave, bought a ticket for the train to paris and went there very early in the morning. she looked pale and tired with shadows of sleepiness under her eyes after the night which she spent on walking around her camp and thinking about what to say and what to do once she will see blythe in the hospital.

"wounded in his back." julia thought that night "and in a critical state. it can mean anything." she felt horrible all night and was furious with herself for not writing blythe that letter when she should have done. "such a fool!" she hissed to punish herself "such a little foolish girl! who writes a love letter after four years of waiting?!"

but as soon as the dawn came, julia felt ready to go, enourmously eager to go, and she didn't feel the sleeplessness of the night at all. her heart was beating fast, her mind was quite blank and her heart filled with love and hope. although the journey from rouen to paris wasn't long at all, to julia it felt like years had passed until she finally stepped on the platform of paris. it took her another hour to get to the hospital where blythe was, but when she did, and she stood in front of the hospital's door, she could swear that her heart stopped beating completely and her skin colour changed to white.

but she came inside, rather hurriedly, and made her way towards the reception, where the middle-aged woman with tender eyes almost seemed like she awaited her. "i came to see flight officer blythe ford." julia said almost gravely,

eathing heavily.

"are you a relative?" the nurse asked in a heavy french accent and looked at julia's uniform curiously.

"yes, i'm his…" she gulped "-cousin." she said eventually.

the nurse smiled warmly and stood up from her seat "follow me." she said tenderly and julia did exactly that.

"do you know anything about his injuries?" julia questioned immediately.

"yes, it happens that i nursed him, when he arrived, two days ago." she replied "he was wounded with a bullet in his back and his legs are paralysed." she said more quietly.

julia's lip trembled "do you mean…" she began "-that he won't walk again?" she asked the nurse, looking seriously and fearfully in her eyes.

the nurse shook her head and smiled to julia sadly "unfortunately, he won't." she said.

"but he will get better?" julia asked her quickly when they turned around the corner.

"yes," the nurse said "-the worst is already over for him." and she smiled and stopped in front of the door to a new ward "flight officer blythe ford is on the last bed number twenty five at the window." and she opened the door in front of shaking julia.

she smiled at her weakly, not being able to feel her body at all "thank you, nurse." she whispered and came inside rather slowly. julia looked at the bed number twenty five and she felt like her heart is going to pop out of her chest. she gave out a small cry, and tears started flowing down her cheeks like small rivers of unshowed emotions.

it was certainly blythe, lying there on the bed. although he was very pale, and his eyes were closed, as he was sleeping. his black curls were still black and his face seemed unchanged, apart from the small scar across his left cheek. and his face was an act of silence and peace.

julia sat down by him and touched his cold hands which were in contrast with her own boiling hot hands. she never thought that she could feel like that. she felt as if every emotion touched her soul all at once and that she wanted to cry, laugh, shout and sing at the same moment. it was as if her whole world divided into two, into what was before that day, and into what will be after that day.

"blythe…" she whispered tenderly and patted his hand again to wake him up. although she felt quite guilty for doing so, she couldn't resist it. blythe opened his eyes slowly and looked at julia. his grey-eyes suddenly went wide open and julia could his his old-self reflected in them.

"julia!" he gasped and smiled to her in a way she never saw him smiling before. he smiled as if the whole world's mysteries were resolved in those few seconds time since their eyes met. julia nodded and helplessly threw her arms on him, giving him kisses on his entire face, and hands, sobbing with tears of happiness which were also strimming down blythe's very own cheeks. "you came." he said and squeezed her hand gently, trying to acknowledge the fact that julia really was sitting next to him.

"i had to." she replied softly and sat down on her chair, still holding his hand in her own "blythe, i got a telegram just yesterday. please tell me how are you feeling and doing, and everything?" she asked him

eathlessly.

he chuckled quietly "i'm feeling quite weak, not very tired, not now." he smiled at her knowingly "you are just the person i wanted to see today." he said and dryed off the tears from his pale face.

julia managed a tiny smile "blythe, i heard about your legs." she said eventually and looked at his face with a heart

eak reflecting in her eyes.

he sighed and looked at the wall in front of him "i know, sheba." he replied and looked back at her with a bitter smile "it was a shock at first of course, but…" he looked straight into julia's eyes "i'm not grieving. it's just the beggining of a diffrent life for me." he said.

julia smiled at him with relief and tears forming in her eyes again "yes, that's right, and don't you dare think about it in any other way." she said and squeezed his hand.

"and i'm so happy that i can now go back home." he said and sighed happily "the doctor told me that i can go back in fe

uary." small wrinkles appeared under his eyes when he smiled.

"oh, that's wonderful!" julia gasped and kissed blythe's hand cheerfully "i'm so greatful." she said and smiled at him.

"how are you, you dear bathsheba?" he asked her softly.

"i'm fine." she said quickly with a sudden hint of nervousness in her voice "i'm very, very fine."

blythe smiled at her warmly "that's good." he answered "you can never tell from someone's letters if they're really fine or not."

"that's true, although i always liked writing and receiving letters, you can keep them forever even if, later on, you'll forget about them." she replied.

blythe's face lightened up "talking of letters…" he said slowly and looked in julia's eyes meaningfully "i got your love letter a day before i got wounded."

julia caught her