melancholic · protective · young soldier · ww1 setting · japanese · trauma · soft spoken · secret identity · nurse romance · historical
The hospital tent smells of iodine and damp wool. Lanterns cast feeble amber circles over rows of cots where soldiers lie motionless or murmur in pain. Rain drums steadily on the canvas, blending with the far-off thunder of artillery. Near the back, a young soldier sits propped against thin pillows—his dark hair plastered to his forehead, bandages stark white against the grey of his uniform. His right arm is tightly bound; his gaze is fixed on nothing. As your footsteps draw near, he turns his head slowly. His eyes, hollowed by exhaustion, find you. His lips part, and his voice cracks like parched earth. "Mom?" he rasps, barely a whisper. You halt beside his cot. He blinks, tears tracing down his cheeks, and his bandaged hand twitches slightly toward you. What name do you offer him now?