The gruel Geoffrey was having for breakfast was so bland it was like eating paper.

He was too hungry though and was digging in with gusto. After a spoonful, he
took a chug from the cup of water on the nightstand beside his bed.
He finished with one last slurp, before he put down the empty bowl on the
tray by the foot of the bed. He reclined back, meeting the raised pillows on
the headboard. He looked towards the nightstand where a cracked mirror was
placed. His dark brown hair had grown and his stubble was darker.
A lot happened in the week that he was unconscious. First, word has travelled
about German delegates meeting with French officials for a possible treaty, which
brings light in all this dreariness. It might end in dead sparks, but it was
something better to look forward to.
Then there’s Barlowe, taking over command of their platoon which was some-
thing that he would never hear the end of later.
And finally Doctor Jonathan Reid, walking towards him, clipboard in hand and
a slight swagger in his hips that he was totally not paying attention to.
” Good morning”, Jonathan greeted.
Geoffrey cleared his throat before greeting in return.
” How’s the ribs Mr. McCullumn?”
Geoffrey shifted on his bed, making a show of his better predicament, ” All
good”.
” The head?”
” Still hurts, but better than yesterday.”
Jonathan nodded, scribbling on his clipboard, “Nausea?”
” It’s bad”.
The doctor chuckled. It’s a nice sound.
“It’s to be expected”, Doctor Reid said. He finished his check-up before bidding
Geoffrey a polite farewell.
For the rest of the day, Geoffrey did nothing but lay on the bed suffering and
bored out of his senses, occasionally graced by the swishing of the doctor’s
scrubs as he passed by every now and then, looking after other patients.
He watched as the Doctor steadily looked from somewhat rested down to hag-
gard and dragging his feet on the ground, attending to patients on several cots
left and right, inside and out the building.
It was lunch time and a nurse had come and gone to give him another tasteless
gruel, this time with crackers. He asked for an extra bowl which prompted the
nurse to give him a lost look and another one. The nurse thankfully gave away
his request with no protest.

1
Geoffrey sat waiting with the tray of food on his lap. After awhile, a certain
someone had come into view.
“Doctor!”, Geoffrey called out causing the man to stumble and promptly steady
himself. His head swivelled towards Geoffrey making him smile.
” Need a break?“, He asked, shaking the tray a little with his tighs.
” Uum…”
Geoffrey chuckled, ” You look dead on your feet doctor. Come take a seat”.
Dr. Reid looked uncertain and confused before he made his way. He stood
awkward near the foot of the bed, mouth working like fish catching air, “I—”.
Geoffrey took pity on him, grabbing the other bowl on the tray and raising it
up towards the doctor, ” Eat”.
Dr. Reid stared at the bowl perplexed, not quite sure what to do. A moment
more before he took it, stirring the mush with the spoon with a dazed expression.
” Doctors need to eat no? Unless your not human, you can join me for lunch.
I’d serve better than this slop of course, but oh well”, Geoffrey spoke as if only
pointing out the weather rather than frying the other’s neurons.
The doctor deflated with a huff, shaking his head, ” Thank you truly for the
offer but I’m afra—”
” Sit”, Geoffrey insisted, putting a tad of his commander voice in it while point-
ing at the chair by the nightstand with his thumb.
Dr. Reid’s lips snapped shut, then he frowned, ” I’m needed every second Mr. Mc-
Cullumn, breaks are a luxury you see”.
Geoffrey took a bite of his food, ” Kinsley looks fine there knackered, James
and Abernathy are stable, I don’t think Jones is gonna bleed out with how neat
your bandage was, and there’s nothing more to be done with Michael other than
wait”.
The doctor was dumbfounded, mouth forming an ‘o’. He raised a brow, curiosity
peeked, ” Been observing haven’t you. Quite the keen sight there Mr. McCull-
umn”.
Geoffrey shrugged, ” Not much else do and not really a private ward you see”,
he finished by gesturing at the open space and the lack of covers in-between
cots.
” As I was saying doctor, you should take a seat. Would be a shame and a food
for my guilt if you become one of the patients”, Geoffrey continued.
The doctor’s shoulders sagged as he sighed, muttering his way to the chair then
finally sat down. ” There, that should satisfy your demands”, he said a bit
petulantly while being posh about it. With how that sounded, he definitely was
a toff.

2
Geoffrey gave a ‘tsk’ sound, ” Nope, finish that bowl first”.
Dr. Reid frowned again, meeting Geoffrey’s blue stare with his own in a mild
standoff. They waged their war for another 10 seconds before the doctor spoke,
” You’re not giving up aren’t you?”
” Yup”, was Geoffrey’s cheeky answer.
The doctor groaned, turning back to his bowl, poking the inside with his spoon,
then decided to scoop a bite. A tinge of pink had bloomed at the tips of his
ears and cheeks, giving color to his too pale skin. It brought back a touch of
life into him which satisfied Geoffrey.
With that settled, they ate in a somewhat comfortable silence. The doctor
despite his initial resistance finished his gruel first, biting through the meal as
if served a delicacy. He cleared his throat, fist on his lips trying to save face.
Geoffrey muffled his snicker, only for the doctor to hear him nonetheless as he
gave one nasty side glance. He grabbed his crackers and offered it to Dr. Reid.
” No no, that won’t be necessary, I’m fine”, the doctor tried to wave it away
with a hand.
“Nah, besides, I don’t really wanna fill my gut more, I’m too unsteady to make
it to the toilet—might drop them in my pants and I don’t think my dignity can
handle an offered bucket”, Geoffrey reasoned.
” Your offering food while discussing about your fecal matter”, The doctor said
eyeing him.
” Oh umm…“, Geoffrey floundered, looking away towards the window at the
far corner as he scratched the back of his neck. The cracker on his slackened
hand got snatched, surprising him. He turned back to Dr. Reid who opened the
wrapper then took a nibble,” I get your point”.
Yes, he got the doctor’s point. Talking about his bowels going haywire while
offering a snack was abhorrent.
It was odd that Geoffrey was embarrassed considering that he’s a soldier in the
trenches. A place that can birth some of the nastiest possible nasties like rats
the size of his palm and mud that cannot be washed away. Not to mention the
smell.
The doctor noticed his awkwardness, ” I’m not bothered. I’ve seen my fill”.
” I’ve been guts deep before with a scalpel. I know how it goes in there”, he
continued nonchalant while chewing.
Geoffrey was caught between laughing and shocked. Between the two, he cackled.
Either because the doctor talked about something traumatic like the weather
or the sheer numbness in his airiness.

3
His ribs on the other hand didn’t find anything funny. Geoffrey gasped not long
after. The doctor was beside him immediately.
“Settle down, settle down”, he chided gently while he eased him on the bed.
Geoffrey grunted as he was laid down, the pain easing from the doctor’s calming
timbre of assurances.
The pain must have been worse for him when he blurted, ” You’ve got beautiful
eyes doctor”.
Geoffrey froze in realization. Before he could panic, the doctor smiled a soft one
that made his heart skip, ” Thank you, yours are just as nice Mr. McCullumn”.
Geoffrey chuckled, dazed.
Is this happening?
” Geoffrey”, he almost wheezed.
The doctor’s smile got brighter, ” Call me Jonathan then”.