Journal WWI                                                     June 16, 1917             If ever I wish that I could get away from this place, right now would be the time. I never expected anything like this to happen. You don’t ever really expect something like this to happen to you ever.             The front has moved up and the Allies are moving forward onto German land and so the unit must keep up with them. So we made a make-shift hospital from an old hotel. It has plenty of rooms and hopefully will be big enough to hold the men this time. I’m still not sure exactly where we are but hopefully this whole trauma will end soon. A few days ago I was working my usual shift up and down the 2nd floor, checking on patients and such and I look into the room in the end of the corridor and there was a new patient. Must have just come up from the first floor to rest and get better. Being the outgoing person I was, I introduced myself and hoped that this poor man would respond. He was in horrible pain. You could tell by the way he twitched and moved. He had bandages over his whole body including his face. He had been burned and cut by a bomb that exploded deathly close to him. It was amazing that he was still alive. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible but obviously his pain was incredible.              2 days ago the burn patient was a little calmer and I think, had come accustomed to the pain because he hardly twitched when I touched him. His bandages had to be removed and be changed. I really regretted having to do his facial bandages because they covered his whole face and his body jolted every time I had to give a little tug. I had removed the last bandage and went to go put them in hot water when the man said “Dimples”, a childhood name of mine. I dropped the bandages and turned around and walked closer to the man. “Its me, Dimples, Johnny.”              How horrible it was! For two days I had been there with my brother and I didn’t know it was him. I wanted to hug him, kiss him, anything, but I couldn’t because of his burns and injuries. Mother had written saying that he was dead, but here he was: alive and talking to me. We talked for hours about everything- the war, his experience, how he got hurt, me and my work and everything. I asked one of the other nurses to cover my duty so I could talk and spend time with Johnny.              We have been inseparable basically. I hope that the unit doesn’t move for a little bit so I can stay with Johnny and make sure he gets the best medicine available. Things are still tough though, I don’t know how he is able to stand the pain but he does. He is really an amazing person.