//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 Gas! // Story: A war to close to home // by Bronycommander //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Gas! I woke up in the morning, feeling the warmth of Babs against my body. Curled up, smiling and giggling in her sleep. I gently got up not to wake her, collected my gear and joined the others. Soldiers were shaving, playing cards, chatting and so on. Just because we’re at war and at the frontline, doesn’t mean we could go on with our daily life. I had no beard and liked to be clean shaved. “Morning, brother. Slept well?” Holger asked me while watching birds. “Yes. Bab’s still asleep. Any reports?” “No. Nothing to report at all. The Night was quiet and the Brits haven’t started another attack, nor did our attack order come.” “Uh-huh. I check on Babs, see if she’s still asleep.” I pointed with my thump to the sickbay. Just when I got back, she awoke with a cute yawn. “Good morning Babs, slept well?” “Yeah, I did. You?” “Me too. Let’s get breakfast, shall we?” She got of the cot but let out a small cry of pain. “Don’t put too much pressure on it or it could get worse.” “I won't.” She limped so a carried her. I had bread with cheese, she bread with jam. Fritz came with a measuring tape and measured her. I knew why he did that, better safe then sorry. Bab’s spent the morning with cutting hairs of my comrades. Guess that’s her special talent, as my comrades said she did a pretty good job at it, causing her to blush. Fritz came back with a custom made gasmask for her. “For me?” She asked confused yet joyful at her “gift.” “Yeah, safety first.” He said a little bit ashamed but I helped her to put it on. It fitted perfectly. “Thanks.” Her voice was distorted by it. A soldier with one equipped entered the trench. “Gas, Gas! Gas, Gas!” he shouted. We all equipped our Gas masks. Gas. The most feared the most obscene weapon of all. We remember the awful sights in the hospital. The Gas patients, who suffocated and coughed their lungs out. Better to take your chances in the open, rather in the trenches and low places, where the gas can stay down low. I helped Babs out of the trench. Mustard Gas. While not overtly lethal, the gas is severely debilitating, causing severe blisters, chemical burns, temporary blindness due to eyelid swelling, and internal bleeding if inhaled. I have seen it before. The new recruits gave us more trouble than they are worth. They get killed simply, because they’re inexperienced. They know nothing. So they die like flies. We waited. I heard Bab’s breath through the mask. After a while, the gas was mostly gone, so we took our masks off. Then something happened which terrified me to the bone. Babs did the same mistake as the recruit did some time ago. Her mask fell into a Crater and she instinctively jumped after it to get it, exposed to the still existing gas cloud. “No!” My brother and I yelled but it was too late. She coughed violently. Holger and I putted our masks back on and got her out of the Crater. Another Medic arrived to bring her to the sickbay. “I take care of her, you have my word, comrade.” As she was taken away, Bergmann slammed his Carbine into the mud. “A Child. Just a Child.” I wanted to be here for her, but I couldn’t as the Kaiser himself visited the front. Holger and I were pretty nervous and excited as the Preußischer Präsentiermarsch played. We greeted him by shouting three times, “Hurrah!” A car escorted by Calvary and motorcycles drove by. Kaiser Wilhelm got out and our officer of the battalion introduced us. Then, he walked to me. “Soldier Herbert Baumer.” He gave me the Iron Cross, then walked to my brother. “Soldier Holger Baumer.” He got an Iron Cross too. “Hauptmann Bergmann.” He also got rewarded with an Iron Cross. The last one was Fritz. “Soldier Krause.” Then he gave us a moral speech. “Officers, non-commissioned officers, enlisted men. The men, who have received decorations this day, have largely fulfilled their duty in serving our glorious county. Germany expects every one of you to follow their example. You all have done your duty in serving Germany. You have shown the world our strength. You have filled our enemies with fear. With God’s help, you are winning a glorious victory for the father land!” We all were proud and had respect for the Kaiser and our commanders. While my buddies helped out at the front of the trench, I headed for the sickbay to look after Babs. What I saw broke my heart. She was laying on one of the cots, still coughing but not as violently as when she inhaled the gas. She was temporarily blind, as she had a bandage covering her eyes, tears coming down. “Babs?” I sat down next to her. Even blind, she knew where I was and wrapped her arms around me tightly. “Shh…” I comforted her. “…I don’t want to be blind… I’ll need to be lead everywhere! Helped with everything! I have my life yet ahead of me!” She coughed. I patted her mane. “Don’t worry, it’s only temporarily. Let’s get you to a safer place.” I picked her up, her arms still wrapped around me, and carried her to a truck. My brother and comrades were with us. The truck joined a convoy of other trucks loaded with soldiers. Babs had rested her head against my shoulder. We were entering a town, as I heard a whistle. “Look out! Vorsicht, Jungs! Artillerie!” Soldiers scrambled to find cover, while I held Babs tightly who trembled and was holding her ears. An explosion hit the truck, hurling me and Babs out of the truck. She was unharmed, but my right leg was hurt. Holger and Fritz jumped from the destroyed truck and dragged me and Babs, who I held tightly to cover, while Bergmann carried another soldier. The poor filly was trembling in fear, trying to block out the screams and explosions. “Stay down, Stay down!” Bergmann had his hands behind his head. After a building was destroyed, it ended, and an Ambulance was driving by. Holger, Fritz and Bergmann carried me, Babs and the soldier to it and medics got us on board. I grunted in pain. “Brother. Take care.” He gave me a handshake. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that nobody asks questions about her.” Bergmann had a lot of connections. I patted the child during the entire ride, until we reached a train. Before we got onboard, the medic who took care of her, gave her some chocolate. “Thanks.” She said to him with a smile. “No need. Get well soon!” He tipped his helmet. As the train started to move, the foal rested again her, head on my shoulder and fell asleep. I watched the beautiful landscape outside. Has it been so long since I was at home? I wonder how my parents will receive me and Babs.