The War Continues for Nurse Jenny Ch. 01

"Funny, you all. Just because I have interest in a couple of patients you guys ... "

"Interest she calls it!" Viv exclaimed loudly.

"Oh, yeah! Interest between the sheets," Dorrie proclaimed chuckling.

"Dorrie! Now don't make it seem so lurid ... "

"Lurid! Don't use those fancy words on us, sister. Dirty old plain sex is what it is," Viv stated jokingly.

"You guys are terrible," Jenny responded, but smiled with the jokes. "Charlotte, don't let them convince you it's any more than ... "

"Brazen sex!" Bea yelled and they all cracked up.

As the nurses finished eating and took their trays to the wash station they noticed many of the sailors that were eating also giving them the eye. A couple winked but didn't say anything, probably because Ensign Charlotte was there.

As they walked out of the mess and ascended towards the main deck they ran into Ensign Margaret coming back down with her team of nurses. Introductions were made all around. The new recruits were Peggy, Laura, Millie, Beth, and Mary. They all gave their names and told where they were from but it became confusing and afterwards the nurses tried to recall who was from where. They realized after everyone put their two cents in that they totally couldn't remember who was from where. They only remembered that they were all from different states than they were and Peggy and Beth were from New Jersey.

The nurses walked the deck watching the activity from around the docks and the various ships. An aircraft carrier was leaving which could have been the Enterprise. A small crowd of wives and other family and friends waved from the dock as the massive ship departed. A lot of the ships had embarked already making them believe they would be soon. Bea, Dorrie, and Viv all had a cigarette by the railing on one side and waved to some of the whistling dock workers and sailors. A squad of marines walked by and one of them recognized Dorrie and yelled her name. She blushed red from the implication.

Charlotte had walked along with Jenny. "How is Brad?" Charlotte asked.

"He's healing physically okay and using artificial limbs but his mental attitude is not great," Jenny explained.

"He's not as depressed as he was before you met, is he?"

"I think he might be reverting back, Charlotte."

"Oh, that is bad. You know, you did an incredible job with him. I know you got emotionally involved too which is not always good. You are a great nurse, Jenny. But you can't save all these poor boys from their individual fates," Charlotte concluded.

"I know but he was a special case for me," Jenny stated.

"Well, I only mention it because you will probably have many more cases like his if I guess right. Don't let them all get to you, Jenny, or you're going to end up an emotional mess yourself," Charlotte advised.

"Thanks for the advice, Charlotte. I'll try not to," Jenny said.

"Good."

"Charlotte, I've been thinking about your request for volunteers for the OR."

"You want to volunteer. I was hoping of all the nurses, you would."

"You think I can do it? I don't want to let Doctor Sanford or you down."

"Jenny, I won't kid you that it will be easy in there. Tensions can run pretty hot some times, to say nothing of the physical and emotion demands. But I will tell you it is rewarding beyond belief to be part of helping save lives and watching them recover. My belief is you would be a good OR nurse."

"I'd like to give it a try then," Jenny concluded.

"You sure? It's a big step. Some of the wounded are in terrible shape and it will threaten to break your heart. You will definitely learn to hate war quickly, if you don't already."

"I believe I do already. I want to help the best way I can."

"Okay. I'll talk to Doctor Sanford but I'm sure he will agree. He thinks highly of you especially after your success with Brad West."

"Thanks. I'll try not to let you both down," Jenny claimed.

"I trust you won't, Jenny," Charlotte allowed.

The next twenty-four hours were hectic. The ship departed port just before dusk. They had met the last group of nurses and all the names were starting to run together. The food was better than on Midway all the girls agreed. Sleeping was not. The bunks were cramped and the rocking of the boat made May and several other girls sick.

Other than some minor injuries they had nothing to do but prepare. One sailor tripped down a stairwell and broke a finger, but that was the extent of their worst case so far. Most of the larger ships had medical staff on board that could handle minor injuries and even immediate trauma situations. It wasn't until the third day at sea they actually had a man transferred over from a ship. He had a badly broken leg from a shell that had slipped off its dolly as it was being transported.

After two weeks at sea even May no longer got sick. They had covered nearly 4,000 miles, skirting around the Gilbert Islands. The last 1,000 miles they had deployed anti-submarine tactics and steamed in a zigzag pattern. Nighttime running was done without lights to avoid detection from long range reconnaissance planes. They ran under radio silence and signaled between ships using large flood lights and Morse code. Despite the boredom as they neared their destination everyone grew more and more nervous and anxious.

"Have you felt it?" Margaret said to the first shift nurses, as the second shift came on duty.

"Felt what, Ma'am?" Bea asked.

"The ship has slowed and I can't see as many of the task force ships ahead of us as before," Margaret stated.

"What do you think that means?" May queried.

"I think things are going to start soon," Margaret claimed.

"What day is it? Viv asked.

"August seventh," Margaret answered.

"Where are we?" May asked.

"No one's sure," Margaret said.

"What makes you think things are going to start, Ma'am? Dorrie questioned.

"Think about it, Dorrie. Would you want your hospital ship in the middle of an engagement? Not likely. Why else would we be slowing and losing sight of the other ships?"

"I guess you're right at that, Ma'am," Dorrie replied.

Charlotte walked in at that moment. She had been called to Doctor Sanford's office before the shift change.

"What's happening, Ma'am?" Jenny asked as Charlotte approached.

"What do you mean?"

"The ship appears to have slowed," Margaret told Charlotte.

"I know," said Charlotte. "I want you all to be ready for action. I have no other news now but to tell you time is short."

"But what is going to happen?" May asked nervously.

"I don't know for sure but I suspect we are near our destination and that a major offensive is about to begin. Just be ready to move when I say," Charlotte concluded. "Margaret, can I speak with you please?"

"Sure," Margaret said and followed Charlotte from the patient's room.

The nurses did not know it but as they were speaking the war was about to take a decidedly different and dramatic turn. The task force was north of the largest island in the Solomons. An island called Guadalcanal. They were in Sealark Sound between Savo Island, Florida Island and Lunga Point on Guadalcanal. The Japanese had nearly finished construction of an airfield on Lunga Point. Once finished that airfield would be a serious threat to the shipping lanes between the United States and Australia. The Allies could not allow the Japanese to complete this airfield and gain air superiority.

The U. S. First Marine Division was in the process of landing on Lunga Point to seize the airfield. Another amphibious and paratrooper landing, primarily by the 1st Marine Raiders, was taking place on Florida Island and on nearby Tulagi Island. A naval bombardment of both Red Beach on Guadalcanal and Tulagi preceded the amphibious assaults. The Japanese having landed on Tulagi on May 3rd were planning on building a seaplane base there. The Allies wanted to take the Islands to help the invasion of Guadalcanal and keep the Japanese from using it for operations against them.

The Japanese were caught somewhat by surprise and their first initial air response was ineffective in stopping the landings. The Japanese constructing the airfield fled into the jungle to avoid capture and The Fifth Regiment, which had landed first, took the airfield without loss of life. The Division pushed inland after securing the airfield. It took them three days to gain six miles with Japanese counter attacks. But finally The Second Battalion of The First Regiment reached the Lunga River.

During the first three days the Americans dug in and established defensive positions along the beach and around the airfield. They were under constant attack from planes and even shelling from a Jap submarine. The second night the Japanese struck back with a bombing run on their own airfield, which had been renamed Henderson Field.

The jungle was extremely thick and the bugs, rats and snakes were horrific. The weather was oppressively hot and humid. It rained often and the ground around them became ankle deep mud. The Marines worked furiously to complete the airfield and make it operational. The transports were still being unloaded two days after the initial landing. One of the US transport ships, the USS Elliott was destroyed by the Japanese.

The first job of the task force was to support the amphibious assault and allow the transports the necessary days to completely unload at Lunga Point. However, the commander of the carrier group, Admiral Fletcher decided to withdraw his carriers to avoid risking them in Sealark Sound. He made this decision because he lost twenty-one planes from his carriers within the first two days. They had been used to shoot down Japanese planes and drive off Japanese attempts from Rabaul, over 1100 miles away, to bomb the airport and the marines. The carrier planes had played a vital role in derailing the Japanese first attempts at recapturing the airfield.

Admiral Fletcher also claimed to be low on fuel and with the airfield secured, wasn't needed anymore. The carriers were really supposed to support the screening force protecting the transports the entire time but the Admiral chose otherwise. That unfortunate move by Admiral Fletcher set the stage for the Battle of Savo Island on August 8th.

The Japanese, under the command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa, who took over the newly formed 8th Fleet out of Raboul, after a failed re-enforcement attempt, attacked with seven cruisers and one destroyer on the night of August eighth. They passed through the New Georgia Sound, later to be called "The Slot", and attacked around Savo Island in a daring nighttime assault. The Japanese navy had trained heavily in nighttime battle and believed they had the tactical advantage in the dark. It proved to be true and a brilliant maneuver.

The Battle of Savo Island was one of the first ship versus ship battles of the Pacific War. The previous early navy battles had been mostly between carriers. The Americans allowed themselves to be taken by surprised by Admiral Mikawa. His brazen night attacked proved successful and cost the Americans and their Allies four cruisers and damaged several more ships, with only minimal damage to his ships. It was a shocking defeat for the overly-confident U.S Navy and showed the nighttime superiority of the Japanese navy.

However, Admiral Mikawa also made a supreme tactical mistake that could have produced an entirely different outcome in the battle for Guadalcanal. Unsure of where the American carriers were and against the advice of several of his subordinates, he decided to totally withdraw after the battle and before daybreak. If he had pressed the attack, he could have gained the upper hand in Sealark Sound and left the invading marines without their naval support. Even with the American carriers in the area that would have been disastrous for the ground forces on Guadalcanal.

Back on M3 the nurses had been working non-stop shifts since the battle began. The helicopters were ferrying in wounded and dying constantly. At first the wounded were mostly marines but as the sea battle raged sailors and naval officers outnumbered the marines. Instead of eight hour shifts, everyone was working twelve hour shifts with barely enough time in between to grab meals, a shower, and sleep.

Jenny's on the job training in the OR was beyond intense. In just a matter of days, she went from a novice to a full blown OR nurse. She was so busy she couldn't even stop to think of all the human carnage she saw before her. Charlotte kept encouraging her which helped her carry on. The volume of work allowed her not to focus on the individual lives passing before her. She became totally numb by the fourth day. If she didn't get a break soon, she felt sure she would crack. Fortunately she was not alone in that feeling which helped. Everyone was under immense strain and close to the breaking point.

When their shift ended and they finally got a break, Viv, Dorrie, and Bea headed topside to have a smoke. May and Jenny went along for the fresh air. Jenny looked at the others light up and almost gave in to the urge. It seemed a welcome way to relieve some of the incredible tension they all felt.

"God, damn," Viv said. "This is fuckin' insane."

"Take me back to Midway," Dorrie chimed in.

"Jenny, how the hell are you holding up?" Viv asked, knowing the OR was the most intense of all.

"I feel tired and numb," Jenny stated.

"God, I'd be a loon by now if I was you," Bea said.

"I'm getting close," Jenny allowed, looking out over the water.

"Hang in there, girl. None of us want to replace you," Viv added.

The women hung on the deck for only a few minutes. They had to eat and get to bed. A quick shower and they would be back on the job in the morning. Walking back towards their bunks they passed by Doctor Sanford's quarters. Charlotte was just emerging as they approached. She had that just fucked look that they all knew well from seeing Viv and Dorrie return from many nights out. Charlotte smiled at them as they passed. She smelled of sex.

"Lucky lady," Viv said when they were out of earshot of Charlotte. "She has a man to help her forget all this for a moment."

"I could use a nice dick to relax with," Dorrie said with a giggle.

The rest giggled along with her and chastised her for being so crass. The next days were more of the same. Air, sea, and land battles continued as the Japanese fought hard to retake Henderson Field. The Allies, working non-stop, had managed to complete it quickly and were already using the field for flight operations despite constant attempts by the Japanese to bomb the airfield.

The nurse's duties were extremely difficult. Midway had been a dream compared to the grievously wounded and dying they saw on M3. Two weeks into the campaign, their nerves were nearly shattered for everyone one of them, but especially the OR nurses. Jenny felt like she had been catapulted into hell never to return to normal life. Tensions were high, leading to quarrels among the nurses over little things, exaggerated by the cramped conditions. The quarrels were soon patched over as everyone realized the strain that each of them was under. Charlotte and the other head nurses tried their best to keep moral high, telling them all they needed to be up for the patients.

Two major carrier battles, several ship to ship battles, and many other submarine and other engagements had them never short of wounded to attend to. The helicopters ferrying the wounded were being taxed so hard that one had gone down. Fortunately everyone survived but for a while they were short of transport.

The outcome of the struggle for Guadalcanal was very much in doubt for many months. The evidence of Japanese superiority in nighttime naval battles could not be refuted. If not for the Americans' overwhelming ability to replenish lost planes, ships, and men in short order, the battle for Guadalcanal might have turned another way. The heavy losses to both sides were much more severe to the Japanese.

On land the battles were insane and the conditions horrendous. Almost as many marines and soldiers ended up in the hospital from dysentery, malaria, and other pests and diseases as were the wounded. The Americans repulsed wave after wave of Japanese attempts to overrun the airfield. Despite incredible resistance the troops managed to keep Henderson Field operational which was probably the turning point of the campaign.

Sealark Sound was soon to be renamed Iron Bottom Sound from the incredible amount of lost ships on both sides. The planes from Henderson Field inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese trying desperately to reinforce and take the offensive in the battle for Guadalcanal. Collaborating with some locals the marines and soldiers on Guadalcanal were able to prove the fallacies of the Japanese land forces' war doctrine when faced with a determined, trained, and superior fire power force.

A month into the Guadalcanal Campaign the Allied Forces had completed a base on Tulagi. It was a make-shift affair but a temporary field hospital was established there. Charlotte approached the nurses with the prospect of moving off the ship to work there. Doctor Sanford was being put in charge, therefore Charlotte and the first shift nurses were given first choice to join him. After little discussion they all readily agreed. Even though they knew the work wouldn't be any better, they all opted for a land assignment and more room to work.

The shift was made during the day as the Japanese were the most active at night. The nurses immediately wondered why they had chosen this assignment as soon as they saw the hastily constructed buildings and the climatic conditions in which they would be working. The cots they had for beds were only slightly better than the berths on the ship. At least they didn't sway, one of the nurses stated. The buildings were little more than huts and the hospital looked more like an airfield hanger than a true hospital.

The first few days were long and hard setting up the hospital with supplies and preparing the OR. A complement of marines and soldiers guarded the base and were equally busy preparing for air raids and possible ground assault. This knowledge gave the nurses even fewer feelings of security. Discussions of what might happen to them if they were ever captured by the Japanese had all of them petrified and given to nightmares.

As soon as they were organized the wounded were ferried in by helicopter and now ships. In short order they were back into the hell of the war, only now they had to work in stifling weather conditions. Killing bugs and changing sweaty clothes became a constant affair. They had running water but a hot water heater was yet to be installed so they had to make do with cold showers. Privacy was also much reduced from the ship. The women had to use the same showers and toilets as the men and therefore shifts were assigned. Many times the nurses were cheered and whistled at by lonely soldiers as they moved from dorm to showers and back.

Two weeks into the new assignment, life though extremely hard and exhausting, was gaining a level of routine they all found comforting. Several other nurses had joined them to make two twelve hour shifts possible. A couple more doctors joined too but Doctor Sanford remained in charge. With several nurses working floating shifts as well, eventually they were give one day a week off.

It didn't take long for Viv and Dorrie to resume entertaining the troops as if it was their sworn duty. Viv was given a clean bill of health by Doctor Sanford which meant she could resume her unrestrained sexual activities. They told the other nurses it was the best form of relief from the horrific strain they all found themselves under. Even Jenny was goaded into admitting once that she could use some loving. It was a constant joke among the nurses in the few light moments they had together.