Badge of Honour

Getting ready to go out in the trenches, I took out a supply pack from the main office and went to my assigned platoon for the day. It isn't long before the sounds of guns and grenades started to ripple through the air. I grabbed my scissors and a roll of bandages and start to bind a soldier's arm. After disinfecting another wound, I ran back to the makeshift hospital right to help the other nurses. Inside, I saw someone I recognize and ran to his side. Lying with his right leg hanging by his bed was another nurse tending to his gun wound. Alcohol and a scalpel in hand, I quickly rushed in to help. Unfortunately, a piece of his uniform was caught in the wound and we will have to take the bullet out due to fear of lead poisoning. As we worked together, time quickly passed by and she left without a word. Soon, he wakes and groaned in pain without enough anesthesia to numb him. I smiled at him, holding and squeezing his hand. As a nurse from the same town, I knew him before either one of us came to the frontlines.

"T-thank you." He said while stuttering, as he was still jittery and tired due to the blood loss and pain.

"Of course, Peter. " I replied. "I can't simply let you die before you go back to Ruth, she needs you."

He chuckled and coughed quietly before closing his eyes with a smile on his face.

"I'll need you to sit up for a second so I can dress your wounds." I whispered, careful not to rouse him.

"Yes… " Sitting up with his arms by his side, the bloody wounds were extremely eye-catching.

"I'll need you to cooperate with me for a second so that we can take off your jacket." I asked.

"No, no. I-it's okay." He said, not looking me in the eye, knowing he was nervous but not why.

"I'm afraid that I cannot dress your wounds with your jacket in the way."

"...Okay, can you g-get out of the room so that I-I can take it off?"

"Of course." It was not rare for soldiers to have scars they did not want others to see, so I comply.

Walking out of the room slowly, I glanced back quickly to see something a glint of something shiny inside his jacket out of the corner of my eye. Something shiny...? Wait…. Panicking, Peter quickly stood up, grabbed his crutches and started to hobble out of the room.

"A-Actually, I-I think t-that I b-be alr-right."

"W-wait! You have to stay! You're injured!" I cried out, grabbing his shoulder. Did I just see…?!

He shifted his shoulder quickly to break away. Suddenly, I saw a small bronze badge.

"T-that's… you're a-a…" I said in disbelief, what about his wife? His country!? His so-called letters "to his son"?! He betrayed us all! A traitor! Traitor! The plan… how much have I told him?!

Pushing him down onto the floor, I ran away as fast as I could to the communications centre to quickly wrote down a message for the radio operator to send. After sending the message, I rushed towards the General's office to report as numerous thoughts flooded my mind. What would've happened if I wasn't able to report to spot and stop the spy on time? How will the General react? Suddenly, someone grabs my shoulder and wrapped an arm around my neck, placing pressure around my neck and slowly tightening their arm to choke me.