Chapter 7. Pulp

Finns ears were ringing from the sound of the constant

artillery barrages and nearby explosions.

He lent over the unconscious officer to shelter him from the

rain of mud and dirt that was falling on them.

"I'm not sure where we are." Winston said.

Finn looked around. "Our luck is going to run out if we stay

out in the open for much longer."

Winston pointed behind them. "We'll get into that trench line

and try to find a way back."

Finn grimaced. It would give them cover, but taking a

a loaded stretcher back through the tight corners of a trench

was going to be hard work. Hauling the stretchered soldier between

them, Finn and Winston stepped and slid down a large shell

crater into the trench.

"How big was the explosion that breached this?" Finn said.

"I don't want to wait around and find out. " Winston said.

*

From the safety of the empty trench Finn heard the artillery

barrages getting heavier. They walked in cold shin deep water till

their calves ached, then put the stretcher down on the dry fire

step of the trench wall and rested.

Winston stretched his back. "It's a good thing that old mate

here isn't one of those fat bastard officer types."

Finn laughed

"We're still about an hour out." Winston said.

"Swap ends, I'll go first for awhile."

The abandoned trench was part of a larger system.

When they got to a junction, Winston stopped and looked

around the corner to see if it was clear.

"Fuck me." He turned to Finn ashen faced.

"There's a problem up ahead."

Winstons' voice sounded strained.

"We're can't go back the way we came."

Finn nodded. He angled the stretcher around the corner and

saw what Syd was looking at.

The trench was blocked, wall to wall, with the bodies of soldiers.

Some were still standing upright, wedged together. The closest

to them were crouched over or lying on top of each other.

"We've got to go over them." Winston said.

"There's no other way."

Holding the stretcher with his back to Finn, Winston began

to climb. Finn felt flesh sliding away from bones as he stepped

on the bodies. He heard rib cages and small bones breaking as

he followed Winston.

At the top of the pile of bodies Winston stumbled and pulled

Finn forward. Finn fell to his knees amongst the dead soldiers.

He pushed off a blackened rotting face to regain his feet.

When they cleared the trench and were walking on flat ground,

Winston spoke. "Are you alright Finn?"

''That was complete shit." Finn said.

"Yes it was." Winston said. "No point in denying it."

They walked on carrying the stretcher in silence.

*

"Did you hear that Winston?"

Winston stopped and listened. "I thought I was imagining it."

"It's someone singing.." Finn said.

"Singing psalms." Winston said.

They put the stretcher down. The wounded officer started to

stir and groan. Finn checked his splinted leg and bandages.

"It's an English voice for sure." Winston said.

"Sounds like he might be in one of those shell craters over

to the left there. Go have a look Finn, I'll wait here."

The Captain regained consciousness.

''What's going on."

''There might be a wounded lad over the way, so we're going

for a look." Winston said.

"Leave him." the Captain said.

"What?" said Finn in surprise.

"I said leave him."

"Why would we do that." Winston said.

"Because I'm telling you to, that's why."

Winston nodded his head as if he was agreeing but said nothing.

"Did you hear me?" The Captain said. " I'm giving you a

direct order to leave behind whoever is out there and get me

back to the lines."

Winston looked at Finn. "This will be on me Finn, go have a look

for our psalm singer."

Finn made his way towards the cluster of shell craters.

"It's going to be on both of you." The Captain said.

Winston stared at the Captain. "I volunteered to fight in this War.

I worked in a coal mine before I enlisted, the same coal mine

that my Father and Uncles are still working in."

"Is that the defence your going to use at your Court martial."

the Captain sneered. "That your poor and uneducated."

Winston resisted the urge to kick him in the face.

"What someone like you will never understand, is how it feels

to live your life with so few choices."

The Captain started to unholster his service pistol.

"I don't care about whatever working class shit hole you lived in

or crawled out of. The penalty for the wilful defiance of military

authority in the face of the enemy is death."

"I agree." Winston said." but it depends on who you think the

enemy is."

*

Finn had reached the first shell crater and found it empty

when he heard the gunshot.

Alert to the possibility of a surprise attack, sentries and

soldiers on duty, on both sides, immediately opened fire.

Finn slid lower into the crater for cover as the air above him

became a storm of undirected gunfire. Bullets splashed on

the rim of the crater.

After a few minutes the gunfire slowed, then just as suddenly

stopped all together. Finn called out to Winston and got

no reply.

Keeping low, he crawled out of the crater and started to run.

From a distance Finn could see that the Captain was off the

stretcher. He was lying face down in a muddy wheel rut and

Winston had a knee on the back of his head drowning him.

The Captain had a gun in his hand.

Finn called out. Winston didn't look up or answer.

As he got closer, Finn saw there was blood on the side of

Winstons' face and in is hair, and that there was at least two

wounds in his chest that were starting to bleed.

"Hang on Winston." Finn called out.

*