The Face of Heaven by Murray Pura Page A

you right now and I need you to stay through the night.” She looked at Hiram. “Thank you for bringing Miss Keim here, Mr. Wright. I will see she gets to her lodgings in the morning. George will drive her.”
    Hiram held his derby hat in his hands. “It’s no trouble for me, Miss Sharon. Or her brother here, Levi Keim.”
    Miss Sharon briefly inclined her head. “Mr. Keim. I’m told you will be going to the front in Mr. Wright’s company to enlist with the ambulance service.”
    Levi had removed his broad-brimmed straw hat. The news surprised him and he twisted the hat about in his hands. “I had thought I might be of some use here.”
    “No doubt you would be, Mr. Keim. But we lack strong, healthy men at the front to carry the wounded safely from the field, sometimes under fire. A strapping boy like you would be of enormous benefit to the Union as an ambulance attendant.”
    Levi glanced at Lyndel. “Well…”
    Miss Sharon caught his look. “Your sister will be quite safe here, young man. Believe me, my girls are treated with honor and respect in this hospital and in the community. No fear of that.”
    Levi nodded quickly. “Yes, ma’am. Of course.”
    “Now you two had best be off. Miss Keim has much work to do and not much time to learn it before our next casualties come in from Virginia. Thank you—you may come by for her at eight o’clock if you insist.”
    She shooed Hiram and Levi toward the door like cattle. Levi craned his neck to look back at Lyndel. “My sister’s been traveling all day, ma’am.”
    “She’s young and strong. She’ll be fine.”
    “I’ll telegraph Mother and Father and tell them we’ve arrived safely,” he called to his sister.
    She smiled. “Thank you.”
    Miss Sharon shut the door behind Levi and Hiram. Then she picked up a lamp.
    “Follow me, Miss Keim. You may leave your travel bag here by the desk for the present.”
    Lyndel walked behind Miss Sharon down the hall into a ward with beds neatly lining both sides. The lightning from the east ignited the room for a moment and clearly showed what the quiet moans and gasps had already told her—bearded heads sunk on pillows, bodies without arms, legs without feet, faces without eyes. She smelled blood and clenched her hands into fists. The thunder banged and almost made her jump. The storm had moved closer to Washington again.
    Once the lightning was gone, the ward was dark but for two or three lamps. There was only one nurse and she was bending over a bed at the far end. Miss Sharon continued to stare at the soldiers, holding the light in her hand at eye level. For the longest time she said nothing and Lyndel waited, praying.
    Lord, this is why I have come. What did you feel like inside when you saw all the suffering and death? Help me to make a difference at least something like the way you made a difference.
    “They need to be shaved and have their hair combed, Miss Keim,”Miss Sharon suddenly spoke up. “Their wounds and sores need to be cleaned again and dried. Fresh bandages must be applied. If they are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. Should they ask for hot coffee there is a pot on the kitchen stove. If they are restless, comfort them. If they are sleeping, let them sleep.” She turned to face Lyndel and her eyes glistened in the light she held. “I have found such simple things save lives. Just such simple things. If we could do that for all of them within an hour of their wounding we’d save so many more.
    “But nurses like you and me are not permitted on the battlefield. It takes days to bring them to Washington. Think how many more would live if we were there with them, Miss Keim.”
    Lightning stabbed at the windows again. The thunder roared almost immediately. The storm was right on top of them. Suddenly rain began to crash against the roof and the panes of the windows.
    This was only one of many buildings full of casualties. And Lyndel was aware that Armory