The Legend of Lilia by Christopher P. Redwine

Author:Christopher P. Redwine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-16T16:31:43+00:00

Chapter 9

The steam locomotive chugged north, returning Lilia to her hometown of Moscow. It was a great reversal in the direction of her life. For the first time in nearly two years she was being taken away from the fight instead of rushing headlong into it. What might Moscow be like after so much time away? Lilia was taken directly to the hospital from the central train station. The hospital itself was filled to capacity. Every bit of space that could fit a bed did. Every room and hallway was filled with soldiers in various states of recovery. Yet it was not at all like the front. Though chaotic, there was some order and cleanliness to it. A nurse appeared before Lilia as though she had been expected.

“Lieutenant Litvyak?” the nurse asked softly.

“Yes,” Lilia replied, holding herself up with a crutch.

“This way please,” the nurse replied, leading her down the hall.

A day later, Lilia lay in a hospital bed. Across the room was a small window that offered a glimpse of scattered clouds and a piece of the city’s skyline. Patches of snow were still scattered around Moscow, in parks and on sidewalks. The sun would come out for a day and melt some of it away. The next day clouds would appear and bring a light dust of snow flurries. By shooting down the Junckers 88, she had earned her fourth star. The Messerschmitt 109 would be her fifth. Lilia Litvyak had returned to her hometown as the world’s first female ace.

The nurse had helped prepare Lilia for further the surgery to her leg. She was washed and dressed in a hospital gown. The bandages from the field hospital were removed and her wound was cleaned and lightly dressed. The surgeon had assessed the damage to her leg and devised a plan to put her back together as Lilia slept through the night. The nurse returned again mid-morning with a wheelchair. “The doctor is ready for you now,” she said.

Lilia’s wound had been numbed, yet she grit her teeth at the prickling sensation of the surgeon at work. She stared at the ceiling, letting her mind escape to somewhere else. With the nurse by his side, the surgeon worked diligently in repairing Lilia’s leg, and carefully made stitches over his work. When he finished, he instructed the nurse to wrap the wound in fresh gauze.

“We must keep this very still for at least a few days.” The doctor said quietly to the nurse. The nurse then put a brace on Lilia’s leg to keep it straight. The doctor turned to Lilia. “How do you feel?” He asked.

Lilia returned her consciousness to the hospital and the moment, looking down at the leg brace and fresh gauze. “It’s a bit numb,” she replied.

“You may feel a little pain when the anesthetic wears off. The nurse will give you something for it.” The doctor continued.

The nurse and doctor then lifted her from the operating table to the wheel chair.

“How long will it take to heal?” Lilia asked.

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