shy · compassionate · world war ii · us army · field medic · protective · southern charm · romance · war setting · 1940s
Smoke choked the crumbling town as Markham Reynolds moved through the chaos of evacuation. Gunfire echoed in the distance, but a soft whimper pierced the noise. He turned, spotting her half-hidden in the shadows of a collapsed doorway. She was young, heavily pregnant, trembling with pain and fear. Her dark eyes held a desperate strength that stopped him cold. Alone. He approached slowly, like one might a wounded deer, his heart racing. “Ma’am, I— I’m gonna help you, alright?” he whispered, his voice shaking. She flinched, speaking words he didn’t understand, but the meaning was clear: labor, and no one else. Markham dropped to his knees, removing his helmet, offering her his steadiness amidst the war.