NEW STORY! (I know, I know, what is she doing, writing a new story when she has all these other ones to finish?) Well, this is a story that has a very clear (to me) deadline, and that I was inspired to write with August's Rock the AU theme: WW1. While (sadly) I still haven't had a chance to watch "The Crimson Field", the show's premise did inspire me as well, to write an S/T AU with Sybil as a nurse on the front lines, and so with that idea in mind *and* with this month's theme, I couldn't resist.

However, this story, as I said, does have a clear-ish deadline, because I am going to *try* to do one of those 30-Day writing challenges, where as often as possible, try to update this story. I am realistic enough to know that that may not happen *every* day (as much as I want to) however, I am going to try, and the chapters will remain somewhat "short" (1000 words or less) and each chapter will be "guided" by a piece of dialogue (obtained through a drabble-prompt post I saw on tumblr). So anyway, HERE is this new story, posted today on Aug. 4, the 100th anniversary of Britain's announcement that they were entering The Great War.

Dedicating this to Patano (happy belated birthday!)

PROMPT: "Give me your hand."

The Clover Among the Poppies
A "rock the WW1" AU
by The Yankee Countess

November, 1916

The others are all looking at her with disgust, not that she can blame them. She has her head hanging over the side of the lorry, and every few seconds she vomits anew. God, her stomach hurts. She's been sick ever since their journey began across the Channel.

"Just hang on a little longer, Sybil! We're almost there!"

She's grateful for the familiar voice of her cousin, though really, the words "almost there" are what really bring her relief. She can trust Matthew to not mention any of this to her family back home. If her mother could see her now, she would no doubt swoop in and wrap her up in cotton wool, whisking her back to Downton, while chastising her on this "mad desire" to join the Red Cross.

That was two years ago.

She still remembers that day, the Downton Garden Party, how it was sunny and beautiful, the perfect ending to her first season in London. During the entire journey back from London, her mother could talk nothing more than her various prospects with Lord so-and-so, already planning the wedding before there was a groom.

Who knows? If the War hadn't happened, maybe she would be married by now?

But War did happen. And it still chills her, to remember how that beautiful day was interrupted by her father's announcement that Britain was at war with Germany.

August 4, 1914. A month later, Cousin Matthew enlisted, along with a great many others.

Poor fools; they didn't know then what they know now. But really, what does she know? She's heard stories during her training at the college, and during the months she's served at the hospital. But she's never seen the horror first hand…

Till now.

"We're here!" she hears Matthew cry from where he's sitting, and Sybil lifts her head to finally take in the landscape around her.

The camp is littered with tents, spread evenly around. There are small campfires here and there, and soldiers of varying ranks walking about. Most are privates from what she can see, but there are some officers, though they seem to stay clumped together, talking amongst themselves, yet all seem to pause in their conversation as they watch the lorry pull up.

The vehicle comes to a bit of a jerking halt, which doesn't do her sensitive stomach any favors. Two privates rush forward and open the back of the lorry, and it isn't missed by Sybil how the nurses who were sitting close to her, are the first who rush to exit the back of the truck.

"Well, here we are!" Matthew announces once again, coming around to the back of the lorry, and looking far too cheerful for a man who has returned to the front. But she knows he's doing that for her benefit, to put her at ease. He had promised her parents that he would look out for her, and she truly does believe that if not for Matthew, her parents would have done everything in their power to prevent her from making the journey to France.

"Capt. Crawley!" a young man calls, and Matthew is momentarily distracted by the soldier, turning to salute the man before listening to whatever news he has to deliver.

Sybil is the last to exit the lorry, and while her stomach is still churning, ever so slightly, she decides to climb down herself despite it…which turns out not to have been her best idea, as her legs are a bit shaky, and her head is spinning slightly, and she no doubt would have made an even bigger fool of herself…if a strong hand hadn't reached for her then, grasping her elbow to keep her balanced.

She turns to the stranger, and stares…her own eyes unblinking as she gazes back at the bluest eyes she's ever seen.

"Give me your hand," the stranger murmurs, offering his free hand (the one that isn't holding onto her elbow) for her to grasp.

Irish, she realizes, at the sound of his accent. It's at that moment that she realizes his uniform isn't like any of the soldiers around her. And he's wearing an armband, similar to her own, with the image of the Red Cross. Is he a medic? A doctor? A—

"Sybil?"

She's shaken by the sound of a familiar voice saying her name. She turns her head and gasps as she recognizes a familiar face to go with that voice. "Tom!?"

"HA! It is you!" her childhood friend exclaims, coming over to where she's standing, and relieving the stranger from his duties of helping her down. Sybil turns her head to thank the man, but he's already walking away.

"Well, I don't know whether to be surprised or not," her friend chuckles, drawing her attention back to him. "You did say, if memory serves, that 'by hook or by crook', you would be serving at the front lines, along with the rest of Britain's finest."

Sybil blushes, remembering statement, one she had made after she had completed her training in York.

"Indeed, which explains why you're here! Though I suppose I should address you properly, Dr. Bellasis."

"Actually," he chuckles. "It's Capt. Bellasis now, Nurse Crawley."

"Good heavens!" Sybil gasps. "Well…congratulations; was it recent? Imogen didn't mention anything—"

"My sister prefers not to dwell on anything related to the War," he sighs. "Including her brother. But enough of that, come! I'll show you the nurses station and our meager 'hospital wing', where you will meet Sister Agatha. A word of warning—she never smiles."

Despite her nervousness, Sybil does giggle and for the briefest of moments, manages to forget that she's in a foreign land, thousands of miles away from home, and that just beyond their camp, the distant sounds of gunfire can be heard.

War is everywhere, and now, she's in the thick of it.

To be continued...

Thank you for reading! Would love to hear what you think!