“Maybe they will eventually. Probably not. I’ve got nothing else to do, and at least I’ll serve some useful purpose. I’m not doing anyone any good emptying bedpans in Boston and living with my parents. Why not use what we learned in nursing school? When you see what happened in Hawaii and what a mess it was, how many wounded there were; they’re going to need as many medical personnel as they can get. I’m not married, I don’t have kids. I have no reason to stay home. I’d rather go where they need me and do someone some good. The patients I take care of won’t miss me. They can get plenty of old nurses to do what I do. I might as well enlist now and let them send me where I’ll be useful. I’ve been thinking about it, and it really makes sense.” Nothing else did now. She was calm and matter-of-fact about it, and Audrey could tell she had made up her mind. She could also tell that Lizzie didn’t really care if she lived or died at the moment, which worried Audrey.

“Have you told your parents yet?”

“No, I’m sure they’ll have a fit when I do. But I don’t really care. They won the battle against medical school. They won’t win this one. I know I’m right. The army is going to need as many nurses as they can get. Lots of nurses are married and have kids and can’t go. I can. I have nothing to hold me back. My brothers will be going, so why shouldn’t I?” And she wanted to honor Will in some important way.

“Aren’t you scared, Lizzie?” Audrey asked her, and Lizzie shook her head. She looked like a different person since Will had died. She seemed empty and cold. All the joy and life and hope had gone out of her.

“No, I’m not scared. They probably won’t put nurses on the front lines anyway. I’m going to tell my parents when I go back to Boston now, and then I’ll sign up.” Audrey wasn’t sure if she was right or not, but she didn’t want to lose her closest friend. She couldn’t think of joining her, because she had her mother to take care of.

“Where would you go?”

“Wherever they send me. They’ll probably send a lot of the wounded back to the States. They might not send me anywhere, except an army base somewhere in the U.S. Either way, I’m willing to go.”

“I’m impressed,” Audrey said quietly.

“It just feels right. The country is at war. I think young people should go. Women as well as men.” She believed in equality for men and women, which wasn’t a popular point of view.