[Gone with the Wind] Back to the beginning

"Scarlett, why did you come back to Atlanta all of a sudden? Did something happen to Tara? Can I help you?"

When such a word full of concern came out of Rhett's mouth lightly, Scarlett felt that the worries, fears and grievances she had suppressed with great difficulty surged out again.But Scarlett fought back those emotions.After a long time, when she felt that she could finally restrain herself, she spoke in a nasal voice, her eyes wandering in front of the car:

"I don't know if you're still in Atlanta. I think you're probably gone, but I've got to come back, my mother—" She took a sharp breath and sniffed hard, "My mother has Typhoid."

Such a frightful fact could be said so lightly, thought Scarlett unconsciously.Grief was a moment later to overwhelm her.Scarlett didn't turn her head to look at Rhett's expression, but the eyes staring at her were obviously softer, with warmth covering her clasped hands, which were Rhett's hands.He pulled away her pinched hands that were about to bleed, put those two little hands together in his palm, and listened to her with concern.He understood all she meant.

"—she donated her typhoid medicine to the doctor before, but I don't know anything. Now she's well, she's sick. Rhett, there's nothing else I can do. All I know is Atlanta and a little Hope, though I don't know..."

"I can find a way to get the medicine, but it will take some time."

Rhett interrupted her and said so.

He still didn't let go of Scarlett's hand.Scarlett raised her head and looked at him for a moment, and finally squeezed out only "thank you" from her throat.But Rhett rubbed her hair, and buried all the questions he wanted to get answers deep in his heart, and only gave his girl the comfort she wanted most at the moment: "Don't worry too much, I will contact you soon." my friend."

Hearing these words, Scarlett finally recovered her voice: "Any amount is fine, but please—" Those green eyes showed a trace of uncommon anxiety and fragility, "Hurry up, Rhett, please .”

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The days of waiting are always anxious.

At the end of the day, Rhett drops Scarlett at the door of Aunt Pete's house, and doesn't leave until she walks through the door.The next day, he sent a message: Atlanta's typhoid medicine was indeed in short supply, but seven days later a train would come to Atlanta carrying various medicines.These medicines are military supplies and cannot be used by civilians.Rhett would buy some extra through his personal connections and follow the train.

Seven days, then she can get the medicine around August [-]th and return to Tara before September [-]st.Scarlett repeatedly counted the time, and despite her embarrassment, she would not be dragged to the point where the city was broken in her previous life—that was also the day her mother died, so the mother who has medicine in this life can persist until she returns, right?Surely you can?

But are there unknown dangers lurking on the journey home?Will another disease take the mother's life again with undeniable desperation?Would the pack—the Yankees who had used Tara as their headquarters—still leave her home?Scarlett wasted too much worry, especially when there was nothing she could do but wait.Under such circumstances, she would rather keep herself busy and tired than think too much.So she went back to the hospital again.

Returning to Atlanta was not a secret move. Although many ladies had fled because of the war, the remaining ladies were still enough to barely support the size of the Atlanta social circle.News of Scarlett's return to Atlanta spread quickly, and the shortage of staff in the hospital was well known.In order to relieve the anxiety of waiting, Scarlett returned to the hospital.

The hospital is no longer clean and tidy, filled with the smell of disinfectant water. Everyone’s face is full of exhaustion and numbness, and their sleeves are stained with blood, but it’s no surprise. Flocks of flies are flying towards the stumps of the wounded, causing them to groan again and again. | Yin: "Oh, miss, give me some water! Please give me some water!"

The stench of the smoky sky is disgusting, and the steaming heat wave makes the nausea even worse.Scarlett pulled the skirt out of the wounded's hand, said sorry and had to quickly walk to the operating room with alcohol and gauze.Dr. Meade had an operation, and there were no more nurses to spare.Although her identity is still protected as an unmarried lady, under the persecution of the war, it is inevitable that she has contact with the seriously injured.Dr. Meade felt very guilty about this, but Scarlett didn't feel anything wrong. After all, she had seen a lot in her previous life, and she didn't regard herself as an unmarried girl.

After delivering the surgical supplies, Dr. Meade signaled Scarlett to leave the operating room, even though he really needed an assistant.Scarlett hesitated for a moment, but said in the face of the doctor's puzzled eyes, "I can stay and help you, Doctor Meade."

Recently, for some reason, Scarlett has been severely condemned by morality in her heart, and she can't feel at ease about many things as before.Rhett once described her as "like a thief, not regretting stealing, but regretting being caught and punished", and now Scarlett is in this state. She is regretting for what she once committed. sins.Ellen's fate-like illness made her superstitious mind uneasy. The simple idea of ​​doing good deeds is like a life-saving straw. Once Scarlett grasped it, she refused to let it go. What's more, she couldn't grasp anything else at the moment. .She said in an almost pleading tone: "Let me stay, doctor."

She is not a lady in the boudoir, and she is not afraid of seeing the body of a seriously injured person.She is selfish, usually wishing to be lazy and happy, but now for the sake of her mother, what can she do?Scarlett finished this sentence almost with tears in her eyes. When she finished speaking, Dr. Meade was immediately moved.

"I'm sorry, son, for asking you to make such a sacrifice. I swear on my honor that your righteous deed today will never be the object of ridicule in the future." The doctor solemnly swore, "Thank you for your great cause." sacrifice."

Scarlett closed her eyes.

This is also very good, right?Even though they couldn't understand each other, they finally got what they wanted.Besides, how many of these wounded would die for want of medicines, given that she could get them through Rhett's personal connections?

"Let's do the operation as soon as possible. I'm so glad I can help." Scarlett said as she arranged things to hide her uneasiness.But when her eyes turned to the patient on the bed, she was really stunned:

"Tommy Wellborn?"

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The man lying in the hospital bed was Tommy Welburne.

"Scarlett, do you know this young man?" Dr. Meade asked strangely, and immediately got into the intense preparations for the operation. He almost forgot about it when he asked the question, "Son, I will try my best." Protect you from seeing the man's body, but there are inevitably special circumstances-tell me, have you really thought about it?

"Think about it, it doesn't matter." Scarlett replied, but her thoughts were not on that at all.Isn't Tommy from Sparta?How come it's in Atlanta? —Oh, yes, Fanny mentioned once that Tommy dropped out of school to join the army in 1862, and was treated in Atlanta for his wounds during the war, and she had nursed him for two days in a previous life.Even in this life, this is not the first time we have met.Scarlett suddenly remembered that the wounded soldier who first invited her to dance at the Atlanta ball when she reunited with Rhett was Tommy Wellborn!It's just that the difference between him at that time and the last Tommy in Scarlett's impression in her previous life was too great. In addition, Scarlett didn't have much contact with Tommy in her previous life, so she couldn't recognize him.

Scarlett recalled that in her previous life, Tommy had suffered from the root cause of his illness when he was being treated in Atlanta, and since then he has limped and walked away.But these—whether it’s the prom or the injury are not the reasons why Scarlett remembers him. For Scarlett, the most important point is—Tommy Welburn died because of Scarlett O’Hara of.