Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 109 Two Celebrities
When Qin Hao and his "mobile church" arrived at the rear of Verdun, the area was in chaos. The French officer in charge only said one sentence: "The soldiers probably don't have time to pray. If possible, please go to the hospital."

So the Renault truck was quickly moved to a makeshift field hospital before it even saw what the front lines looked like.

Here, Qin Hao saw a scene he was once familiar with—hundreds of wounded soldiers helplessly wailing in tents, the pervasive stench of blood almost making one want to vomit.

The person in charge here is a British military doctor.

“I’m sorry, Father, I may have to talk to you later.”

Thus, Father Putin, who was once treated as an honored guest by the Tsar, followed by millions, and feared and hated by the nobility, was doused with cold water by the people of Britain and France in just one hour and left to languish on the ground.

Helpless, Qin Hao could only stand there alone and observe the situation.

To be fair, France's field medical facilities were several levels better than those of Tsarist Russia, both in terms of personnel quality and the availability of medical supplies.

However, faced with the sudden surge in wounded, the nurses here were clearly overwhelmed.

Most of these medical staff were women, some of whom were nuns, and others were volunteers from various countries. Although they tried their best, some of them, lacking experience, still panicked in the face of the extreme situation.

what! ! ! !

A piercing scream, as if from hell itself.

Blood gushed from a soldier's thigh wound like a small fountain, and the nurse in front of him was terrified by the sight and was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

"God! God! What should I do?!" The young woman's hands were covered in blood, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

"Shut up! You'll upset the wounded!" A clear, distinct French voice rang out, instantly silencing the panicked nurse who had been screaming.

"It's not time to pray to God yet, get out of the way!" A man in a priest's robe snapped at the woman, who bent over. Seeing his forceful demeanor, the nurse instinctively stepped aside.

The sound drew the attention of those around them, and several nurses and lightly wounded people peeked out to look in their direction.

Fortunately, Qin Hao's experiences in Russia had given him considerable expertise in treating external injuries. A few minutes later, the massive bleeding from the wounded soldier's leg was stopped, and the soldier, who had been screaming in agony, gradually quieted down after taking a dose of morphine.

“What superb skill! You are the best priest I have ever seen at bandaging!” The British doctor extended his hand. “Henry Wilson, from Liverpool.”

However, at that moment he noticed that the young priest opposite him was staring at him.

“Father, is there something wrong with me?” the British doctor asked curiously.

"Oh, no, it's nothing, it's just that your name is the same as someone I know," Qin Hao casually brushed it off.

He never expected that the person in front of him would be a celebrity.

Henry Wilson, born into a British medical family, graduated from the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 1896 and was a surgeon and trauma infection specialist.

He invented the "step-down amputation" technique during World War I, reducing the amputation mortality rate he was involved in from 42% to 18%. (This achievement was shared with another French doctor.)
He directly saved 3000 soldiers who needed amputation throughout his life, and countless people benefited from the technology he invented.

He also has an incredibly exaggerated record: during the Battle of the Somme, he worked for 72 hours straight without rest, participating in and guiding 289 amputation surgeries, which led to an infection in his own hand, resulting in the amputation of two fingers and his departure from the operating table.

He died in 1937 from osteomyelitis contracted during the war, and his will stipulated that his ashes be scattered on the Verdun battlefield.

It's hard not to feel a sense of awe when someone like that stands before you.

"Potan Al, it's an honor to meet you!" Qin Hao said the last half of the sentence with utmost sincerity.

“Father Al, thank you for coming, but as you can see, what we need here is more nurses and medicine. Prayer and confession are really…” The Englishman looked at the altar set up on the truck and said somewhat apologetically.

“I completely understand your concerns; these things can be discussed later.”

Upon hearing this, Henry Wilson showed a surprised expression. The other party was surprisingly easy to talk to, which was quite different from his usual rigid impression of clergy.

Thinking of this, he hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke up, "If you really don't mind, could you do us a favor?"

"Please, if I can do that."

The British doctor pointed around and said, "As you can see, this place is already full. Could you use your truck to transport some of the lightly wounded to the rear so that we can bring in new wounded?"

The sound of pages turning rang in Qin Hao's ears as soon as he finished speaking.

The path to redemption is fraught with peril; saints have traversed it, and fire has burned away the thorns.

[Path of the Saints Objective: Transfer half of the wounded from the Second Group Field Hospital within 80 days]

[Hint: Redemption is the only way to victory]

To the British doctor, the young priest opposite him seemed to be in a daze for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face.

"I am honored to be able to help."
-
Thump! The altar with the cross symbol was carried off, the wooden boards of the miniature confessional were removed one by one, and all the religious items in the back of the truck were unloaded.

A priest in a black robe stood at the car door and shouted, "Bring all the wounded on board! Try to get as many people on the bus as possible!"

Everyone in the hospital, including Dr. Henry, was stunned. They hadn't expected that this "battlefield priest" would agree to such a difficult request without the slightest hesitation.

They even dismantled the "sacred relic" in order to accommodate more wounded people.

“Father, isn’t this a bit disrespectful…” the driver asked cautiously. “If I’m to be punished for saving a life, then let the Lord punish me alone!” the black-robed priest replied righteously.

Oh~~
Sighs came from the crowd.

The young priest's words resonated deeply, and in an instant, those who had been hesitant about dismantling the sacred objects showed expressions of shame.

The Renault truck roared up the dirt road and disappeared into the horizon before Dr. Henry turned back to his work.

"What wonderful people! This damned war!"

On the way back, the vehicle was only traveling at one-third of its original speed. Although they were described as lightly injured, each of them had actually lost a lot of blood. The rural roads were only five or six meters wide in total, and some parts were full of potholes.

If it were traveling at full speed, there would be no survivors even by the time it reached Baladik.

As the color faded from the faces of the wounded, Qin Hao had no choice but to pull over to the side of the road to allow them to rest.

However, at this time, the troubles they had encountered before reappeared.

Large numbers of civilians appeared on both sides of the road. Seeing the stopped cars, they waved and approached, hoping to hitch a ride to Baladik. Some impatient ones even started scrambling backwards, disregarding everything else.

The driver, Raymond, cursed a few times, but it had no effect. Just then, the priest in the black robe rolled up his sleeves.

boom! ! ! ! !
A gunshot rang out, and a bullet shot into the sky.

The chaotic crowd fell silent instantly, staring in horror at the seemingly kind priest holding a gun to the sky with one hand, wisps of smoke rising from the muzzle.

"The vehicle is full of soldiers wounded for their country. The military has ordered that anyone who robs a military vehicle at this time will be charged with treason!!!"

People were startled and the crowd parted to both sides of the road, slowly making way for each other.

Qin Hao waved his hand, signaling the driver to start the car, while he followed behind with his pistol.

When the crowd disappeared, both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew, that was close. If things had really gotten chaotic, something terrible would have happened," Raymond Gilbert said, putting his baseball cap back on, still shaken.

"By the way, where did you get the gun?"

"At the hospital and by the officers, you always need something to protect yourself at times like this."

"An order from the military?"

"I just made it up on the spot, is there a problem?"

"Your first aid skills are..."

"In the north, I worked as a battlefield medic for a period of time."

"Northern Belgium? You've been to so many places..."

Quack!

A crow cawed in the carriage, interrupting the two men's conversation. The priest in the black robe's eyes instantly turned menacing.

Looking in his rearview mirror, he saw a slender figure suddenly dart out from the side of the road as the truck slowed down to turn, then desperately grabbing the back of the truck and climbing up.

The man tried very hard, clinging tightly to the edge of the truck with both arms, refusing to let go.

The two people in the car exchanged a glance.

"What should we do? He's in such a dangerous state; if he keeps driving, someone could die," the driver in the baseball cap asked.

"Stop! Get him out of here!" The priest in the black robe pulled out a pistol from his sleeve again.

But when the gun was pointed at the illegal immigrant, both men were stunned. The person in front of them was slender and tall, wearing a beige wool coat, with almond-shaped eyes under long eyelashes, and her high chest was heaving due to the strenuous exercise.

She is a beautiful woman.

"Phew~ Please! Let me up, I have very important business in Paris! Phew~ I can pay, any amount!" the woman pleaded breathlessly.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I’ve already turned down many people, and you’re no exception,” the priest in black robes said coldly, raising his pistol.

"Wait, wait a minute!" Seeing that the other person was about to leave, the woman became anxious. "I, I used to, I used to study nursing. I can take care of the wounded! I can help! Don't leave me behind!"

The two looked again. Due to the shortage of manpower, they really didn't bring any nurses this time to transport the wounded. The priest in black robes was the one who kept looking after the people behind them all the way.

After thinking for a moment, Qin Hao slowly said, "There's only enough room for you to squat down in the car. If you can help take care of the injured, then come on up."

"Phew~ Thank you! Thank you! I can help!" The woman's face was full of surprise.

"Oh, by the way, I haven't asked your name yet?"

"Chanel, my name is Chanel."

(End of this chapter)