HER HANDS #12

Installment 12

Scenes 51 – 52

Chapter 6

The uniformed men, members of the Service des Santes des Armees and the Defence Ministry, of which the SSA was a part, sat at the large oak table motionless. The military and medical officers were about to address a matter which none of them remotely comprehended; the malaise, hysteria, imbecility which was being reported as running rampant through the ranks of the enlisted men at the front. First observed at the beginning of the war after the battle at Mons, increasing through the Charleroi engagement and ever more so through and since the Marne battle, the dispatches had reached these men of the highest order. Confident men all, accustomed to issuing orders that always mattered, yet none had the understanding nor the language to order a solution to the unprecedented situation as they had heard it described. That was why the military command had tasked the Medecin General Inspecteur and his command to regard the mass of imbeciles as more than a novel challenge of filling beds with the harmed, and discharging them when healed.

The information from several sites and sources indicated there was very little healing of these men taking place, a potential logistical crisis in the making. The SSA command, in concert with the military command, had ordered that these men, still in their imbecilic states, must be discharged from hospitals and other treatment facilities in order to make room for those physically wounded needing extensive care, arriving en masse from the front. Some of those discharged were sent to asylums throughout France while most were simply being released into the general population, to family in the best of circumstances. If allowed to continue, the leadership faced the potential devastation of public morale that could cripple the war effort.

The gathered generals and colonels had also heard that, with the shortage of logistical support, a great many of these men so afflicted were being left at the front; howling or comatose in the trenches, wandering the wastelands. Each officer present knew that such a situation could wreak havoc among the fighting men witnessing their fellows in such conditions. This contagion could potentially infect a great number of the men at the front if not eradicated or at least contained. It was reported from the Marne that there were men who cowered, supposedly unable to move or speak when the orders came down to charge the enemy. Some were shot as to be made an example of but to no avail. Most were spared, their numbers too great. Otherwise it would have been a mass execution.

In informal conversations among themselves, the generals and colonels concurred that these men – those who were truly suffering from some exotic malaise and those who mimicked their behavior to avoid facing enemy fire – could obliterate the war effort. That was why, a few weeks earlier they had agreed to appoint sharp minded SSA Medecin Principal, Major Lucas Bouchard, to investigate this malaise phenomenon from a medical perspective. Their decision was a signal of their need approaching desperation that they considered a solution be sought other than through direct command and dutiful obedience by the enlisted men.

Major Bouchard entered the room, the scent of the Parisian winter still clinging to his great coat. The seated officers nodded. He was young. Their faith in him had yet to be earned.

Medecin en Chef, Colonel Armand, rose to introduce his junior officer. “Gentlemen, as requested, Major Bouchard has begun his investigation into what we will refer to as the Malaise Mental, which has manifested with men at the front and continued long after they have been removed from that theater. I emphasize this investigation has only begun, and so what you will hear is a preliminary report. No written report has been generated and will not be generated until we attain a modestly comprehensive understanding of this plight.”

The colonel, a medical professional addressing a room full of hardened warriors and wizened physicians, caught himself in his brazen declaration. He corrected himself. “Unless of course such a report should be desired and commanded.” Before one of those assembled could issue such a command, Colonel Armand continued. Perhaps you should hear from Major Bouchard to understand the complex yet ambiguous nature of the observations to date, keeping in mind it has been a mere few weeks of observation.”

Major Bouchard stood before the senior officers, each watching him with a palpable intensity signaling their need for him to explain what was happening with these men. Bouchard did not flinch from the duty he faced.

“Sirs, I want to begin by saying that what you have heard about these men’s behaviors may be true or may not be. In these weeks I have heard many tales of outlandish conduct which have been certifiably untrue.” He paused. “And I have learned of many behaviors that have been chronicled that are cause for great concern, which I will detail this afternoon and in any report I am commanded to produce.” He met each man’s eyes and continued. “In these matters there is a great danger to ascribe to rumors, to incorrect information, to unfounded notions of responses to this malaise mental. We will investigate and we will provide you with proven effective responses to this scourge.”

The major then listed many symptoms that he was confident to have been observed among the afflicted men: deafness without apparent physiological correlation; muteness; blindness without physiological correlation; comatose-like immobility; uncontrolled weeping, anguish, rage – all without correlative provocation. Bouchard witnessed his superiors’ various expressions of incomprehension, doubt, disgust, concern. He noted who might be his allies and his hindrances to his future endeavor.

“Yes, all of these symptoms and many more equally disturbing. Why are we ascribing all these various behaviors to the malaise? What they have in common, as we understand the syndrome to date, is first, none of them are an appropriate response to an immediate stimuli; second, all of the afflictions involved men who had experienced recent combat, most notably being present at sites of sustained artillery bombardment; and third, rarely do these behaviors significantly abate, even when the afflicted men have been removed from the front and received traditional medical care in hospital settings and the like.”

This detail of the report caused the gathered officers considerable concern: if these manifestations rarely subside, these men are unfit for battle and will continue so. A couple of the officers equated the mental damage that had been described to that of a man losing his leg in combat: not fit to serve, simply put. What made all of this so alarming were the very large numbers of men so afflicted.

A colonel asked Major Bouchard whether the Germans were also experiencing this phenomena.

“Yes sir, there are reports of such occurrences among the Germans. The British as well.”

All the men nodded, and were tentatively relieved. This blight might not necessarily work to their strategic disadvantage. Did the major know how widespread this this among the enemy? Bouchard responded they had only scattered preliminary reports. Was the cause something in the air? The soil? Bouchard reported that, to date , there had been no identification of a physiological cause. The officers were baffled; so what could it be, they demanded.

The Major was not intimidated: they would continue to gather data from the field, from the hospitals and the asylums where these men were placed and cared for, in search for an understanding of this malady. He promised he would provide ongoing reports of the nature and prevalence of the affliction together with any evidence indicating the cause or causes. In the rush of his response, Bouchard had overstepped the bounds he had set for his report when he added, “At this time it presents as some type of mental or nerve damage caused by the stress of combat.”

The officers dismissed that last statement as foolishness: men had been at war since time immemorial and never before had there been reported such behavior. Complete nonsense. One of the generals insisted, “Perhaps you should refrain from reaching conclusions until you have sufficient information to support such a notion.” To his fellow officers he recommended that Blouchard’s notion not leave the room. All nodded in agreement, each imagining the devastating impact on morale among the troops and the populace that such an idea could engender.

Chastened, Major Bouchard agreed to exclude that remark from any further report or presentation until adequately proven. The Inspector General instructed the colonel supervising Bouchard, “Colonel Armand, you are to thoroughly vet all reports before they are distributed to ensure that the notion that the injuries are related to exposure to combat. Am I clear? This is an order.” The colonel affirmed he understood. The Major General added, “This is of the utmost importance and you are responsible for the situation. Nothing less than full compliance is required and expected.” “Yes, of course.” Armand looked at Bouchard, who met his gaze unflinching.

***

“Sisters.” Mother Clothilde nodded to the four nuns present; her administrative assistant, the two charge nurses, and Sister Claire – Sarah’s Joan, whom she had invited to meet with her to discuss a “development”. “It seems the reports we have been submitting to the Service de Santes des Armees have been noted, and they will be sending an observer to monitor our processes. Do any of you see that as presenting a difficulty?”

The others shook their heads but Joan spoke. “What processes? We are feeling our way through each day, barely comprehending, no, not comprehending what we are facing or how we are to respond. Who calls what we are doing “processes”? Joan leaned back. The other nuns stirred uncomfortably but the agreed with what Sister Claire had said.

Mother Clothilde responded. “Process” is meant to encapsulate what you have been doing. I don’t believe anyone has a notion that we have established any formal processes.”

Joan again. “One would think that the high ranking doctors of the Health Ministry would be recommending processes, instructing us on effective protocols. Respectfully, Mother, might this observer in fact be an instructor, being sent to inform us how to better serve these unfortunates?”

The Mother Superior nodded. “I don’t believe so. The cable I received speaks of the appointment to serve the development of better understanding of this malady of imbecility, which was characterized as ‘widespread.’”

Joan brightened, shifting from one foot to the other. This could be superb. “We could have a channel to the greatest physicians in France to share our experience and their learning to treat this affliction. Perhaps to cure it!” The young woman, beaming, clapped the shoulder of the nun standing next to her.

Mother Clothilde, infected by Sister Claire’s enthusiasm, forced a measured response. “Perhaps. We shall see, won’t we.” The program director was pleased with herself for having chosen Sister Claire for this meeting; she could be an invaluable asset for their treatment developments, and perhaps with relations with the SSA itself. If she is not too brash.

The Mother Superior dismissed the women. “I will let you know when the observer arrives so that you may meet him and hear what his needs and expectations may be.”

Joan had a flash of inspiration; to her superior, “Mother, may Sarah LaMontaigne be included in that meeting? She seems to have developed a proficiency in observing and addressing symptoms of this malady. She may be of use to contribute her experience first hand.” The other nuns held back their responses, searching for a cue from their superior.

Any concern Mother Clothilde may have had about Sister Claire and her friend, the young nurses’ aide, taking over the development of processes, was squelched by the nun’s immediate recall of Sarah’s consistently excellent daily reports. “That is an exceptional idea, Sister Claire.” To her administrative assistant, “Please make a note to include Mademoiselle LaMontaigne in notice of the meeting.” The other nuns nodded and smiled their agreement. The Mother Superior added graciously, “And if there is any other you would recommend, please let me know.

Sister Claire, Joan, was ecstatic. “May we share this information with our colleagues?”

She is going to be a handful. “No, I will make that announcement at our next shared shift meal.” She fixed her eyes on Sister Claire’s. “Understand?”

The young woman nodded. “Oui.” She would not say a word. She then asked. “Do we know when the observer will arrive?