The Hospital Preparations for War

Atonement

Follows the transformation of St. Thomas's Hospital as it prepares for the influx of casualties from Dunkirk, seen through Briony's eyes.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The emptying wards The emptying wards from "Atonement". The Calm Before the Storm The Gradual Departure Patients are slowly discharged or transferred. The wards become emptier, the beds stripped and scrubbed.

The emptying wards from "Atonement". The Calm Before the Storm The Gradual Departure Patients are slowly discharged or transferred. The wards become emptier, the beds stripped and scrubbed.

The Calm Before the Storm The Gradual Departure Patients are slowly discharged or transferred. The wards become emptier, the beds stripped and scrubbed. New supplies arrive: dressings, medicines, Bunyan bags for burns. The hospital is preparing for something big. The Rumors The nurses hear rumors of a disaster in France. The newspapers speak of "strategic withdrawals." The staff know that a large number of casualties is expected. The atmosphere is tense, a mixture of dread and readiness. The Training Briony and the other probationers are drilled in new procedures. They learn to handle mass casualties, to prioritize the wounded, to work under pressure. The training is intense, but nothing can fully prepare them for what is to come.

The arrival of the wounded The arrival of the wounded from "Atonement". The Deluge The First Wave Briony and Fiona return from a walk in St. James's Park to find the hospital overwhelmed.

The arrival of the wounded from "Atonement". The Deluge The First Wave Briony and Fiona return from a walk in St. James's Park to find the hospital overwhelmed.

The Deluge The First Wave Briony and Fiona return from a walk in St. James's Park to find the hospital overwhelmed. Army lorries and ambulances are unloading wounded soldiers from Dunkirk. The men are filthy, exhausted, and horribly injured. The Triage Briony is thrown into the work. She helps carry stretchers, clean wounds, and comfort the dying. She sees amputations, burns, and head injuries. The reality of war is brutal and immediate. She is sickened but keeps working. The Transformation The experience changes Briony. She learns to be efficient and compassionate. She sees the cost of war firsthand. Her own guilt is put in perspective—there is suffering far greater than her own. She resolves to do her duty and, if possible, to make amends for her past.

The death of Luc Cornet The death of Luc Cornet from "Atonement". A Personal Loss The French Soldier Sister Drummond sends Briony to sit with a young French soldier, Luc Cornet, who is dying from a head wound.

The death of Luc Cornet from "Atonement". A Personal Loss The French Soldier Sister Drummond sends Briony to sit with a young French soldier, Luc Cornet, who is dying from a head wound.

A Personal Loss The French Soldier Sister Drummond sends Briony to sit with a young French soldier, Luc Cornet, who is dying from a head wound. Luc mistakes her for a girl from his village. Briony plays along, holding his hand and letting him believe she is his fiancée. The Vigil Briony stays with Luc as he rambles about his family, his father's bakery, his sister's piano playing. He asks her to loosen his bandages. When she does, she sees the extent of his injury—part of his skull is missing, revealing his brain. She is horrified but stays calm. The Death Luc dies peacefully, calling her "Tallis." Briony is deeply moved. She has never been so close to death before. The experience reinforces her commitment to nursing and her desire to atone. She whispers her real name to him as he dies, a small act of intimacy.

spring 1940

late May 1940