Cassie DePeckel

If this man dies during the operation, a nurse will be shot dead in retaliation.

It's mid-September 1943, in the infirmary at Los Baños prison camp.

20 minutes ago, a Japanese medical officer named Shigeru burst in with a friend suffering from acute appendicitis.

Nance insisted on operating and brought in two additional nurses, Mary Rose Harrington and Susie Pitcher.

Shigeru also summoned someone, a guard with a rifle.

Dorothy glances at him now and shudders.

When everything is ready, Nance turns to Dorothy.

Nurse Dorothy, put him under.

Dorothy grabs a can of ether and sloshes some onto a rack.

Its fruity smell fills the room as she places the cloth over the patient's mouth and nose.

A minute later, he sinks into oblivion.

As soon as he's under, Nance holds out his hand.

Scalpel.

Dorothy passes him the scalpel and Nance slices into the man's torso in one smooth motion.

Then Nance curses.

He's bleeding more than he should be.

Nurse Harrington, grab that gauze.

We've got to staunch this.

Mary Rose Harrington snatches the white cotton from the table and presses it into the incision to stem the flow of blood.

Susie Pitcher jumps in to help her, but the gauze quickly turns bright red, soaked through with blood.