‘Is everybody safe? Bess? Nancy?’ April asked anxiously.
‘We managed to get most people to safety, thank God, but there are several people unaccounted for, including Sister Williams and Rachel Harris. Bess and Nancy have gone with some of the patients who have been moved to the nurses’ home, and we’ve got ambulances taking patients to various safe places around Truro. The main worry is fire, at the moment, so we’re trying to get everyone to safety as quickly as possible.’
‘Sister Williams and Rachel? Oh no.’ April rested her head on the table and wept. She hadn’t known either well, but they were part of the hospital family, and their loss was unimaginable.
‘Come on now, nurse, no time for tears.’ Dr Stafford patted her shoulder awkwardly. ‘Give me a few minutes for a quick check-up of the little lad, and then I’ll see to you. Major Dunbar, thank you and your associates very much. We are all incredibly grateful.’
‘Well, if it hadn’t been for Nurse Harvey here and her sharp ears, we never would have found little Stevie. She’s been magnificent.’
April raised her head and gave him a watery smile. ‘As have you, major. I would never have been able to rescue him without you.’
‘It really was my pleasure.’ He took her hand and smiled deep into her eyes. In the grey of his face, his eyes looked startlingly green, and his teeth very white. Even in such desperate circumstances, April’s stomach did a little flip.
‘Now, I’ll leave you in the doctor’s capable hands. I need to see if there are any other of my men around. I had no idea that A.J. was here, so I better see who else is. But wait here for me, April. I’ll take you and anyone else home that I can fit in the jeep.’
April glanced at Eunice at those words and noticed a deep flush rise up her friend’s face. Once they had a moment to talk, she decided she was going to find out what on earth was going on.
Chapter 14
By midnight, the cafeteria was almost empty. Most people had been evacuated and Eunice had gone to help at the nurses’ home, where so many of the patients had been taken. There’d be little sleep for anyone that night.
April had wanted to help, but the doctor had given her strict instructions to rest. Her injuries weren’t serious, but she was very shaky, so she hadn’t demurred. She sat in the cafeteria waiting for Crawford to take her home and thought about the stories of bravery and near-misses that she’d heard. The children’s ward had been badly damaged, and yet even so, almost everyone had escaped, thank goodness. But it was the girl who manned the switchboard who seemed to have had the luckiest escape. When the bomb had exploded, tons of masonry had fallen around her, and yet rescuers had managed to pull her out of a window with nothing more than a few cuts and bruises.
April lay her head on the table, and before she knew it, she was asleep. She was shaken awake by a gentle hand on her shoulder.
‘April, honey, sorry to be so long, but it’s time to take you home.’
She blinked sleepily and smiled at Crawford. Considering they’d only just met, she felt as if she’d known him for years, and the sound of his voice made her feel secure.
She got up, swaying slightly, and Crawford put his arm around her protectively. ‘Lucky I had a full tank of petrol today. I’ve been ferrying people backwards and forwards all night. You’re my last trip.’ He grinned to her. ‘I’ve always liked to save the best till last. Come on, honey, you look all in. Tell me where you live and we’ll be there in a jiffy – as you Brits say.’
April leaned her head on his shoulder and allowed him to guide her out into the night. In the moonlight, she could make out the ruins of the south wing, still smouldering after fire had swept through it, and it brought tears to her eyes.
‘How are we ever going to be able to treat people tomorrow?’ she asked in despair.
‘It’ll be back up and running in no time. I’ll make sure to send some of my men down to help, and I know everyone in Truro will pitch in. But for now, you need to sleep. Who do you live with?’ Crawford hoisted her up into the passenger seat of the jeep.
‘Oh my goodness! Poor Mrs Teague will be beside herself. I should have got word to her before now. She does worry about me. She’s my landlady. Oh, she’ll adore you, Crawford. Hopefully having you bring me home will help take her mind off the tragedy.’
‘Well, if she looks after you so well, I reckon I’ll adore her too.’ Crawford started the engine and they drove slowly out of the hospital gates.
*
The house at Daniel Road was dark when they arrived. But then, she supposed, Mrs Teague would be too scared to show even a chink of light after the horrendous events of the night. Crawford helped her down and kept his arm around her as they walked up the path.
As soon as they knocked on the door, it was thrown open, and Mrs Teague, holding an old oil lamp and wearing a dressing gown and slippers, stood in the doorway. Her face was streaked with tears, but when she saw April she put the lamp down, pulled her into the house and enveloped her in a warm embrace. Crawford followed behind and carefully shut the door.
‘Oh, oh, April! I’ve been so worried. I was sure you’d been injured or worse. Mrs Beetie told me to stop being such a worry wart and that all the nurses would be far too busy to come home, but oh . . .’ She broke into sobs, and April found herself comforting her, rather than the other way around.
‘Hello, ma’am. Mrs Teague, I’m very happy to tell you that April has suffered no serious injury. In fact, she’s a heroine. You should be very proud of her.’
At the sound of the smooth, deep voice, Mrs Teague stopped crying and glanced up in surprise. For a moment her eyes widened. ‘My goodness me. Where are my manners? Thank you so much for bringing my April home. Can I get you some cocoa, or some tea?’
Crawford smiled, and April was amused to see Mrs Teague blush and flutter her eyelashes. ‘I would like nothing more, but perhaps another time. April’s all in, and she needs to be put to bed with a warm drink. Can I leave her in your expert care? I need to get back to base and wash up too.’
‘Don’t you worry about young April. I’ll be taking very good care of her. In fact, I won’t let her out of my sight ever again. Honestly, the fright you gave me, April.’ She stood back and looked at April. ‘Oh, my lovely, you need a good clean up, and what’s happened to your dress? And your poor legs. Damn Hitler.’ Her voice broke for a moment as more tears threatened. Then she gathered herself. ‘Come on, let’s get you clean and into bed. Thank you so much . . .’
‘Major Dunbar, ma’am.’
‘You have my eternal gratitude, major. Maybe you’d like to come for lunch or tea one day soon?’
‘I would like nothing more. Now, I best go.’ He touched April’s cheek briefly. ‘See you soon, Nurse Harvey. It’s been real nice meeting you, despite everything.’ He opened the door and disappeared into the night.
April watched him go, a feeling of loss rising within her. Without him by her side, she suddenly felt vulnerable and afraid again.
‘Oh my, what an absolutely charming young man,’ Mrs Teague said breathlessly. She, too, was staring at the front door, a bemused expression on her face. Then she put her arm around April. ‘Come on, my lovely, let’s get you washed and into bed. Now, can you manage the stairs on your own? I’ll just go and put some milk on for cocoa, and I’ll be up in a moment.’
April climbed the stairs wearily and went into the bathroom. She stared at her face in the mirror. Her eyes were haunted, her face smudged with dirt and her hair was grey with dust. In short, she looked as terrible as she felt. Could a man like Crawford really want to see her again? She pictured him as he’d looked downstairs: his uniform jacket torn at the arm, his tie askew, his face as dirty as hers and his eyes dark with fatigue, and comforted herself with the fact that neither of them looked their best. Who would, after the night they’d had? She could scarcely believe it herself. But she wouldn’t think of the horrors of the night. Tomorrow would be time enough when the clean-up began. She’d m
ake sure to get to the hospital as early as possible, but for now, she had to get to sleep.
She washed her face and hands, then trailed back to the bedroom and changed into her nightclothes. Mrs Teague arrived with a steaming cup of cocoa and sat on the bed beside her.
‘I have never been so glad to see anyone walk through my door before, April. Now drink your cocoa and get to sleep. Tomorrow you can tell me what happened at the hospital and I want to know all about that handsome major who brought you home.’
Smiling sleepily, April did as she was told, but her night was disturbed by terrible nightmares. She was vaguely aware of a comforting presence next to her, whispering soothing words and stroking her hair, but she never managed to fully wake up.
When she woke just as the first light of dawn was appearing behind the black-out curtain, she saw, to her surprise, that Mrs Teague was curled up in the armchair with a blanket over her, fast asleep. April felt her heart flood with warmth. The dear, dear woman had stayed with her all night to try to keep her nightmares at bay.
She tiptoed over to her. ‘Mrs Teague.’ She touched her gently on the shoulder. ‘Why don’t you go back to bed now? I’m fine. But thank you for being so wonderful.’
Mrs Teague stirred slowly and blinked at her. ‘Is it morning already?’ She got up and walked towards the window, peering behind the curtain. ‘It’s true what they say, isn’t it, April? The darkest hour is just before dawn. But look at it now. The sun is already starting to shine, and you’d never know such horror even existed in the world.’ She shook her head sadly. ‘I am tired, lovely. So if you’re sure you’ll be all right, I’ll go and try to catch forty winks in my own bed.’
April kissed her gently on the cheek. ‘I’ll be fine. You sleep well. I’ll bring you a cup of tea before I go to the hospital.’
‘Must you go today? I think you should stay and rest.’
‘No, it’s all hands on deck. We need to get the hospital back on its feet. We can’t let them beat us.’
‘No, of course not. When I’ve had a bit of a rest, I’ll ask around the neighbours and if we pool our rations, I reckon we can get some sort of food production line to keep you workers going. Who knows? I might even be able to make some buns.’ She smiled in anticipation. Just the thought of feeding people cheered her up.
‘That sounds marvellous, Mrs Teague.’ She couldn’t resist giving the woman a warm hug. She wasn’t sure she’d ever met anyone with a heart as big as her landlady’s.
*
Over the next few days the staff worked tirelessly to get the hospital back up and running. Fourteen people had been killed altogether in the raid on Truro and the town was in shock, yet still they pulled together to make sure the hospital could start treating people again. Just four days after the raid, they had managed to open fifty beds. April would hardly have believed it was possible.
Crawford had been as good as his word, and amongst the staff and emergency services, several G.I.s joined in to help. Most of the men were coloured soldiers and all of them were welcomed with open arms. In fact, as the day wore on, many of the locals were questioning the strange attitude of the white G.I.s to their coloured colleagues that they’d witnessed again and again around the town. Why on earth were they kept so separate? As far as they were concerned, anyone who was there to help was welcome, and by the end of the first day, everyone was firm friends.
As promised, Mrs Teague marshalled her neighbours and friends together, and they managed to set up a bit of a production line of food. Based in Mrs Teague’s kitchen, she oversaw the making of sandwiches, pies, cakes and, with the aid of the grocery delivery van, she parcelled it all up and sent it to the hospital. Someone else donated a couple of huge urns, in which tea was brewed and kept warm on primus stoves. The Americans, too, donated food, and they had some of their army cooks producing food for everyone on one of the army camp’s stoves. Luckily the weather remained fine, and the workers were able to picnic on the lawn of the hospital when they took their breaks. If it wasn’t for the fact that people, including children, had lost their lives, the atmosphere might almost have been festive. Instead, everyone worked with a grim efficiency; there was no way that the people of Truro would be defeated by the Luftwaffe, and their determination and willingness to help was humbling to watch.
April didn’t see Bess or Eunice on the first day; apparently they were busy looking after patients at the nurses’ home. However, she, Nancy and Mattie were there and the three of them worked side by side with other hospital staff, sweeping up glass and debris and clearing rubbish from the destroyed wards.
Finally, hot and sweaty, they were told to get some refreshments. After lining up at the trestle table for sandwiches and tea, they searched around for somewhere to sit.
Nancy gave a little cry. ‘There’s Homer! Come on, girls, let’s go and join them.’
April looked to where Nancy was pointing and saw A.J. was with him, along with several others. A.J. and Homer rose to greet them as they approached. Homer looked very happy to see Nancy, and the two were soon sitting side by side, engrossed in each other.
April smiled and sat down beside A.J. ‘What happened to you last night? I didn’t see you after we delivered Stevie back to his mother.’
‘Miss April.’ A.J. greeted her with a wide smile. ‘I sure am glad to see you. And looking a mite cleaner than you were last night. But are you certain you should be here?’ He glanced down at her legs that were covered with a pair of dark slacks. ‘Your legs looked pretty bad last night.’
‘Just superficial wounds. I’m fine. So where did you get to? And why were you here in the first place? Crawford said he was surprised to see you.’
A.J. looked a little shifty. ‘Oh, I was just visiting someone.’
‘Really? Who? One of the nurses?’ April watched him carefully, wondering if she should push it any further.
‘Doesn’t matter now. What matters is you’re OK. And I spent the night with Major Dunbar, helping to move the patients. He took me back to base before coming to get you. I’ve known the major a long time, and you sure made an impression on the guy. And he’s not a man who impresses easily.’
April blushed and looked away. ‘Yes, well . . . Anyway, this is Mattie, who’s also a nurse.’ She decided she wouldn’t mention Eunice; it was better she spoke to her friend first.
She and Mattie were soon happily chatting with A.J. and his friends, whom he introduced as Junior, Marvin and Spencer. Americans had the strangest names, April thought. She learned, much to her surprise, that A.J. and Crawford came from the same town, and in fact had grown up on Crawford’s parents’ plantation. She filed the fact that Crawford’s family owned a plantation away for consideration later. But she couldn’t help the small stab of disappointment at the news that his parents were so wealthy. Clearly he was much too far above her. She shook her head. Listen to her, she’d really only met the man once, and though circumstances had thrown them together in the strangest way, it didn’t mean that anything would come of it.
*
Later, as the light faded, A.J. insisted on driving April and Mattie home. Nancy was staying at the nurses’ home, so Homer offered to walk her back. They really were quite sweet together, and though Nancy had always been as man mad as Bess, she seemed genuinely taken with the gentle giant. April smiled at the sight of them walking off together.
‘Goodness, do you think she’ll be all right with him, April?’ Mattie was staring anxiously at them as they walked away.
‘Homer may be as big as a mountain, but he’s as gentle as a kitten.’ A.J. had overheard her comment. ‘And he’s become mighty fond of your friend. Don’t you worry about her.’
‘Of course I’m not. And thank you for offering to take me home. My mother-in-law is looking after Angela so I better hurry. Poor little thing was terrified last night when the bombs dropped. She kept asking if I was dead. I nearly didn’t come this morning because she was in such a state.’ Mattie looked upset at the memory.<
br />
‘Don’t forget my offer of babysitting if you want to go out and can’t ask your parents.’
‘Thank you, April, but I don’t like to leave her if I don’t have to. Anyway, from what A.J. was saying about your major, seems like your free time might be taken up very soon.’ She gave April an arch look. ‘You better be careful, though, April. Before the raid yesterday, Bess was going on and on about how you were trying to steal her man. She said you’d asked him out even though you knew she was walking out with him.’
‘What?’ April was outraged. ‘How could she tell such lies? I did no such thing. Anyway, the major didn’t even seem to remember her name when we bumped into her. And he was the one who asked to walk me home and I refused.’ She sighed. ‘I thought after the dance Bess and I had sorted out our differences, but it seems she still hates me and I just don’t understand why.’
Mattie looked at her. ‘Don’t you? I think I have quite a good idea. Bess hates it when someone else is more attractive than her.’
April blushed. ‘That’s such nonsense. I’m no better or worse than her.’
A.J., who’d apparently been listening to their conversation, broke in. ‘I don’t like to gossip, but I think your friend is right, April. That girl seems to have developed a powerful crush on the major. Kept asking me about him when I was with her that afternoon. She wouldn’t be the first. But he’s a good guy, so don’t listen to her. I don’t like to speak ill of anyone, but wouldn’t surprise me if she tries to cause mischief for you.’
April sighed. ‘I can’t imagine why. I probably won’t ever see him again, so she’s got nothing to worry about. Come on, I need to get home to wash and change.’
A.J. said nothing, but she noticed him and Mattie exchanging a sceptical look.
*
Once they’d dropped off Mattie, A.J. drove April to Mrs Teague’s. She was too tired to talk and her legs were throbbing so they drove in silence.
The G.I. Bride Page 13
