by Helen Wells
“Harumph!” Colonel Pillsbee said when he saw Cherry. He introduced her to the Infantry Captain, then said, “We are about to hear a report on these captured enemy guns. Major Pierce insisted that the two Lieutenants Ames be present.”
With icy politeness the Colonel offered everyone a folding chair. All but the Infantry Captain sat down. He stood beside the two guns and started to explain, addressing his remarks to Colonel Pillsbee and the Intelligence Officer. These three officers quite evidently had just been discussing and studying the guns.
“First I want to say,” the Infantry Captain began, “that Lieutenant Cherry Ames’s report to Captain May was of inestimable value.” Cherry sat up, surprised, “The deduction of Lieutenant Ames and her patient pointed to the presence of Jap troops on Islands 20 and 21. That was correct. When the Japs sprang their surprise attack on us, it was not such a surprise after all. For thanks to the fact that Lieutenant Ames reported her suspicions to Captain May, and Captain May immediately reported it to Colonel Pillsbee, and the Colonel to me, I had my troops in instant readiness.” Cherry’s mind was in a whirl. “Therefore, Lieutenant Ames’s report not only lessened the surprise, but also told us where the enemy was located and thus saved us invaluable time in meeting the attack! It is quite possible that we might not have won this engagement if Lieutenant Ames had not reported what she knew.”
Colonel Pillsbee cleared his throat. “Not knew. Surmised.”
The Infantry Captain said calmly, “Lieutenant Cherry Ames has rendered a great service—both Lieutenants Ames. They uncovered the existence of a deadly new enemy weapon. To continue, sir.
“Captain May had some partial information for which he was seeking the missing facts. When Lieutenant Ames made her report, she filled in those blanks. Therefore, in the recent battle, we knew we had to deal with this new enemy gun. We knew how best to combat it, for its surprise element was now lost. We knew, too, where to look for it on land and how to identify the new enemy plane which carries this gun.
“Now to examine the weapon itself.” The Infantry Captain rested either hand on the two captured guns.
“A laboratory analysis of the fragments which were removed from the plane and from Lieutenant Grant’s shoulder showed that a new chemical and a new metal alloy were used to create an extraordinary shell. As Lieutenant Charles Ames surmised, the shell is hollow and filled with shrapnel balls. The shell itself explodes and almost disappears on entering the plane. A further search of the plane revealed, as Lieutenant Charles Ames thought, that there were more fragments embedded in various places that had been overlooked. No one would have expected them to be so minute.
“The shrapnel balls inside the shell are very tiny. They are intended to travel on until they penetrate a solid body or strike some hard surface. Then they, too, explode almost without residue. This explains the flier’s strange wounds—the tiny points made on entering and the big gash at the back. Fortunately he was far enough to one side to escape all except a few of the balls. The rest apparently struck a heavy piece of machinery in the cargo and spent themselves harmlessly.”
The Captain paused and looked around as if to wait for any questions. Then he went on, “Further, such a shell is fired at tremendous speed, going faster and farther than an ordinary shell. Also it can be shot from a great distance, lessening the enemy’s risk to himself. That fact, plus the extraordinary speed of the shell, and the specially fast plane shooting it, must be why Lieutenant Grant was confused in his impressions, and why the crew did not see the plane. Since the explosions are smokeless, no one could quite believe a shell had even been fired.
“I might explain,” the captain added, “that the Japs make up this new chemical and alloy shell in two forms. One fits a gun somewhat larger than our machine guns. The other fits a small cannon. Both are of the same composition, but they do not resemble any other shells known to us in construction, size and character. They are lighter and of a new form. This is really a major discovery!
“Now, the new enemy cannon, here, is located on land. But a new type enemy plane carries the gun, here. This plane is very fast, has an unusually powerful engine, and has its gun placed at an unexpected and therefore unusually dangerous angle. We captured such a plane—that is, Lieutenant Ames,” the Infantry Captain smiled at Cherry, “it was shot down by Lieutenant Grant here, whom you helped to recover.”
Cherry’s head was spinning in earnest now! Then the Infantry Captain, Major Pierce, Captain May and Lieutenant Grant were all shaking her and Charlie’s hands, and the Intelligence Officer was saying, “You will receive a citation from Washington for your alertness, both of you!”
Colonel Pillsbee once more cleared his throat. “As to Lieutenant Cherry Ames,” he said dryly. “I am aware that you were—er—useful.”
Cherry held her breath as he continued.
“In view of the service which Lieutenant Cherry Ames has rendered, I herewith wish to say that I am sorry for my having doubted her seriousness of character and purpose. I feel that she has amply proven herself, if by nothing else than by her performance of duty as a nurse during the night of battle.” The Colonel was apologizing handsomely. The Pill was sorry! The Pill was fair, and pretty nice at that!
“Therefore, Lieutenant Cherry Ames, you are no longer acting Chief Nurse, but Chief Nurse in full status and permanent post.” He held out his hand. “Let me be the first to congratulate you on your winning this post and on your forthcoming citation.”
Cherry shook his hand, and everyone else’s hand, thinking wildly, “I’m vindicated! I’m cleared! I’m going to continue as Chief Nurse! And I—I’m going to receive an honor! All my idealism about nursing—I’ve actually managed to live up to it, I guess!”
She went out of that tent in a complete daze. The others, including Charlie, remained behind for further discussion, and she wandered around alone trying to digest these wonderful developments. As Cherry was walking down the road, someone called to her. It was Gene.
She hurried over to him and warmly congratulated him on shooting down the Jap plane.
He grinned, looking down at her. “Part your fault. You nursed me back to health, you know. Cherry, I want to say several things to you. Let’s find a quiet place where we can talk.”
Under a thicket of palm trees, away from the road, they sat down.
“I know one thing you’re going to say,” Cherry smiled regretfully. “Charlie told me you’re all leaving.”
Gene smiled back at her, “Yes. And I’m going along because all those things in my mind are straightened out now. Now that I know for sure, I’d like you to know too. The reason I was so shocked in the first place was this: in that split second when I saw a new enemy plane, and was hit in such a strange way, I realized the enemy must have a new weapon. Worse, I realized I—we—had nothing with which to fight it—not only that my transport was unarmed but that there was no American gun to meet this new enemy gun. I felt so—helpless. And then when I found no one else had seen this new thing, and didn’t quite believe me, I was so terribly discouraged, and confused, and shaken, and well—you know.”
Cherry nodded. “I understand, Gene,” she said, warmly clasping his hand. “But now everything is all cleared up, isn’t it, Gene?”
“Absolutely all cleared up!” the flier said joyously. He took her hand. “Thanks to you. Cherry, only a remarkable girl could have nursed me through that. I want to thank you with all my heart. You’ve been not only a good nurse, you’ve been a good friend to me as well. I’m certainly going to miss you,” he added soberly.
Touched by Gene’s sincerity, Cherry replied a little shakily, “Of course, we’re good friends! We’ve gone through this difficult thing together, so naturally we feel great sympathy for each other. I’m sorry you’re going away, Gene. But, Gene,” Cherry’s face brightened, “we’ll all be seeing each other again, you and Charlie and I.”
“Of course!” Gene regained his smile. “Of course we’ll see each other again. Maybe we�
�ll meet in a plane. There are such things as flying nurses, you know! But right now, I’ve got to say good-by. We’re leaving immediately. In fact,” he joked, “they’ve probably left without me!”
“So soon?” Cherry cried. They both got to their feet and hurried down the road. “Charlie, too? But I haven’t said——”
“Say it now,” Charlie called as he caught up with them and put his arms around Cherry. “So long, Sis. Wish me good luck.”
Her brother kissed her lightly on the cheek. Cherry could not control the hot tears this time.
“Look,” said Charlie steadily. His eyes were intensely blue in his sunburned, windburned face. “Ever see a snappy salute?” He saluted and snapped his fingers at the same time. They both managed a brief laugh. Then the two young men strode quickly toward the jeep that was waiting to take them to the airport. Cherry waved until they were out of sight.
She stumbled down the road and ran to the empty Operating hut to find Mrs. Flanders. “Oh, Bessie! Bessie!” she wailed and pillowed her head on the older woman’s comforting shoulder. “Charlie’s going and everything’s happening and I’m all mixed up and excited!”
“Why, Cherry,” Bessie said softly. “You’ve been a brave soldier all along. You’ve taken your troubles with Colonel Pillsbee in your stride, and you’ve done a grand job as Chief Nurse, and now you’re all cleared and won a great honor and everything! So you really have a right to be proud! Besides, don’t you hear the planes? Let’s go out and see them!”
Cherry and Bessie ran to the beach. Other nurses and patients and hospital people came running too. Here came the planes, great roaring rows of them, in beautiful formation, flying into the sun! They soared and sang over Cherry’s lifted head. And as she watched the magnificent planes fly proudly past, she vowed to herself:
“I’m going to be up there myself, flying and nursing, one of these days!”
