Wings of the Morning

by Beryl Matthews

  Annie hadn’t seen Reid since the summer, but he wrote often and she looked forward to receiving his letters. She was not sorry to be away from him though, because she found his strong, dominant presence disturbing …

  Annie carried on walking, lost in thought and enjoying the quiet of the countryside. She only heard the roar of the motorbike for a second –

  There were half a dozen requests from the men for special leave on his desk and Reid shuffled through them. Some of the men were quite inventive with their reasons, and he was about to toss them aside to be dealt with later when a name caught his attention. As he read, a cold chill rippled down his spine.

  ‘Jenkins!’ he thundered.

  ‘Sir!’ The man almost fell into the room in his haste.

  ‘Bring Webster here – at once!’

  Charlie arrived out of breath and stood to attention.

  ‘Which sister?’ Reid demanded without preamble.

  ‘Annie, sir. An American on a motorbike knocked her down.’ Charlie’s voice wavered. ‘Mum says she’s hurt bad, got a broken ankle, broken arm and a gash on her head. The doctors are checking now to see if there are any internal injuries.’

  ‘Where is she?’ Reid was already putting on his hat as fear gripped him like an iron band.

  ‘They are worried about the head injuries and they’ve taken her to Bart’s in London.’ Charlie’s voice shook. ‘She’s still unconscious, sir.’

  ‘Stop calling me, sir,’ Reid growled, as he looked at the address. ‘The bloody name’s Reid to you and your family.’

  ‘I want to go and see her.’ Charlie was clearly agitated and an erupting commanding officer was not helping his composure.

  ‘I’ll take you.’ Reid headed for the door with Annie’s brother close on his heels.

  It took just under two hours to reach the hospital, and every mile was agony to Reid as he pushed the accelerator pedal to the floor of the car and held it there.

  The hospital was busy but Reid pushed to the front of the queue at the information desk, ignoring the rumble of protest coming from the other people waiting. To jump a queue was considered a grave sin when standing in line for every small item was the way of life. You waited patiently for your turn, but Reid was not in the mood to obey the rules this time. ‘Ann Webster,’ he demanded.

  The nurse looked down a list of names. ‘Ward D4, sir, but you can’t …’

  The two men didn’t wait for her to finish speaking; they headed for the stairs, taking them at a run.

  Marj and Wally were sitting one side of the bed, and a man Reid didn’t know was on the other side holding Annie’s hand. He was talking very quietly to her in French.

  Reid’s whole attention was focused on the girl in the bed and fear gripped him. She was unconscious, there were lacerations and bruises on her face, her left arm was in plaster and there was a cage over her legs. Even in the desperate days of 1940 he had never felt as scared as he was at this moment.

  ‘Charlie, Reid,’ Marj greeted them. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’

  ‘How is she, Mum?’ Charlie asked in a hushed voice.

  ‘The doctor thinks she will be all right, but he’ll know more when she regains consciousness.’

  ‘And when will that be?’

  ‘We don’t know, Charlie, but the longer it goes on, the more worried I am,’ his mother told him, looking at her daughter anxiously. ‘There has been some movement and a couple of times we thought she was going to open her eyes, but it seemed too much effort for her.’

  Wally squeezed his wife’s hand in encouragement. ‘I don’t think she’s far away from regaining consciousness now.’

  ‘What exactly are Annie’s injuries?’ Reid asked.

  ‘Bad cut on her head, concussion, arm broken in two places and a smashed ankle, but they said there aren’t any internal injuries,’ Wally explained.

  ‘Thank God for that!’ Reid turned his attention back to Annie. The immediate need was to bring her round and the Frenchman would never get through to her like that! His tone was soft and coaxing. He guessed that this must be Sam.

  The words began to penetrate Reid’s mind and he frowned. His French wasn’t fluent but he could understand some of what was being said.

  ‘It will be a long time before you jump out of aeroplanes again. That ankle will never take the strain, but your right hand is uninjured, so you will still be the best wireless operator we’ve got.’ Sam waited to see if there was any response, then sighed and stood up. ‘She’s still out, I’m afraid. I’ll see if I can get us all some tea.’

  When Sam moved away from the bed Reid took his place, but he didn’t sit down; instead he bent over the inert figure. ‘If you die on me, Webster, I’ll never forgive you!’

  His deep voice, raw with emotion, echoed around the ward, and all eyes turned in their direction.

  A nurse hurried over. ‘There should only be two visitors at a time, so some of you will have to leave. Miss Webster needs rest.’

  Reid tore his attention away from the girl in the bed and fixed on the nurse, who backed down, looking uncomfortable caught in his penetrating gaze. ‘She can rest when she’s fully conscious again. And see she’s moved to a private room,’ he ordered.

  ‘Very well, I’ll make the arrangements, and you may all stay if you keep quiet,’ she conceded, then left to attend to her other patients.

  With that interruption out of the way, Reid leaned over Annie. ‘Are you bloody well listening to me?’

  Suddenly, Annie’s eyelids flickered and her mouth twitched at the corners. ‘Language, Squadron Leader,’ she said faintly.

  ‘Oh, she’s awake,’ Marj said in relief.

  Reid sat down then. This was one time he didn’t mind being demoted; it showed that Annie was in full command of her faculties.

  ‘The voice of authority,’ Charlie told his mother, smiling for the first time. ‘She wouldn’t dare disobey him.’

  Reid ignored the remarks, took hold of Annie’s hand and watched her fingers curl around his. ‘Open your eyes,’ he ordered. He’d known he loved her but until this moment he hadn’t realized just how much. If he lost her the pain would be intolerable.

  Annie’s eyelids lifted and she gave a tired smile to everyone around the bed, then she closed them again.

  ‘Thank the Lord she’s regained consciousness.’ Sam had returned with a tray of tea and biscuits.

  As soon as Annie had responded to Reid, Wally went in search of a doctor, who examined her. ‘Good. She is sleeping naturally. You must all leave now.’

  They found a small waiting room and settled in there to enjoy the much-needed refreshments Sam had scrounged for them.

  ‘Now, can someone tell me exactly what happened?’ Reid asked.

  ‘I’m afraid it was my fault, sir.’ A very young American soldier slunk into the room and shuffled anxiously as he looked at them. ‘My name’s Warren. I borrowed this motorbike, you see, and took it along a country lane to see what it could do. I came round a bend and there she was …’ His words tailed off.

  Reid managed to resist the temptation to throttle the young idiot, but only because the boy was close to tears and obviously upset.

  ‘I’ll never ride a bike again,’ he choked. ‘I thought I’d killed her.’

  Marj took the boy by the arm and made him sit down. ‘The doctor said she is going to be all right, Warren. You have a cup of tea, it will make you feel better.’

  He took the cup she offered, looked at the pale liquid with distaste and then drank it politely.

  Marj patted his arm in approval. ‘It was an unfortunate accident, Warren. Were you hurt?’

  ‘No, ma’am, but the bike is a heap of junk now.’

  Wally joined in the conversation with the American, so Reid turned his attention to Sam. ‘What did you mean when you said she wouldn’t be jumping out of aeroplanes again,’ he asked quietly, not wanting any of Annie’s family to hear.

  ‘Ah, you speak French.’


  ‘Enough to understand what you were saying in there.’

  Sam thought for a moment. ‘She did a parachute jump once and I think she enjoyed it.’

  ‘Why did she do that?’ Reid remembered Annie and Bouncer talking about jumping out of a balloon, but he didn’t know she’d jumped from an aeroplane as well. Did that delicate façade conceal a daredevil?

  ‘Because she wanted to. What other reason could there be?’ Sam asked in a dismissive tone.

  Reid bit back a sharp retort. The man was being evasive, but he knew from his demeanour that that was the only answer he was going to be given. And anyway, this was not the place to cross-examine him. Though his curiosity deepened about Sam. What did he do in this war, and how closely was Annie associated with him and his work? Reid knew they were questions he wouldn’t get answers to. His own part in this war was simple – you got your plane off the ground and fought the enemy almost face to face – but there were people in the background doing things no one would know about until this conflict ended …

  Sam studied him carefully. ‘I watched you with Annie. Are you in love with her?’

  ‘Yes.’ Reid didn’t hesitate with the answer.

  ‘That’s a change of heart, isn’t it?’ Sam gave a wry smile. ‘I thought you couldn’t stand the sight of each other?’

  ‘We got off to a bad start, that’s all. Are you in love with her as well?’

  ‘There are different shades of love,’ Sam replied. ‘Annie has my love and respect, and the rest of her wonderful family have my undying gratitude.’

  ‘And what shade is your love for Annie?’ Reid asked.

  ‘Not bright red like yours, it’s more of a glowing yellow, but …’ Sam paused for a moment. ‘When this war’s over I’m going to need a wife, and I can’t think of anyone more suitable than Annie.’

  ‘You’ll have to get past me first.’ Reid’s attitude couldn’t possibly leave Sam in any doubt about his determination.

  ‘You could be right because it was you she opened her eyes for, not me. But I shall not give up until she tells me that she loves you with all her heart. The last thing I would want is for her to be unhappy.’

  Reid nodded. Now he knew where he stood, and he had no intention of losing her to this Frenchman, or anyone else.

  The doctor put his head around the door. ‘You might as well all go home. She’s sleeping soundly and we don’t expect her to wake up until tomorrow morning. She will be in the private room next door when you return.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Marj stood up and said goodbye to the American soldier who hurried away with obvious relief.

  Charlie came over to Reid. ‘Can I stay for the night? I’d like to see my sister in the morning.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘If you need a bed for the night, we have plenty of room,’ Wally told Reid.

  ‘Thanks.’ He looked at his watch. ‘It’s too late to go back now, and I would like to visit in the morning as well. We can go back together, Charlie.’

  Annie groaned as she woke up, and found a doctor bending over her.

  ‘Are you in pain?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes,’ she gasped. ‘What happened? I feel as if a tank ran over me.’

  The man smiled. ‘No, it was only a motorbike. Do you remember anything?’

  Annie tried to think back but it felt as if she was struggling to recall a dream. ‘I was walking along a country lane, there was no one around, and then I heard a roar. After that, nothing.’

  ‘Good, that’s excellent,’ the doctor told her. ‘An American soldier was on a motorbike and hit you when he came round a corner.’

  ‘Good job he wasn’t driving a truck.’ Annie lifted the sheet with her good hand. ‘How badly hurt am I?’

  ‘You have a broken arm and ankle, lacerations and concussion.’

  ‘Oh, Lord, what a mess!’ Annie fought back a groan, but she wasn’t going to let self-pity swamp her. She was alive and her injuries would heal in time.

  ‘What about the soldier?’ she asked.

  ‘He escaped with a few cuts and bruises.’ The doctor took her pulse and examined her, then gave a satisfied smile. ‘You are going to be just fine, and you remember everything, so the concussion will not be a problem. Plenty of rest and you’ll be as good as new.’

  As he strode away Annie tried to move and fell back with a gasp. ‘Nurse, can you sit me up, please?’

  Two of them came over, pillows were placed behind her, and they lifted her up.

  ‘Oh, thank you,’ she sighed, ‘that’s much more comfortable.’

  ‘Your mother’s here,’ the ward sister told her. ‘Shall I send her in?’

  ‘Please.’

  Marj hurried in looking anxious until she saw her daughter sitting up and wide awake. ‘That’s better. You gave us all a scare yesterday.’

  ‘Hello, Mum.’ Annie held out her hand and pulled her mother towards her for a kiss. ‘I’m sorry I frightened you. Are you on your own?’

  ‘The others are coming later. We got told off yesterday so we thought we’d better stagger the visits. There were too many of us here, and when Reid shouted at you they asked us to be quiet, or leave.’

  Annie frowned. ‘Reid? What was he doing here?’

  ‘He brought Charlie home. Don’t you remember?’

  There was a hazy recollection at the back of her mind of a deep, firm voice giving her orders, and after thinking about it for a while she gave a wry smile. ‘Ah, yes, he swore at me.’

  ‘That’s right, but it did the trick because you opened your eyes then.’

  ‘I expect I did,’ she admitted. ‘That man has an air of command about him, doesn’t he?’

  ‘He’s certainly very forceful.’ Marj eyed her daughter with interest. ‘Not a bit like his brother, is he?’

  Annie nearly choked on a laugh. ‘Complete opposites! Paul was such a gentle and considerate man, but Reid is tough. He speaks his mind.’

  She didn’t want to dwell on the man who was causing her so much confusion. She had been able to deal with him when they’d met on bad terms previously, but after the dance he’d taken her to she was no longer sure about her feelings. They seemed to have done an about-face, and that didn’t appear to be a good idea to her. He was turning out to be far too charming for her peace of mind. She had been receiving letters, phone calls, gifts of items like scented soap, an unheard of luxury in these austere times, and even a bunch of flowers on her last birthday. The man was showing signs of being a romantic at heart … She dragged her thoughts away from Reid. ‘Does Sam know about the accident?’

  ‘Yes. He spent some time here yesterday, but he’s had to return to duty today. He said to tell you that he will visit as soon as he can.’

  Wally walked in. ‘Hello, sweetheart, you’re looking better.’

  ‘Flatterer.’ Annie grinned as much as her sore face would allow. ‘I must be a real sight.’

  ‘A bit bruised and battered maybe, but you’re still as beautiful as ever.’ Wally placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. ‘Charlie and Reid are outside and would like to see Annie. They’ve got to return to camp this morning. I think Reid has stretched the rules by allowing Charlie to stay this long, but it was damned good of him.’

  ‘He’s a kind man.’ Marj stood up and smiled at her daughter. ‘We’ll go and see if we can find a cup of tea, then come back after Charlie and Reid have seen you. Mustn’t have too many people round the bed or we’ll upset the ward sister. Rose and George wanted to rush back from Wales but we told them that you were out of danger, and there wasn’t anything they could do. George has insisted that you come to Wales to convalesce.’

  When they’d left Annie closed her eyes for a moment. She was feeling very tired, but so grateful for and touched by the love of her family. She was an extremely lucky girl.

  ‘Not going to sleep again, are you?’

  ‘I wouldn’t dare!’ she muttered, and looked up at the tall figure of Reid standing by the bed. ‘He must be one
hell of a commanding officer,’ she told Charlie.

  Her brother grinned. ‘Oh, he isn’t too bad as long as you stay out of his way.’

  ‘That must be difficult.’

  Reid chuckled. ‘I thought we were friends now, Annie?’

  ‘Is that what we agreed?’ she asked in mock horror. ‘You must have caught me in a weak moment.’

  ‘That sounds more like our Annie.’ Charlie bent over and kissed her cheek, obviously relieved to hear his sister joking like this.

  For the next half an hour they talked, and the men did their best to make her laugh and raise her spirits, but Annie secretly found it very tiring. She ached from head to toe and felt completely drained of energy.

  Reid glanced at his watch. ‘We had better be going, Charlie. I phoned in to say that we would be back by twelve.’

  Charlie stood up and squeezed Annie’s hand. ‘Being with the commanding officer does have its advantages. At least I won’t be put on a charge if I’m late reporting in.’

  ‘You want to bet?’ Reid joked.

  ‘Oops! Must go, Sis. You hurry up and get better.’

  ‘You make sure you do!’ Reid told her. ‘As soon as you’re on your feet again I’ll take you dancing.’

  Annie looked at the cage over her legs and grimaced. ‘That might take some time.’

  ‘I can wait.’ He leaned over, gave her a lingering kiss, and spoke softly, ‘I can be very patient when I have to.’

  ‘Really?’ Annie opened her eyes wide in mock surprise. ‘You could have fooled me.’

  Charlie clearly didn’t believe that either. ‘That will be news to the boys back at base.’

  ‘Really?’ Reid feigned surprise. ‘I thought I was a most tolerant officer.’ Then he kissed Annie again.