Christmas for the District Nurses

by Annie Groves

  ‘Well.’ Edith pushed her dark curls from her forehead and leant back. ‘I want to go to see Harry, now he’s recovering from his last big operation. He’s in a hospital in the middle of nowhere. I can take a day’s leave, so I’m trying to work out the best way of getting there and back. If everything runs on time I reckon I can do it.’

  Belinda pulled out a chair and sat opposite her friend, aware that she towered over her while she stood. ‘That’s a big “if”, isn’t it?’

  ‘Not much I can do about it.’ Edith sighed. ‘I’ve got to see him. I won’t know how he really is until I do. He always says he’s doing well, but that’s what he’s like – he wouldn’t want to worry me if he wasn’t recovering properly.’ She tried hard not to let her worry show in her expression, but Belinda wasn’t fooled for a moment.

  ‘Not easy, is it?’ she said. Then, knowing Edith would not want to dwell on what she couldn’t change, she peered at the map. ‘Show me where the hospital is.’

  Edith pointed to a small town near the border between Sussex and Surrey. ‘It’s around there. Look at that, all that lovely fresh country air he’ll be having.’ She shivered.

  Belinda laughed. ‘Not a fan of the countryside, then?’

  Edith shook her head. ‘Give me the city any day. That’s all I know, really. It was bad enough doing that training year in Richmond. No, it wouldn’t suit me at all. Nothing to do but watch the sheep.’

  Belinda smiled but her mind was clearly racing. ‘There’s something familiar about those names … that village. No, hang on,’ she raised a hand to interrupt her colleague before she could speak, ‘it’ll come to me … I know. It’s where Geraldine used to live. She’s still got family there.’

  ‘Geraldine?’ Edith frowned.

  ‘Yes, you remember, one of the ambulance drivers from Hackney Downs. You’re bound to have come across her. Short sandy hair, bright blue eyes.’

  Edith scratched her head and then the penny dropped. ‘The one who slams into first gear like she is trying to wake the dead?’

  Belinda grinned. ‘That’ll be her. I’m going to the cinema with her later, as it happens. I can ask her for advice.’

  ‘All right.’ Edith smiled back. ‘That’s kind of you. What are you seeing?’

  Belinda pulled a face. ‘She wants to go to In Which We Serve but I fancy something a bit lighter to cheer us up. That Gert and Daisy film, something like that. I’ve had enough of serious stuff.’

  Edith caught her undertone. ‘How’s your brother? Have you heard from him lately?’

  ‘He’s all right, or at least he was, the last letter I had.’ Belinda’s face showed that she didn’t want to talk about David the pilot any more. She worried enough about him as it was. ‘So I had better be off. But your maps have given me an idea.’

  Edith looked quizzically at her. ‘What?’

  Belinda shook her head and tapped her nose. ‘Never mind. It may come to nothing. I’ll let you know.’

  One week later, early in the chilly morning, Edith stood outside the nurses’ home in her siren suit and shivered. She wasn’t sure if it was in the cold or with nerves. ‘I must be mad,’ she muttered.

  Belinda stood beside her, wrapped in a warm coat, woolly scarf almost covering the lower part of her face. ‘Don’t be silly. You’ll be all right. It’s easier than taking five trains and six buses, isn’t it?’

  ‘It wasn’t five,’ said Edith petulantly.

  Belinda shrugged and drew her coat more tightly around her.

  Edith cast her a jealous look. She herself wore a short jacket, which Belinda had said would be best, and so her legs were cold. She checked that her leather gloves were properly fastened. Why had she allowed herself to be talked into this? Nervously she patted the big satchel slung across her front.

  ‘What have you got in there?’ Belinda asked, her breath puffing a little in the chilly air.

  ‘Proper clothes,’ said Edith. ‘So’s I can get changed when I get there.’

  ‘Harry wouldn’t care if you were wearing a sack, as long as you’re there,’ Belinda pointed out.

  ‘Yes, but I care,’ Edith retorted, her teeth chattering.

  The sound of an exhaust firing split the air and there was movement at the end of Victory Walk. The pair of them hurriedly made their way to where Geraldine was pulling up on her motorbike, taking off her helmet and shaking her short hair.

  ‘Morning!’ she called brightly. ‘You all set, Edith?’

  Edith’s face said that she would sooner walk across hot coals, but she lifted her chin resolutely. ‘Yes, thanks.’ She looked nervously at the machine. ‘What do I do?’

  Geraldine handed her a spare helmet. ‘You put that on and climb up behind me.’

  Edith took it and fumbled with the strap. ‘It’ll squash my hair,’ she groaned. ‘And how do I get up there? It’s all right for you, Belinda, you’ve got long legs.’

  ‘Look, you rest your feet on these little bars here. If you can get up on the windowsill to climb in after curfew, then this’ll be a piece of cake. Here, I’ll help you.’

  Belinda boosted Edith up onto the pillion seat, and Geraldine obligingly shifted forward. Edith cautiously balanced her satchel behind her. ‘Are you sure this is all right?’ she asked. ‘What about petrol restrictions?’

  Geraldine shook her head and looked backwards over her shoulder at her first-time passenger. ‘You let me worry about that,’ she said. ‘Just hang on tight and you won’t have a thing to worry about.’ Before Edith could object, she started the engine once more, causing a few curtains to twitch in annoyance in the neighbouring terrace of houses.

  Edith could only do as she was told as the bike wheeled around in a neat circle and took off.

  Edith forgot all about the journey as soon as she saw Harry. He was sitting in the grand entrance vestibule of the hospital, in his army uniform trousers but with a hospital gown on top, his uniform jacket draped around his shoulders. She had persuaded Geraldine to drop her off at the edge of the grounds, before the big sweep of a driveway, so that she could find somewhere to change. Feeling very daring, she had pushed her way into an overgrown copse and swiftly stepped out of the siren suit, which had at least kept her fairly warm, and pulled on the pretty skirt she had bundled into her satchel. It had a bright geometric print that she thought he would appreciate – that, and it nipped in at her waist, making the most of what curves she had. She rolled up the siren suit and shoved it into the satchel, ready for the return trip.

  Now all worries left her as she saw him stand and come towards her. ‘Harry!’ She broke into a run for the final few paces, hugging him tightly on one side, careful not to jog his bad arm. His good arm came around her and squeezed her close to him. She did not quite come to his shoulder.

  ‘Let’s go out into the sunshine,’ he said. ‘It was all misty earlier – I wasn’t sure that you’d make it.’ He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the unique scent that was hers.

  ‘Oh, it was no trouble,’ she said, dismissing the terrors of the ride. Towards the end, if truth be told, she had begun to relax and almost enjoy herself. Standing back a little she took in the sight of him. Was he thinner or was that her imagination? Her eyes went to his face. The side where his burns had been was noticeably tighter and shinier, now he’d had the skin graft. ‘How did it go really, Harry? Your face … it’s still a bit pink.’

  Harry strode out of the glass-paned front doors and then waited for her. The air had warmed up and it was pleasant, with fallen leaves blowing and crunching underfoot on the wide drive. ‘I told you, everything went according to plan.’

  ‘Yes, I know.’ Edith watched him carefully. ‘Does it still hurt? Just a bit?’

  Harry raised his good arm and touched his face where the new skin had taken. ‘Honest, Edie, it’s all right. I know it’s still not quite right but you should have seen it when they first did it.’

  ‘Yes I should!’ she cried, then bit her lip. Getting upset wouldn’
t help. ‘Sorry. I just worry about you, you know that. Having a general anaesthetic is never without risk.’

  Harry grinned, somewhat lopsidedly but a grin nevertheless. ‘Stop being a nurse, Edie. It will keep on getting better. I’ve got all sorts of salve to put on it so it doesn’t go all stiff. Don’t look like that, I’m not showing you the stuff or you’ll only go looking it up when you get back. The doctors are happy with me, that’s the main thing.’

  Edith nodded, and allowed him to put his good arm across her shoulder as they walked along, the trees showing their autumn colours and smoke from a bonfire rising almost vertically in the distance. She put her arm around his waist, making sure not to jog the arm on the far side. ‘And how did the other operation go?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘They reckon it will give me much more movement,’ he said. ‘I’ll never have the biceps and triceps like they were before, but they’re confident. It’s just got to heal and I can start getting back to normal.’

  She flashed a look back up at him. ‘That’s good to hear.’

  He chuckled. ‘Let’s go down this way, there’s a bit of a valley where it’ll be even warmer.’ He guided her across the broad swathe of grass and into a dip, which shielded them from sight of the big hospital building with its many windows.

  Edith tilted back her head and let the sun warm her face, banishing the remnants of her concerns. She had been deeply fearful of what he would be like, knowing how he always gave a rosy picture even when he was in considerable pain. Yes, his face still looked more damaged than she would have wanted, but he was right, she hadn’t seen it immediately following the skin graft and so had no idea how much better he was now.

  Anyway, it didn’t matter. She wanted him to look as normal as possible because she knew that would make him happier and his life easier. But for herself she didn’t mind. He was still her Harry. That was all that was important.

  After a few minutes they came to a big branch which must have broken off in the first of the autumn storms. ‘Shall we sit down?’ he suggested.

  Edith carefully sank onto the wood, testing it for balance. It would never do to have successfully survived her first ride on a motorbike without falling off, only to go head over heels from a tree branch. ‘It seems all right,’ she said, moving along so that he could join her. With a contented sigh she snuggled against him. To think that she had believed she would never do this again. She should count her blessings. Somehow, against all the odds, he was returned to her. A few scars here and there were nothing when set against that.

  ‘Penny for ’em,’ he said teasingly.

  ‘All right.’ She looked up at him again. ‘If you’re feeling well enough to talk about getting back to normal, then … then I reckon we should start planning the wedding. Do you feel ready for that?’

  ‘Ready to make plans?’ he said, still teasing. ‘You’ll be in charge of them, Edie, I know that for a fact. I wouldn’t dare interfere.’

  She dug him gently with her elbow. ‘So just how back to normal do you think you’ll be by Christmas?’

  He raised his eyebrows, catching her drift, and then looking away as if he couldn’t quite give her an answer. ‘Ah, if you’re asking what I think you’re asking …’ he began, a little evasively. She gave a slight smile and then reached up to him, kissing him gently and then more passionately. His injured face made little difference to her, although at the back of her mind she registered it all felt slightly one-sided. Her arms came around him, pulling her to him, as hard as she dared, scarcely able to believe he was really and truly here with her once more. She broke away only when she was in desperate need of a breath.

  ‘See? You’ve got nothing to worry about on that score,’ she grinned, her eyes warm with longing. ‘If only we had somewhere more private…’

  ‘If only,’ he echoed, although with a hint of hesitation, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was here either.

  She laughed and ran her hand across his chest, not perhaps as muscular as when they’d first met, but still a physique most would be proud of. How she had missed this, the shape of him, having him so near, her handsome Harry. For a moment she simply wanted to stay like this, not to break the spell. But time was short and she had questions to raise.

  ‘Do you want to get married in church?’ she asked hesitantly. ‘As a Catholic I’m not even meant to go into your church, you know, though I did for Alan’s christening. Should we do it in my church? You’d have to convert though. Or how about the register office?’

  He shifted against her, exhaling slowly, and she felt his breath on her face.

  ‘I don’t mind,’ he said. ‘Would it be easier to have it at the register office? Or is it important to you that it should be in church?’

  Edith thought for a second. ‘No,’ she said. ‘It’s much more important that we’re married, and I don’t care where. If it’s easier, let’s not worry about which church, as we’re bound to offend somebody either way.’

  Harry snorted. ‘It’s our day, not theirs. It’s your day, most of all. So you have it where you like.’

  Edith nodded, her forehead brushing against the warmth of his shirt. ‘Good. We’ll do that then. Shall we all go back to your parents’ afterwards or how about hiring somewhere?’

  At that he sat up straight. ‘Now you know as well as I do that Ma will be very upset if we go anywhere else,’ he said at once. ‘She won’t have that.’

  Edith agreed immediately. ‘I don’t want to cause her extra bother but I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.’

  ‘Why don’t you go and see her as soon as possible and tell her,’ Harry suggested, and Edith cut him off before he could finish.

  ‘I was going to anyway – she’ll want to know how you are from the horse’s mouth,’ she assured him. ‘I know you send her letters saying you’re right as rain, but she believes them about as much as I do.’

  Harry half-laughed, half-sighed as he settled his back against the curve of the branch. ‘Sounds as if you have me all sorted out,’ he said. ‘You two just go ahead and make all the arrangements, tell me where I’ve got to be and when, and I’ll turn up.’

  Edith cocked her head to one side. ‘As long as you realise that, then we’re all right.’ She paused. ‘Who will be your best man?’

  Harry made a wry face. ‘That depends. I’d love to ask Joe of course, but he might not get leave. I can try. If he can’t, then Billy.’

  ‘Good.’ Edith was very fond of both men, but knew how deep the bond was between the Banham brothers, even though they were chalk and cheese in many respects. She wasn’t sure where Joe was at present; Alice hadn’t mentioned him lately. She wondered how pleased her friend would be to see the oldest Banham son back home where he belonged.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Gladys sighed. Now that the nights were drawing in, it was becoming more and more difficult to go to the victory garden in between finishing work at the nurses’ home and starting her first-aid shift. She didn’t like to ask to leave early, or to take time in the middle of the day, but perhaps she would have to. After all, she was picking vegetables for the nurses to eat, but she’d always prided herself on managing to do that in her own time. It was good to have some help.

  Mary wasn’t the most experienced gardener but she could be trusted to cut chard leaves and soon she had filled her trug. ‘Is this enough?’ she called.

  Gladys stood up, easing her aching spine by bending backwards. She knew that the big leaves cooked down to a fraction of their original size and that they would need as much as they could carry, but she didn’t want to be discouraging. ‘Nearly,’ she called back.

  ‘Better pass me that little wooden crate then, as I can’t fit any more in this,’ Mary replied. Gladys moved across the plot, as Mary stood up as well. Voices from the pavement drifted over to them and Mary turned her head in recognition.

  ‘Hello – Billy, is that you?’ She peered towards the figures in the gathering gloom. There was no doubt that one
of them was the ARP warden, but still in his working clothes from the docks. The other two were also vaguely familiar, one with glasses and one taller, a little stooped. She couldn’t remember their names but seemed to recall they had been in the Duke’s Arms more than once. They too were in their docker’s overalls, with donkey jackets and collars turned up against the late afternoon chill.

  ‘Mary? That you? I see they got you working hard.’ Billy grinned and stood on top of the mound of earth dividing the pavement from the vegetable plot. ‘Can I give you a hand?’

  Gladys stood up straighter at that. ‘Oh, we couldn’t possibly …’ she began.

  Mary interrupted to do the introductions. ‘Billy, have you met Gladys? I always assume you know everyone at the nurses’ home but you might not have seen her – she works behind the scenes, when she’s not saving lives at the first-aid post in the evenings.’

  Gladys blushed furiously at this effusive praise and almost forgot to hold out her hand in her embarrassment. Hastily she wiped the earth from it and then shook hands with Billy.

  ‘Don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,’ he said easily. ‘You know my wife Kathleen, I expect? And these are my colleagues, Ronald and Kenny.’ Gladys nodded, too shy to shake hands with the strangers as well.

  ‘Oh yes, of course.’ Mary beamed, relieved at not being caught out forgetting the men’s names. ‘Yes, we’ve met at the Duke’s Arms a couple of times, I believe. Is that where you’re going now?’

  Billy shook his head. ‘No, I’m off home to clean up and change before my evening shift. These two are planning a night out elsewhere.’