(1958) A Prayer for the Ship by Douglas Reeman

Author:Douglas Reeman [Reeman, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction, Historical, War & Military, Historical Fiction
ISBN: 9781590130971
Google: PIVzFOd4v10C
Amazon: 1590130979
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2005-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Royce sat by the window in his dressing-gown, the pale yellow glow of the afternoon sun lighting his face, and easing away the lines of strain. For once, he paid little heed to the activities of the harbour, and even yesterday's visit to the M.T.B., with the dreadful aftermath of delirium, and this morning's stern rebukes from both the doctor and the matron, had faded into insignificance, and all because of the letter, which he had read and re-read half a dozen times, and which now lay in his lap. When he had recovered from his drugged state of semi-collapse, he had been half fearful that the one bright spot, the one brief moment of pure happiness, had been but another dream, a figment of his tortured imagination, but the letter, hastily written on N.A.A.F.I. notepaper and handed to him by the nurse, had dispelled all his fears, and left him with a feeling of excitement, and a trembling anticipation. The letter was brief, and in her firm, neat hand Julia Harston had done her best to cram as much as she could into its construction, while apparently keeping one eye on an impatient railway clock. He started to read it again, smiling secretly to himself, and still unable to realize his good fortune.

She explained fully how Emberson had made a longdistance telephone call to her, and had in fact told her how Royce had been on the danger list, and had been asking for her in her moments of semi-consciousness, and he thought she might well be able to improve and encourage his recovery. A hurried explanation to an understanding Second Officer, a quick sub by one of the other girls at the signal station, a fast train south, and she had arrived in time to see his suffering, and to understand the pain and shock which he had endured so bravely. He found himself feeling rather pleased at that piece, for he knew in his own mind that if he looked ghastly when he had left the hospital, he must have been a gibbering wreck when she had made her entrance. Altogether a bad impression to make under the circumstances. Reading this, he felt considerably better. She continued-by telling him that she had had to hurry off back to Rosyth, but not before the hospital had informed her, rather coldly, that the patient was "as well as could be expected, in view of his escapades". He grinned, that was more or less what the matron had said to him. It was the end of the letter he really liked.

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