Anna Jacobs by An Independent Woman

Author:An Independent Woman [Woman, An Independent]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

PART 2

Chapter 9

On the afternoon of November the eleventh, the chief nurse came into the ward and smiled round at the men. “It’s happened at last, boys!”

They turned towards her expectantly.

“The war’s over.”

There was silence, then some ragged cheering. One man turned his back to hide the tears in his eyes, another sat motionless, staring down at the floor.

The orderly, who was a former patient, walked across to the window and let the sounds of the long, narrow ward wash around him. He didn’t feel like cheering or weeping . . . or anything much really.

“You all right, Aubrey lad?”

He turned to Jim, who’d become a close friend over the months they’d both been here, and smiled. “You’re sure you’ll go mad for joy when it happens, but all I can think of is how many people have lost their lives. Was it worth it?”

“We didn’t have much choice.”

“You did. You came all the way from Australia to fight with us—and you suffered for that.”

“Ah, I’m getting right again now. And who was there to miss me back there?” He studied the younger man. “You’ve not—remembered anything else?”

“I think I have, actually. It’s the name of a town. Tinsley. But I only remember the name, not anything about the place. Maybe that’s where I lived. Who knows?” The doctors said Aubrey’s memory might never return and because no one knew who he really was, or even what regiment he was from because of mix-ups in the field hospitals, they weren’t sure enough of him to let him go back to active duty.

He didn’t mind them setting him to work here because he didn’t want to get himself killed. The ones he felt sorry for were the lads who did have to go back, but he knew what he did here was useful, more useful to his mind than the killing he’d been forced into before.

He saw Jim frowning and managed a smile. “What I’d really like is to get out of here. You’ve only one more operation to go now. I’ll miss you. You’ve been a good friend to me.” It was the nearest he could get to saying out loud that this man had become like a father to him. Jim had no family of his own back in Australia and was older than the rest of them. His body was now a patchwork of scars and new skin, and his thinning hair was streaked with silver, but his eyes were bright with life and more importantly, he was both wise and kind, knowing when to listen quietly and when to tell a chap to buck up and get on with his life.

“We can keep in touch afterwards, if you like,” Jim offered, rubbing the toe of his slipper in circles on the floorboards. “I could even come and visit you in Tinsley before I go back to Australia.”

“I’d really like that. Promise!”

“Cross me heart an’ hope to die.” Jim looked at him thoughtfully. “Dr Fitton might be able to help you get out of the Army for good now the war’s over.

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