As Topsy had predicted, the matron didn’t resist when she saw Bobby’s WAAF uniform. Topsy dragged her to the new ward and pointed proudly to the door, which bore a brass plaque with the inscriptionThe Nowak Ward.
‘It’s marvellous, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘Of course I know it’s only for the war and then it will go back to being the plain old drawing room, but it was ripping of them to do it. I said we didn’t expect any recognition.’
‘Um, yes,’ Bobby said, trying to summon a little enthusiasm for her friend’s sake. ‘I can see why you’re proud, Topsy.’
‘It’s really for Teddy’s sake. He was very keen to help other wounded airmen. Now he’s married to me, we can do ever so much good between us.’ Topsy turned to her. ‘But you want to see your family, and here I am rabbiting on.’
‘No, I’m glad you brought me,’ Bobby said. ‘It was a lovely, kind thing for the two of you to do. But I do need to go home now. Sorry.’
‘I’ll show you out. I just want to pop my head into the common room and make sure the men have gone out for their exercise hour. Those with leg injuries need exercise to help them heal,but they can be lazy so-and-sos. Without we nurses to bully them, I’m sure they’d do nothing but sit and smoke.’
Bobby followed Topsy to the old library that now served as a common room for the convalescent airmen.
‘And this one is the worst of them all,’ Topsy said, nodding to a man staring gloomily into the fire while he smoked a cigarette. ‘I can’t do a thing with him. Perhaps you might have better luck, Birdy.’
Bobby stared. She grabbed at her friend’s arm for support.
It was Charlie.
Chapter 42
And yet it wasn’t Charlie – not as she remembered him. As he pushed himself to his feet with the aid of a stick and limped towards them, Bobby saw that he was gaunt and pale. One eye was closed, and there was a burn scar that ran over it from his forehead to his cheek. He wasn’t in his service uniform, but in the hospital blues that marked him as a wounded man.
‘Charlie,’ she whispered.
In that instant, she forgot everything that had happened between them. The lack of letters, and the pain she’d experienced when she had believed he must have found someone else. All she knew was that he was hurt, and she wanted to hold him so, so badly. She stepped towards him, but he turned away from her, scowling.
‘What’s she doing here?’ he demanded of Topsy.
‘I brought her.’
‘I told you I didn’t want her.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Topsy whispered. ‘I know I promised, Charlie, but I couldn’t let you. It isn’t fair. Besides, I didn’t really break my word. I never told her you were here.’
Bobby reached out to touch him, afraid he might be a dream, but he was solid. ‘Charlie, how did you… what’s happening?’
‘I can’t do this.’ Charlie turned back to them, his features hard. ‘You had no right, Topsy. No right at all.’
‘No, you had no right,’ Topsy said staunchly. ‘Do you know how it hurt, when Teddy left me? How much worse it was than anything else he could have done? I won’t watch you destroy yourself. I’m your friend, and I won’t.’
‘I don’t understand.’ Bobby felt light-headed, and sank into a chair. ‘You’re not here. You’re in Binbrook. Mary would have said…’
‘Mary doesn’t know,’ Charlie said quietly. He turned to her, and there was so much pain in his open eye that it made Bobby wince. ‘You have to go, Bobby. I can’t see you.’
She felt so helpless and confused. She wanted to hold him. She wanted to slap him. She didn’t know what she wanted, except to feel him against her and know he had always been hers.
‘You don’t think you owe it to me to tell me what’s happening?’ she demanded, getting to her feet again. ‘Why did you stop writing to me, Charlie?’
He laughed bitterly. ‘Ask my nurse.’
Topsy shook her head. ‘It has to be you. Why don’t the two of you take a walk? Charlie, you know the doctor said you have to keep that leg moving.’
‘I can’t,’ he whispered, closing his eye. ‘I told you. I can’t do this.’
Bobby felt a wave of pity and love for him. She took his arm.
‘Come on,’ she said softly. ‘I’ll talk for both of us, until you feel you can.’
