Celia rubbed her eyes and leaned against the worktop on which the new medical equipment was stacked. She had thought working at the camps in Jersey and Surrey was exhausting, but nothing was as bad as working through this flu epidemic.
Maybe some of her weariness was due to sadness that after all the death and horror of the war, peace had finally come, and along with it came this cruel virus. She didn’t think she would ever not be haunted by the rasping sounds of victims fighting to breathe.
At least she had finally heard from Otto. It comforted her to know he was still in England. For now. She needed to find a way to get to him before he was repatriated.
She placed her hands on her lower back, arching it, trying to ease some of the ache that she seemed to feel all the time now.
Celia thought of her telegram to Phoebe and conflicting emotions battled in her heart. On the one hand, it was a joy to be able to share with her sister that Phoebe’s beloved Archie was alive and right here in her hospital. On the other, she knew she was opening her sister up to the threat of catching the flu virus and had also gone against Archie’s wishes by not telling Phoebe to stay away. But Celia knew that if things were the other way round, she would want her sister to do exactly as she had done.
Phoebe’s trained, she reminded herself. She understands the need for intense hygiene and knows better than most how to protect herself from catching anything. ‘As much as any of us can,’ she murmured.
‘Talking to yourself, Nurse?’ a cheeky young trainee asked.
‘Did you want me for something?’ Celia asked, embarrassed to have been caught acting oddly.
‘You have a visitor,’ the pretty young girl said. ‘She said she’s your sister. She’s with a man who says he’s the brother of one of our patients, an Archie Bailey? I’ve put them in the waiting room down the corridor from his ward.’
Celia’s heart leapt. Phoebe was here. She wasn’t surprised her sister hadn’t wasted any time coming all the way from Cornwall.
‘Thank you for telling me. I’ll go to them now.’
Celia had to force herself not to run. Her mind raced as she hurried along the corridors, stopping at the door to take a breath before going in to face her sister.
She opened the door and Phoebe looked up. Celia opened her mouth to speak then saw the man’s face. No wonder her sister had mistaken him for Archie. ‘You must be Captain Bailey’s brother,’ she said, pulling herself together.
‘This is Louis,’ Phoebe said. ‘He came to Cornwall to let me know Archie was here and was with me when your telegram arrived.’
Celia looked from Phoebe to Louis. ‘It’s good to meet you, Louis,’ Celia said. ‘Come with me,’ she said after hugging Phoebe. ‘I’ll take you straight to him.’
She caught Louis’s eye. ‘Thank you,’ he said, giving her an appreciative smile.
‘I’m happy to help,’ she said, hoping that Phoebe could persuade Archie that all was not lost and that he did in fact have a future.