Robert was greatly missed by his colleagues in Dr Hazelwood’s flying ambulance corps, for it was two weeks before the great man himself came out to visit them and to bring a replacement doctor and another nurse with him.
‘This is Dr Stephen Portas and Nurse Primrose Hill.’
Pips tried to keep a straight face, but failed.
The girl, a fresh-faced blonde with blue eyes and a broad smile, grimaced. ‘Yes, I know, it’s a ridiculous name, isn’t it? What my parents were thinking of, I don’t know. I suppose they thought it cute when they were naming a little baby, but failed to realize I’d have to live with it all my life. By the way, I prefer to be called just “Rose”, if that’s all right.’
Pips liked the new arrival and warmed even more to her as she showed her the sleeping arrangements. ‘We girls sleep in two tents,’ she said, throwing back the flap and indicating the bed that Alice had vacated. ‘You’ll be in here with me.’
Rose bent and peered inside the tent. ‘Mm,’ she said, ‘cosy.’ And she laughed.
‘Are you a trained nurse?’
‘Yes. I’ve been nursing the war casualties in London, but when I heard Dr Hazelwood was looking for someone, I volunteered. I think I know what to expect as regards the injuries, but, of course, being out here will be very different to working in a clinically clean hospital.’ She gazed at Pips with admiration. ‘You’ve been out here since the very beginning, haven’t you?’
Pips nodded. ‘Almost. We came out here at the end of September 1914. We move around a lot too. Dr Hazelwood’s idea is that we should always be where we’re needed the most and that, of course, is wherever there’s heavy fighting. Now, come along, we’ll find you some tea and you must meet the others.’
Dr Stephen Portas was an older man, in his late forties or even early fifties, Pips judged. He’d recently lost his wife and as his two children were grown up, he’d decided to offer his services somewhere at the war front. He, too, hearing that Dr Hazelwood was looking for a replacement, had volunteered. He was quiet but friendly, and said at once to Giles, ‘I want you to be regarded as the senior doctor out here, Giles. This is going to be very different for me, so, please, just tell me what you want me to do.’ He held out his hand to Giles. ‘I think we’ll get along very well together. You seem to have a very strong team around you and I wouldn’t want to disrupt that in any way. I’m sure Nurse Hill feels exactly the same.’
Rose nodded at once. ‘Yes, just—’
At that moment the sound of a shell burst drowned whatever she had been going to say. She let out an involuntary squeal and even Stephen was startled. The sound of a shrill whistle in the distance followed and Pips said seriously, ‘You’ll get used to it. But that whistle means they’re going over the top. I’ll see you later.’
Hugh, Peter and William were already running to their ambulances.
‘William, wait for me,’ Pips shouted, as she scooped up her medical satchel and ran across the grass towards him.
It was two weeks before the hospital in London would release Robert to be taken to Lincoln hospital and a further week before he was discharged into his parents’ care. ‘And that,’ the ward sister explained to Edwin, ‘is only because you are a doctor.’
Alice came with him and settled Robert into his old bedroom. He was getting up each day now for a few hours, but soon grew tired. Henrietta spent several hours a day reading to him and talking with him, but it was always Alice he asked for, his gaze following her as she moved quietly about the room. Soon, Henrietta grew impatient with his reliance on the girl.
‘Alice should go to see her parents before she goes back abroad.’
He turned his head sharply on the pillow. ‘Go back? Alice isn’t going back. She’s staying here with me.’
‘There’s no need, Robert. She would be much more use at the front alongside Pips and the others. We have the means in place now to care for you here.’
‘But I want Alice,’ he said, in a petulant tone his mother had never heard him use before. ‘She promised me she would stay with me as long as I needed her. And I do need her.’
Henrietta regarded her son thoughtfully. He was a damaged young man, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally too. She didn’t quite know how to handle this situation and decided she must talk to Edwin.
‘Very well, my dear,’ she said softly. ‘But I feel you should let her at least visit her family for an hour or so. Perhaps whilst you have your afternoon rest. Would that be all right?’
‘Well, yes, I suppose so. As long as she promises not to be away long.’
‘Is this normal behaviour, Edwin, in the circumstances?’
Edwin sighed. ‘Possibly, my love. Many patients, especially the wounded, who perhaps owe their lives to the ministrations of their nurses, imagine themselves in love with the one who has had the caring of them.’
‘You mean – you mean, you think Robert believes he has fallen in love with Alice?’
‘At this moment in time, yes, I do.’
‘And I suppose she will, no doubt, be in love with him.’ Her tone was heavy with sarcasm. ‘But what will happen when he recovers and realizes it was just a fleeting infatuation because of the unusual circumstances?’
Edwin regarded her solemnly. ‘But who, my love, is to say that it is? Perhaps they really are in love with each other.’
His wife’s face was a picture of horrified incredulity.