Kitty’s War. Terri Nixon

to understand whose they were. That, at least, answered a question that had hovered darkly in the back of my mind since the attack; would I ever be able to bear the intimate touch of a man on my skin? The answer was evidently yes, provided that man was Archie Buchanan.

      I looked away, and saw Jack was doing the same as Evie and Will finished greeting one another, then Evie spoke, and the conversation went naturally to Oli and the verdict. Will did not know my brother, but he seemed genuinely delighted, and his smile was warm when he turned it on me.

      ‘I’m glad,’ he said, in his husky, slightly broken voice. ‘It’s not often justice gets done, but thanks to you, it has this time.’

      ‘Thanks to Evie,’ I pointed out, and Will looked back at her, and seemed to have trouble speaking again. Instead he just nodded, and swallowed hard. He shifted on his bed, and hissed a sharp breath, one hand pressed to his middle.

      ‘Keep still,’ Evie said in worried tones, but he found another smile.

      ‘I’m fine. I just forget sometimes.’

      ‘Well I’m going to keep reminding you,’ she said crossly, and I exchanged another look with Will, who sighed.

      ‘Was she like this with you?’

      ‘Worse,’ I told him, and Evie rolled her eyes, but her smile returned.

      Will’s other hand was still wrapped around hers, and he squeezed it. ‘She couldn’t even let me die in peace,’ he said, and his tone was amused, but his eyes on Evie’s were soft with awe. ‘She followed me out into no man’s land just so she could keep nagging me.’

      ‘She what?’ Jack’s voice cut like a whip through the room, and several faces turned to us in astonishment and interest.

      ‘Will!’ Evie groaned. ‘You weren’t supposed to say anything about that.’

      ‘Oh, hell.’ He looked at Jack and then, apologetically, back at Evie. ‘You didn’t tell me it was a secret.’

      ‘Secret be damned!’ Jack growled at Evie. ‘I knew there was something up, when you could hardly stand up the other day, getting out of the car.’ His hands clenched at his sides, then abruptly relaxed, and he shook his head and gave her a wry smile. ‘Evangeline Davies, you are going to be the death of me.’ He dragged a chair over and gestured to me to sit down, then leaned against the wall at the head of Will’s bed, and folded his arms.

      Evie sensed the worry behind the exasperation. ‘I’m sorry, Uncle Jack. I hate keeping secrets from you, but that was…well, quite a big one. Please don’t tell Lizzy.’

      ‘Don’t be silly; of course I’m going to tell her! But I won’t tell your mother.’ He ran his hands through his hair and sighed, dropping his voice considerably. ‘In all seriousness, love, don’t let anyone else find out or Archie’ll cop it.’

      ‘He had no idea,’ Evie protested, her own voice little more than a harsh whisper. ‘I didn’t even know I was going to do it, so it wouldn’t be fair to blame him.’

      He looked at her steadily. ‘We’ve just seen how close things can come to “not fair”,’ he reminded her. ‘The point is you were in his care.’

      ‘He helped me bring Will back,’ Evie said. She turned to her husband again, who was clearly deeply regretting having spoken up. ‘If it weren’t for him Will would have died out there.’

      ‘You’re as bad as each other.’ Jack shook his head again. ‘Archie’s a good lad, Evie. I’d hate to see him get into trouble over this.’

      ‘He won’t,’ she assured him. ‘We’ll keep it to ourselves now.’

      I couldn’t imagine what had been going through Evie’s mind to go out into no man’s land, not after what we’d both seen. The thought of her and Archie out there in the dark, just a few feet away from the German lines, gave me chills, but I wanted to know everything. ‘Will you tell me about it though, Evie?’

      ‘Of course.’ She glanced around us at the crowded ward. ‘When we’re back at Dark River. Speaking of which—’ she brightened ‘—how’s Lizzy?’

      We chatted for a while longer, then I noticed Will was starting to sweat slightly, and his breathing was shorter. Evie noticed at the same time, and turned to look for a nurse. ‘It must be time for your next injection,’ she muttered. ‘I’ll go and find someone.’

      ‘It’s another hour yet.’ He caught at her hand before she could rise. ‘It’s all right; they’re very good. I’m never left waiting past my time.’ He managed a brief smile. ‘Don’t want to get addicted to the stuff, do I?’

      His words ricocheted around us, and Evie’s face paled. ‘Don’t say that,’ she said, her voice low and worried. ‘You won’t get addicted.’

      It was only then he realised what he’d said. ‘Of course I won’t! Evie, please…don’t worry.’

      ‘But look at you!’ She was close to tears. ‘You can barely breathe, you need something.’

      ‘I’ve got something,’ he said gently, and lifted their still-linked hands. ‘Just sit with me? Don’t mind if I drift a bit. Just…sit with me.’ He let out a slow, difficult breath and his eyes closed. I saw his jaw tighten against a small sound of pain, and Evie raised his hand to her lips and kept it there.

      Jack and I murmured our goodbyes and started to drift away, but Evie caught up with us before we reached the door. ‘He’s sleeping already,’ she said. ‘He’s so tired. Hopefully he’ll sleep until it’s time for his next injection.’

      Jack put an arm around her. ‘I was never certain I’d say this, but I think he’s worthy of you, Evie.’

      ‘I love him so much,’ she said, choking on the words as she looked back to where Will slept. The lump of bandage beneath his pyjamas stretched right across his waist, and around his left side, and I guessed the surgery had been intensive, and more dangerous than Evie had wanted to say.

      ‘He’s going to need a lot of help to stay off morphine once he’s out,’ Jack said, and while I knew it had to be discussed, I thought he might have delayed a bit. But Evie was made of sterner stuff than me, and she nodded.

      ‘But it’s a good sign he didn’t let me call the nurse over, isn’t it?’

      ‘It is. I think he knows how scared you are though, and if you’re not careful he could go the other way.’

      She gave him a horrified look. ‘You think he’d actually deny himself pain relief?’

      ‘He loves you, sweetheart,’ Jack reminded her, and kissed her forehead. ‘He’ll do anything.’

      ‘Are you all right, Skittles?’ Evie asked me, and put a hand on my arm. I nodded, but I was starting to feel distanced again, as if I were watching from the other end of the tunnel.

      ‘I’m just tired,’ I told her, and smiled. ‘A good sleep and I’ll be right as a trivet.’

      Five minutes later the three of us were outside, listening to the crump of guns and the shouts of men and a newly arrived convoy. Now the worry over Oli was eased, all I could think about was Archie. I could see Jack’s mind had turned inward, and wondered if he too was thinking about his nephew.

      ‘I’m going back to Belgium tonight,’ he said to Evie, confirming it. ‘I want to be there when the lad gets back.’

      ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Give him a hug from me, won’t you?’ She glanced at me as soon as the words were out of her mouth, but I smiled and gave a tiny shake of my head. If I’d had any remaining doubts about her love for Will, they’d have been dispelled as soon as I’d seen the couple together.

      ‘Will you take me straight to the ferry, or am I coming back with you?’ I asked Jack.

      ‘I’m