Chapter 36
The mists slowly rolled back, and he gasped as the pain lanced through him. He tried to focus his eyes, his mouth seemed full of ashes. He stared up at a figure with a naval shirt on as the figure bent over him. The face smiled and lifted his head to drink from a glass, the water seemed the best drink he had ever had. He saw the lips moving and slowly the words registered with him. He was on a submarine heading for Alexandria. He tried to speak but his lips seemed fused together, and then another bout of pain hit him and he gratefully sank back into the black abyss.
When the mists cleared again he found a man bending over him in a white smock, a stethoscope hung from his neck. He slowly became aware of his surroundings, he was in a room, and stands were alongside of his bed holding bottles.
The man must have seen his eyes open. "Major Ramage, it's good to see you have joined us. My name is Commander Stiles, I'm head of surgery here at the hospital. You've given us quite a few worries over the last week or so. Now don't try to talk, you need rest to build up your strength. Later someone will be here to answer all your questions."
Shaun drifted back to sleep again.
Over the next few days he gradually grew stronger in that he remained awake a little longer each time. He was still having severe bouts of pain and found breathing difficult, but Commander Stiles seemed happy with his progress. He had not seen anyone from Patrol Z and had found out that no one was as yet allowed to visit him.
Then one morning Commodore Silverman appeared in his room.
"Hello Shaun, I won't ask you how you feel, bloody uncomfortable I should imagine," he said with a grin. "You got yourself pretty banged up by all accounts, according to Commander Stiles anyway."
Shaun smiled and whispered, "Yes Sir."
Silverman carried on, "You're going to be in here for a while longer, there's still some shrapnel they have to dig out of you. They have had to wait until you were stronger before going under the knife again. But the Commander assures me that in two or three weeks they will be able to let you go."
Shaun's face fell at this news. "What has happened on Scarlos?" he asked.
Silverman smiled again, "The operation was a complete success, Himmler's thugs were completely wiped out. Andrias has stayed behind to organize the islanders. The German radio operators brought back with them their code books and other important documents and have given us quite a bit of information regarding the setup in the Aegean Sea."
Shaun nodded, he then asked the question that was foremost on his mind, "Sharon, how is she Sir?"
Silverman chuckled, "You can ask her yourself, she's waiting outside. She's been pestering the Doctors to see you ever since you were brought back. She was nearly put on a charge due to her impatience."
Silverman picked up his hat, "I'll see you again soon, Shaun, but I'd better let her in here before she breaks down the door."
It seemed like an age after he had gone before the door opened again and she was there in the doorway. As always, she looked beautiful in her uniform. She stopped, just looking at him for a moment, as her eyes began mist up. Then with a sob she was bending over him, her lips against his as her tears fell onto his cheeks.
When she lifted her head he gazed at her, there were dark rings around her eyes. "Hi, did you miss me?" he asked softly.
She smiled through her tears, "No, I was just passing by and thought I'd drop in, you stupid bastard."
His eyes widened at her remark, "Second Officer Silverman, is that any way to address a superior Officer?"
"When a superior Officer asks a bloody, stupid question, he deserves a stupid answer." And then she bent and kissed him again.
They began talking, her father had, had her assigned to the Alexandria office so she could be near him.
"When they let me loose we'll paint the town red, I think they have one or two good hotels here with swimming pools and a dance floor," he said excitingly. He watched her face as she frowned and went pale. "What's the matter darling?"
She hesitated before answering, "Haven't they told you yet?"
"Told me what?" He said grinning.
Her voice dropped to a whisper, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Shaun, they had to remove your left foot."
His face betrayed the shock of her reply, "I'm a cripple," he gasped.
Her voice grew stronger, angrier, "You are not a cripple, and you've only lost a foot for god's sake. Other men have lost their legs or arms or have been blinded. You were lucky, you should've been dead with the injuries you had. They can make you a new foot as good as the old one."
The anger in her voice calmed him. "So I'm out of the war now?" he murmured.
She smiled sadly, "Yes darling, you are definitely out of it, but alive."
They started to make plans, once he had his new foot they would get married. She would resign her commission and they would move to Kenya and the Crater.
Over the next two weeks he had further surgery to remove the last of the shrapnel. Later he was allowed out in a wheelchair to sit out in the garden.
He was sitting out there when the Prof and Cookie found him. But now the Prof wore a Second Lieutenant's uniform and Cookie had a Staff Sergeant's Crown over his stripes.
It seemed that the Prof was assigned to Training Command along with Cookie.
"It's only map reading and astral navigation, Cookie has more excitement teaching explosives," Prof explained. He produced a haversack handing it to Shaun, inside was a bottle of Dimple Haig and 400 Gold Leaf smokes and his brass Zippo. "Sharon sent them, she's got seven biscuit tins for you from home. She also has your gear and rifle, we gave them to her when we got back."
Cookie managed to rustle up three glasses and he poured out some scotch. When they had, had a drink, he asked them what had happened on Scarlos.
Cookie started, "The grenade was thrown by a Jerry we thought was dead. The blast had really busted you up, I don't think any of us expected you to live. But John wouldn't give up and set to work on you. You had lost a lot of blood, but fortunately the Prof here, has the same blood group as you. He managed to patch you up as best he could with what facilities he had on hand. He no doubt saved your life. Dave got in touch with Alex and they sent a sub out to pick us up, everyone except Andrias, he stayed to organize the resistance."
"So all the SS were killed then?" Shaun asked.
"Not exactly," Prof replied, "The commanding officer, a Major, and seven others who were still alive surrendered. The islanders tied them up on their beds. Then they released the women who were in the brothel, they gave them knives then closed the door on them."
His face grim, Prof's voice dropped to a low whisper, "I think I shall remember those screams for the rest of my life. The men inside didn't die easy. They opened the doors after it had all gone quite. Everyone inside was dead, the women had cut their own throats after dealing with the men, but when they examined them they found all the women had smiles on their faces. I was told by Andrias that the men had been castrated. Their penises had been stuffed into their mouths, amongst other things they did to them. Andrias said he threw up at the scene inside the room."
Shaun nodded, his face paled at the news. "What happened to Dave and John?"
"Dave was promoted to Staff Sargent like me," Cookie replied, "and has been transferred back to England. John was offered a Commission in the Medical Corps, which he accepted. He too has returned to England. We are all going to get gongs, according to the Commodore at some time."
They chattered for a further hour promising to call back to see him later.
***
Over the next few months, Shaun was transferred to Cairo to have a prosthetic foot fitted. The doctor in charge of the unit told him of the changes taking place almost daily in the design of prosthetic limbs.
"The war has pushed the development at a faster rate owing to the many casualties needing them. I have no doubts that your new foot will change in its construction over the interim period until it seems like your old foot." He had promised.
At first Shaun had found it awkward to walk on, and had refused point blank to use sticks. Each day he practiced until he would fall exhausted onto his bed, the stump of his leg rubbed raw. But slowly he began to adjust his walking to take in the short fall of the foot.
Commodore Silverman came to see him and discuss his future. "Shaun the army can still use you, despite the foot. I can find a place for you in my department coordinating projects."
Shaun looked at him, then slowly shook his head, "Thank you for the kind offer, Sir, but I'm a field Officer, I'd go crazy sitting in a room behind a desk, whilst others were out there fighting. If I can't fight, then I may as well go home."
Silverman smiled sadly, "It's what I expected you to say. Sharon has already said, if you resigned your commission, then she would resign hers too. So I expect you will be wanting to get married now, once they release you that is."
Shaun smiled, "With your permission, Sir?"
The Commodore chuckled, "You have it my boy, although Sharon would have married you even had I said no. She's a strong-willed woman that one, I hope you realise that."
Shaun merely smiled in acknowledgement.
Chapter 37
The wedding took place a month later, held in the register office in Cairo. Commodore Silverman and his wife Doctor Helen Silverman, Cookie, and Prof with Barbara sporting an engagement ring. Ted Frazer, now a Lieutenant Colonel and Bobby sporting a cast on his arm, finding out later he was on sick leave due to run in with a German patrol.
At the reception in the gardens of the Nile Palace, he thanked everyone for attending amid ribald remarks from Bobby and Cookie.
At five, the Commodore and Doctor Silverman ran the newlyweds in his Humber Staff car to the airport. Sharon's father had pulled strings to get them on a plane. Their luggage was already in the DC3's hold. Shaun shook hands with the Commodore, and thanked Doctor Silverman who kissed him on his cheek, whispering in his ear, "Take care of her, Son."
