The Way of War Pt. 13

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."

They relaxed in the uncomfortable canvas bucket seats as the aircraft lifted off on the first leg of their journey.

He glanced at Sharon sitting next to him, she had worn the white summer dress to the wedding, now she had a cardigan over her shoulders to offset the cold of the aircraft at this height.

"Happy darling?" he asked. She turned and looked at him with those dark, beautiful eyes.

Taking his hand in hers she kissed it. "Ecstatic," she replied, squeezing his hand. They refuelled at Juba in South Sudan before continuing on to Salisbury in Southern Rhodesia. There, they stayed overnight in a hotel before catching the De Havilland Rapid to Nairobi, early the next morning.

Aunt Vicky and Tamba were waiting to greet them. Shaun and Tamba loaded the big, American, Shooting Brake with the luggage, whilst Sharon and Aunt Vicky hugged each other.

Shaun sat in the front with Tamba as he took the wheel of the powerful V8. Tamba had taken over the duties of running the house after his Grandfather's old batman, Hanga had died. Now almost fifty he drove carefully as they negotiated through the traffic leading out of Nairobi.

"I've taken the liberty of having Yasmin's old bungalow prepared for you," Aunt Vicky told them.

He saw Sharon frown, and Shaun explained. "Yasmin is married to Sultar, a Ghurkha, he fought with my Grandfather in India and here in Kenya. Yasmin was an Indian Princess who gave up her succession to the throne when she married Sultar. They both now run the Crater Game Reserve, their home is now on the reserve."

Sharon nodded, "So how old are they now?"

Aunt Vicky replied, "They are both in their sixties, although you would never guess it to see them. I'm named after Yasmin, Victoria Yasmin," she answered.

They chattered away about the people she would meet at the Crater, saying that a barbeque had been arranged in honour of their arrival tomorrow.

Sharon's eyes opened wide as the big V8 passed through the walls that surrounded the Crater. Her smile grew upon seeing the green of the grass as opposed to the brown that that was prevalent out on the veldt.

The car made its way up the gravelled road, coming to a stop by the three buildings spread out around a small lake. Tamba got out and with Shaun's help gathered up the luggage and started to walk towards the centre of the three.

"Please, just leave the cases on the stoep, Tamba," Shaun called out. Sharon frowned, and he explained, "Stoep is what you would call a veranda, in Afrikaans."

Aunt Vicky climbed the stairs leading to the stoep, with Sharon close behind. Shaun hung onto the rail to help him negotiate the stairway.

The door opened and a young man dressed in white trousers and shirt stood in the doorway to accept the luggage from Tamba. Shaun smiled when he saw him, "Hector, are you going to be running the home?"

The young man's face lit up with a smile, he nodded, "Yes Sir,"

Aunt Vicky explained to a mystified Sharon, "Hector was at school with Shaun here in the Crater. He's the son of Ali who was our cook before his death. He learnt cooking from his father."

"So who does your cooking now?" Sharon asked.

Aunt Vicky smiled, "Tamba see's to all my needs. I'll leave you now, my dear, to settle into your new home. You both must be exhausted after your long journey. Tomorrow you will meet the others at the B-B-Q." She hugged Sharon and kissed Shaun on the cheek before leaving.

Shaun reached down and picked up Sharon, who squealed has he carried her over the threshold.

Sharon followed Hector and Shaun into the bedroom where they left the suitcases on the ottomans at the foot of the bed.

"I'm ready for a drink, how about you darling?" Shaun asked.

She nodded, "I'll just change and meet you out on the," she hesitated, "stoop."

Shaun chuckled, "Do we have any vodka Hector?"

He nodded, "Yes Sir."

When she joined him, she had removed her cardigan and brushed her hair. He was sat in a large cane chair by a small table, their glasses were upon it. She sat down in the chair opposite, lifting a glass and taking a sip before settling back into her chair.

She looked over to the lake, then to the verdant, green pastures. Cattle were milling around in it as small black boys herded them. Closer to them, she saw horses in paddocks. "How many cattle and horses does Aunt Vicky have?" She asked.

"About 700 cattle, over a 100 are in the Jersey heard," he grinned, "they supply the milk, cheese and butter, which is sold in Nairobi. We have a plant there that converts it. The other cattle are sold for slaughter, and we have a slaughter house, also in Nairobi.

We only have around 100 horses now, most are bought for riding at gymkhanas, although thirty or so are used by the Rangers out on the game reserve. Patar will fix you up with one, so you can see around the Crater. By the way, it doesn't belong to Aunt Vicky, but to me, I'm the eldest male in the family. Although she has been running it since Gran died."

They finished their drink and went inside. The lounge was large, dominated by huge a leather couch and two matching armchairs, with a long coffee table between them. A liquor cabinet was against one wall and alongside of it was a tall cabinet. On the walls were paintings and native masks and weapons.

Sharon was looking at them, "Doe's Tamba and Hector both belong to the same tribe?"

Shaun chuckled, "No darling, Tamba is pure Maasia, Hector's father Ali, was the result of an Arab rape of his mother."

Sharon paused, "I thought he looked different from Tamba. So all the natives are Maasia here in the Crater?"

Shaun shook his head, "No, he's the only Maasia in the Crater. The Maasia live out on the veldt, they rear cattle which is their life's work. We have a tribe of Matabele here in the Crater, you'll meet Jason, he's the son of N'debi the chief of their tribe. N'debi was a great friend of my Grandfather. He must be well over eighty by now. Jason, Hector and I all started school together here in the Crater." He smiled, remembering, "We used to love the stories told to us by Gran from the Iliad, about Helen of Troy and the war. That's where they got their names. I was Achilles."

They passed through to the study. Bookshelves filled one wall packed with books of different subjects.

"Most of these were my fathers and Grans. Gramps didn't do much reading, but the maps were his," he said, indicating where they hung on the wall. Alongside of them stood a tall, teak, gun case, his rifle, still in its canvas case, was propped up against it. Opening the gun case he removed the rifle from the canvas case and clipped it into position alongside four other rifles.

Hector called them for dinner. After, they sat out on the stoep as the sun set listening to the sounds of Africa as darkness fell.

Shaun finished his drink and rose from the chair. "I think I'll turn in, it's been a long day."

Sharon smiled, "I'll be in shortly," she replied.

Sharon knew that Shaun still had a hang-up regarding his false foot, and hated her to see him without it. It had affected their love making, they had only made love twice since he had left the hospital. It had been hesitant, almost clumsy. She knew it would take time for him to come to terms with it, until then she would have to make the best of it.

When she entered the bedroom he was in bed asleep, she undressed and slipped beneath the bedclothes naked.

The next morning after breakfast, Shaun took Sharron down to the stables and introduced her to Patar. Patar was in his late sixties now, but showed very little signs of his age.

"So, I must find you a horse to match your beauty," Patar said as he led her along the stable stalls. He came to a stop at one and entered, then led out a pure white mare for Sharron to see.

"Patar, she's beautiful!" Sharron gasped.

Patar smiled, "Her name is Moonbeam, she can trace her linage back to Sulkie and Khan, Sahib Ramage's horses that first came to the Crater. She is four years old and accustomed to the saddle, do you wish to ride her today, Sharron?"

"Oh please Patar?" Sharron asked excitedly.

Patar led the mare back to the tack house, and whilst Sharron petted the horse, he entered, returning with a saddle and tack.

Sharron heard a noise and swung round to see Shaun mounted on a black stallion.

"I see Patar has fixed you up with a horse, darling."

"Isn't she beautiful, Shaun? Her name is Moonbeam."

They chattered as Patar saddled the horse, then gave Sharron a leg up to mount it, finally adjusting the stirrups to suite her.

They set off with Shaun leading the way. "Is your horse descended from your grandfather's horses?"

"Not exactly, it was one of his horses, but originally its grandfather belonged to a German Officer. He's called Loki, after the Norse god of mischief. When I first started training him to the saddle, he would take off the horse blanket with his teeth. That was five years ago."

As they rode, Shaun pointed out the school, the hospital and where the Ghurkha families lived, giving a running commentary about them. Sharron began to realise how huge the Crater was. Down near the entrance she saw the grave yard too the men killed in action defending Kenya during the First World War.

They rode slowly back towards the stables, as they neared them Sharron became aware of a low humming noise coming from a building off to the right. Shaun saw her looking at it and chuckled, "That's the generator house. It produces the electricity for the Crater. We have three of them, two are always running with a third as a backup."