To Sail Beyond The Sunset

‘Roger wilco. ' Dagmar went through, gowned, masked, and capped - not yet gloved. .. although God knows what good gloves would do in the septic conditions we would experience. (Protect us, maybe, if not our patients. )

I tied Woodrow's mask for him; he did so for me. We were ready.

Gwen Hazel said, ‘Godiva's Horse to all stations sirens. British Yeoman, activate gate and shift time. Acknowledge. '

‘Yeoman to Horse, roger wilco! '

‘Horse to Yeoman, report arrival. Good hunting! ' Hazel added to me, ‘Mau, you and Lazarus can go through now. Good luck! '

I followed Lazarus through. .. and swallowed my heart. Dagmar was gowning Father. He glanced at us as we came out from behind that curtain, paid us no further attention. I heard him say to Dagmar, ‘I haven't seen you before, Sister. What's your name? '

‘Dagmar Dobbs, Doctor. Call me Dag if you like. I just came up from London this morning, sir, with supplies. '

‘So I see. First time in weeks we seen a clean gown. And masks - what swank! You sound like a Yank, Dag. '

‘And I am, Doctor - and so do you. '

‘Guilty as charged. Ira Johnson, from Kansas City. '

‘Why, that's my home town! '

‘I thought I heard some tall corn in your speech. When the Heinies go home tonight, we must catch up on home town gossip. '

‘I don't have much; I haven't been home since I got my cap and pin. '

Dagmar kept Father busy and kept his attention - and I thanked her under my breath. I didn't want him to notice me until the raid was over. No time for Old Home Week until then.

The first bombs fell, some distance away.

I saw nothing of the raid. Ninety-three years ago, or seven months later that same year, depending on how you count it, I saw bombs falling on San Francisco under circumstances in which I had nothing to do but look up and hold my breath and wait. I'm not sorry that I was too busy to watch the bombing of Coventry. But I could hear it. If you can hear it hit, it is too far away to have your name on it. So they tell me. I'm not sure I believe them.

Gwen Hazel said in my ear, ‘Did you pear Gretchen? She says they got sixty-nine out of seventy-two of the first wave. '

I had not heard Gretchen. Lazarus and I were busy with our first patient, a little boy. He was badly burned and his left arm was crushed. Lazarus got ready to amputate. I blinked back tears and helped him.