Chapter 24

The pretty WRNS secretary admitted him into Silverman’s office where he was sitting behind his desk in naval whites. He came from around the desk with his hand extended, “Captain Ramage, thank you for coming”. He indicated for Shaun to pull up a chair.

Once Shaun was seated, he began. “When I couldn’t reach you at the flat, I guessed you would be at the hotel, hence the message.” He looked keenly at Shaun, “You intend to return to the Oasis?” Shaun nodded. Silverman nodded slowly, “I thought you would, and how’s the arm?”

Shaun smiled. “It’s fine Sir,” he said, lying.

“Shaun, I hope you don’t mind me calling you that,” he asked.

“Not at all Sir” he replied.

Silverman smiled again. “Shaun, I applaud your keenness to get back into the fight, but you are not going to be of much use to your men if you can’t function correctly.”

“I’m quite confident that I can lead my patrol Sir,” he replied forcefully.

Silverman spread his fingers. “So be it then. There have been others out there harassing Rommel, specifically the LRDG and the SAS. Unfortunately, they have sustained casualties partly due to the effect of not being prepared as Z patrol was.” His voice lowered “Shaun, I think you know that Sharon is in love with you so I would hate for her to suffer the heartache again she underwent when Peter died”. Shaun made no reply but slowly nodded.

When he returned to the flat, Sharon was beside herself with anger. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”

He put his left arm around her and kissed her. “I had some things to attend to. Sharon I’m going back the day after tomorrow.” She started to protest, but he held her. “Darling, please understand, they are my men. We’re a family, in fact we are closer than family since we each hold the others’ lives in our hands. I can’t let them go out without me being there for them.”

She pulled away and sat on the couch, tears appearing in her eyes. “When you collapsed onto the road I thought he had killed you. I froze as if he had killed me. Shaun, for one moment my life stopped.”

He moved over to sit by her side, “Sharon, I’m a hard man to kill. Look darling, I want to get this war over with so I can make an honest woman of you.” She smiled through her tears and kissed him.

She made him remove his shirt, then cleaned and redressed the wound. “Will they be able to remove the stitches at your base?”

He nodded “Cookie will be able to do it”, he replied.

She cleared away the dressings then went into the kitchen. Shaun knew she would have to come to terms with herself regarding his decision to return to the Oasis. He moved into the bedroom and began to pack some of his clothes into the valise.

Later over dinner, he noticed she seemed brighter. “Have you any brothers or sisters?” He asked.

She nodded, “An elder brother, Aaron. He’s in fighter command in England.”

“So he’s a pilot?” Shaun asked.

She shook her head “No, he works on interception using some hush, hush electronic equipment.”

“What about you, do you have any?” She murmured.

He smiled. “No, my parents realised they couldn’t improve on perfection,” he replied with a straight face.

She burst into laughter, “You conceited idiot. For that you can do the washing up.”

He looked hurt at her. “But I’m a poor wounded soldier”, he said plaintively.

She stood up. “If you are fit enough to go back then you’re fit enough to resume all your duties,” she murmured has she started to remove her dress.

She lay across his chest, her body giving uncontrollable shudders as she recovered. Shaun had his arm around her kissing her long neck. She lifted her head to look at him “You still have to do the washing up”, she whispered.

Sharon helped him to dry wearing her cotton dressing gown to cover her nakedness. He was only wearing his underpants. When they had finished, she moved to the cabinet to pour out drinks for them as he collapsed onto the couch. She handed him his drink then curled up beside him, the dressing gown gaping open. A thought struck him, “Sharon, we’ve not been taking precautions when we make love. I could make you pregnant,” he said alarmed.