His Majesty's Hope(74)
Trying to sit up, Freddie held his hand over his other ear. Another bomb was dropped somewhere else on the block, creating earthquake-like tremors. Now, Freddie could hear the wail of ambulances. His body was sore and his ears were ringing.
“Yes, we’re being bombed right now, I’m afraid, sir. From what I understand he’s lost some blood.” Another pause. “No, sir, he was … mugged.” Then, “Right. Yes, sir. See you as soon as you can get here, then.” He hung up the receiver.
He knew he had to get to the hospital.
Freddie made his way through London in the blackout. He could hear the bombing raid had moved on to another part of the city, but as he traveled through the streets, tripping over debris in the dark, orange fires still smoldered.
David was in surgery when Freddie finally arrived at Guy’s Hospital. “Are you a family member?” asked a nurse with a white, winged cap.
This time Freddie was prepared. “His brother.”
“All I can tell you, sir, is that your brother is still in surgery,” she said. “He’s had a lot of bleeding. One wound penetrated to his liver—what we call liver laceration. The doctor is ascertaining the damage and then doing the best he can to repair it.”
“Is he going to be all right?”
“Dr. Marland is one of our best surgeons, sir, and I know—”
Freddie put his hand on her forearm and bent to look into her eyes. “Please. Tell me. Is he going to be all right?”
The nurse clasped her hand over his. “It’s touch and go, dear. He’s very slight after all—there wasn’t much protection for him. There’s a chapel on the first floor, if you’d like to pray.”
Dr. Marland, in blood-spattered scrubs, found Freddie kneeling on a pew in the small chapel of the hospital. “Mr. Greene?”
Freddie didn’t respond.
“You’re David Greene’s brother?”
Freddie looked up. “Yes.”
“He’s out of surgery,” the doctor reported without preamble. “We were able to repair the liver. It’s going to take him some time to recover, but he’ll be fine.”
“Fine?” Freddie couldn’t comprehend the word.
“He’ll be fine,” the doctor repeated. “Is he married?”
“What?”
“He’s going to need some help while he’s recovering. If he’s not married, it’s best if he stays with someone.”
“Oh—I’ll, I’ll look after him, of course.”
“Good. That’s settled then. Good luck to you both.”
And with that, the doctor left.
Freddie was in David’s room when he opened his eyes.
“You look terrible, old thing,” David managed to croak.
Freddie gave him a look of pure joy. “Not as wretched as you, I admit.” He poured David a glass of water from a nearby pitcher. “The nurse said you could have a few sips when you woke up.”
“So,” David said, “am I going to die?”
“Not for a long, long time,” Freddie said as he held the glass while David took a sip. He lay back, exhausted.
“You were lucky,” Freddie said, interlacing his fingers with David’s. “Looks like you’ll be with me until you recover.”
“He’ll be with us, of course.” It was David’s mother, swooping in on a cloud of Arpège. Ruth Greene was a petite, slender woman with bleached platinum hair and the sparkling green eyes David had inherited. “Oh, my darling, darling boy,” she said, sweeping up to the bed, nudging Freddie aside, and stroking David’s fair hair. “How are you, my love?” She kissed his forehead. “We were so worried about you. Weren’t we, dear?” she called to her husband, a few steps behind her. Benjamin was the same height as his wife, with a long, thin face and silver spectacles, much like his son’s.
David blanched. “Oh, merciful Minerva—you’re all here. Together. I really am about to die, aren’t I?”
“Of course not, darling,” David’s mother crooned, kissing his forehead, then rubbing off the lipstick smear.
Mr. Greene stepped up to David, setting down his briefcase on the floor by the bed. “Good to see you, Son,” he managed, before turning away and wiping his eyes.
A nurse, young and very pretty, peered in and smiled at the assembled group. “I’m sorry, but family time is over,” she announced cheerfully. “Time for Mr. Greene’s morphine.”
“Sleep well, dearest,” David’s mother said, giving him one last kiss. “We’ll be back to check on you later.”