The Spitfire Girls(69)

‘I don’t know, I . . .’ Ruby struggled with her trousers, and May reached to help her. ‘We’ve only been together the once, and I . . .’

May could see she was in shock. ‘Ruby, how long have you been bleeding?’ she asked calmly. ‘Do you want me to call for a doctor?’

Ruby shook her head, looking terrified. ‘No. Please don’t. I wasn’t that far along. I don’t want anyone knowing.’

May nodded and brushed the hair from her forehead, noticing how clammy she was. ‘You’ve flown a huge plane home at the same time as experiencing a trauma, Ruby. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but I’m going to look after you. Everything is going to be fine.’ She gave her a big hug. ‘I promise you, I’m here for you. And, Ruby, I have wonderful news, about Tom.’

‘Tom?’ Ruby whispered. ‘What about Tom?’

A memory sliced across May’s mind.

‘Mum, I’m so sorry. But they’ve found his body,’ May whispered. ‘He’s not coming home, Mum. He’s gone.’

‘No,’ her mother sobbed. ‘No!’

‘He’s alive, Ruby!’ she said, wishing someone could still say those words to her, that her brother had made it, too. ‘I only received word moments before you landed. It’s why I was running out to see you. He’s alive, Ruby. It’s true.’

‘Tom’s alive?’ Ruby’s words were barely audible, and May caught her hand, hoping her friend wasn’t about to faint again. ‘But how?’

‘I don’t know all the details, but somehow he survived and made his way back to safety,’ May told her. ‘He has injuries but nothing life-threatening. It’ll be amazing hearing his story in his own words.’

‘Tom’s alive,’ Ruby repeated again, the light coming back into her eyes as she burst out laughing. ‘He’s actually alive!’ Her laughter quickly turned to gut-wrenching sobs and May caught her as she fell, slipping to the floor.

‘He’s alive, Ruby,’ she whispered. ‘Your Tom’s alive. I promise you it’s true.’

She could only imagine the emotions, the guilt of losing one thing and gaining another, the fear of loss and the euphoria of knowing something that you thought was gone had been returned to you. May shushed her and held her tight, cradling her like a child, until the sobs slowly turned to gasps. Poor Ruby had been through so much. May shut her eyes as she pushed out the grief that threatened to take hold of her, the hope she’d held on to for so long, the thoughts that were trying so hard to come back into her head. Ruby’s Tom was alive, and that was all she was going to let herself think about.

She helped Ruby to undress, her heart breaking as her friend silently stood there with tears running down her cheeks, grieving the baby she’d lost as she came to terms with having a fiancé again. When Ruby was down to her undergarments, May excused herself and took the soiled flying suit with her, bundling it up to be washed. She’d wash it herself to avoid Ruby any further embarrassment. Then she went to Lizzie’s locker, hoping she might not have cleared it out entirely.

‘What are you looking for?’ June asked.

May fixed a smile. ‘Ruby’s monthly came while she was flying,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I was hoping to find Lizzie’s old flying suit or something else she could wear.’

‘The poor thing. Happened to me last month too.’ June opened her own locker and took a folded suit out. ‘This is Lizzie’s suit – I was going to start wearing it because mine needs mending, but it’s no problem.’

‘I have some spare undergarments if she needs them,’ Evangeline added, rummaging through her locker. ‘Give her these, and these rags. Do you want us to get a hot water bottle or anything?’

‘Thanks, but I’ve got that under control. She’s just a little embarrassed.’

‘Happens to all of us,’ Evangeline said. ‘God’s gift to women, eh?’

May disappeared back into the bathroom and found Ruby with a towel around herself, her cheeks pinker now, as if the lifeblood had started to flow back.

‘You’re going to be fine,’ she whispered, helping her to change.

She knew that Ruby was struggling with her grief and her joy, and the only thing she could do was sit with her and help her to keep putting one foot in front of the other.





CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

YORKSHIRE ARMY HOSPITAL, YORKSHIRE,

OCTOBER 1942

RUBY

‘I can’t believe you’re alive.’ Ruby leaned over Tom, cradling him as best she could. He was lying on the bed with only one pillow behind him to help prop him up. ‘Let me get you more pillows – you look terribly uncomfortable.’

‘No, don’t,’ he said, groaning as he tried to shift his weight.

‘Tom, for goodness’ sake, let me pamper you a little,’ she joked, kissing his forehead and standing.

‘Stop,’ he said, fingers curling around her wrist. Ruby was about to tell him off when she saw the pained expression on his face.

‘Please, I’m fine, Ruby,’ he said. ‘I don’t need anything more than you sitting beside me. Don’t fuss.’

Something in his gaze made her stop and she slowly lowered herself again to sit on the edge of the bed. ‘I was only trying to . . .’