the bottom?" he was saying.

_"No._ The first cases _must_ go on top."

Her mouth snapped like a clamp. Her eyes were blazing. She was struggling
with the head of the stretcher while John heaved at the foot. He
staggered as he moved, and his face was sallow-white and drawn and
glistening. When Charlotte took the shafts from him they were slippery
with his sweat.

"Is he hurt?" she whispered.

"Very badly hurt," said Mrs. Rankin.

"John, I mean."

Mrs. Rankin snorted. "You'd better ask him."

John was slouching round to the front of the car, anxious to get out of
the sight and sound of her. He went with an uneven dropping movement of
one hip. Charlotte followed him.

"Get into your seat, Sharlie. We've got to wait for Billy and McClane."

He dragged himself awkwardly into the place beside her.

"John," she said, "are you hurt?"

"No. But I think I've strained something. That's why I couldn't lift that
damned stretcher."

* * * * *

The windows stood wide open to the sweet, sharp air. She heard Mrs.
Rankin and Sutton talking on the balcony. In that dreadful messroom you
heard everything.

"What do you suppose it was then?" Mrs. Rankin said.

And Sutton, "Oh, I don't know. Something upset him."

"If he's going to be upset _like that_ every time he'd better go home."

They were talking--she knew they were talking about John.

"Hallo, Charlotte, we haven't left you much tea."

"It doesn't matter."

Her hunger left her suddenly. She stared with disgust at the remains of
the tea the McClane Corps had eaten.

Sutton went on. "He hasn't been sleeping properly. I've made him
go to bed."

"If you can keep him in bed for the duration of the war--"

"Are you talking about John?"

"We are."

"I don't know what you're driving at; but I suppose he was sick on
that beastly battlefield. It's all very well for you two; you're a
trained nurse and Billy's a surgeon.... You aren't taken that way when
you see blood."

"Blood?" said Mrs. Rankin.

"Yes. Blood. He was perfectly all right yesterday."

Mrs. Rankin laughed. "Yesterday he couldn't see there was any danger. You
could tell that by the idiotic things he said."

"I saw it. And if I could he could."

"Funny kid. You'd better get on with your tea. You'll be sent out again
before you know where you are."

Charlotte settled down. Sutton was standing beside her now, cutting bread
and butter.

"Hold on," he said. "That tea's all stewed