Holly said nothing as Angela went off to the counter to fetch her meal but she couldn’t stay the little worm of jealousy that was wriggling in her stomach. How would she bear it if Richard and Angela did become a couple? She would just have to wait and see.

‘Lucky thing,’ Angela grumbled as Holly prepared to leave for home. ‘If I’d known getting transferred to another hospital would get me two weeks leave I’d have volunteered for it.’

Holly smiled as she crammed the last of her things into her small bag. ‘I’ll be back before you know it. Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,’ she teased with a wink as she headed for the flap in the tent that served as a door.

‘I should be so lucky,’ Angela retaliated but she grinned and came to give her a hug. ‘Have a safe journey and I’ll see you in two weeks.’

Holly sprinted away to climb aboard the military vehicle that would take her and the patients that were going home to the hospital ship and soon the field hospital was far behind them. On the journey it was heart-breaking to pass through the once quaint little villages, all flattened and bombed by the enemy and Holly couldn’t help but think of the poor people who had once lived in them and loved them.

Sam Wickes was following in an ambulance and she wondered how he would cope when he was fully recovered from his amputation. His flying days were well and truly over now but she supposed he was lucky to be alive and knowing Sam, she was sure he would find a job he could do with one leg. In fact he would probably return home a hero and as he was still a very attractive man she had no doubt he would never be short of female admirers. He was already talking about getting a prosthesis made and she was glad that she had helped to save his life, although Richard had done far more for him than she had.

By lunchtime they were all aboard the ship and Holly helped the other nurses settle the patients for the voyage. Most of the men would go into one of the army hospitals dotted along the coast and stay there until they were fully recovered. It was dark when they docked and from there it was up to Holly to find her own way home, but first she wanted to say a final goodbye to Sam. It was highly unlikely she would ever see him again. She found him about to be stretchered out to a waiting ambulance and hurried over to him.

‘Goodbye, Sam, take good care of yourself,’ she said, and he caught her hand.

‘You too, Holly … and thanks. If it weren’t for you …’ His voice trailed away but there was no need for words, they both knew what he meant.