She tried to concentrate on the other patients for the rest of the day. Many of the nurses were off duty that evening as the next day would be New Year’s Eve and they were going out to celebrate. Holly had spent Christmas with her family and so had thought it only fair to let the nurses who had worked over Christmas have their turn. Now she was glad that she had.

Late in the afternoon she called into his room to check on him again.

‘H-Holly … is that you?’

She started and almost dropped his notes which she had unhooked from the end of the bed.

‘Yes … it’s me.’ The lump in her throat was threatening to choke her as she moved to the side of his bed and gently took his hand.

‘It … must have been a bit … of a shock to see me.’

She nodded. ‘Yes, it was.’

‘I’m sorry that it … wasn’t Harry.’

She frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

His head moved restlessly on the pillow. ‘The Germans. They burned him and took me prisoner and somehow I survived the camp until our chaps came to set us free. But you must have been heartbroken about Harry.’

‘Richard, I think you have this all wrong,’ she told him gently. ‘There was nothing between Harry and me. Admittedly he wanted there to be and I’m sorry he’s dead, but we were just friends.’

‘Really?’ He looked confused. ‘B-but he led me to believe that you and he were … that you left me for him.’

‘That isn’t true,’ Holly said staunchly as she felt herself slipping under his spell again. ‘I left you because … let’s just say, I had my reasons. I care about you very much but I don’t want to get married … to anyone, ever! And anyway you didn’t waste much time when we split up. You forget I saw you not long after when I went to London to visit Miss May, walking with a very pretty young woman who was hanging on your every word!’

She was immediately ashamed of lapsing into jealousy and he looked confused but she stood firm. It would be unfair of her for her to give him false hope.

‘I’m going to get one of the nurses to fetch you some food while you’re awake,’ she told him, professional again. ‘And does your mother know you’re here? I could let her know if you like?’

‘How do you know where my mother lives?’

Holly realised that she had made a mistake and grew flustered. ‘What I should have said is, you can give me her address and I’ll let her know for you.’

‘Oh, I see. Well, you don’t need to bother. Matron has already done it and my mother is coming to see me tomorrow.’

‘Good.’ She plastered a smile on her face and hurried away. It was going to be really hard being so close to Richard but she owed it to him to help him get well, and she would.