Behind his foolery crouched debilitating fear. I hadn’t considered his situation until that moment but if anything happened in the night, what chance would he have? Even with the aid of crutches, could Perkins traverse the sloping decks of a sinking ship to a lifeboat? Or even get off his bed in time? And could the Corporal swim with only one complete leg? All these things, I realised, must have gone through his mind. The horror of being trapped and alone. In the case of a torpedo hit, watertight doors would be closed before he could get through. He would drown; all alone in the grey hulk.

‘To tell the truth, Corporal, I’m a little afraid after all that happened on the Britannic,’ I said. ‘What are the chances of it happening again?’ I reached for his hand and squeezed it. ‘Do you think the Hun know we’re here? Perhaps they’re following us in one of their U-boats, just waiting for the right moment. What do you think?’

‘I think you really ought to kiss me.’

‘I think you know perfectly well I am not that sort of girl.’

‘That’s why I’ve fallen in love with you.’

‘Stop it, now, or I’ll leave.’

Perkins hitched himself clumsily up onto his elbows, a grimace of pain distorting his handsome face. ‘You’re perfectly lovely; do you know that?’ he said.

When I placed my hand on his cheek to test his temperature, he took hold of my wrist and held it there, pressing his face against my hand.

‘Is it hurting a lot?’ I asked, searching his features, hoping my attention would work the magic of healing him. ‘You must be very tired, pain is so wearing and although you’re very brave, I see through your act, Corporal.’

His smile was slightly mocking, yet his eyes were so feverishly bright, I prayed he was not falling foul of gangrene or sepsis.

‘Call me “darling” and mean it – give me just one kiss to take with me – then if I die in this damned war, at least I can take that to heaven with me.’

I peered into his eyes and saw the truth; his fear, his tenderness, and there was love in the way he gazed at me too. My heart beat hard for all the young soldiers, and for what this war might do to them. The injustice of it. The pain they would endure, and the tears of their families who would never see their boys again.

Without realising, I moved my face towards him and found my lips on his and his hand on the back of my head. His breathing became laboured and instinctively, I realised I should move away. My face was on fire, and my heart almost bursting from my chest.

‘I love you, nurse. Promise you’ll find me when you come back to Blighty?’