‘Blood group: O positive. Our coordinates are: 37°42′05″N by 24°17′02″E. Twenty-one-year-old male with open wound to the torso. I can accompany him up, I’m experienced on a ’copter lift, so if you have room for one more, just lower the cradle and a safety line. We have divers down and there’s a critical situation below, so we need our aerials down for as short a time as possible. I’ll have all loose items removed from the deck and prepare for your arrival, OK? Over and out.’

Shelly called to the other crew member. ‘You! Move everything that’s not fixed down, below decks. And I do mean everything! We don’t want anyone decapitated by flying debris from the downdraught. Quickly!’ To the other crew member, she said, ‘Go inside and tell them we need to lower all aerials for five minutes, while the ’copter hovers above us, OK?’

She pulled a sphygmomanometer out of the medical kit, and put the blood pressure cuff on Elias.

‘How is he?’ Harry asked quietly when she had taken his blood pressure.

‘Not good. He’s bleeding out. Keep the pressure on that wound or else he won’t make it.’ She took the pulse in his neck. ‘Very faint.’ She glanced at the horizon, it would be another ten minutes at least. Suddenly, Gran Gertie came to mind. She was right here with Corporal Perkins dying in her arms, and what did she do?

Shelly tipped out the first aid kit, snatched a catheter and two syringes. ‘Keep the pressure up!’ she ordered Harry. Within thirty seconds she had a transfusion going from her arm, into Elias.

‘The decks are clear, miss, what next?’

‘Bring me a chair to sit on, but shift it inside the moment you hear that ’copter, and when you do, lower all the aerials. Once we’re moving away, erect them again.’

Shelly felt slightly dizzy, but knew she had to stay strong for the helicopter lift. ‘We need to strap that pad to the wound to keep the pressure up while they lift him. A couple of wide belts will do the trick. Quick as you can, guys, ask the crew for any sturdy belts, we need to be ready for that ’copter!’

‘Leave the shirt in place and add the pad of gauze for extra pressure. It needs to be strapped very tightly in place.’ She felt the pulse in Elias’s neck again. ‘If I’m not mistaken, it’s no weaker. You can go, Harry. Find out what happened in the dive bell. You’re needed there, even though Carlos knows what he’s doing.’ She caught the distant thrum of the ’copter and nodded towards it. ‘Once I’m in there, I’m going to turn my phone off to save the battery. I’ll turn it on for ten minutes, on the hour, OK?’ Her head was spinning.