“Okay,” said the captain, though he probably knew better. “I leave him to your care. I’m just a messenger boy now anyway, since the British have surrendered.”

I finished stitching. To the patient I said, “Can you walk?”

“Courchene,” he said.

“What?”

“Courchene. My name. William Courchene.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

He waited.

“Pleased to meet you,” I said, like an idiot. “I’m Violet. Dr Violet Mah Wai-Man. Can you walk?” I’d shoved a handful of morphine ampoules in my pocket, but if I gave him one, he’d likely fall asleep, and then he’d be done for.

Emily was beside me then. Her hair was dishevelled, her face haggard, her eyes empty as a hungry rice pot. “Let’s get out of here, Vi.”

“The British are letting us go, but will the Japanese?”

“They are letting the Chinese at St Stephen’s go, but they are still murdering us in the street. We need to get back to the Stable.”

“Okay. I’m taking this one.”

“A half-dead British soldier? Why?”

“He’s Canadian. Maybe Canadian Chinese? Look at his face.”

She looked. “He’s handsome.”

“I suppose he is, yes.”

I took some of the clothes from the closet and dressed Courchene as a civilian. The doctor to whom the clothes belonged didn’t need them anymore.

There were mutilated bodies in the hallway. A woman with her head hacked almost, but not completely, off. A man without eyes, ears, nose, or mouth. We tried not to look. We passed survivors scrubbing blood from the stairwell as Japanese soldiers shouted orders. We scurried past them dragging our groaning patient with us. By the mercy of Mary we made it to the door. When we stepped out we saw half a dozen mutilated bodies laid out on the lawn, all without heads. I averted my gaze, but the sight had already cut my eyes as though with a knife.

We made our way past Ng Wah Hall toward Tung Tau Wan Road where the bus stop was. Other Chinese workers from the field hospital hurried past us.

Emily walked with a limp.

Had she—

I didn’t want to think about it.

Her face was fierce, trying to push down the pain.

“Emily.”

She ignored me, and continued to stumble forward.

“Emily.”

“Don’t ask me, Violet.”

“Did they—”

“I told you not to ask me.”