“Maman.” She whispered the name into the room—a plea. A prayer she knew the Lord wouldn’t answer. He wouldn’t give her mother back to her. Couldn’t, because He’d created a world of rules and laws and mathematical certainties, and that world didn’t involve women rising from the grave a week after they’d died and been buried.

The floor greeted her, though she wasn’t aware of her knees having buckled until they smacked into the unforgiving wood. But her knees didn’t matter. The pain was welcome, even. A muted echo of her heart.

Arms still wrapped around herself, she leaned her head against the bed and breathed in the lily of the valley scent that equaled Maman. The breath knotted, heaved, her diaphragm rebelled, and something hot and wet scalded her cheeks.

“Maman,” she whispered again into the room. But the only answer was the sound of her sob.

13

Look sharp, men.” One of the patients who was a day or so away from being released back to his unit scurried into the ward. His eyes were wide, and he followed his own advice, cinching the belt on his dressing gown and standing far straighter than most of the blokes in hospital could hope to do. “There’s an admiral on his way in. Coming for you, Elton.”

Drake pushed himself up a few more inches, glad he could manage the feat today without having to call for a nurse like an infant. It would be Hall, he assumed. He’d had a feeling DID would come by before another day or two could pass.

What surprised him when Hall strode into the ward a minute later wasn’t the way he homed directly in on Drake’s bed. And it certainly wasn’t the way his presence filled the room, despite the fact that he was neither tall nor particularly fierce-looking, and made all the men who were awake try to salute. What surprised him was the very familiar bag clutched in his hand. Drake’s bag—the one he’d had with him on the train. The one he’d left on the train. Thoroton must have retrieved it for him and sent it along.

“At ease, men,” DID said with a smile as he turned toward Drake’s cot. He set the bag down and took a seat without any ado. “Lieutenant Elton. How are you feeling today?”

“Ready to escape.” He still hurt like the dickens and hadn’t attempted to stand since he’d fallen into that train car, but he was awake far too much for the monotony of hospital life to be anything but agonizing. He added a smile. “And report back to duty, I mean.”

Hall snorted a laugh. “Right. You look it. Though actually, that’s what I’ve come about. I know you’re the type who will improve faster if you’ve something to occupy your mind.”