Livvy relaxed a little, keeping her eyes trained somewhere over the officer’s head as she listened to what the woman had to say and ten minutes later, she left the office in a daze.

‘So, what did she want?’ the others asked when she came back into the hut.

‘Actually, she was lovely,’ Livvy told them. ‘She offered her condolences about Giles and said that seeing there was a connection between us she felt I should have some leave to come to terms with what’s happened. She said that what had happened was bound to affect my concentration and that could be dangerous for the pilots.’

Gilly whistled through her teeth. ‘You jammy thing, you! How long did she give you and when can you go?’

‘She gave me four weeks starting immediately.’ Even as she spoke, Livvy was dragging her kitbag from behind the locker and ramming anything she might need into it. When she’d finished, she smiled sadly at her friends.

‘That’s it then. I’ll go and see if there’s a train heading home now. I might even be lucky enough to get a lift into town. Bye for now, girls.’ And then with a heavy heart she set off, half dreading what she might find at home. Obviously, everyone would be grieving for Giles so she didn’t envisage it being the happiest of breaks but somehow she would just have to make the best of it.

Chapter Forty-Five

Ben had been at the hospital in Portsmouth since being shipped home a couple of weeks before and with each day that passed, he was feeling slightly better. Admittedly the smallest thing could turn him into a gibbering wreck again – only the day before the tea lady had dropped a cup, which smashed on the floor and instantly Ben was shaking uncontrollably as his ears rang with explosions and the frantic screaming of the terrified horses.

Even so, as the doctor examined him, he was pleased with his progress. Ben was actually one of the least traumatised of the patients they cared for. Some of the poor souls would never be sane again and were destined to end their tortured lives in an asylum.

‘So …’ the doctor stared at Ben thoughtfully. ‘Do you feel up to facing the outside world again yet, Branning? You’re nowhere near well enough to go back to your unit, but I’m thinking that some time in your home might be beneficial to you. Would that be possible?’