A Sister's War by Molly Green (the reading strategies book txt) 📕

chuckled. ‘But I’m curious. Can I ask you something?’ She sat on the bench.

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Do you like working on the boats?’

‘Quite well,’ Ronnie said cautiously. ‘I’ll feel a lot better when I know what I’m doing.’ She glanced at Sally. ‘How about you? Do you like it?’

Sally lifted her shoulders. ‘I haven’t made up my mind yet.’

‘What made you come in the first place?’

‘The usual thing – a man. He didn’t want the things I wanted, after all. So I thought this would be different enough to take my mind off him. Well, in a way, it does. But it’s not quite how I envisaged it.’

Sally was a well-educated girl, Ronnie thought. Rather like Jessica, she didn’t look the type to do such mucky, backbreaking work.

‘What did you do before?’

‘I was a nurse,’ Sally said.

Ronnie’s brows shot up. ‘Goodness, that’s quite a difference.’

‘Yes. The war started at the same time as my training, and I couldn’t wait to help care for the soldiers. But when you saw the things I did, it was shocking. Those poor boys. Day after day, night after night they were brought in, some of them completely broken, and we had to help mend them. I was abroad about a year and then ended up at home. There was hardly any break. We just kept on with little sleep. I was a wreck but I still loved the work. But after Mike … well, you don’t want to hear about him.’ Sally sighed.

‘Maybe all you needed was a holiday,’ Ronnie said. ‘To have a proper rest. You might have seen things differently.’

‘That’s what Mike said,’ Sally replied, the words coated with bitterness.

‘Was he a doctor?’

‘Yes. The typical nurse falling for the doctor.’ She rose to her feet. ‘Enough of all that. If you’re sure you’re all right I’ll leave you. At least May can keep an eye on you. But if you feel dizzy again you must tell Dora. It might mean you’ve got slight concussion, but they can do something about that.’

Ronnie thanked her and closed her eyes. In no time she was asleep.

Ronnie had no idea what the time was or how long she’d slept. She stretched her arms above her head, enjoying the space of the whole three-foot bed to herself. After a few minutes she swung her legs out and stood up, then put her hand to her head. Ouch. That felt sore. Oh, dear. There was rather a lump. But it would go, she told herself. And in the meantime, she had a job to do.

There was no one about in the butty. Her stomach rumbled but there was no sign or smell of any cooking. Dora must be using Jessica for something more important. Ronnie picked up her watch she’d put on the burnt bedside shelf. A quarter to six. She must have slept for several hours! Her stomach rumbled as she swiftly pulled a jumper on, then poked her head through the hatch. It was dark. She made out two shadowy figures coming towards her on Persephone’s gunwale.

‘Yous’d better wake her as yer the nurse,’ Ronnie heard Dora say. ‘Make sure she in’t concussed.’

‘I’m all right,’ Ronnie called, waving her arm. ‘I was going to start supper.’

‘Stay where you are.’ It was Sally.

The two women dropped through the hatch, Dora as usual chewing on her pipe.

‘How are you feeling, Ronnie?’ Sally asked.

‘Heaps better – honestly.’

‘No more dizziness?’

‘No, and no blurry vision or headache,’ Ronnie said, remembering Nurse Martin’s list of possible symptoms from concussion. ‘I’m fine now. I think it was just tiredness.’

‘And shock,’ Sally added, turning to Dora. ‘But she looks a lot better than when I left her.’

‘Hmm.’ Dora narrowed her eyes. ‘Yer seem ter be good at getting yerself in a pickle, miss. Let’s see if yer can go the rest of the day without any more mishap.’ She bounded up the steps and disappeared.

Sally grimaced. ‘She shouldn’t have made you clean the engine room. It was a rotten thing to ask when you’d had that accident. I told her the best thing for you was to get some rest and you’d be fine – which you are.’

‘Thanks, Sally, but to be fair, Dora did come and help me. I’m just terrified she’s going to send me home.’

‘I’m sure you’d have to do something much worse for that to happen.’ She looked at Ronnie. ‘Well, if you’re sure you’re okay, I’ll be getting back to the motor.’

Chapter Fourteen

‘Right, you lot,’ Dora said. Two days had passed without too much mishap. Ronnie and the two teams were gathered in the cold drizzle on the towpath. ‘We’re startin’ on a tunnel this mornin’ – Blisworth Tunnel, ten miles away. It’s a long one – nearly two miles. Third longest in the country,’ she added with a smirk, her pipe bobbing up and down between her lips. ‘Ver-ron-eek will take the tiller on the butty. Keep an eye on her, Jess. See she don’t do nothin’ daft. Margaret, go with them and watch how to steer as you in’t had a turn on yer own yet, and May, clean the cabin and make their drinks. I’ll be leadin’ the way on the motor with Sally and, Angela, do the same as May – a thorough cleanin’ job in the cabin and make us a cocoa at ten o’clock.’ She suddenly stared at Angela. ‘Well, I see the bugs have taken a likin’ to you, miss,’ she said. ‘Funny they’ve not gone after no one else.’

Five heads turned towards Angela. Her rain hat was pulled low over her face, masking her usual sour expression. Then Ronnie noticed a red rash on Angela’s face.

‘Thanks for reminding me,’ Angela muttered through gritted teeth. ‘I couldn’t sleep last night for scratching.’

‘Makes it worse.’ Dora’s eyes swept around the group. ‘When we tie up I’ll give yer a sulphur candle. That usually stops the little boogers in their tracks. And yer have ter seal up all the cracks round the doors