Norma Rogers Ch. 08

"Whisht, Mavoureen, the time for tears is over, I'm home. I only have to report to Barton Stacey for a fitness check, then I'll be on leave. Right now, I have a couple of days before I report, as the Senator has requested them for me, and then I'll go and see if they are going to make me permanent as a major, or discharge me. If I get what I would like, it would be the discharge. Now, Norma girl, where are our children? I've wanted to hold them in my arms for so long!"

Holding Jim with my arm around his waist, I took him through to the playroom, noticing as we walked that he looked extremely tired. He was swaying slightly, as if he had had a couple of drinks, but there was no smell of alcohol. John and Angela had been playing with wooden wagons in the centre of the floor, and when they saw their father, they stood up uncertainly, their faces quizzical as if they did not know or trust this strange man that Mummy was holding on to so tightly. My voice cracked as I said the words that I had dreamt of speaking so many times, "John, Angela, this is your daddy, he has come home to us."

Jim knelt between the two of them and wrapped an arm around each, drawing them in to his chest. He kissed their little faces in turn, and as he did so, the tears started to stream down his face, his chest heaving with great wracking sobs. I joined them, getting down on my knees as I did, thanking God for delivering Jim home to us, and the next I knew the tears were flowing down my face, too, as they were on the children's faces as well.

Nancy and Glenda stood there with faces wreathed in smiles. I looked at Nancy, "You witch, you set this up, you weren't afraid of Glenda at all."

"Norma, you have done so much for everybody, it was time something was done for you. When Hank told me that his dad notified him that Jim was on the ship, we thought we would surprise you."

"Well, you certainly did that. By the way, how did it happen Jim was on an ocean liner from the USA?"

Jim replied, "Well, now, that's a pretty long story on its own. Can we save it for later."

The twins settled the matter by yawning.

"Jim, I'm sorry, but they have had a big day and it is time for them to go down for a rest."

"Okay, I'll take them and see if they will go down for Daddy. Now, John my big son, will you show daddy where your room is?"

John relaxed his hold on Jim's neck as he shyly said, "Upstairs." Then he cuddled into his dad again as Jim walked up the stairs with one child on each arm.

Henry junior was really taken with Glenda. He had grabbed handfuls of her rich red hair, and his eyes were slowly closing as he dozed off on her shoulder. Glenda said, "Nancy, dear, if your father-in-law and your husband can't see that we need coffee, I guess we will just have to make it ourselves. Then we can tell Norma what has been happening."

Nancy made coffee and gave us some cookies as well. We enjoyed them for a while before I became a little concerned that Jim hadn't come back down and slipped upstairs. Looking in the twins' room, I didn't see them, then I quickly looked into my room and my heart leapt to see Jim, without a jacket or shoes, fast asleep on the covers, and tucked into him, one on each side, were John and Angela, his arms around them and their heads on his shoulders. I bent over, brushed my lips over his and took a few minutes just looking at him.He is home, my husband, my lover is alive and home!Then I crept out of the room to join the others in the kitchen. They were finishing coffee downstairs when I told them Jim was fast asleep. Glenda interjected, "Good. Now, Henry, while we have the chance, why not tell Norma what has been happening?"

Henry began, "Norma, I'm sorry that we haven't been able to tell you that Jim was safe before, but it was too secret as there were troops behind enemy lines. It still is until the Japanese are beaten and everyone is withdrawn, but you need to know as it is you who will be dealing with any problems that Jim has. We can pretty much guarantee that he will have some. If you hear me out, I'll answer what questions you have at the end."

"As you know, for a while, in Singapore, Malaya, Hong Kong and in Burma, Siam and the Asian countries, we just couldn't stop the Japanese. They may be small, but they fight tooth and nail and have done things long considered impossible. American, Brits and Aussies all did their bit without success. Some were beaten and captured, but others managed to hide and gradually amass captured equipment, or get equipment dropped to them by air or submarine. These troops, all volunteers, were known as the Coastwatcher's, but some of them also watched internal conditions like the Burma railroad, even attacking several of the prisoner camps. One of these groups was north of Rangoon, so we could monitor any Japanese attempts to get to India. They were American, supplied by submarine, and they kept in touch with Jim's camp by radio, with the RN radio installation there. That is why the RN was there."

"Just as we were starting to attack back into Burma to reopen the Burma Road, the Rangoon group radio went silent, and Jim volunteered to take several troops of his soldiers and strike out toward Rangoon to see if he could find the group. He had quite a challenge; nobody knew exactly where they were as they kept moving their base camp to confuse the Japanese radio plotters. We kept in touch with Jim's group by radio, and they found the group, telling us that they were very sick. Eventually the worst happened and the radio of Jim's group went silent as well. That is when you were told Jim was missing in action."

"As they were a very valuable group, we kept up a radio watch, and eventually it paid off. One of the radio operators, who were beginning to recover, got off a short message telling us they were all ill and a number had died. The powers that be decided to lay on a rescue mission using submarines, aptly named USS Sword and USS Shield. They ran with minimum crews so they could each carry a platoon of marines. After putting the marines ashore, the subs waited in position until they were contacted by the marines. The marines found the surviving men after four days, and three days later, all the sick men were ferried to the submarines. Despite the subs being tremendously crowded, they were ferried directly to Calcutta where the Australian hospital ship Ophir was waiting. Everybody affected, both American and British, were loaded on Ophir, which set sail for Australia right away. Nobody knew exactly who had survived at that time or who would survive the voyage, as there were still some pretty sick guys. They just got them aboard, under treatment, and sailed."

"They found it was a very virulent type of malaria, resistant to normal doses of quinine. Some died after they reached Ophir. The area they were in was well known as being a bad area, even to the natives who helped hide them, but pressure from the Japanese forced them into this swampy area."

"At first the crew and nursing staff of Ophir didn't know who they had taken off. They were travelling under radio silence, anyway, to avoid Japanese attack. During the trip, they got some names, but it wasn't until the Americans and British troops were transferred to a US ship and were heading across the Pacific to the States that most of the men began to improve enough to give us identifications and the entire story."

"Jim was quite the hero. He and his naval buddy guided relief troops right to the watchers, but they got sick as well, one of the first being the MO who went with them and unfortunately died. Jim kept everyone working on getting clean water and making Mosquito nets into tents, while moving them away from the worst of the watery areas where the mosquitos bred, but he couldn't get away from them totally. Fortunately, he and his navy buddy Bert were among the last to go down with it, so they had some recovering already who were able to contact us and guide the marines in. When they got there, about 50 percent of each force had been lost."

"Once we got them to the States, the British survivors were taken to New York and I arranged for them to be transported on the Queen Elizabeth. I sent a list of the survivors to Hank, but I didn't know that Jim was your husband until Hank sent me a cable, telling me. It was then that we made plans to bring Jim here."

"What about Bert, the seaman?" Did he recover?"

Hank interjected, "When we last saw Bert this morning, he was off with others to Haslar Naval Hospital at Gosport, and if they decided he was fit, he would be going home on leave. He had already run into Malaria on one of his previous trips, so it wasn't as bad for him. It was as if he had already been inoculated against it. I wouldn't be surprised if he was on the way home tomorrow to, as he put it, 'Put another bun in Jenny's oven, or have a pint in the Dog and Duck', and he wasn't sure which would come first."

That sounded so typical of the Bert we knew that a laugh had no difficulty bursting out from Nancy and me. My heart was full of joy for Jenny and me. Our husbands were home, Jim in my bed upstairs, and Bert in the hospital. Thinking of Jim upstairs, I ran up to see how he was doing. They had all woken up and the children were chatting with Daddy, someone they had only seen photographs of until now. They were hanging on like grim death as if they were scared that he would be taken away again. He was telling them childhood stories about the farm, and a thought struck me. Mhairi, her faith had been so strong that he would come home; she needed to hear from him. I asked him to bring the children down when he was ready, and I would likely have a surprise for him. As he sat there, I put my arms around his neck, leaned in to him and kissed him slightly open mouthed so that I could feel his tongue.

"Norah, me lass, there is only one ending for a kiss like that, and I'm thinking that in front of the children might not be the best place for it."

"Jim, my man, if it isn't, then they had best get used to it because I plan on a lot more than kissing. Now come downstairs when you are ready."

I went down, and asked Nancy if her phone could be used to call Ireland. "Yes, if you get permission from the commandant first."

Glenda retorted. "Permission, smission, give me the phone and the number!" I gave her the number and she picked up the phone. "This isn't the first time I've been through Army exchanges." We just heard the exchange between her and the operator. She turned the call handle and sounded so practiced. "Now, who would I be talking to? Oh, PFC Duncan, what is your first name? Terry, well Terry this is Glenda Edwards, I'm the wife of Senator Henry Edwards, chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee, and we happen to be here on some important business for the President. I have to make a call on an outside line to Loughrea in the Irish Free State. Now, I know I should have the Base Commander's permission, but right now he isn't here. How about you run this past your supervisor? And it might help if you tell him that the lady I am calling is a personal friend of Queen Elizabeth." After a minute she continued, "That is Mrs. Mhairi Rogers at Loughrea 457. Thank you so much for your help, your officer will hear of it."

She passed the phone to me, and I could hear it ringing at the other end. Mhairi picked up. I spoke quickly "Mhairi, its Norma."

She interjected quickly, "You've heard something about Jim, haven't you? He's alive isn't he?"

"Not just heard, but seen. Oh, Mhairi, he is here with me at Nancy's! He and Bert arrived home this morning on the Queen Elizabeth with Hank's Mum and Dad, but, oh, he looks so thin and sick. He was infected with a bad case of Malaria and has had two hospital ship voyages, then another trip from New York to Southhampton, getting in today. Can you possibly come over for a while?"

"With a little luck, we'll be on the morning boat from Dun Loaghaire tomorrow, so if we can get an official car, we will get there sometime tomorrow afternoon. If not, we will go straight to your mother's. Hank's at the US Army hospital in Cheltenham, isn't he?"

"Yes, the house is just inside the main gate." Just then Jim walked into the room. "Wait, Mhairi, the prodigal son has just walked into the room. I'll put him on, and I hope we see you tomorrow." I handed Jim the phone.

"Hello, Mam, it's glad I am to hear your voice." Then he remained quiet while she talked. She must have talked to him for about ten minutes straight until I was surprised when he passed the phone back to me. "Norma, Mam wants to talk for a minute."

I spoke, "Hello, Mhairi, isn't it wonderful that Jim is back?"

"Yes, it is, but your man is extremely tired, and still quite ill, so don't let him be doing too much quite yet. Right now the most important thing is to keep him hydrated and rested. It wouldn't hurt to get him off to his bed at the same time as the children. If John and I can get the car, we will be there tomorrow, and I'll bring across some herbs that have worked well in these situations. I'll let your mother know what is going on, and for the time being it would be useful to use their house as it is roomier than yours. Is there any reason that you should go back to work? It would be handier if you were at home, too."

"Mhairi, I got command of the station when my station officer decided that nursing her husband was more important than commanding the station. Though she doesn't know it yet, my deputy is about to be promoted the same way. The biggest problem will be the military intelligence angle, though it won't hurt my feelings at all to be rid of them. I'll make a couple of phone calls and clear it all."

It was still midafternoon, so I was able to contact my office. My deputy picked up the phone right away. "Ambulance Station, main office, Deputy Station Officer Jacobs speaking."

"June, this is Norma. I am asking for leave until further notice. Nancy's in-laws brought Jim home to me on their ship from the States. That is why Nancy got me to come down here. He has been extremely ill, and is going to need a lot of nursing."

"No problem. You have the leave, but a Mr. Richards has been calling for you, he was trying to find you yesterday and today."

"I'll call him now, I have his number with me."

I hung up and then I called Richards, starting into him when he answered the phone. "What do you want now? Haven't I done enough for you already?"

"Norma, I don't need anything. All I have is good news. Jim is alive, but he has been really sick and is on a US hospital ship somewhere in the Pacific."

"Mr. Richards, even when you have good news, you are way behind the times. Jim is home, thanks to the United States. He and what was left of his squadron came over on the Queen Elizabeth at the same time as Senator and Mrs. Edwards. He is in the next room right now playing with the children. He is going to need a lot of nursing, and that is my target right now, no matter what happens. If you want to be useful, contact Barton Stacey, tell them he will be at my parents, and get him a lot of convalescent leave."

"I sincerely apologize, Norma, for not having the most up to date information. I'll contact Barton Stacey right away and send their answers to you at your mother's. By the way, I have a short message from Rudi Von Ansel. We settled him with his family in Berne. All is well with him and his family, and he thanks you very much for all you did. Now, go to your husband; he needs you far more than we do."

I went into the playroom, and while I know that I should have helped Nancy make the evening meal, all I could do was sit beside Jim, holding on to him as he told children's stories of Ireland to the twins. Eventually, Nancy came to tell us that she had a meal ready for us, and I was pleased to see that she had shopped at the exchange. She had ham, fish, potatoes and vegetables. We all ate, but it hurt me to see that Jim didn't eat much more than the children. No wonder he didn't have any spare weight. I offered him more, but he wouldn't take it. "Taking more leaves less for the others, I have to take just enough to keep going."

"What others? There isn't anyone else, the children have had lots, and so has everybody else." He had a wild look in his eyes that began to scare me.

"There are always others, the ones who died that we could not save. All we had was fruit and rice, and they couldn't keep it down so they died. We tried to leave lots for them, but they died anyway."

He got very uncomfortable and got up and went through to the other room. I moved to follow him, but Glenda leant over and held me in my chair. "Norma, leave him alone for a few minutes. I guess you can see now that my bit of artifice wasn't strictly to surprise you. At times, Jim is still living in the jungle, and he feels every death in his unit is his responsibility. You will no doubt hear him talk about the green hell, and that is what it was to him, even though he tried to control things as much as he could. Jim has a strong sense of duty, and the feelings of helplessness that he felt in Burma will haunt him for a long time, particularly in his sleep. All you can do is try to talk him gently through it, and hopefully, eventually the feelings will work through his system and he will be able to handle them better."

I thought over what Glenda had said. "You aren't quite the fluffy headed loving wife that you claim to be, are you?"

Glenda smiled, "Oh, heavens no. Henry would be so bored if I were. We attended University in Cincinnati together. Boring old Henry studied Law, and thanks to my parents, who didn't believe that a person's sex should hold you back, little old me took on the exciting world of Medicine, although most of the excitement for us girls seemed to be fighting off certain doctors who thought they could pass more knowledge along by pumping it into the vagina. Henry, being tall and a member of the Athletics Squad Shot Putt team, usually only had to explain once that I was his fiancé, and that anyone trying to use their fingers on me had a good chance of getting them broken."

"By the time he completed articling at the Edwards family Law office and was named the new Associate, I had completed my internship at Cincinnati Grace. As I wanted a job that would give me time to raise a family, I decided to specialize in Mental Health. I remained at the hospital, but I also have been assisting at Veterans' Hospitals in the Midwest. Some pretty bad things have been done in the name of mental health treatment, but there are many of us now who believe that much can be accomplished through talking with and listening to individual patients. That is one reason why I am along on the trip. The Doctors who treated Jim's illness were able to cure him of it, but they weren't able to treat the malaise that traps his thoughts sometimes."

"What about when his mother comes? She is what they call in Ireland and Scotland a fey woman, almost a witch."

"I'm really looking forward to meeting her." She tossed her mane of red hair. "I come by this hair honestly. I'm a Cassidy from County Clare via Chicago, a wee bit of a fey lass too. It may well be that traditional medicine will have its place in Jim's treatment as well. Now, I'll just make up his herbal tea so he can drink it before he goes to sleep, and if you don't mind retiring early with him, I'm sure it will help."

She got some tea from a box that she had and made a brew up, half for Jim and half for me, and we took it through to the room we were using. Obviously, Jim didn't want to be parted from the children; they were lying in the bed beside him. He was in his pyjamas, and sat up to drink the tea. I put mine on the bedside table, and putting my arm around Jim, I started to undo his pyjama jacket and slide it back over his shoulders. He touched my hand stopping me. His hand rested on mine, "Norma, we have lots of time for this The children are here, shouldn't we just settle down?"