Page 33 of The London Girls
The ground rattled then as another bomb fell elsewhere in the city, and a siren wailed all over again, piercing the night as Londoners continued to hide in underground shelters, desperate to stay alive as homes and buildings were destroyed throughout the city. Most would spend the night underground if they could, if they had somewhere safe to go, if they’d had enough warning and could leave their homes in time.
A steely determination ran through her as she held her scarf more tightly to her mouth.
I can do this. This is what I was supposed to be doing; this is my calling.
Florence had never felt so certain about anything before in her life. She’d also never been so grateful to have Jack beside her, when so many other drivers were doing it on their own.
By the time Florence took her final trip to the hospital at the end of their shift, it was almost eight in the morning. She and Jack had worked tirelessly all night: following the urgent blow of whistles, driving quickly in the convoy after fire engines and other ambulances, ambulances that had finally joined them once the bombs had subsided. They’d managed to transport countless injured men, women and children to hospital, and she’d seen death first-hand, something she’d coped with far more competently than she’d expected, because it was the people who were trapped, the people who were still alive and who were desperately waiting to be saved that she focused on, thinking only of them and what she could do for them.
‘You know, you were right about going out tonight.’
She glanced at Jack, yawning as she turned back down the road. She slowed as she approached the corner, relaxed in her driving now that it was morning and she wasn’t navigating the streets in the dark. Daylight had never felt so reassuring.
‘About what?’ Florence realised they’d barely spoken to one another for an hour, maybe more. They’d been so focused on their work, and she had to admit they’d made a good team.
‘You have to go out as soon as the bomb drops,’ he said, his body angled away from hers as he stared out of the window. ‘That’s when people need you – not later, when it’s safe.’
She nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at her. ‘So why did you seem unsure at the time?’
Jack grunted as he moved, repositioning himself in the seat. She’d noticed that his limp had become more pronounced when they were leaving the hospital after their last trip and wondered how much pain he was in, although she dared not ask.
‘So many people join us and think they can stay safe in the cellar until it’s all over,’ he said. ‘They won’t take their ambulance out until the smoke clears, so to speak, and half the time they’re the ones with all the training.’
‘That’s not me, Jack, and it will never be me, I can assure you of that,’ Florence said, hearing the quiet determination in her own voice. ‘That’s not why I’m here.’
There was a long pause as she turned down Tottenham Court Road and then took a left, into their headquarters.
‘Then whyareyou here, Florence?’
Florence fixed a smile on her face, not about to tell him what had drawn her to the ambulance service – what would make her take Petal out even if no one else was heading out. She smiled because if she didn’t smile, she would cry, and that wasn’t something she’d ever do in front of Jack, or anyone else she worked with.
‘I could ask the same of you,’ she said. ‘But I have a feeling both of us want to keep our reasons to ourselves.’
He grunted. ‘Fair enough.’
They sat for a moment as she stopped Petal and turned off the ignition, her chest rising and falling with her breath as he stared straight ahead, like he was lost in thought – another feeling she knew well, from when the memories became too much.
‘You’d better check her over. Make sure she’s ready for tonight,’ he finally said.
‘Will do,’ Florence said.
As Jack opened his door and walked away, she cursed herself for not opening up a little to him. Perhaps if she had, he might have told her something about himself, and she had to admit she was curious. He was different from the others, and from what she could gather he was a volunteer just like her rather than an ATS trained recruit. Not to mention he clearly had advanced medical training, which made her wonder if he’d been an Army medic earlier in the war, perhaps before sustaining the injuries he suffered from.
He clearly had a story, and she hoped that one day he would trust her enough to tell it.
Florence wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, sweat trickling down her skin as she faced the fire. The previous nights she’d worked hard, but nothing had compared to what they were facing now. It was as if her first week had merely been preparation for tonight.
‘We’re not going in there, it’s too dangerous.’
The commotion around them was loud; whistles were blowing, people were screaming, firemen were yelling. But the one sight Florence could barely tear her eyes from was a man standing in thestreet, turning slowly in circles, as if he couldn’t comprehend what was happening to him. He was dressed in a striped nightgown, and she’d never seen anyone appear so bewildered in all her life. If she’d had time, she would have gone to comfort him, led him safely to a neighbour’s house orsomewhere,anywhere other than leaving him in the middle of the road. But there was no time to provide comfort to the able-bodied – their job was to save those who would otherwise perish. Which was exactly what she was going to do.
‘I’m going in, Jack,’ she said, defiantly staring back at him. ‘There are people in there, we can’t just leave them.’
‘And I’m not letting you,’ he said, moving to stand in front of her.
‘We don’t have time to argue! Get out of my way!’
Jack’s fingers curled tightly around her wrist as she attempted to pass him, but she yanked hard, not caring how much it hurt. She wasn’t going to waste time fighting with him when they had a job to do.
