︻┳═一

Promptly after tea, Isobel was tying on her hat when a knock came at the front hall door. She checked her appearance in the looking glass and opened it. "Hello, Felix." There was a man standing beside him who, although he was of a much smaller build, could only be his brother.

Felix bowed his head. "Good evening, ma'am. It is good to see you smile, I must say."

"Thank ye. Eddie is speaking tae me. He's beginning tae sound like himself, at last."

"That's wonderful news. I'd like you to meet my brother, Demetri Jones."

"Please call me Dem." The blind man held out his hand and Isobel shook it with a smile.

"Felix speaks highly of you, Dem."

"Lovely to meet you, Nurse Masen. I thought perhaps I might come along and meet your husband."

"Oh," Isobel said uncertainly. "That's verra kind of ye, but—"

Felix cleared his throat. "The sooner Eddie understands that he can be productive, the better off he'll be."

"Besides," Dem said, "I can teach you some things that will help him."

"Can ye?"

"Of course." Tapping with his cane, he descended the step, feeling for its back with his heel just as Eddie always did. Dem did it so gracefully that had Isobel not known he was blind, she would not have been able to tell. He stopped on the walk and turned expectantly towards her as she and Felix joined him. Isobel couldn't help but feel a little leery. Was he actually blind?"

"Now, dear lady, I shall ask you to be my eyes as we walk to the hospital."

"All right. What do ye need me tae do?"

"If you will allow the familiarity, ma'am, I should like to see you."

"See me?"

"I see with my hands. May I touch your face?"

"Erm, I suppose."

Dem held up both hands, palms-out, and lightly patted them over Isobel's face. He used his thumbs to trace her brow, her hairline, eyes and mouth, then, slipped his hands to her ears, which he traced with his fingertips, finishing at her chin. Then he touched his fingers to the tops of her shoulders and took a step back.

"You were right, Felix, the lady is quite beautiful."

"Oh!" Isobel blushed hotly.

"I told you, didn't I, Dem?"

"You did. Don't tell Corrie I said so. Now, ma'am, I shall hold onto your arm and as we walk, you will tell me of any obstructions, stairs, messes, hazards and the like."

"Certainly! I do that for Eddie all the time." Except, Eddie hadn't been able to hear her when she'd been doing it, so she'd had to steer him forcefully around every obstruction. It was such a blessing that he'd regained his hearing. Well, it would be in the long run, when he'd recovered his strength.

"Good! Shall we be off?" Dem held out his hand.

Isobel passed it through the crook of her arm so that his hand rested along her forearm. "Yes, please."

"Not like that, ma'am." He slid his hand onto her upper arm and clasped it. "Keep your arm bent but relaxed, please. That way, I can tell when you shift your balance and follow you."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's like dancing. You know what it's like to follow a lead, don't you, ma'am?"

"Yes, I do. Are ye able tae dance, Dem?" Isobel tipped her chin down and blushed but Dem did not appear discomfited by the intrusive question.

"I like to dance as much as the next man, but I do like to have a bit of space around me so I don't kick anybody." He winked at her. "Eddie must learn to walk ably before he can dance. As the guide, it is your job to make sure your charge doesn't fall into a drain, all right?"

"Hah! Yes, sir."

They began to walk. Isobel was fascinated by how well Dem followed her lead. Whenever someone approached them, he smiled, nodded and bade them a good evening.

"May I ask how well ye see, sir?" Isobel asked.

"Why, I cannot see at all."

She blinked rapidly. "But ye just told that couple ye liked their dog."

"I have never met a dog I didn't like. I heard its license jingle against the lead. And dogs often pant, you know, even if they don't bark. I hear the men's footsteps and the swish of ladies' petticoats." He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "And begging your pardon for saying so, missus, but sometimes I distinguish folks by scent."

"How verra interesting!"

"Yes. There are plenty of ways to compensate for a lack of vision."

"Ach! Mind the lamppost!" She darted to the left and he followed nimbly.

"Thank you."

"Not at all."

And then Demetri tripped over a loose brick and stumbled heavily. Felix caught him before he hit the ground and the pair laughed wheezily together.

"I'm sae sorry!" Isobel yelped, wringing her hands.

"You must always be aware of your surroundings, ma'am," Dem said, "no matter what pretty words your husband whispers in your ear. You are his eyes now."

"I see!"

"Yes, you do!" He smirked saucily. When he took her arm again, he gave her hand a small pat. "I am relying upon your support only because we're going somewhere new to me. If we were in my neighbourhood, I would be the one showing you around."

Gladdened, she gave his arm a squeeze. By the time they made it to the mental hospital, it was growing dark. Isobel set her hand on the front railing and put her foot on the bottom step.

"Hold on," Dem said, and tugged her to his side. "Are there stairs here?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"It's a bit difficult to see. Fifteen, I think."

Dem pressed closer to her side and the outside of his forearm rested against Isobel's ribs. "All right. Keep your tempo slow and even. Step, step, step, step…" Soon, they were at the top. Dem took another step and his foot came down on air. As he set it on the top step again, he waggled his head at her. "Fourteen. That's all right going up, but be very careful going down. Missing a step makes for a bad fall. Does Eddie touch his toes to the stairs going up and press his heel against them when he goes down?"

"Yes!"

"See, that comes naturally. Let's go and see him, shall we?"

︻┳═一

Eddie lay restlessly on top of the bedclothes. He was both exhausted and bored to tears. Just having water forced into them had been enough to whack Jazz and Cap for the day. (i) They'd conked out ridiculously early. If only Eddie could read himself a book. Perhaps Bella would read to him. He sat up eagerly when the door opened and admitted light from the hall. He could hear Isobel's tread and the two Englishmen with her were joshing each other about something. "Bella?"

"Hello, mae darling. I haff brought Felix and his brother, Dem, tae meet you."

"Felix!" Eddie reached out for him. Felix touched his arm in the usual way and then shook his hand fiercely.

"Lieutenant. How wonderful to meet you properly at last!"

"Do call me Eddie. I'm so glad you came!"

"I hope you don't mind my bringing Dem."

"Not at all." Eddie stretched out his hand eagerly but met only air. He waited, his forehead wrinkling, wondering if the man was declining to shake his hand. Then a set of knuckles brushed against his. Dem slipped his cool hand into Eddie's and shook it firmly.

"Hello, Old Sweat. I hope you're up for a walk."

Eddie frowned. "But it's dark now, isn't it?"

"Always dark for me, mate. Fetch your cardigan and shoes. I'm going to teach you some tricks. It's time you learned to be useful again."

Anything to get out of bed. Eddie set his feet to the floor and froze. Dem was blind. Like him. And he spoke of being useful. Useful! Eddie reached for his boots and scrambled to put them on.

Dem set his hand on the top of Eddie's boot and felt it. "Hang on. What sort of shoes are these for a blind man?"

"They're army boots," Eddie said. Dem knocked on one sole.

"You need to get some shoes that are a bit thinner on the bottom. More flexible. Not so thin that you'll hurt your feet if you step on a stone, but just enough that you can feel the ground underneath you."

"Okay."

"You can tie your own boots? That's good."

"I don't need help to dress or eat," Eddie said proudly.

"Can you make your missus a cup of tea, a coddled egg with toast, and marmalade?"

"No…?"

"You shall."

Something inside Eddie fluttered to life and warmed him. Even if he couldn't see, Dem, Felix and Bella weren't going to let him languish in bed. He might be an Old Sweat but that didn't mean he wanted to behave like an invalid.

Dem turned to Bella. "All right, ma'am. I'm going to take Eddie out and about. You may observe if you like, but I don't want you to talk."

"All right!"

"Good show. May I have a look at you, Eddie?"

"Um, yeah. Sure."

"You start with the cheekbones and brow." To Eddie's surprise, Dem placed his hands upon him. "Then, the nose and mouth, the shape of the face, and finally, the ears, jaw, chin and distance to the shoulders."

"I see."

"Gawd, Felix!" Dem yelled abruptly, making Eddie jump. "Have you landed us with a couple of picture stars? Handsome pair, aren't they?"

Eddie hoped Dem couldn't feel his blush.

"Actually, Eddie played the piano in Vaudeville," Bella supplied.

"Did you, now?"

"Yes. May I… get close enough to see you?"

"Turn about's fair play, isn't it?" Dem rested his hands on the knob of his long cane.

Eddie got close enough to Dem that he could feel his breath. He reckoned Dem to be in his late thirties. He had dark hair, cut short, with good sideburns but no beard, and silvery-looking eyes.

"Do you want to have a squiz at me, too?" Felix asked.

Eddie flexed his hands. "Would you mind?"

"Not in the least. Most people don't mind as long as you ask them first." Eddie got a good look at Felix's broad, jovial face. His eyes were shiny brown, his hair was dark and curly like Cap's, but his features were aquiline and his complexion olive. Eddie supposed him to be 35 years old.

"Are you Italian?"

"Our grandmamma was." Dem smirked knowingly. "Felix looks more like her than I, poor sod. Always somebody who wants to know if he's a fascist, right, Felix?"

"Only ask you though, don't they, Dem?" Felix growled.

"Well, you are bigger than they are." He nudged Eddie companionably. "We're as loyal to the king as you are. So you can see a little, can you? Enough to distinguish skin tones?"

Eddie nodded. "Up close, I can see quite well. Things are only a bit blurry. But everything gets very blurry if it's more than four inches away from me and after a couple of feet, I can barely make out any shapes at all. The picture goes dark and grainy. And there are small black spots that block some parts of my view. It's frustrating."

"Does bright light hurt?"

"Yes."

"Can you pick out your wife from a distance?"

"My wife, my dog, objects that are familiar, but only because I recognize their movement. Being able to hear again helps me know when people are there."

Dem nodded slightly. "Have you talked to the doctor about your chance of recovery?"

"Not yet but I don't think there's much chance of me regaining my sight. Shrapnel, you know."

"Does the thought upset you?"

"Sometimes."

"Only sometimes?"

Eddie shrugged. "Yeah. I…"

"You needn't explain if you don't want to." Dem gripped Eddies' shoulder and gave it a bracing shake. "Righty-o! Come on, Old Sweat. Time to put you through your paces. And you may ask me whatever you wish. There is no question too personal."

"Thank you. Are we leaving the building?"

"Not tonight, but we will soon enough."

For the next three hours, Dem marched Eddie upstairs and downstairs, to the canteen and the lounge, to Dr. Harris's office and the water closet, while Eddie asked enough questions to make him hoarse. Dem showed Eddie how to make better use of his cane, how to feel the movement of a guide, and how to differentiate between individuals. Bella began to yawn and fade.

"I think I'll go up to yer room and sit down for a bit, if ye dinnae mind."

"Do you mind if I stay down here for a bit?"

"No, but I maun work in the morning. I cannae stay late."

"I won't be too long." Eddie stooped to place a kiss on Bella's forehead. "Thank you for bringing Felix and Dem."

"Yer welcome, love."

Eddie, Dem and Felix practiced independence for another hour and Eddie's questions got rather more personal. Felix and Eddie were snickering over the rather improbable position in which Dem's next-to-be-born child was made when Eddie's night nurse marched up to them in a huff. "It is time you were in bed, Lieutenant. You and your friends are making noise and the men all need their sleep."

"I'm sorry, Nurse," he said, but he couldn't be too abashed. He climbed the stairs up to his room with no assistance whatsoever!

When he opened the door, the only sound that greeted him was deep breathing. He crossed the room quietly and discovered Bella sound asleep on top of his bed. "Oh, dear. How careless of me. She's worn out. Bella? Bella, wake up, darling. You need to go home to bed."

She didn't stir at all. Eddie began to feel a bit tense.

"Why don't you just leave her be?" Felix murmured. "The night nurse won't likely check again until four."

"Won't I get her into awful trouble?"

"Not going to get lovey-dovey, are you?"

He felt his cheeks redden. "Of course not." Although, given the opportunity, he wouldn't turn it down.

Felix shook his head. "I wouldn't worry."

Eddie was abruptly anxious to go to bed. He reached out for Felix's hand. "Thank you so much for coming. You and Dem."

"We'll come again in a few days, all right?"

"Yes, please." Eddie reached out for Dem and gave him a hug. "Thank you."

You're welcome, mate. When you get out of here, you'll have to come to work with me. Play some pianos. Maybe an organ or harpsichord, too."

"I would love that."

"See you soon."

"Goodnight." Eddie listened to them go. Then he peeled off his cardigan and unlaced his boots. He slipped into the bed as quietly as possible, wrapped his arm around Bella, and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Eddie?"

"I had the most wonderful time. Do you know Dem has three children and another on the way? Do you know how he keeps track of them? His wife threads bells on their shoes. Only, little Nancy has learned to walk without making a noise, can you imagine?"

"Mmf. Go tae sleep."

But Eddie couldn't get to sleep for a long time. His head was too full of possibility. Of being self-sufficient. Of employment, new friends, and children with bells on their shoes. It was such a pretty picture that it only belatedly occurred to him that he was planning to live. For a moment, guilt stabbed at him, but then he remembered Bella's joy when he'd sung to her and told her he could hear. And he remembered making her cry. He couldn't purposefully make her cry again.

Eddie Masen whispered his sins and repented them. He would live for Bella, no matter what difficulties the future might bring. And he would live each day in remembrance of the best boys on earth, boys who had bravely followed him into hell.

Eddie had been to hell and he wasn't going to remain there. His brothers in arms wouldn't want that. It was time to dry his eyes and come back. He promised himself he would make the Blue Puttees proud. All he had to do now was convince the doctor to let him out. He drew his wife close and thanked God for her generosity of heart, closed his eyes, and wondered just how he might make himself useful. There had to be some way that he could continue to serve…

︻┳═一 ︻┳═一 ︻┳═一

i Whack: to wear out, exhaust.

First, I want to thank all Canada's allied military personnel for making such huge sacrifices so that we can enjoy our freedom. Second, my son's angioplasty went well and we're all home. He'll have to have at least one more, but he's stable for the next six months. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

Finally, I HAVE A BOOK! It's a spicy Comedy Romance. Moms on Missions is now available internationally on Kindle for $2.99US and is free on Kindle Unlimited. Review copies are also available. You don't need a Kindle device to read MOMs. If you click on the box below the cover that says READ NOW ON ANY DEVICE, you will be able to download a free app onto your phone, tablet or computer. Please come and meet Vince.

Artist Vince Russo wants to advance his career but his devout mother, Diana, wants grandchildren. Vince lives in Niagara Falls and he doesn't even date!

Diana joins the Moms on Missions ("MOM"), who strive to better the lives of their clients' kids. MOM installs Vince's fantasy girl upstairs in the duplex where he lives.

Their pick for Vince is sick of dancing to her mother's tune, so she certainly won't admit she finds her sensitive, playful neighbour sexy. However, she'd love to make him her pseudo-boyfriend to get MOM off her back.

Will these young rebels come together organically, or is there no hope for their moms?