6 January 1943

Gentle shaking pulled him from his sleep and Matthew blinked the rest of it from his eyes as Edith's face hovered above his.

"Up for a little trip?"

"Wha?"

Edith rolled her eyes fondly, "Come on, you big lug, I've got a surprise for you."

"I thought nurses were supposed to be nice to injured people," he grumbled as she helped him into a robe.

"You're an idiot who happens to be injured, you don't count."

"Ouch," Matthew laughed as he covered his heart with his hand. "That one hurt, Nurse Warren."

"Hush, or you won't get your surprise."

She helped him shuffle into a waiting wheelchair - pausing to let Addy curl up in his lap - before pushing him out of the hospital wing; Edith smiled at a few of the nurses and doctors and waited until the hallway was empty before bringing Matthew into an office.

"I managed to get you ten minutes on the phone, so don't waste it, alright?"

Matthew could scarcely believe it as Edith pushed him up to the phone; he stared at the device - his chance at hearing Alice's voice in over six months lay before him and he couldn't move. Fear of what she'd say, how she'd react, paralyzed him.

"Here," Edith squeezed his (good) shoulder and took the decision out of his hand as she picked up the receiver and dialed Wardlow's number.

"It's ringing," she told him and handed him the phone. "Dot will probably answer."

"Thank you," he whispered and held the receiver awkwardly up to his ear with his right hand (would it ever not be awkward?).

"Wardlow, Fisher residence," Dot Collins answered cheerily.

"Mrs. Collins…" he paused as she gasped. "Um… is Alice there?"

"She is, let me get her down here for you."

"Thank you."

He heard her call up for Alice and barely made out a reply back before Mrs. Collins tacked on "It's Matthew."

A few moments passed before her footsteps thundered down the stairs to Wardlow's phone.

"Breathe, Alice, I'll bring you some tea," was the last thing Mrs. Collins said before Alice's slightly out-of-breath voice filled his ears.

"...Matthew?"

"I'm here."

A barely contained sob answered and Matthew chewed on his inner lip to stem his own tears from falling.

"It's really you?"

"Yeah, it's really me, sweetheart."

She sobbed into the receiver and Matthew made no move to stop her when it went on for a bit - she needed this, needed this catharsis after the months of no word from him… he'd make it up to her, he swore right then and there. Whatever happened, he'd make it up to Alice for all of this.

"I don't know whether I should kiss you or smack you the next time I see you."

"Can I have a say in it?" he teased lightly - smiling at her watery laugh.

"We'll see… Matthew…"

"I'm so sorry, Alice; Edith told me everything that's happened, and I swear to you that my lack of response wasn't because I didn't want to respond… my letter after you… after you told me you love me got lost somehow, but I did respond."

"And after?"

"We were bogged down in fighting and then I got injured. I've been in and out of consciousness for most of December… I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"Out of your control, dearest."

"But-"

"Out. Of. Your. Control," she repeated. "You can't control the mail and you can't control the fighting… we knew something like this could happen going into the relationship, Matthew… I'm just glad you came out of it relatively in one piece… how's the injury?"

"Healing, slowly. It's better than it has been and having Addy nearby has been helping."

"She's with you?"

"Yeah, one of the guys convinced the medics to let her go with me when they were taking me to the hospital. She's been terrorizing the nurses except for Edith, who gives as good as she gets. Of course, Addy's calm as a cucumber right now in my lap."

"Typical for both of them… is Miss Spitfire - the cat, not Edith - going to go back with you?"

Matthew laughed at her little sarcastic joke, "As much as I want Addy to… I don't think it's wise."

"Now that we know where you are, I can probably coordinate something with Edith to get her here… that way you don't have to worry about her when you go back… if they make you, I suppose."

"Yeah… maybe the war might be done by the time I heal?"

That got him a snort, "Doubtful… but you will be more careful?"

"I will."

"And you'll let the doctors and nurses do what they need to, no complaining?"

"For you, sweetheart, I will, only because I know Edith will be giving you updates."

"Oh, I'm most certainly interrogating her about your injury, you can be sure of that."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he smiled even as Edith motioned for him to wrap it up in a few minutes.

"I don't have much time left and I don't know when I'll be able to call again, if at all."

"I understand... Can... Can I come to see you?"

He relayed the question to Edith, who shook her head with a frown, "No, sweetheart, I'm sorry."

"It was a long shot, but I thought I'd ask."

"It's always good to ask."

"It is."

"I love you, Alice," he blinked away tears when he heard the hitch in her breath. "I love you and I'm so glad I get to say it to you… even if it's over the phone."

"I love you too, Matthew… stay safe and write to me when you can."

"Edith's volunteered to help."

He grinned at her pained groan.

"Oh no, just what I need… alright, that works for me. I'll let you know how Clara and Baby Cooper are doing."

"Oh?"

"A boy, born a little late, but he's healthy and the Coopers are so proud."

"What's his name?"

"Matthew."

"What?"

"Not you, dearest, that's the baby's name… they named him Matthew."

"Oh," something caught in his throat and he had to blink back more tears. People he'd only met in person once named their child after him.

"They had a name for a girl, but not a boy, and Clara asked for suggestions," Alice admitted shyly. "It slipped out, but Matthew Curtis Cooper is very precious and my wonky washcloth has already come in handy."

Matthew laughed even as tears streamed down his face, "You finished it."

"I did, and Mum's jumper is coming along slowly… I know you probably don't have much longer on the phone, but… I love you, Matthew, and I'm glad you're alright."

"Me too, sweetheart. Mum and Vera know too?"

"Yes, I called them from the diner when I got your telegram. I'll probably call Mum after this. You concentrate on getting better."

"I will, and I love you so much," he told her as Edith came over. "I've got to go, sweetheart."

"I know."

"I'll write to you with Edith's help."

"I look forward to it, can you put her on the phone?"

"Certainly."

He handed the receiver to Edith, who listened to whatever Alice was asking on the other end before she rattled off a bunch of medical terms (some he understood, some he didn't) - likely telling Alice exactly what he'd injured.

"I'll look after him, Alice, as much as my rounds can allow, I promise," Edith nodded as Alice responded. "Oh no, Addy and I have a perfect understanding of each other, don't worry. And yes, I'll try not to pry too much into your letters, I promise."

That made Matthew chuckle - Edith would pry regardless, but since reuniting a week ago, they'd already reached an understanding between the two of them; he might get some unsolicited advice from her (and maybe Alice get some of Edith's sassy commentary) as they wrote the letters, but there was no one else he wanted to help him with it all.

Addy nudged his hand and he absentmindedly scratched her in her favorite spot behind her ears (he'd have to note that in the future for Alice when they made plans to send Addy to her); her purrs helped him relax a little bit as Edith ended the phone call - letting Matthew say goodbye to Alice before she did - and the nurse started pushing his chair back to his ward.

"Thank you," he told Edith as they walked.

"Don't do that to her again and we'll call it even."

Matthew chuckled, he expected nothing less from Edith.

"I won't, I promise."