The High Calling

by Gilbert, Morris

  “How badly is he hurt?”

  “He was shot in both legs. The doctors are trying to save them. I’m worried about him, Katherine. He just got engaged two weeks ago, and he’s worried he’ll lose his legs.”

  The two entered a ward with eight beds lined up along one wall. One of the beds had a screen around it, and after looking around and seeing no familiar faces, Parker said, “I imagine he’s behind there.”

  The two approached the screen, and when Parker stepped to one side, he nodded to Katherine, and she followed him.

  “Hello, Ray,” Parker said.

  The patient was a pale-faced man of no more than twenty. His features were drawn, and pain had etched its lines upon his face. He attempted a feeble smile and reached out his hand. When Parker took it, he whispered, “Good to see you, Wing Commander.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “All right.”

  He looked down at his legs, which were swathed with bandages from thigh to ankle. Parker saw the despair on his face and said cheerfully, “Well, now, I brought you some good company. This is Miss Katherine Winslow. She’s an American, and she’ll be able to help you some. Won’t you, Katherine?”

  “Hello, Lieutenant,” Kat said. She moved forward and smiled down at him. “I’m sorry about your bad luck, but I’m sure your legs will heal thoroughly.”

  Bailey looked at her and barely nodded. It was obvious that he was deeply depressed, and there was no hope at all in his face.

  Parker talked rapidly about the weather and his twins, trying to take the pilot’s attention off of his condition, but finally he seemed to run out of topics. Kat knew little of the specifics of his case, but she knew that depression would not help him at all. She said brightly, “Parker tells me you’re engaged to be married.”

  “I was.” He looked down at his legs, and his lips drew into a tight line. “Diane won’t want to marry a man without legs.”

  “Now, now! It won’t come to that, I’m sure,” Kat said quickly. “There are fine doctors in this hospital. They’ll do their very best for you.”

  “They can’t do a miracle.”

  “Well, of course not,” she said, “but the Lord can.”

  “Why did God let me get hurt like this?” he asked bitterly.

  Parker was at a loss, but Kat was not. “God is able to do all things, and I don’t know why this happened. Things like this happen in wars all the time. You know that better than I. But I would like to pray for you, Lieutenant. I’ve seen God do great miracles. Would you mind?”

  “I guess not,” he muttered.

  To Parker’s surprise Kat moved forward and took the young man’s hand. She held it firmly between the two of hers, and Parker saw Ray’s eyes open with surprise. Kat began to pray a simple but fervent prayer.

  She concluded by saying, “O God, we’re not asking anything impossible. I pray that you will be with this young man and give him his legs, and I pray you will be with his fiancée and give her a loving heart. May she be a support for him. Give them a good life together and protect his life in the future when he flies again. In the name of Jesus.”

  Parker lifted his eyes and glanced at Kat. There was a peace on her face that he admired greatly. He shifted his gaze and saw that Raymond was staring at her. Some of the strain seemed to have left, and he managed a smile.

  “Thank you, miss. I appreciate it.”

  “I’ll be back to see you every chance I get.”

  “So will I,” Parker said quickly. “We’re a little busy right now, Ray, but the fellows will be checking on you. I know you’re going to be fine.”

  The two said their good-byes, and when they left the ward, Kat said, “Do you have time for some tea? We could go to the cafeteria here.”

  “That sounds good to me.”

  Ten minutes later the two were sitting in the crowded cafeteria sipping their tea. Kat asked about the twins.

  “I’m afraid they’re expecting you to come back with presents for their birthday next Wednesday. It would be wonderful if you could come. It’s a bit much for my mother, and Veronica could use some help.”

  “I’ll try very hard to work it in. They are such lovely children.”

  “Hello, Parker.”

  Parker turned and looked up at a couple who were standing by the table. “Why, hello, Ann, Wade,” he said quickly. “How have you been?”

  The couple were staring at Kat suspiciously, at least so she thought. They were well dressed and obviously well-to-do. They explained that they were visiting a sick relative of Ann’s.

  When they left, Parker shrugged. “She’s a decorator—a good friend of Veronica’s.”

  He picked up his tea, sipped it, and did not speak for a long time.

  Finally Kat said, “It’s very hard on you when your men get hurt or when you lose them, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, of course it is. We become like brothers in the squadron. I guess I’m the father figure and these are like my sons, although we’re all about the same age, really. I appreciate your prayer for Raymond. He’s such a fine chap.”

  “I hope his fiancée is sympathetic.”

  “I hope so too. Raymond didn’t sound too optimistic, though.”

  When they had finished their tea, Parker reminded her again of the birthday party. As Kat went back to her duties, she made a note to make as many trips as possible to the bedside of the wounded pilot.

  ****

  Parker looked up from his desk at the RAF station, and his eyes widened with surprise. “Veronica!” Getting up, he came to meet her. “Is something wrong? Are the children sick?”

  “No. They’re fine.” Veronica was dressed to perfection as always, and she had obviously been to a hairdresser. Parker could not conceal his surprise, for she never came to his office. “Here, sit down. Let me have someone bring us some tea.”

  Veronica nodded, and Parker sent his assistant to brew a fresh pot of tea. They made small talk while they waited for the tea, and Parker wondered why Veronica had come. She did not do many things impulsively, and now as the man left, he studied her face closely. He had learned to read her very well and knew that something had upset her. “Is there anything wrong, Veronica?”

  “Yes, something’s wrong!” she said tersely. Her lips drew together in a tight line and for a moment she could not speak. Finally she said, “I’ve heard about your date with your American girlfriend.”

  “What in the world are you talking about?”

  “Ann told me she saw you two having lunch together.”

  “Oh, that. I went to the hospital to see Raymond Bailey. You remember the guy who got shot in the legs? I didn’t even know Katherine worked there. We ran into each other, and I asked her to go with me while I visited Ray. She seemed to care for him quite a bit, I think.”

  “That wasn’t the way I heard it. Ann said you two seemed to be having a very good time.”

  “Veronica, this is ridiculous.”

  “Is it?”

  “Of course it is. If I were going to have a date, as you put it, with a woman, I certainly wouldn’t do it in the middle of a crowded hospital cafeteria.”

  “Where would you do it, then?”

  “I wouldn’t do it anywhere. That’s the point.”

  Veronica Braden had never expected her marriage would be perfect, or even especially happy. She had not truly loved Parker when she married him, though she had made a good pretense of doing so in order to hook him. At the time she was mostly thankful to have found a means of support and a father for her children. With such a shaky basis for a marriage, their relationship had only grown terse. She knew he didn’t love her anymore, but in her mind that didn’t give him any right to have an affair right under her nose. She had suffered enough scandal in her life and wasn’t prepared to endure any more. She glared at him, her eyes hard. “I won’t put up with this sort of thing, Parker! I don’t want you to see that woman again.”

  Parker’s nerves were taut. He was upset over the l
osses in the squadron and was worried about the new men who were coming in with not nearly enough training. Now he said quietly, “There’s nothing between me and Katherine Winslow.”

  “I’m going to make sure of that. Don’t bring her to the house anymore.”

  Parker’s temper was rising within him at her accusation. He knew it was unwise to argue, however, for he had learned long ago that Veronica was much better than he at domestic battles. But he couldn’t help himself. The tension of his duties had drawn up his nerves to a breaking point. He put both hands on the table and glared at her. It was the expression he had when he was honing in on an enemy aircraft with his finger on the trigger. “That’s ridiculous. The children have already asked her to come to their party.”

  “I told you I don’t want her there.”

  “I don’t care what you want, Veronica. She’s coming and that’s it. Don’t make me say something I’ll be sorry for. The discussion is closed.”

  Veronica’s face was pale. Parker had never set himself against her like this. He had always been easygoing, eager to avoid quarrels. Now seeing the way he stared at her, she knew she could go no further. She got up and left without a word, but she was thinking, He’s lying to me. There is something between the two of them. Even though she didn’t love her husband, she had no intention of being pushed out of the way by another woman. She may come, but I’ll make it so unpleasant for her she won’t ever come back.

  ****

  The scene with Veronica had not helped Parker’s emotional state. He hated confrontations with her and avoided them whenever possible. He was glad when it was finally time to scramble the squadron. He took only six planes out for reconnaissance, which was uneventful. When he landed, he gave his report and then started toward his office. He pulled up short when he saw a civilian lounging in a chair beside his desk. He could not see the face at first, but something about the man seemed familiar. Not many visitors wore cowboy boots and impressive western-style hats. Recognition came when his visitor shoved the hat back and rose to his feet.

  “Howdy there, Parker.”

  “Brodie, what in the world are you doing here?” Parker asked. “Did you come over to see Katherine?”

  “Well, I plan on doin’ that, but mainly I wanted to get in this here war. I come to sign up in your outfit.”

  Parker stared blankly at Brodie. He remembered then the man’s background and said rather shortly, “The RAF is a little different from stunt flying. I know you’re good at that, and I know you’ve had experience flying against the Germans in Spain. But the discipline is strict here. I’m not sure you’d be happy.”

  “Oh, I can do what I have to do,” Brodie said breezily. “As a matter of fact, I already signed up and got myself assigned to your squadron.”

  Parker stared at Brodie with incredulity. “How in the world did you manage that?”

  “Didn’t seem to be too much trouble. They’re takin’ fliers from everywhere now. Lots of ’em from Canada. As a matter of fact, I flew over with three of those Canadians. When I told the officer who was recruitin’ that I knew you and wanted to be in your squadron, he was happy to do it.”

  Parker looked at the American reluctantly, but then he did need fliers. And he had seen Brodie in action. “All right,” he said. “We’ll have to get you some uniforms, and then I’ll take you through some training.”

  Brodie laughed. “I thought I’d done all the trainin’ I need to do.”

  “Things are a little different here. You need to get acquainted with our planes. You’ve never flown a Spit, have you?”

  “Nope. But if it’s got two wings and an engine in it, I reckon I can fly it.”

  Parker was afraid that trouble lay ahead, but everyone was desperate for experienced pilots. “All right, but I must warn you, Brodie, there are no stars here. We fight as a unit.”

  “Shore, that’s fine with me,” he said with a grin. “I just came over to help. I thought I’d try for the record.”

  “What record?”

  “Shootin’ down planes. How many have you shot down, by the way?”

  “Five.”

  “Anybody beat that?”

  “Yes. Several.”

  “Well, just lead me to one of them Spitfires and show me the Germans, and I’ll set about breakin’ the records.”

  Parker found the American’s self-confidence refreshing. He laughed shortly and said, “All right, but you can’t fly dressed like that. Let’s see about getting you a flight suit and a dress uniform. But first I’ll introduce you to the rest of the squadron.”

  “Shore. That suits me.”

  Most of the pilots were in the rec room, and when Parker walked in followed by Brodie Lee, he saw their eyes light up as they took him in. “This is Brodie Lee,” Parker announced after everyone had quieted. “He’s from America, and he’ll be flying with us. Brodie, this is Bernard Cox.” He indicated a small man with bright blue eyes. “Bernie wants to be a painter when the war is over.”

  “Paintin’ houses?”

  “No. Painting pictures.” Bernard grinned. He was a fantastic pilot and asked innocently, “Have you ever been up in an airplane?”

  “One or two.”

  “This is Sailor Darley.” Parker waved toward a tall, strongly built man with a wrestler’s shoulders and a big neck. “He was a sailor at one time, so he claims, but he can shoot straight.”

  “You look like a cowboy,” Darley said. “Did you bring your lasso so you can rope these German planes?”

  “No, but I brought armament, all right.” Brodie reached inside his coat and pulled out a revolver. Everyone dodged slightly as he waved it around. “Been wantin’ to try it out on one of them Germans.”

  “Put that thing away, Lee. It’s against the law.”

  “Don’t you fellows carry guns?”

  “Not pearl-handled ones like that,” Parker said.

  “Pearl-handled! This here’s ivory. Only a two-bit gambler in a New Orleans dive would carry a pearl-handled shootin’ iron!”

  “I suppose that’s true enough.” Parker continued around the room, introducing the rest of the squadron. When Zarek Dolenski was introduced, he declared, “You’re a cowboy and that’s what I will call you.”

  Parker grinned. “Call him anything you want, but when we’re in the air, watch out for him.”

  “That’s right. I’m here to save you fellows, so take good care of me.” A laugh went around the room, and Archibald Kent-Wilkins, leader of Green Flight, shook his head. “What have we done to America that they send us a thing like this? I knew we should have won that ruddy war against the Colonists!”

  ****

  Her day at the mission had seemed interminable, and Meredith Bryce was so exhausted she could hardly hold up her head. It had also been hot, and her uniform was crumpled and sweaty. Another half hour and she would be off duty.

  Finally she finished washing the dirty cups and saucers and was reaching up to put them onto a high shelf. She was not a tall girl and was stretching as far as she could when something suddenly slapped her across the backside, and a cheerful voice said, “Hey, lemme help you with that, sweetheart.”

  Meredith whirled, red-faced, toward the man who had taken liberties with her. “Keep your hands to yourself!”

  “Why, sorry about that. I heard you Brits liked gestures of familiarity.”

  She wanted to crack him across the cheek but settled for a verbal tongue-lashing. She knew he was American by the few words he had said and by his outlandish costume, including high-heeled boots and a cowboy hat.

  “Hey, don’t blow your top. I’m looking for Kat Winslow.”

  “She’s not here now.”

  “Well, I’ve gotta find her. What’s your name?”

  “None of your business.”

  “I’m Brodie Lee. You work with Kat. She must have told you about me.”

  As a matter of fact, Kat had mentioned Brodie’s name and showed her a picture. “You’ll have to come ba
ck tomorrow when she’s on duty.”

  “Wait a minute. I know who you are. Kat sent me a picture of the two of you.”

  Meredith could see the man wasn’t going to leave without getting some information. “My name is Meredith Bryce.”

  “That’s right. That’s the name. Look, Merry—”

  “My name is Meredith, not Merry.”

  “That’s a right pretty name.”

  “Thank you, but you need to leave now.”

  Brodie protested, but finally Meredith succeeded in getting him out of the building. She was agitated over his familiarity with her and was glad when she could finally leave herself.

  A light rain was falling as she left the mission. She opened her umbrella and walked the three blocks to her flat. She went inside and ran up the stairs to the second floor. “Kat, are you here?” she called.

  “Yes, I am.” Kat came into the living room from a door that led to the kitchen. “Did you remember to bring the milk?”

  “No, I forgot the bloomin’ milk. Let me tell you—”

  A staccato knock on the door broke in, and Kat started. “Who can that be?”

  “I have no idea,” Meredith said. She opened the door and there stood Brodie Lee.

  “Hi, Merry,” he said. He looked over her at Kat and said, “Hey, Kat, there you are.” He brushed by Meredith, walked right up to Kat, and kissed her soundly.

  She struggled to free herself. “Brodie Lee, what are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come over to win the war for the limeys.”

  “Well, you haven’t changed,” Kat said, shaking her head but smiling at the same time. “This is my flatmate Meredith.”

  “Oh, sure. We met down at the mission.”

  “You followed me home!” Meredith exclaimed, her face pink with anger.

  “Yep, I believe I did. I’m pretty hungry, Kat. Why don’t you take me out to dinner?”

  “I’ve already got dinner fixed.”

  “All right. Don’t mind if I do,” Brodie said with a grin. “I could at least help you set the table.”

  Kat laughed. “You’re impossible. Well, I think I’ve got enough for the three of us.”