by Carly Smesh
"I realise that David. I'll request that Ferguson concentrate on a mortar shell performing to the specifications to suit your buttress situation. As soon as we develop one, you'll be informed."
Chapter 18
David returned to the Astor. For three weeks he spent his time reading, shopping and going to the theatre. Then, one evening he was sat in the lounge of the Astor having coffee and a cognac when he struck up a conversation with an elderly man in his sixties who had served in India in the medical corps. He introduced himself as Major Watson, retired.
He told David harrowing stories of the mutiny and of the conditions under which he had conducted surgeries in the field. He said that for every soldier killed with a bullet, three died of disease; most prominently, malaria, tetanus, typhoid and dysentery.
"Of course things are much better now, with modern medicines and surgical procedures. The young doctors nowadays are much more knowledgeable than when I was out there."
David indicated that he commanded two companies of Gurkhas on the North West Frontier, deliberately staying obtuse, not wishing to disclose any thing about Kana. He rather casually mentioned his concern about not having a doctor or medical equipment to call upon when conducting operations in the field.
It transpired that Major Watson was conducting a series of lectures on tropical medicine at The London Medical College. But the major said there were few medical students interested in tropical medicine. He asked David if he would mind speaking to some of them informally.
David said he was willing, but how to dress a wound in the field was the limit of his medical knowledge.
The major said their real interest would be his first hand knowledge about field conditions on the frontier.
Two days later, after dinner he found the Major with a young woman and man.
The major introduced them as Doctor Susan Fletcher and Doctor Oliver Penrose.
David sat down as the major explained to the two Doctors that David served on the North West Frontier.
The Doctors started firing questions at him, concerning conditions of water, hygiene, and available medical care. Also, had he seen any cases of the common tropical diseases whilst stationed there?
David replied as truthfully as he could, saying being stationed up in the mountains negated the risk of the more common tropical diseases. It was down in the lower elevations where they could be endemic. The problems of disease were quite often seasonal. In the dry season, for example, water was the problem, with Typhoid and dysentery being the main killers due to the water becoming contaminated. People used the same sluggish dry season river water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and for removing human and animal waste.
On the other hand, during the wet monsoon period, malaria thrived.
Tetanus was always present, due to the fact that the people, for the most part worked with their hands and often went barefooted.
Dr. Fletcher asked David was his main what his main medical concerns were for his troops?
David replied that the main problem, or at least most serious, would always be wounds sustained in action from rifle and pistol fire, or cuts and stab wounds from knives, swords and bayonets. But the most common injuries were from falls, or being thrown from a horse, resulting in broken bones or sprains.
Whilst the two Doctors were talking to the major, David found himself studying Dr. Fletcher. Her hair, he realised, was the same colour as Kahn's coat, a deep chestnut, which women called auburn The colour complimented her dark green eyes. She was, David realized, quite pretty. Her manner, though, was quite direct and forceful; not at all like the women he had met at various functions in India. Those tended to be frivolous and giggly.
At the end of the evening her handshake was firm as she thanked him for the meeting. He had replied he had been glad to help and, if she required any further information on India, that he was staying at this hotel.
It was on Sunday morning he received a call from reception to saying a young lady wished to speak with him.
He found Dr. Fletcher waiting for him, dressed in a heavy coat to protect her from the cold December wind.
He guided her into the lounge where a waiter took her coat and took his order for tea.
Once she was settled she began, "I do hope this is not an imposition mister . . . I'm sorry, I don't know what your rank is?"
David smiled, "It's Colonel, in the 1st Khana Rifles."
Her eyes widened, "You're young for such a high rank," she exclaimed.
David quickly explained about Kanda, the Prince and his commission.
"Oh, I see," she murmured, "The reason I wanted to speak to you again was to ask about the Khyber Pass, but I don't suppose you would know much about it."
"On the contrary, I served for a year there with the 2nd Ghurkha Rifles as a Leftenant. Why do you wish to know of the place?"
Her face became solemn "My brother was killed there. We, my parents and I discovered from a fellow officer later that William had been wounded and left behind when his platoon had to retreat from an attack by the Afghans. But they managed to find his body when they attacked again. If a Doctor had been present, he may have saved Williams life."
David's jaw clenched. The golden rule on the frontier was never to be taken alive by the Afghans. If Dr. Fletcher's brother had been alive when the Afghans found him, then his death would have been unspeakable.
"Is that why you became a Doctor," David asked gently.
She gave a little nod, "I intend to go to India, to the frontier actually. To offer my services."
"Doctor Fletcher, women are not allowed in the Army, also Doctors are some way back from any action at aid centres. The wounded are brought to them. Sometimes several miles separate them from any conflict."
"But surely the authorities would accept help from a trained Doctor," she replied.
David looked at her, how could he explain the horrors of men with their entrails hanging out, or half their head blown off and their brains leaking.
"The sights of men wounded or not for a women's eyes," he murmured.
Her eyes flashed in anger, "Colonel I have dissected human cadavers. I know exactly what a person's body looks like from the inside."
"Dr. Fletcher that may be true," David replied gently, "But they were already dead. It's somewhat different when the body is screaming in agony, crying out for his mother or wife, and blood is spurting all over you."
Her face paled, and then her jaw stiffened, "What you say is true, which is why I am determined to go."
"I'm afraid you will find that the British administration doesn't share your liberated views Dr. Fletcher. In some respects they are, what one might charitably say, "behind the times.""
As the afternoon had been drawing on, David invited her to continue the conversation over dinner. As they dined, he discovered she had studied at Oxford. Her parents lived in a small village in Dorset, where her father was the local vicar. It seemed both parents supported her wish to go to India.
He in turn told her about Kanda, mentioning that the Prince had himself studied at Oxford. He described the Fort and the men who served there. His affectionate descriptions of Kahn and Sulkie lead to discovering that she also loved horses.
At the end of the evening he asked if she would like to accompany him to the opera, and she accepted.
Over the following weeks he saw a lot of her when her studies permitted. By now their friendship had developed to a first name basis.
One evening she asked if there were any European Doctors in Kanda. He replied that, to the best of his knowledge, there were none.
Her face registered disappointment, "Oh. I was hoping there was, so that I could have joined a practice."
"Why not open your own practice" he replied.
She sighed, "It takes money to open a practice, what with instruments, medicines and basic medical requirements."
"But if you had that money, Susan, would you open one?"
"Of course, David, you have made it sound
so wonderful; the country and the people."
"So what would you need in the way of money to set it up?"
"Oh at least £500 to start a basic practice," she murmured dejectedly.
"So if you had £1000 would you be able to acquire all you need?"
She shrugged her shoulders ,"With that I could purchase the latest equipment and medicine, but that's just wishful thinking."
David studied her face. She truly was pretty, but dressed severely and used hardly any makeup to enhance her features, unlike the other women who passed through the hotel. It was almost as if she wanted to down play her femininity and to just be accepted as a doctor.
He glanced at her again and came to a decision, "I could give you the necessary funds, on condition you looked after the medical needs of my troops as well as the people. You would also train some of my troops an how to render first aid in a war zone."
Her eyes widened, "Do you mean that? It goes without saying I would tend to the needs of any one who needed my help."
"You must think about your decision Susan before accepting, but if you are sure . . . I do have a tight schedule and shall have to leave by the end of December, at the latest, if you wish to come."
"There's nothing to think about David. I would go to India no matter what I was offered."
David smiled, pulling out his chequebook he filled out the cheque, handing it to her, "It seems you have a lot of shopping to do Dr. Fletcher. Don't worry about your travelling arrangements, I shall take care of them."
Susan became excited and asked about clothes she would need to buy. He suggested that he take her to a shop that sold safari equipment where she could see clothes and accessories suitable for the climate at their destination.
Once there, he bought another safari suit and broad brimmed hat for himself . He noticed she was trying one on too. Outside, as he surveyed the substantial pile of packages they had acquired, he asked her about it.
"Skirts are a hindrance in practicing medicine," she said, firmly, "Trousers are much more suitable and, as I don't have to worry what other women think, I shall make it my mode of dress."
The following day he received the long awaited call from Henry.
He found Peter and Ferguson in Henrys office waiting when he arrived.
"David we think we have solved the problem of your buttress" Henry began.
Peter continued, "We have perfected a mortar shell to comply with your requirements regarding height and range. But you will need to fire from approximately a hundred feet from the buttress in order to clear it."
Ferguson moved to a table where there were several mortar shells sitting. He picked one up, gave the tail a twist and it separated from the shell.
"These, Mr. Ramage, are solid shot shells, they don't explode," he said pointing to the shell that was painted green, "These can be used for ranging shots, if you are in a position to check their fall. They can be used again by just attaching a new tail to them. All the tails in your order have the same amount of propellant in them. The explosive shells and the solid shells all weigh the same. For safety reasons the shells and tails will be transported separately."
He picked up another tail showing David the base of it. A tin cap hid the igniters. "The cap just pulls off," he said, demonstrating it.
"The thing you must remember, David, is that the base plate must be placed on solid ground. The recoil will tend to compact soft ground and alter the settings," Peter added.
"Now the sighting is crude but effective for what you want," Ferguson said moving to an assembled Mortar. He pointed to a plumb bob hanging from the legs, "This lines up with the marks on the base plate, and you will see there are four. They represent 45 to 70 degrees; 70 degrees will drop the shell close by the buttress wall on the far side, 45 degrees will drop it approximately 800 yards further out. But if you lowered it any further you run the risk of hitting the buttress on your side. When the shell explodes it will release shrapnel for close to ten yards in all directions."
"Now, we've amended your order, David, to include 10 solid shells and a hundred spare tails for training and ranging," Henry said. "in addition to your original order of 4 mortars and 400 shells. The shells and tails will be separated for transport. I suppose you want the usual manifest reading "pumping equipment?""
David nodded, reaching for his chequebook.
Peter handed him a manual, "All the things we have discussed are in this. One last thing, David," Peter added, "After about 10 shells have been fired the tube will start to get hot and expand, just throw water over it to cool it down."
"When will you be ready to ship," David asked.
"Were ready now," Henry replied.
"I'll make all the arrangements when I get back to London, Henry, and inform you of them," David answered.
Immediately he returned to London he picked up the Eastern Star shipping schedule. The Eastern Sky was scheduled to leave Southampton in seven days time; A slower ship than the Comet, but larger. He booked two staterooms on her along, with the necessary cargo space for the "pumping equipment" and the medical supplies Susan was acquiring.
He phoned Henry back at the hotel, informing him of the ship and departure date.
He managed to get Susan at the hospital and informed her. She said she had almost completed acquiring everything what was needed. David told her to make sure it was crated stoutly and labeled "Medical supplies for Mr. Smithers, Import Export Karachi."
Susan said she intended seeing her parents and would meet him at the hotel on the Friday at noon so they could travel down on the train together.
Finally David sent a telegram to Mr. Smithers to expect three crates - two of pumping equipment and one of medical supplies - and that he would be arriving with a companion.
Chapter 19
Two porters were required to assist with their luggage. Susan had three large suitcases, mostly taken up by reference books, she claimed.
Their staterooms were port and starboard. David told her to take the starboard one, as she would get more sun that side.
His stateroom was bigger than his quarters on the Comet, but he noticed eight years at sea had taken its toil on the furniture and fittings. His steward helped to unpack while he went out to the deck to check the loading of the cargo.
Once satisfied everything was on board he returned to the cabin.
At dinner that night he learnt that, whilst 12 passengers had bordered that day, 46 were due to board the following day.
Susan was looking around excitedly. This was the first big ship she had ever been on, although she did confess she had travelled to the continent on a cross channel steamer.
They stood by the rail waving as the tugs nosed the Sky out into Southampton water.
"I wonder how long it will be before I see England again," Susan murmured.
"Getting home sick already," David chuckled.
"No," she smiled sadly, "It's just the thought of the great unknown that awaits me."
David glanced at her, a young woman travelling to a distant land, to some extent completely on her own apart from him. She had to be extremely brave - almost stubbornly so - to undertake such a mission. His respect for her grew with each passing day.
He had warned Susan not to mention his, or her, future involvement with Kanda, explaining explained the Prince's problem with the British Administration and its Army.
"John Company would dearly love to get their hands on the wealth of Kanda," he told her.
She asked one day, whilst they were sat in deck chairs with rugs over them, how he had
become connected with the Prince.
She deserved his complete honesty, so he explained about the court martial and the circumstances leading up to it, and how he had no option but to resign his commission.
"But if there were witnesses when this Captain turned tail and ran, then surely the charges should have been brought against him," Susan said angrily.
David chuckled, "Captain, the Honourable Clarence Fitz
roy, is the son of General Sir Reginald Fitzroy, Commander of the British Army in that region. What is the cost of a Lieutenant's career, against the honour of a family that has served British Army for over 400 years."
"But that's not honour, but nepotism," Susan snarled.
"Susan, could you, a woman, have become a Doctor thirty years ago? Doctoring was considered to be a man's profession. That was a similar form of nepotism."
Once the ship entered the Mediterranean, dances were organised in the dining room twice a week. A small band sailed on the ship and performed most evenings.
He and Susan had attended one or two of them. The Military Two Step and the Viennese Waltzes were favoured by the passengers and Susan was in demand to partner some of the ship's officers. David could not fault their choice; Susan was by far the prettiest girl on the ship.
They celebrated Christmas and New Years at sea, and Susan had kissed him on the cheek as 1888 changed to 1889. He had remembered the softness of her lips long after the party ended.
When the ship passed through the Suez Canal, Susan clapped her hands in delight at the sight of a camel caravan plodding along the far bank.
Her face was beginning to turn a golden brown from hours spent on deck with her head buried in medical reference books.
David, on the other hand, spent hours in his cabin reading and re-reading the mortar manual, until each aspect of its function was memorised.
One night, as the ship crossed the Arabian Sea they were standing on the stern looking at the phosphorous created by the ships wake. The heavens ablaze with a thousand stars.
"David," she murmured, "this voyage has been magical. On nights like this I can really believe there is a God."
He looked at her touched by her faith and thinking of the other side of the coin. He had seen abject poverty and suffering. He had been a part of battles where men had fought each other with unrestrained brutality, using every skill and trick they could muster to kill before they themselves were killed. Where was God then he thought?
Her voice interrupted his thoughts, "David do you have someone waiting for you in Kanda?"
He chuckled, "A 180-odd men and two horses, why do you ask."