The soldier on the gate let them out and they drove home at a much slower pace than on the way there. They dropped off Jamie’s Seat at the bungalow first and he went in to wash the blood off himself. He changed his clothes and then they carried on to Bill and Emma’s in the BMW. It was after three in the afternoon when they pulled into the yard and stopped by the house; the door opened almost immediately. Bill, Emma, Sally and Peter came out, followed by Phil, Sophie and Max, barking and wagging his tail. Jane and Jamie got out of the car and went over to them.
‘She’s going to be okay!’ said Jane with a relieved smile and they all hugged each other, crying tears of relief. Sally was overjoyed and hugged Jane and Jamie several times.
They went into the kitchen and sat at the table, where Jane told them everything that had happened at the camp and what Major Cunningham had told them about Megan’s condition, and that they could pick her up on Sunday afternoon; all things being well. Jamie then took over and filled in the blanks for them about what had happened at the retail park.
Neither of them had eaten anything since breakfast so Emma rustled up some ham and eggs for them, which they appreciated greatly. Afterwards, they sat in the conservatory chatting for a while and Bill poured them a brandy, which Jane diluted heavily with water. They raised a toast to Megan and drank her health, sending up a silent prayer for her recovery.
They decided, under the circumstances, to take the weekend off from work on their new place and to resume on the Monday, as long as Megan was okay and back home. After that they took their leave and headed off home. They stopped off on the way to check the snares and collected one rabbit, which they cooked that night.
The place seemed empty and quiet without Megan and they were in a sombre mood all evening. Jamie opened a bottle of wine, but Jane only had a small glass and he drank the rest himself. It had been an emotionally exhausting day so they retired early and were pleased to get into bed, where they lay for a long time holding each other, talking quietly occasionally. Megan had found a real place in their hearts in the short time she had been with them and they already loved her like she was their own. They missed her terribly and couldn’t wait to collect her on Sunday.
Twenty-six
They awoke early the next morning and decided to drive over to Sarah and Georgie’s to tell them the news about Megan and also about their decision to move to the farm with Bill and Emma. First of all, though, they had regular chores to attend to, including collecting salt from their containers in the gardens and refilling them with fresh seawater. They already had many bags of sea salt that they used on their food and in their cooking. The tomatoes in the conservatory were coming along well and they would soon be able to harvest some, which they were looking forward to. By ten o’clock they were ready to leave so they jump-started Jane’s Golf to give it a run and charge up the battery. Max jumped in the back and they headed off.
Sarah and Georgie were delighted to see them and asked where Megan was. They told them the news inside and the sisters were horrified to hear what had happened. They hugged them both again, saying how sorry they were and hoping Megan would make a full recovery. Jamie recounted the whole saga for them and they were shocked.
‘I’m glad you got the bastards!’ said Georgie, feeling no remorse for them. They congratulated him on thinking to take Megan to the army camp.
‘Well, to be honest, it’s a good job Bill was there to think fast, because I’d completely lost it and was fit for nothing!’ Jamie said with a grim smile.
It was too early for lunch and Jane said they wouldn’t stay long as they had things to do, but Georgie made them tea and gave them a slice of apple pie each. Things were going well for the sisters and they had harvested, stored and preserved lots of produce for the winter. They had also begun converting one of their sheds into stables. They had been busy in recent weeks scouting the area for several miles around.
‘We didn’t get around to telling you on our last visit when we were all together at yours,’ said Sarah, ‘but we’ve located four places to get horses from. We’ve also thought of you two and Bill and Emma, too. We’ve collected two horse boxes, one of which is for you; we’ve got them here, round the back.’
Jamie and Jane said that was great and thanked them. They then told the sisters about Bill and Emma’s offer and that they were going to move to the farm, and had started converting the chicken shed that week. Sarah and Georgie were delighted and agreed that it made perfect sense, as they now had Megan and would also have the baby when it arrived.
‘We’ve also seen a horse-drawn cart, but haven’t collected it yet,’ said Georgie. ‘It will need a fair bit of repair work, which I’m sure you’ll be able to do. You might as well have it and take it to the farm as we won’t really need it, I don’t suppose.’
This was great news as a horse and cart would be needed for taking the kids out and for collecting stores and materials, and they both thanked the sisters again.
‘I know it’s not our place to offer,’ said Jane, ‘but we wondered if you might entertain moving to the farm also, if Bill and Emma were in agreement?’
‘Well, it’s a nice thought,’ said Sarah, ‘but no: we were born in this house and we’ll die here, as Dad did. We’ve got everything we need here and we’ll only be about four miles from you by road, and probably a bit less across country by horse!’
They chatted for a while longer and then Jamie said they would head off. Sarah asked Jane when she was due and she said mid-March, by her calculations.
‘Well, I’ll come over to stay sometime in February, then, to help with the birth, but we’ll talk more about that at a later date.’
Jane was grateful and also relieved. She thanked her and gave them both a hug then they departed, saying they would see them soon. When they got home Jamie said he supposed he should take the boat out fishing while the weather was good, even though his heart wasn’t in it with Megan on his mind.
‘You should go;’ she replied, ‘it might do you good and take your mind off things.’ Jamie agreed, so he got the rods and set off down the garden. He was out for around two hours and although it didn’t take his mind off Megan, he came back with three fish, one of which was a decent size.
The next day, Sunday, they were on tenterhooks all day with thoughts of going to the camp and collecting Megan. They wondered how she was and whether she would be well enough to come home. The day dragged; they couldn’t focus on anything and got very little done around the place. They didn’t know what time Major Cunningham had meant exactly by “late afternoon”, but by two-thirty they could stand it no longer so they set off in the BMW, with Max in the back.
When they arrived at the camp an hour later the soldier on guard was different from before, but he’d been warned of their arrival and directed them to the parking area as before, where Major Cunningham would meet them once he had been contacted. They waited for around fifteen minutes before the Major arrived and he greeted them, shaking their hands with a smile.
‘Well, you’ll be relieved to know that Megan’s doing okay and you can take her home today.’ They gave big sighs of relief and smiled, thanking him.
‘She’s out of bed and waiting for you. She’s going to have to take it easy for at least a month; maybe two. The wounds will heal okay and we’ve started a course of antibiotics for ten days, to combat any infection. She’ll need to keep the bandages on her head for a few days more at least. Because of the concussion she’ll probably experience dizzy spells, blurred vision or nausea for at least another month or more, so be aware of that. It’s best if she does nothing strenuous and just rests, basically.’
They shook his hand again and thanked him. As they walked to the medical tent where Megan was, the Major asked what had happened, saying he hadn’t had a chance before as he’d been too busy. Jamie gave him a brief account of the events and of their two run-ins with the guys at Battle. He also spoke of Jane’s attack on the day they’d met. Cunningham shook his head, saying wh
at a shame it was that the few survivors who were left couldn’t work together for their own good. He didn’t pass any judgement on Jamie’s actions following Megan’s shooting. Just before they got to the tent Jamie told him they would be moving in a couple of months to their friend’s farm near Hooe as it seemed the best thing to do, what with having Megan now and Jane’s pregnancy. Cunningham said it seemed like a good opportunity for them and wished them well with it. Jamie gave him the farm’s address written on a piece of paper and said it was marked on Ordnance Survey maps.
‘Major Cunningham…’ Jane began.
‘It’s Tom… at least while there are no troops around!’ he said, and they smiled.
‘Tom,’ Jane continued, ‘we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future- I suppose none of us does- but if ever you’re in the area, or if there’s anything we can do for you, please feel free to stop by; you’ll always have a warm welcome from us.’ She shook his hand again and kissed his cheek. He was touched and thanked her, then shook Jamie’s hand. He wished them well, gave them a sharp salute and departed for other duties.
They entered the tent and saw Megan sitting in a chair beside her bed; she saw them and beamed, though it was tinged with pain. She struggled out of the chair weakly and they hurried over to her. Mindful of her injuries, they hugged her gently with tears in their eyes. She looked pale and fragile and clung to them for a long time.
‘Come on, honey, let’s take you home,’ said Jamie.
An army nurse standing nearby smiled at them and gave them Megan’s antibiotics, wishing her a speedy recovery. Megan hugged the nurse and said ‘Thank you for looking after me, Karen.’ She also gave them some strong painkillers, but said to use Paracetamol and Ibuprofen first, only using the strong ones if she really needed them, and not to mix them with others. They thanked her and left to return to the car.
Jane went in the back with Megan and Max gave her a warm welcome, barking and licking her face, which made her smile. Jamie drove home sedately and Megan slept for most of the journey with Jane’s arm around her. He parked in the garage and Jane took her into the bungalow. Jamie was just closing the garage door and saw Megan’s new bike against the wall where he’d put it on Friday evening. He sighed and shook his head, closed the door and went into the bungalow.
Over the next two weeks Megan’s recovery was slow but steady. They removed the dressings regularly and washed the wounds with saltwater, which seemed to help. She had dozens of small scars forming from the pellet wounds, from her neck down to her waist and covering most of her left arm. She avoided the strong painkillers after taking them a couple of times, as she said they made her woozy and constipated. Instead, she took only Paracetamol and Ibuprofen and gritted her teeth when it was very painful. She kept the arm in the sling and gradually was able to use it more as time went on. She had to be careful of making any sudden movements otherwise she got dizzy and felt sick.
They noticed a change in Megan during that time: it wasn’t just the wounds, the pain and the recovery, but something else. There seemed to be a new maturity to her because of what had happened. It was like she now had first-hand experience of what the world- and people- could be like, which was different from the five months she had spent surviving on her own. She was still quick to laugh and smile, but there was an underlying level of seriousness developing within her, or of sadness maybe. They spoke about it when on their own in the evenings and wondered if it was also the beginning of her transition into adulthood, which the attack maybe had hastened.
During those two weeks Jamie went to the farm every day to continue with their new home. On the Monday morning after collecting Megan he went there and gave everyone the good news about her return. He updated them on her condition and they were over the moon at the news.
He and Bill realised they needed to dispose of the two bodies outside Wickes, so they took care of it that afternoon when going back for more supplies. After getting what they needed from the store they went over to the pickup truck. Looking at it now, without the rage he had felt at the time and its associated adrenaline rush, it was a sickening sight. The driver had part of his skull missing and his face was an unrecognisable mess, while the guy on the ground had a huge hole in his chest and was covered in blood. Seagulls or crows had been picking at the bodies.
‘Well,’ said Bill, ‘you certainly took care of them, mate! Remind me not to get into an argument with you in the future!’ and they both smiled grimly.
Bill picked up the shotgun and looked in the cab, finding a half-full box of cartridges. He said it would do for Phil and put it in the van. They lifted the other guy’s body into the passenger seat between them and closed the door. Jamie went back into Wickes and came out with two bottles of paint thinners, which he sloshed around the truck’s interior and over the bodies. Bill got in the van and started it while Jamie lit a piece of rag and threw it through the window. The flames built quickly and by the time they were back on the main road the truck was engulfed in flames. They continued with their work at the farm and got the place finished by the end of August.
On its completion Jamie, Jane and Megan went there for a celebratory lunch and a small opening ceremony. Jane and Megan were excited to see the result and they weren’t disappointed. Bill had tacked a length of ribbon across the doorway and they let Megan cut it before they all went in. Unbeknown to them all, Phil and Sophie had got hold of some party poppers and set them off when Megan cut the ribbon, and they all jumped and laughed.
It wasn’t yet filled with their furniture, but the structure and décor were finished. The living area was painted in white silk emulsion to maximise the light. Megan’s bedroom in the partitioned-off area at the back was painted in a pale green, which she loved, and there was a surprise in there from Sophie. Jamie hadn’t known until fairly recently that she was an accomplished artist, but when she had told him of her intention he was delighted. Hanging on the wall was a beautiful framed pencil sketch of Max that she had done for Megan. She loved it and hugged Sophie while thanking her. There were some ornate candle holders attached to the wall for lighting, and several bookshelves.
Jamie had measured the living room carefully to determine which furniture from the bungalow would fit and had marked spaces for them. In the gaps between they had installed shelf units and bookcases they had collected from stores in the area, and there was a space against one wall for the dresser from their kitchen. The stove in the lounge sat on ceramic tiles, with space next to it for storing logs and there were more candle holders on the walls. The concrete floor throughout had been swept and scrubbed and Jamie had sealed it with several layers of acrylic varnish. To brighten the place up and to make the floor warmer underfoot there were lots of thick rugs in various ethnic designs that went well together. On the wall opposite the door hung three framed photos: Jane with her mum and sisters outside the De La Warr Pavilion; Megan with her parents, and Jamie with his mum, brother and sister. Jane and Megan were touched and hugged him.
In the kitchen the old units had all been repaired and painted in white gloss and there were new cupboards on the walls and many storage shelves in every available space. The range cooker had a storage area for logs next to it and the hand pump above the sink had been repaired and painted in white enamel metal paint.
The thing Jamie was proudest of, though, was the lighting he had installed. He had collected several solar-powered LED floodlights and installed them throughout the place. As the building faced south and would get maximum sunlight he had installed the solar panels on the roof there and extended the cables inside to wall switches. The solar panels charged up the lead-acid batteries and would give them plenty of light when fully charged.
Upstairs in the loft space above the kitchen they had partitioned off an area for Jane and Jamie’s bedroom, with its own door. Jamie had decided they wouldn’t need the whole space as their bedroom so there was an open area at the top of the stairs like a landing. It had a small table and two chairs next to
a dormer window, with a view out across the yard, and a cupboard for storing linen and bedding. Jane and Megan were thrilled with everything and they thanked Bill and Jamie for their hard work, telling them it was fantastic and giving them both hugs again. Bill and Jamie had big grins on their faces and nodded to each other.
They then took them all outside to show them the other thing they were rather proud of. Behind the building, a few yards to one side, they had built a composting toilet. It was raised on stilts, with four steps up to it, and was enclosed on all sides, with its own door. It had a corrugated steel roof and there was another solar-powered light in there with a sensor, which would come on as soon as they went inside; it even had a proper toilet seat fitted. Jane and Megan had both been wondering what they would do for a toilet, but hadn’t said anything, and they were surprised and delighted with it.
‘Well,’ Jamie said, ‘I can’t take credit for that, apart from helping to build it. The design was all Bill’s idea. They’ve got one like it on the other side of the farm, but we thought we’d need one a bit closer to home. The underside is open to the air all round. Waste breaks down naturally and you’ll be surprised how little smell there is, really. We haven’t worked out what we’ll do when all the toilet paper stocks are used up, but we’ll think of something.’
They went back to the farmhouse, where Emma opened a couple of bottles of Prosecco that Phil and Sophie had got from Tesco’s warehouse. They raised a toast to their friends’ new home and looked forward to them coming to live at the farm with them. After that they sat down to eat a lovely meal that Emma and Sophie had prepared for them, and it was a happy and relaxed occasion. Jane and Jamie were now looking forward to moving into their new home in less than two months, and to be living with these people who had become such good friends.
The Hoffmann Plague Page 24