‘Me neither.’‘Must be that good old British wartime spirit you hear so much about,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘Normal rules of social engagement will be suspended for the duration of the hostilities.’‘My regiment marches at dawn,’ said Steven.‘Only this time the war has come to us.’He kissed her hair but didn’t answer.After breakfast he tried starting Caroline’s car but found that it had a flat battery. Having failed to persuade her to take the day off, he insisted that she take his car to get to St Jude’s. In the meantime, he would try to sort hers out.‘Will I see you later?’ she asked.‘If you want to.’‘I’ll see you later, then.’A neighbour who had noticed Steven trying to start Caroline’s car came out, still in his dressing gown, to volunteer the use of his battery charger. Steven was able to charge the dead unit and be mobile within half an hour. He stopped at a fast-fit service on the way over to the City General and had the battery checked. The technician declared it defunct – ‘Won’t hold a bloody charge, mate’ – so Steven bought a new one and had it installed.When he eventually reached the hospital he found George Byars alone in his office, sitting in shirtsleeves, juggling with columns of figures.
