For the love of Spain   Part two                   

I got back to Spain in time for the Republic's offensive at Brunette which is west of Madrid,in July 1937. The hospital they sent me to was regularly bombarded in spite of having a big red cross on it's roof. Their was a a very good team, but i missed the closeness I'd had with Martin and the other medics, but the war had escalated and there wasn't much time to build up relationships. We had a job to do and we did it the best we could with very limited resources. Some times we had to work with torches has that was the only available light We worked late into the night most days. It was on one of these occasions that some of the team had gone back to there quarters so they could take over from us after the operation's were finished. We heard a lot of noise from planes and bombs dropping. Later we were told our quarters had taken a direct hit and their were no survivor's. The news hit me very hard we had all come to help and here our friends and colleagues had lost there lives.We were not the enemy, but we were told they were casualties of the war. I spent nights crying for them I wasn't much help so they moved me to a mobile unit up in the mountains at Terriely helping the wounded in the Republic's retreat eastwards

I met up again with Martin the surgeon I was with before and he seemed to quiet my fears and give me courage to carry on. He said how valuable was and so I pulled myself up  and concentrated on the job we had to do. Then their was a concentrated attack on the area we were in and the unit was bombed, I was injured I didn't remember much of what had happened. I woke up in a long barn full of wounded people their weren't many nurses or medics the surgeon did their best .Suddenly I found someone holding my hand and crying, I looked up and there was Simeon. 'Where have you come from', I stammered.

'I came back has a medic I wasn't well enough to fight'. 

I smiled here was a friend, and maybe more .

He kissed my hand, 'It will be alright you will get better  God put me here at this time to be with you I believe it's our destiny to be together'.

'Your English is good'

'I took lessons I was determined to find you again, I love you '. he smiled

I did recover but my injuries meant I would never be able to have children, still I had a life.

I was sent back to England to get proper medical care, Simeon came with me he just wouldn't leave me. When I fully recovered we were married and bought a smallholding and we were content to have a quieter life .