Forever the Colours by Richard Thomas Page B

starting to clear and the only pain I have now is in my ass!’ With that he gave him a big toothy smile.
    â€˜I think that will be quite enough of that, Private. I asked you a civil question so kindly answer me. Oh, and do try not to forget my rank this time.’
    Rank! Shit, he’s army . Injuries or not, rank’s rank!
    â€˜Sorry, sir. I’m not feeling too bright and my head feels real fuzzy, and I’m not thinking straight. In fact, I could have sworn I was at home and my dad was here. I called out to him when I thought he was talking to your nurse there.’ He nodded to the other side of the bed.
    The doctor looked confused for a second, and then tried to hide his smile behind a cough. He looked over to the girl with the long legs, smiled and said, ‘Well, Arun, what say you, woman? Did you talk to this young man’s father?’
    â€˜No, I – No, Major Preston Sahib, there was no one else here.’ The confused look on Arun’s face made the doctor chuckle.
    Tommy just stared at Arun, quite unable to place what he found so unusual about her, until, with a realisation that made him exclaim out loud, he realised Arun the nurse was, in fact, a man! With a moustache…and a hairy chest.
    Tommy closed his eyes and tried not to think of all the dirty thoughts he’d had about Arun and her, sorry, his , long legs. Oh shiiiit!
    â€˜Now then, Private, the reason you are in my tent is by way of a knock on the head during our little skirmish with the notso-loyal levies of Mr Shere Ali. You were found next to a dead trooper and his horse, and by the look of it, you have suffered a possible fracture to your skull. To help you sleep and to control the pain, I have been administering laudanum, during your more lucid moments, of course.’ He frowned down at Tommy. ‘But you have been experiencing some severe hallucinations, so I have decided to cease the use of laudanum for now and see how we go from there. You say there is no pain in the head at the moment, just feeling a little fuzzy? Good, that would only be the effects of the medication. Now then, why don’t you accept that drink of water off the lovely Miss Arun here, and I will just finish up on my notes.’
    With that, he walked back over to his desk and continued what he was doing.
    â€˜Hang on, Doc. Is this a Red Cross station or what?’
    â€˜I am afraid, Private, that the Lord Wantage’s folly has yet to reach this infernal hell hole.’
    Lord Wantage! Did he have something to do with the founding of the Red Cross? Tommy didn’t understand a thing about what the doctor – Major – was saying. Could this be a continuation of the lads’ big joke? It’s a bit too elaborate, to say the least , he thought, and the place he was in right now looked far too real. And, he suddenly realised, unless this was the set of a play, the honourable doctor there looked dashing in his, well, he wasn’t sure what uniform it was, but it looked convincing. And if this isn’t a joke and I’m not dreaming then…Oh! Oh dear.
    â€˜I’m dead,’ Tommy whispered.
    â€˜Pardons, Private Sahib.’
    Tommy looked up at Arun, who was holding the jug and cup in front of him like some sort of peace offering, and returned his gaze with a rather docile looking smile.
    â€˜I’m dead, aren’t I?’ said Tommy.
    Arun stared at Tommy for a few moments.
    â€˜If Private Sahib was dead,’ he said, looking confused again, ‘why is he asking for a drink of water?’
    Tommy closed his eyes. ‘Oh no, no, no, no this can’t be happening.’
    â€˜Pardons, Private Sahib, what is can’t be happening?’
    â€˜This! All this – shit, what is this? If this is death, then is this heaven or hell? Is it that purgatory thingy? What the fuck is going on? Where am I?’
    â€˜My apologies, Private Sahib, but I am not understanding. Do you wish me to