Play@YSDC

Eugene supresses a gasp: this must be the lone survivor of the Home Guard raid on the Steadman's warehouse - a raid he himself was responsible for initiating.

"I-I'm so sorry..." he mutters. "If I'd have known... No, I did know... S-so very, very, s-sorry..."

He slumps down in a chair, head in his hands, and begins to sob.

"There, there," said Agatha. "It's going to be all right."

"Nae, we're doomed!" cried Sergeant MacDonald.

Phyllis is rather alarmed at the idea of Anna alone in the same room as Mrs Steadman and Mrs Exeter; she hasn't forgotten that Anna and Elizabeth were both on the Steadmans' 'To Finish Off' list. "If you're going to see Mrs Exeter then I'll come along too." She gives Anna a pointed look.

Story nods at Phyllis' suggestion and says, "Probably for the best. My companions and I will only cause her to be on the defensive."

Pulling himself together, Eugene breathes deeply. He looks up, giving Agatha a grateful smile.

"I'm sorry if I've disturbed Sergeant MacDonald. Perhaps we should leave him for a moment, though I could visit him another time if you think it'll help. Does he get any visitors?"

"I heard some people came to see him the other day," said Agatha. "Really, you haven't disturbed him. He's been like this since he was brought in. If anything, he was worse earlier. He likes it in the day room, I think because of the bright sunlight. I think it might do the two of you some good to talk, especially since your conditions are so similar."

Eugene nods. It'd be nice to talk to someone who'd witnessed the same terrible things as he has. The others have been very kind, but they weren't there when that thing coiled itself around him.

"Sergeant, I've seen it too: the three-lobed eye; the crystal; the terrible witch..."

"I didna see a crystal or a witch," said Sergeant MacDonald, "but I'll never forget that eye. It looked at me...through me!" He swallowed. "My men shot it, but the bullets did nought! I...I turned and ran...I left them to die..." He broke down in tears. After a moment, he calmed down. "You've seen it, and it's seen you!"

“Yes,” Eugene sighs, “I’ve seen it - it had me in it’s grasp. I discovered that it hates light - it was an anti-aircraft light that saved me.”

"Aye, the light will protect us!" said Sergeant MacDonald, nodding. "As long as there's light, we're safe. But when it gets dark, it will come for us!"

"Then we'll have to find some torches!" Eugene declares. "I procured a flare gun before I came here, no idea where it is now; but if we can find torches we'll have a fighting chance."

"We can't have any fires here," said Agatha. "It's far too dangerous. Don't worry, we have electric lights. You'll be safe here."

"Oh, that's all right then," said Agatha with relief. "No flares in here, though. We do have electric bed lamps, and you can use one. Sergeant MacDonald certainly needed one last night. And if we have to go down the basement to shelter from an air raid, which is likely, it also has electric lights. You'll be perfectly safe."

"Yes, a bed lamp - that's a good idea Doctor, thank you."

Eugene turns to Sergeant MacDonald.

"There you go - we'll be safe with our lamps."

He pauses for a moment, loathe to agitate the man further, before pressing on.

"Pardon me for asking, but how many people were in the warehouse? Can you remember what they said?"

"There were nae people that I saw," said Sergeant MacDonald. "Just that...that thing..."

Phyllis stands up and goes towards Anna. "Shall we go up to see Catherine Exeter; I've just come from her room so I know the way."

Anna signals to Madeline to join them, 'if you come with us Mrs Steadman I believe your mother is awake'.

Madeline followed Anna and Phyllis deeper into the hospital. Catherine Exeter was still lying in bed in the ward where Phyllis had left her. When they entered the room, Madeline ran over to her mother and hugged her. "Oh, mother, you're hurt!" she cried.

"Thank you, Madeline, dear," said Catherine. "I'll live. An old man stabbed me with a pair of scissors, but I got patched up."

Anna stands back and gives Madeline and her mother some time to reacquaint, watching them closely to see how they interact before gently saying 'your daughter has told me a little of your attempts to help the war effort'.

OOC:   isn't she called Catherine Exeter?