Duty had to continue at the Radar Stations and within the hour news of Harvey’s death had reached every Radar Station on the South African coastlines. Not only that but Robben Island were also informed; Lt. Mrs. Marais apparently showed more compassion and emotion anyone had ever seen from her. The tragic news spread far and wide in all quarters of the world. The Radar world was a small, tight-knit worldwide community; they had to be.
Phyllis had an appointment in Somerset West with an optometrist late that afternoon; she would not be back in time for her 6 pm shift. Audrey had previously arranged to swap shifts with her but now she’d prefer to be at Peggy’s side. Unfortunately, she had no choice but to go on duty. Dorothy and Maisy sat in the room with Peggy, they sat on the couch or the porch depending on whether Peggy was sleeping or not. Chef brought their meals to them; it was a hopeless attempt to get Peggy to eat anything. The minute Peggy opened her eyes, she sobbed hysterically for Harvey. Her pain, her sorrow, her agony was too much to bear. Dorothy gave her another sleeping pill and lay with her until she succumbed once more to the peace her sleep offered her.
Maisy left Dorothy at almost 9 pm, exhausted and having a great desire to write to Desmond. He had earlier sent a telegraph message offering his condolences. Dorothy, herself exhausted climbed into the bed with Peggy, after a quick shower and a prayer. She pulled up the light sheet over Peggy’s shoulders; Peggy stirred and mumbled Harvey’s name. Dorothy soothed her softly until she drifted off again.
Audrey popped in to make sure Peggy was fine when her shift ended at 11 pm; Dorothy was still awake, and she assured Audrey that Peggy was restful, albeit not peaceful. Audrey wanted to stay, but she knew Peggy was in good hands with Dorothy at her side, and she too was mentally and physically exhausted from the day’s events as well as her grueling shift.
Birds were singing, and squabbling in the trees, the cacophony of piercing cries from the baboons in the distance, Ham, and Bacon squealing for food or attention all signified that the morning had broken at 4 am. No one had yet stirred in the barracks, and Peggy moved slowly waking up. She felt uncomfortable with a nagging notion that something was not right; she rubbed her eyes, rubbing her memory. She turned and saw Dorothy stirring awake next to her. Why was Dorothy in her bed? And then Peggy remembered. A panicked cry escaped her, but something else distracted her from losing complete control. She lifted the sheet and screamed at the sight that she confronted. Dorothy shot up “Peggy, Peggy dearest. Peggy oh my word that is blood.”
Peggy sunk back into her pillow and cried and sobbed until finally uttering, “My baby, our baby. Oh why, why this too. Harvey, Harvey.” She cried convulsively, bitterly bringing her already bloody knees into her chest as her body launch into fits of shudders and shakes.
“Baby? You’re pregnant. Oh, Peggy, Peggy. Oh, Peggy.” Dorothy lay next to Peggy unconcerned that she too was covered in the blood of the aborted fetus.
Dorothy had no words to console Peggy, she held her and cried with her. Dorothy felt useless just lying with Peggy until she had recovered herself. She had no idea what to do other than to clean her but Peggy refused to move from the bed. Peggy held her tummy and wailed. “Oh my Harvey, it’s not fair. Harvey, our baby, is gone I’m so sorr…” Peggy burst into a blubber of choking stuttering heart-wrenching sobbing.
Audrey and Maisy flew into the room; they knew something was wrong when they heard Dorothy’s louder than usual voice upon her discovery of Peggy’s aborted pregnancy. Audrey took one look at the amount of blood on the bed and gasped. “Oh, Peggy my dearest why did you not tell us you were pregnant.” Audrey and Maisy joined Dorothy in moving Peggy around on the bed while they cleaned her and removed the sheets, shoving towels in their place.
Maisy ran to wake up and inform Lt. Mrs. Simpson of the situation and before a half, an hour had passed everyone once again lurked on the porch of Peggy’s quarters praying and crying with Peggy in her pain.
Dr. Van Wyk arrived promptly again as he had done the day before and conferred with Dorothy that Peggy had suffered a miscarriage from shock. Peggy was ordered to the hospital in Somerset West for a few days. Frank carefully carried Peggy to the ration van and gently settled her on the makeshift bed, with Lt. Mrs. Simpson riding along as if she were Peggy’s guardian angel. The ration van only took Peggy and Lt. Mrs. Simpson, as far as the Steenbras River mouth, and from there they were made comfortable in the ambulance all the way to the hospital. Peggy mumbled something incoherent to Lt. Mrs. Simpson. She immediately patted Peggy’s hands calming her nervous state. The memories of the trip they took with Harvey flooded her.
Lt. Mrs. Simpson made the all necessary arrangements for Peggy at the hospital, and while there she informed Peggy’s family of the turn of events. It was a difficult phone call, one that Lt. Mrs. Simpson was not likely to forget. Only when the doctors had finished examining Peggy was she allowed to speak to her for just a few minutes. Lt. Mrs. Simpson sat on the edge of the bed; Peggy was pale and almost lifeless with the constant flow of tears never abating.
“Peggy, I’m so sorry for all of this.” Lt. Mrs. Simpson put her head down and shed her tears that welded into place on her lap.
Peggy shook her head in very slow drugged induced movements. “Not your fault Vivien.” She sobbed a few times before continuing with great difficulty. “I just want to know why? Why Harvey? He was the best person on this planet. Why our baby? It wasn’t enough to take Harvey, but God had to take our baby too?” Anger took control in Peggy; as angry as the drugs would allow her. “Why God? Why, Why, Why, oh why?” She curled up her legs and permitted her body to jerk with the never ending flow of sorrow that forcefully escaped from her soul. Lt. Mrs. Simpson sat silently crying next to Peggy.
A nurse entered the room and requested Lt. Mrs. Simpson, to leave. They administered more drugs through the IV in Peggy’s arm, and within seconds she was asleep.
Even though she was ordered to spend two weeks at her parent’s home, after getting discharged from the hospital, Peggy phoned Lt. Mrs. Simpson after a week and begged her to authorize her return to Silversands Barracks. After a long debate and even longer convincing of Cpt. Vogel, it was agreed.
When the ration van made the next trip to Cape Town, the driver collected Peggy on his way back to the barracks.
Peggy was greeted by everyone with so much empathy, sympathy and an incredible amount of love when she returned to the Silversands Barracks. The initial shock not forgotten but at least Peggy helped to ease the solemn mood by cracking an anemic smile whenever required.
In the chair opposite Cpt. Vogel, Peggy sat alongside Lt. Mrs. Simpson. “Sgt. Newsome, are you sure you will not reconsider and return to your parents’ home. We will completely understand if you do.”
“Thank you, Captain, but I truly feel this is the best place for me to be right now. May I speak freely Captain?”
“Of course, Peggy.” He smiled acknowledging the new line of friendship.
“Well, at home my mother constantly voices her ‘What ifs’ and ‘Whys.’ It gets too much for me and perhaps even more annoying is that she only met Harvey once but is forever equating him to Cary Grant. So much so she infers that my sibling’s husbands are not at all good looking. Naturally, you can understand that this does not bold too well with them. Please don’t get me wrong; I love my mother dearly, she is just not the ideal person for me to be around right now.” Peggy gave a pleading smile hoping she had finally convinced them she was correct.
“Well, okay then Peggy but for the first few weeks until I say otherwise you will only do morning shifts.” Cpt. Vogel said crossing his hands under his chin and resting his elbows on his desk.
Peggy hesitated and thought for a few seconds before speaking. “May I request the graveyard shift; please. During the day, I can easily occupy myself with matters here at the barracks or with reading, but in the early hours of the morning, I find it difficult to sleep. I can’t be taking pills forever.” Peggy looked at her hands resting on her lap; she felt the inevitable sorrowful lump swelling in her throat. She swallowed it determinedly not to lose control.
Peggy cleared her throat to speak again, “I want to apologize for not informing you of my pregnancy. We, Harvey and I, thought it best to wait until he returned to break the news.” Her heart flew into her throat blocking her voice.
An uncomfortable silence gathered between the three of them until Lt. Mrs. Simpson expressed compassion for Peggy. “That is understandable Peggy. We are, as we have said many times already immensely sorry for your losses. I wish I could take your pain away, turn the clock back and change the outcome but all I can do, we can do, is be here for you when you need us. At any time, day or night, dear.” Lt. Mrs. Simpson handed Peggy a clean napkin from her bag. Peggy’s shaking hands wiped her eyes, and she blew her nose sucking in deep breaths mentally stepping her heart back into rhythm.
“Harvey was so thrilled to be a father; he wanted a whole house full..” There was no use for Peggy even to consider speaking any further. She overcame her moment of grief in a collection of bitter sobbing and waterfalls of tears.