The nurse and the sailor|| Peter Dawson•Dunkirk

•Chapter 4•

Anne had always thought she was very good a judging situations and knowing what to do. Now, however, she didn't know what to do other than panic. She wanted to cry so hard that someone heard her and came to pick her up.

But she knew that would never happen and she was just going to have to get on with it.

She turned back to the man next to her, his blue eyes wide in shock and his black hair was flat because of the water.

"I am so sorry. I can't believe you actually did that." He said, with a sad expression.
Anne was still in a mood with this man but she said to him politely
"It's my job. Now we just have to figure out what to do."
She shook her head in despair.

She thick dress weighed her down and if it wasn't for her life jacket, she probably should have gotten tired and drowned.

Pieces of Debris lay all around them from other boats that had been sunk and they managed to find a big enough piece for both of them to sit on.

"I'm Philip, by the way. What's your name?" The man asked as they sat on the piece of grey ship, breaking the silence.
"I'm Anne." She replied, staring at the grey water all around her.

Anne realised after less than a minute of talking to Philip that he had PTSD so she was careful about what she said to him. She talked about home and tried to keep the conversation away from war because she knew it could trigger him.

She tried to say positive but in her head she had absolutely no idea what she was going to do. If a boat didn't come soon, they would either get swept of this piece of debris, die of hyperthermia or die of dehydration. This is not how she pictured herself dying.

•••

"Look! Is that a boat?"
Anne was quickly knocked out of her trance and looked at where Philip was pointing. There was a boat that looked like it was going to straight past them.

Philip sat still now,unmoving, so Anne was nervous that it might scare him if she moved but she knew that the people on the boat might be able to help.

The closer the boat got, she realised that it was actually a fishing boat. If there was a storm, it would probably get swept over and Anne didn't know if it would be that safe. Anne, however, was in no position to pick and choose.

When it got in a close enough range for them to hear and see Anne and Philip, Anne shouted loudly and waved her arms.
"Over here!"

An older man was driving the boat and 2 young men were stood on the deck and were holding a rope.
"Dad, can you get the boat any closer?" The boy with blonde hair said.
"It's too dangerous, you'll have to pass them the rope and they'll have to jump in." The older man shouted back.

The young man chucked the rope towards them both and Anne helped Philip up. She caught the rope and passed it to Philip.
"You get on first, and then I'll go." She told Philip and he jumped into the water holding onto the rope.

Philip swam over to the boat and the two young men helped him into the boat and the one with black hair rapped a blanket around him.

The blonde haired one then picked up the rope and said
"You ready?"
"Ready." Anne replied, nodding slightly.
He then chucked the rope at her.

She caught it once again and wrapped it around her hand. She then jumped into the grey, freezing sea and swam briskly towards the boat. Anne was then helped into the boat by the two men and they quickly wrapped a blanket around her.