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“ALISON!”
Fanny’s shrieking voice could be heard throughout the house by everyone, except Mike, and although it wasn’t abnormal for Fanny to scream she did sound angrier than normal. If that was possible. Alison pulled off the bed covers and unwrapped herself from Mike's arms, if she ever got a full night's rest in Button House it would be a miracle. As she walked through the halls and vast, almost empty rooms, towards the screaming she wondered if this was what having children would be like. It was clear as she drew closer that the ghosts were arguing, again, well everyone except Kitty who was giggling to herself in the corner.
“I’m sorry to inform you but it's my turn on the music box!”
“Uh-huh, my turn!” Robin pointed furiously to himself, making the lights flicker every so slightly.
“Ah ah ah order ooorder OARDER---”
“You are mistaken,” Fanny’s shrill voice did its best to drown the others out, “I haven’t had a turn in weeks!”
Mike had found an old record player hidden in the attic and some old records. They had set it up in the sitting room thinking it might be a good decoration for the house but the ghosts were quite taken with it even more so than Mike’s laptop or Alison's speakers. The arguing continued and as much as she has grown fond of the six idiots a woman's patience can only be spread so thin, and that limit came at 1 am on a Tuesday.
“Alright, alright! Shut up all of you,” each head turned to her in silence. “I’m picking a record and once it's played out that's the end of it I’m tired.”
There was some protesting, particularly between Fanny and Robin but she got them to settle as she closed her eyes and blindly chose a vinyl out of the worn box. Vera Lynn. Huh, not bad. She placed the large disc onto the gramophone, carefully moving the needle in place. Her dead companions crowded around her shoulders watching the magical device. Slowly it came to life with a build of saxophones and pianos before the singer's voice filled the room.
“We’ll meet again~
Don't know where
Don't know when,”
Alison nodded her head in triumph turning her heel back to her room leaving the others to settle themselves.
“Ooooh, what a lovely song!” Kitty squealed as she began taking a turn about the room, “come on Captain won’t you dance with me? Captain?”
Her voice distorted in his ears morphing it into someone else's. A memory from long ago caught in his throat, the entire room falling away, the pitch-black night was gone and now a golden sunset shone through the windows. The Captain had the gramophone set up in his office to play music faintly in his leisure hours, not that there were many. He sat at his desk, body tense and worn. Every day the situation got direr and every day he had to send more men and women away. He felt like an executioner, or perhaps the devil, calling on the residents of the nearby villages, training them, teaching them, and then sending them to die. He heaved a deep sigh and rested his face in his hands. No matter how hard he tried he could not sleep and he always ended up lying in bed rigid and stiff. Prepared at any moment for his call. For his penance.
“Keep smiling through,
Like you always do~”
There was a light knock at his door and he snapped upright to attention.
“Come in,” he answered gruffly whilst standing up.
Havers opened the door and stepped inside neatly. He physically relaxed at the sight of the other man with a little relief. Havers was his right-hand man and his most trusted confidant in all matters. There way no one The Captain would ever trust more.
“Ah Lieutenant, please come in, make yourself comfortable.”
His friend went and stood by the window, the yellow light illuminating his skin and brightening his eyes. His hair in its usual neatness seems softer somehow. The Captain forced himself to look away. In an attempt to distract himself - not that he was distracted an officer must never let their guard down you know - he rummaged around in his leather box where he kept all of his vinyls neatly organised and in alphabetical order. But he fumbled not thinking about which record he was grabbing just anything to glaze over the thoughts in his mind. With practised ease, he set it up and soon it had some life. Vera Lynn’s charming voice playing quietly through the brass horn situated on the top. He took a steadying breath before turning back to Havers. The man was watching him with a fond smile on his face as he was outlined by the almost fallen sun.
The Captain cleared his throat ready to address his friend, his friend, to fulfil his job as the superior and rectify any issues his subordinates may have. But Havers got him first.
“Won't you dance with me, Captain?”
“Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away~”
His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air, he would forever deny that a blush dusted his cheeks, but he did not want to deny the other man. He could not deny the other man. So instead of answering he gave a jerky nod and took Havers hand. They had held each other only once before… no do not think of it he told himself. Havers let him take the lead as they stood circling the small space of his office, the last of the dying light falling away.
“So will you please say ‘hello’ to the folks that I know
Tell them I won’t be long,
They’ll be happy to know that as you saw me go~”
They both began to speak at the same time. The Captain became acutely aware of the letter that was tucked just in his breast pocket right beneath where Havers's hand was resting. He did not know if he felt shame or guilt more.
“You first Lieutenant.”
Havers let out a sigh, his gaze dropping from the Captain's face. Havers rested his head against his shoulder before he spoke, despite being the taller of the two.
“I’m afraid I’m leaving,” a moment of silence before he hastily added, “sir.”
“You’re leaving?” the captain couldn’t bite back his surprise
“North Africa.”
The Captain gave himself ten seconds to swallow his bitterness. Not only did he want to leave, he desperately wanted Havers to stay. It felt like a curse that they must fight this war separately. He did his best to bring a smile to his lips.
“We’ll meet again,
Don’t know where
Don’t know when~”
“Well jolly good, right, very good,” he didn’t know what else to say. So he held Havers a little tighter, feeling the press of the man's cheek on his shoulder. The brush of his hair against his neck. The brushing of his fingertips against his waist. It was terrible, but how could something so terrible feel so right? “I will miss you, Havers.”
The Lieutenant pulled back now to look him in the eye. The Captain had never felt so secure and so adrift under that gaze. Havers leaned forward and he closed his eyes, waiting, waiting--
“Captain? Captain! Helloooooo earth to Captain.”
Julian stood in front of him snapping his fingers obnoxiously right in front of his nose. The others all stood around watching him closely. It wasn’t often that they all focused on the same thing.
“Oh thank goodness I thought he was being sucked off,” Mary said quietly to Robin.
“Are you quite alright Captain?” Fanny asked as she stood right behind Julian.
“Oh, ahem, yes sorry… just thinking carefully a man must always be thinking!”
He quickly turned to walk out of the room, well through the wall, to get some breathing space. But no matter where in the house he went he could still hear the song floating behind him and with it came the memories he had promised himself he would forget.
“I know we’ll meet again some sunny day~”