Unknown

[ruby_of_trinity]

There wasn't much to Mrs. Lewis. She probably hadn't been tall, even in her youth. Perhaps 4'10" and maybe eighty pounds, she lay dwarfed in her hospital bed. Although over ninety and in failing health, her wispy white hair was handsomely curled around a smiling face as wrinkled as a dried apple. A crocheted bed jacket of pastel blue covered her narrow shoulders.

Blind, but not yet deaf, she looked up at a gentle knock at the door. Since Mrs. Lewis got few visitors, it was more than likely Dylan. Setting the blood pressure gauge aside, Kate crossed the floor to let him in.

"Is that you, Julian?" Mrs. Lewis' voice was quavering and reedy, yet strong. Milky blue eyes searched the room for her visitor. "Clara's here, come and say hello."

Comments

[finch]

"Hello, ma'am!" Dylan called to her first and then nodded to Kate. "Thanks again for your help."

He stepped inside and went over toward the bed. "I'm here from the government, ma'am. We're trying to record everything that happened during the war, so I'm interviewing folks who were there. Do you mind talking today?" He had a recording device ready, but didn't want to press the button until she agreed.

[ruby_of_trinity]

Mrs. Lewis squinted at him from behind thick lenses. "Oh it's you, Keith! How nice it is to see you again!"

Stretching out a hand so gnarled by arthritis that the fingers were bent sideways, she reached to touch him.

"Clara, dear, you remember Keith? Of course you do. We were all such friends. Where have you been, hm? Out getting into trouble again, no doubt. You were always dreadfully naughty!" she admonished with a wink and a laugh.

[finch]

Dylan shrugged and resigned himself to playing along. It seemed better than trying to force anything on the woman. He laughed along with her, trying not to sound awkward.

"Do you want to tell Clara some stories about the war?" he asked again. "I'm trying to get them down so people remember what you did." Patience and repetition was the best technique, the archivist in the Unknowns unit had told him. Patience and repetition.

[ruby_of_trinity]

"The war?" she echoed, confused. "Oh yes, such times we had. Those horrid Germans made a mess of my dear home, but we had the last laugh, didn't we? I should think you boys would have much more exciting tales to tell. I never did much. Passing notes, that's what they called it, like a little girl in school!" She giggled at this.

"'Watch out for Teacher,' Fin would tell me. ...did you bring the boys with you? Is Fin here?" She squinted over his shoulder, trying to see.

[finch]

"Er, no, Fin's not here," Dylan stammered, then had an idea. "My memory's not what it used to be, dear. Can you remind me how you and Fin met?"

[ruby_of_trinity]

Mrs. Lewis blinked at that and then laughed, truly laughed.

"To hear that from you! Oh Keith!" and she leaned- unexpectedly- kissed both his cheeks. "Darling boy. You were so jealous of us! But then, I was such a flirt, I suppose I still am. It was not entirely your fault. When I met Fin, I had no idea who he was. I'd been feeding him for a week or more, leaving scraps for him on the back step. They were very humble scraps, all the good food was going to the Germans and there was little enough on our table, but I wanted to be sure that he would have something to eat."

[finch]

Dylan blushed, and tried not to feel like a horrible person. It had worked, after all.

"Oh, that's- that's so like Fin," he stuttered. "And so like you."

[ruby_of_trinity]

"Well, there weren't many dogs left, you see. People were encouraged to kill their pets, so there would be extra food for the humans. Horrid, cruel thing to do. When I saw him, well, I couldn't let him get shot now could I? He was a big fellow, all shaggy and gray, but tame as tame could be."

[finch]

Dylan made a quick note: Fin, dog, shapeshifter? Think I read about a shapeshifter.

"Were you waiting there doing resistance work? Who else was there?"

[ruby_of_trinity]

"Yes, I still lived with my family at the time. My father, my mother, and my younger sister. Father and I were allowed to carry books back and forth to the camps. Horrid business, but it gave us a way to communicate with the prisoners." She sighed and shook her head.

"Women were supposed to stay in the home and raise children, but with all the men gone to war, that made it difficult for some of us. Still, we found ways to amuse ourselves."

[finch]

"Oh, that must have been hard, but I guess it was better than being on the other side, too. How did you get involved with the more... interesting parts of the Resistance?"

[ruby_of_trinity]

"Ah well, Papa and I would sneak newspapers, sometimes hold meetings in our cellar. As for the interesting parts..." her smile turned impish and she wagged a finger at him.

"Ah Keith, what did I say before? A lady does not kiss and tell! You know perfectly well I met you boys through Fin. Fin and the little fellow." She let out a sigh, a melancholy sound that seemed to take all the breath in her wasted body. Tears welled in her sightless eyes. "Dear Fin...he may have died as a dog, but he also died a hero."

[finch]

Dylan made a definite note to see if this Fin had been accounted for, and if not, that alone would be a success for the Unknowns.

"I'm sorry to bring up painful memories. Let's talk about something else..."

[ruby_of_trinity]

"No it's alright. Don't trouble yourself," Mrs. Lewis assured him, blinking away her tears and offering a fragile smile. "The War took many things, but we managed our moments of happiness."

She began couching, and Kate offered her a cup of water with a straw.

"Thank you, Clara," she said, having wet her throat again. "Tell me how are the boys? Radio and the others. Whatever became of the little fellow you had with you?"