“Yes. Three of us did.” Suddenly Vernon stopped and fixed his gaze on her. “Did you know Tommy?”
“He’s my brother.”
The ill man showed no shock or surprise at this. But he stared at her for some time before he continued, “I think I knew that anyhow.” His tone grew more puzzled. “Don’t know how, unless it was because you kept pulling me back from the grave—you wouldn’t let me die.”
“Maybe you realized some of the things we said around you while you were so desperately ill,” Nancy told him. “Do you feel able to tell me more about Tommy? Was he injured when he jumped?”
“Tommy Made Us Leave Him There.”
“All of us were one way or another. Tommy got his in here somewhere.” The emaciated hand lying on the sheet, indicated his stomach. “He made Jim and me start off in our rubber boat. We had picked up some valuable information from the Japs that called for counteraction right away.”
“And he made you leave him there?”