Expedition to Undiscovered Lands (Ryde): Waymarker #9

While out in the awful fog, one of our local guides, Bennelong, fell and twisted his ankle. Henry and I carried him back to our latest temporary camp, in another shop, as we were concerned that it might be a broken bone. After an hour or so of worry (none of our watches is quite reliable now) there was a sharp rap at the door, and when we opened it there was a well-dressed lady who informed us she was a doctor and surgeon. Her name was Laura Foster, and she had a distinct accent – an Antipodean, no less, but born in the town we are in which she seems to think is in Australia! This is very confusing. She carried out an inspection, but informed us it was not a break, just a bad sprain. She stayed with us for some hours. Edie was most taken with her tales. Foster was born in Australia, trained in medicine in Switzerland, and worked in England and Spain. She has lately worked as a surgeon, she says, under fire in Belgium and France, and is shortly to leave for Russia. The war ended some twenty years since, but Foster seems to still be in the midst of it. With the confusion about where she is, and what the date is, perhaps she is suffering some shell shock? After she left, Edie had a most wistful look on her face.