"Dad!" Sandra shouted and her father joined her on the bow as she pointed at the submarine sticking out of the water, a figure sitting on the top.
"Peter," Mr. Dawson called as he went back to the controls and Peter brought up a rope.
"Hey!" he shouted to the man. "Hey! Can you swim it?" The man did nothing in response. "Dad, can you get closer?"
"Can't risk it."
"Hang on!" Peter yelled, tossing the man the rope. He stood before diving into the water, grabbing the floating rope. Sandra pulled the rope in while George and Peter pulled the man over the side. Sandra dropped the rope and grabbed one of the blankets they had brought, wrapping it around the soldier's body as he cowered in the corner.
"What's your name?" her father asked as she stood up, but the man remained silent. The younger adults glanced at each other as they continued on.
"I'll get him something to drink," she offered, going below to make a cup of tea. She came back up a few minutes later, gently walking over the soldier who hadn't moved. "Here," she offered it to him. "Would you like to come below?" She held the cup out again, but he pushed it away.
"It's much warmer," George told him. "It's out of the wind." The man turned his head away, curling further into his blanket.
"Leave him be," Mr. Dawson told them. "He feels safer on deck. You would too if you'd been bombed."
"U-boat," the man finally spoke. "It was a U-boat."
"Would you like some tea?" she asked, moving closer again. "Or another blanket?" He nodded and she handed him the cup before grabbing another blanket and wrapping it around him.
"Thank you," he whispered and she nodded with a gentle smile.