The next few days passed smoothly enough. Suyeon and Joy took turns: One would read to Jisoo while the other tended the house and kept watch for anything suspicious outside. After the third day, they began letting Jisoo out of bed for short periods, but never let her go further than an armchair in the parlor. After a week, Jisoo felt well enough to receive callers, and some of the navy wives came to visit her. These visits had to be kept short, though, lest they exhaust Jisoo.

On the fifth day after Jisoo's brain attack, Joy and Suyeon judged that she was well enough to go outside and take tea in the garden, which is where she was when Mrs. Baek, the commodore's wife, showed up.

"Mrs. Baek!" Jisoo said, standing up. "This is quite a pleasant surprise. Come in and have tea with us. Suyeon, go fetch a cup and saucer for Mrs. Baek."

Mrs. Baek, her face serious, solemnly shook her head. "I wish this was a simple social call," she said, "but I'm afraid it's not. I've got a serious matter to discuss with you, that would be best discussed in the privacy of your parlor."

"Of course," Jisoo said, "right this way."

Mrs. Baek looked at Joy. "You'd best come with us as well, Miss Joy," she said. "I imagine Mrs. Kim will need your support after this."

"Of course," Joy said, bowing and following Jisoo and Mrs. Baek into the house. Once they were all seated in the parlor, Mrs. Baek turned to Jisoo and began talking.

"I hate this," she began, "I really do. But even so, I insisted to the commodore that I be allowed to make these visits. I think it's better that was wives hear the news from me rather than learning it from the naval department telegram." She paused, took a deep breath, and said "We have just received a report and confirmation that when Captain Lee's ship was making a stop in Bangkok to take on fuel, a small boat pulled alongside and detonated an explosive device."

"Oh no," Jisoo gasped. She knew Mrs. Baek was saying, but inside she held onto a glimmer of hope that she was mistaken. "Is Captain Lee injured?"

Mrs. Baek shook her head. "Apparently the saboteurs knew exactly what they were doing. The ship went down in a matter of minutes, taking its entire complement of officers and crew with it. I'm afraid the only comfort that I'm able to offer is that, according to what the commodore tells me, he didn't suffer."

And just like that, Jisoo's glimmer of hope was snuffed out. She started crying, accepting a handkerchief from Joy to attempt to dry her tears. Joy and Mrs. Baek did their best to comfort her, and eventually she was able to regain her composure to a degree.

"Thank you for your kindness in delivering this message personally," Jisoo said. "Please know that your presence was a comfort to me in this dark time."

Mrs. Baek reached out and patted Jisoo's hand. "I know it may not seem like it now, but I feel like I know you well enough to feel confident that you'll be able to make it through this. It may not seem like it now, but you've still got a life ahead of you."

Jisoo nodded. "Every military wife knows that this is a risk we have to face," she said.

"I know you do," Mrs. Baek said, "but foreknowledge doesn't make it any easier to face if it does happen to you. If there's anything the commodore or I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. My door is open to you any time of the day or night."

"Thank you," Jisoo said. "That's very ki-" She stopped mid-word, struck with a sudden realization. "I won't be able to have a funeral for the captain, will I?"

Mrs. Baek, recognizing what Jisoo was actually asking, shook her head. "I'm afraid not," she said. "The sea has claimed him, and the sea doesn't give up what it has claimed."

Jisoo nodded. "Should I still organize some sort of a memorial service?" she asked. "What is the protocol for situations like this?"

"The protocol," Mrs. Baek said, obviously much impressed with the presence of mind that Jisoo was displaying, "is that you need not organize anything. There will be a memorial service for the crew, organized by the navy. All you will need to do is attend. The commodore will send a midshipman with an announcement once all the details have been formalized."

Jisoo had another sudden realization, and her eyes grew wide. "I've met all of the officers' wives," she said, "but some of them only once, and I don't know any of them well enough to be able to comfort them in this time of loss, and-"

"And Mrs. Lee, the first mate's wife, has already volunteered to take care of all of that for you. She knew that with you and Captain Lee being newlyweds and with the captain being so new to his command you likely would not be in a position to carry out the captain's wife's traditional duties and so she has volunteered to stand in your place, if you so wish."

Jisoo remembered meeting Mrs. Lee. She was a quiet, mousy woman who was exceedingly fond of gardening, having installed both a floral garden and a vegetable garden in her house's yard. Apparently there was more to Mrs. Lee than met the eye - Jisoo would not have expected her to have the presence of min