Lifeboat 12

This section contains the poems “Real Food,” “Lucky 13,” “Bombed at Home or Torpedoed at Sea?,” and “A Real Bed.”

Receiving the go-ahead from the doctor to eat solid foods, Ken savors every bite of a sandwich and sip of hot tea. In the evening, the ship reaches Princes Pier in Gourock, Scotland where crowds have gathered to welcome them. Only 13 days have passed since they started their journey, but it feels much longer. Reporters are waiting at the pier to talk to the survivors, and Paul is carried to an ambulance on a stretcher. The reporters start asking the boys questions, and Ken expresses appreciation. Despite coming home to the ongoing war, he is thankful to be warm and fed. Everyone is taken to the Glasgow Hotel, and the comfort of the bed feels so foreign after his ordeal that Ken cannot sleep.

This section contains the poems “Fame and a Fortune,” “Questions,” “Writing Home,” and “Reunited.”

The boys are honored by the city of Glasgow with a reception and gifts, like an adventure book from the Glasgow Lord Provost’s library, but Ken feels like he doesn’t deserve this attention for merely surviving. Mr. Nagorski keeps his promise to the boys and not only replaces their money, but also doubles it.