Thirty-Ninth Session

Richard was serious and not talkative, but friendly. He was very relieved that the lock of the playroom door had been repaired. He said, with strong feeling, ‘I am so glad we are back.’ It was clear how much he had missed the playroom in the last session. (On the previous evening, as she had promised, Mrs K. had rung him at the hotel and told him that they could again meet in front of the playroom, since the lock had been repaired. He asked Mrs K. for her address and telephone number in London. Mrs K. promised to bring it to him and she also mentioned to Richard that he had left a destroyer behind, which she would also bring.)

Richard at once asked whether Mrs K. had brought the address and the destroyer. He read and re-read the address with great interest. He said he had not brought the fleet, he had packed it away. Looking at the destroyer and moving it about slowly, he said in a low voice and sadly, ‘It is the last British destroyer left, our whole fleet is sunk.’

Mrs K. asked where it had been sunk.

Richard said it had happened around Crete.

Mrs K. interpreted that he had now more openly shown his sad feelings about the Allied losses and had avoided this formerly because it was too painful. Now he felt, in spite of his sadness, more hope that Mrs K. would survive, particularly because the light-blue Mummy was more secure inside him. Yesterday he had felt the