A brainwashing programme followed, in which doctors told Dawson that he was the victim of a terrorist bombing whilst on guard duty at the clinic. They insisted that his memories of a panther were nothing more than his brain transforming the Muslim terrorists into a beast and that his lack of recent memory was down to trauma. His insistence on the Exmoor events, they said, was nothing other than his mind yearning for the safety of his homeland. Gradually, the soldier became convinced by the doctors’ version, until they decided to send him home.
His commanding officer told him, “Remember, Dawson, you are returning a hero, where they will give you a gong for distinguished service. Do not undo your valiant efforts with any of this Exmoor nonsense. It’s an order! Is that understood?”
“Yes, si
