Campbell was brought to a field hospital. Doctors there thought the vision problem was just the result of shock, but as the problem persisted, he was finally sent to a special hospital for the blind in rural France. It was staffed by excellent French doctors, and their diagnosis was Optic Atrophy due to trauma to the optic nerve in his brain caused by the massive concussion when the shell exploded overhead.
Campbell was rapidly losing his sight.
He was devastated and did not want to return home in this state. He became deeply depressed, and the doctors kept him there another couple of months, but finally had to send him on a hospital ship with other wounded soldiers back to America.
Back in the States, he was given his discharge papers by a young officer who accompanied him to Chicago. He was eligible for a full pension given to blind veterans. He was given no therapy. The veterans could not accommodate the thousands of shell shocked, maimed, and wounded young men who returned. So Campbell returned to the flat in Chicago and began the process of learning to live as a blind man. He was so depressed that he could barely speak. Gertrude moved hastily back home and Jeanette was left as his sold caretaker.
It was NOT a happy homecoming.
To make matters worse, the entire country was in the midst of a devastating influenza epidemic that was claiming many lives. Campbell and Jeanette stayed close to home and were not affected by the flu but three members of Jeanette's family had died due to the flu. Mrs. Hopf sent hot food up to the young couple and cheered them with afternoon pots of coffee and her wonderful "Kuchen" (coffee cake). Jeanette became pregnant right away. Campbell's depression continued and he would sit for hours in the basement next to the furnace. In desperation, Jeanette sat down and wrote to Uncle Edward and Campbell's sister Helen in Scotland telling them of Campbell's state of mind.
Edward and Helen were devastated to hear of Campbell's blindness and swung into action. Edward, the executor for all of the family fortune and also the estate of James Stewart, made a trip to London where all the family banking was done. He arranged for Campbell to receive his large portion of his inheritance in view of his misfortune and because he was the oldest son. So, the Bank of England handled it all at Peter's direction.
A month later, after crossing the Atlantic, taking a week to do so, who should arrive at the door of the flat but Helen...suitcase in hand and ready for action!
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