since the morning , the windows had been blasted in , the canteen flooded , a battle had ensued over the meal tables ( some of which were a bit charred , and melted , but still almost a solid surface , roughly flat and therefore useable ) , corpses had piled up , bloodshed , the wall blown open by the esstons leaving the doors intact , but redundant then the battle reaching its conclusion ; the corpses were cleared , the floor given a thorough mopping , and the windows blocked up with welded sheet metal by an engineering crew concerned about the ships aerodynamics ... life had to go on , so now , the canteen was filled as intended , by the guards of division 66 conversing in a comradely manner , preparing to eat their first meal since the battle .