me from the same.” The doctor leaned down to check his pulse. “You’re lucky you were able to defend yourself, nurse. This man has no morals whatsoever. What were you going to do with him?”
Rose cleared her throat. “Well, I thought if we could get him into the kitchen we could have him discovered in our brandy stores. He’d be disgraced.”
Dr. Geoff stared at her unblinking for a moment. “Please, let me help.”
“If we’re caught we could all suffer the consequences.”
“Then there’s no time to waste.” He looked at Maria. “Go check the hall and make sure it’s clear. Nurse Culver, would you mind taking hold of his feet? I think I can manage the rest of him.”
Maria dashed off to see if any of the other staff members were about, but none were visible. She glanced back to see Dr. Geoff wrap his arms under the German officer’s torso and Rose grab his feet. Maria waved at them to follow.
She checked the stairs; they too were clear. She waved again and scampered down to the next floor. The stairs opened very close to the kitchen. Unfortunately, two of the other nurses, one Belgian and the other German, were having a cup of tea. She quickly sent them on errands, the Belgian to gather up some fresh linen, the German to check their food stores of apples and potatoes in the back shed.
Both women left and Maria was able to wave Dr. Geoff and Rose into the kitchen. They kept their alcohol in a small pantry off the kitchen, along with other valuable items, more vegetables, flour and honey. They laid the officer down and Rose opened a bottle of brandy and dumped some of it on his clothes, as if he’d gotten so inebriated he’d missed his mouth.
“Is there anything more we should do?” Maria asked.
Dr. Geoff’s grin was positively evil. “Singe his privates to wake him up?”
“You really don’t like him, do you?”
“No. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of his kind.”
Rose smiled gently at Maria. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I think so. Why?”
“Your hands are shaking.”
Maria looked at them. They were vibrating at an alarming speed. “Oh, well I…”
“You’ve had a shock,” Rose continued. “I think a good night’s sleep will do you a world of good.”
“What if more wounded arrive?”
“I promise to call if we need the help.”
“Go,” Dr. Geoff ordered. “Nurse Culver is correct. We need you rested and ready to work.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll come and check on you in a little while,” Rose said.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Maria walked back up the stairs and stopped at the storage closet for a few items. If the British soldier was still unconscious it would be a good time to sew up his leg. She also needed to get him out of as much of his uniform as possible, in case someone found him or walked in while she was treating him. She had perhaps thirty minutes before any of the other nurses came back to the room.
A needle, thread, small knife and bandages would be needed, and she would have to clean the wound with soap and water before sewing it up. There was water and soap stored in the surgical suite, along with all the other items. She was able to bring a bowl full of clean tepid water without seeing anyone along the way.
She set everything next to her soldier, locked the door so no one could surprise her and pulled the blankets away from him. It was impossible to get his jacket off. Mud had caked and dried on to his buttons, cementing them to the fabric, and she had little time. She left it and avoided wrestling with the fabric by cutting the pant leg off. Blood had congealed, gluing the cloth down to his skin. A little water helped soak it off.
He didn’t stir at all, not even when she manipulated his arms and legs, rolling him from side to side to get his trousers off. Underneath, he wore a pair of long underwear, which was easy enough to cut away so she could get at his wound.
His trousers would have to be burned—they burned ruined bits of
Rose cleared her throat. “Well, I thought if we could get him into the kitchen we could have him discovered in our brandy stores. He’d be disgraced.”
Dr. Geoff stared at her unblinking for a moment. “Please, let me help.”
“If we’re caught we could all suffer the consequences.”
“Then there’s no time to waste.” He looked at Maria. “Go check the hall and make sure it’s clear. Nurse Culver, would you mind taking hold of his feet? I think I can manage the rest of him.”
Maria dashed off to see if any of the other staff members were about, but none were visible. She glanced back to see Dr. Geoff wrap his arms under the German officer’s torso and Rose grab his feet. Maria waved at them to follow.
She checked the stairs; they too were clear. She waved again and scampered down to the next floor. The stairs opened very close to the kitchen. Unfortunately, two of the other nurses, one Belgian and the other German, were having a cup of tea. She quickly sent them on errands, the Belgian to gather up some fresh linen, the German to check their food stores of apples and potatoes in the back shed.
Both women left and Maria was able to wave Dr. Geoff and Rose into the kitchen. They kept their alcohol in a small pantry off the kitchen, along with other valuable items, more vegetables, flour and honey. They laid the officer down and Rose opened a bottle of brandy and dumped some of it on his clothes, as if he’d gotten so inebriated he’d missed his mouth.
“Is there anything more we should do?” Maria asked.
Dr. Geoff’s grin was positively evil. “Singe his privates to wake him up?”
“You really don’t like him, do you?”
“No. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of his kind.”
Rose smiled gently at Maria. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I think so. Why?”
“Your hands are shaking.”
Maria looked at them. They were vibrating at an alarming speed. “Oh, well I…”
“You’ve had a shock,” Rose continued. “I think a good night’s sleep will do you a world of good.”
“What if more wounded arrive?”
“I promise to call if we need the help.”
“Go,” Dr. Geoff ordered. “Nurse Culver is correct. We need you rested and ready to work.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll come and check on you in a little while,” Rose said.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Maria walked back up the stairs and stopped at the storage closet for a few items. If the British soldier was still unconscious it would be a good time to sew up his leg. She also needed to get him out of as much of his uniform as possible, in case someone found him or walked in while she was treating him. She had perhaps thirty minutes before any of the other nurses came back to the room.
A needle, thread, small knife and bandages would be needed, and she would have to clean the wound with soap and water before sewing it up. There was water and soap stored in the surgical suite, along with all the other items. She was able to bring a bowl full of clean tepid water without seeing anyone along the way.
She set everything next to her soldier, locked the door so no one could surprise her and pulled the blankets away from him. It was impossible to get his jacket off. Mud had caked and dried on to his buttons, cementing them to the fabric, and she had little time. She left it and avoided wrestling with the fabric by cutting the pant leg off. Blood had congealed, gluing the cloth down to his skin. A little water helped soak it off.
He didn’t stir at all, not even when she manipulated his arms and legs, rolling him from side to side to get his trousers off. Underneath, he wore a pair of long underwear, which was easy enough to cut away so she could get at his wound.
His trousers would have to be burned—they burned ruined bits of
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