War Nurse Read Online Free PDF Page A

say. It was such a nice face too, I thought.
    Nurse Green explained the problem and the MO nodded seriously. He took Johnson’s wrist in his fingers and checked his pulse. Then I watched as he got out his stethoscope to listen to his chest, and then he began to prod and pull Johnson all over the place. He looked very puzzled. He hadn’t seen the mug of tea. I wished I could tell him about it, but I was only a VAD and we VADs are not supposed to talk to the doctors.
    Johnson just lay there, eyes shut, though I saw him wince once or twice.
    Then Sister reappeared, and the MO explained his findings. Sister nodded her head. She looked at Johnson.
    “Now, Johnson, what’s all this?” I heard her ask him briskly.
    “Oh, Sister, I come over all bad. Very sudden it was,” he said, eyes still firmly shut. Sister nodded grimly and thrust the thermometer back in Johnson’s open mouth. After a minute she took it out and examined it.
    “Well, it’s back to normal now,” she said. “You seem to have made an equally sudden recovery.” I saw her reach up to the bedside locker. She picked up the mug.
    Sister Rook just looked at Nurse Green. She didn’t need to say anything. Nurse Green got out a handkerchief and pretended to blow her nose, but we could all see how red her face had gone behind it. I looked down at my feet.
    “Thank you, Lieutenant,” Sister Rook said, turning to the MO. The expression on her face was clear enough. Major Roberts would never have made a mistake like that. I felt sorry for the MO then.
    Sister Rook pursed up her lips in that way of hers and looked at her patient firmly. Johnson just rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. I suppose he’d thought it worth a try.
    Nurse Green was on the mat for that, and Sister looked more and more sour as the day went on. It was all “sweep up that fluff!” (there wasn’t any) and “why’s that patient’s sheet not straight?” (it was!). I was very relieved when it was five o’clock and I went off duty.
    Bunty and Marjorie were also finishing at five today and they asked me to come into town with them, but my arm was still sore and all I wanted to do was crawl upstairs to bed. It’s all I ever want to do when I go off duty. My arms have sprouted muscles I never knew I had from heaving that bumper about. My feet and back ache constantly from standing all day long. As for my hands – already they’re rough and red from all the washing and cleaning. Sister’s hands are as soft as a baby’s. I don’t know what her secret is but Bunty reckons it’s because she spends more time in the duty room with our MO than on the ward. She says everyone knows that Sister Rook has a soft spot for Major Roberts. That did make us laugh. I even saw Nurse Mason’s lips twitch. If you knew Major Roberts you’d understand why.
    I still don’t know Nurse Mason’s first name, and wonder if she’ll ever tell me it. She’s awfully proper. We’re all rather in awe of her – even Bunty.

Thursday 14 September
     
     
    Letter from Anne today! When it was time for my break I settled down to read it.
    “Dear Kitten, It’s so awful that you’re down there and I’m up here in Leeds. I do not like it here. The hospital’s outside the town, it rains all the time and I don’t know a soul. Food’s awful. Sister’s a little tyrant. We spend most of our time cleaning!”
    “Are the rest of the St Jude’s gang there? Remember me to them.”
    “Wish I was there – or you here. I miss you so much.”
    “Are you keeping up your diary? I am! Please write soon. I want lots of gossip. Better stop now – or I’ll be late for work and Sister will eat me alive.”
    I turned the page over. Anne had scribbled a brief PS on the back: “Have you heard from Giles yet? I’ll bet he looks dashing in his pilot’s uniform.”
    I haven’t heard from Giles yet. Giles is sort of my boyfriend. I met him at a village dance earlier this summer and he told me he was joining the RAF. He