Read Online A Nightingale Christmas Wish by Donna Douglas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donna Douglas
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there’s no more news. He’s not going to get better, is he?’
Effie thought about Richard Webster, lying in a coma on Male Surgical. She didn’t know a great deal about brain injuries, but she couldn’t imagine him making a full recovery after so long.
‘I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘Truly, I don’t.’
‘It should have been me,’ Adam said. ‘Richard is a good man, a kind man. He’s never hurt a soul in his life. I should be the one who’s dying, not him.’
‘You mustn’t talk like that.’
‘Why not? He doesn’t deserve to die!’
‘Neither do you.’
‘How do you know?’ Adam’s eyes turned to green ice. ‘You don’t know anything about me, or my life. You don’t know what I’ve done.’
Effie felt a blush rising in her cheeks. ‘I was just trying to make you feel better, that’s all.’
‘Well, don’t,’ he said sourly. ‘Save your Florence Nightingale act for someone who appreciates it!’
Her friend and fellow student Jess Jago was already in their attic room when Effie returned to the students’ home that evening. Jess lay on her narrow bed, still in her uniform, arms outstretched.
‘I can’t move,’ she complained. ‘Sister’s had me running around all day, changing dressings and sorting out drips and drains and taking samples and testing urines, and I haven’t had time to think.’
‘Poor you,’ Effie sympathised. ‘You should be on Blake, it’s much more fun.’
She went to the chest of drawers and started rummaging around inside. Jess lifted her head to look at her.
‘What are you looking for?’
‘I had some writing paper in here.’
‘Writing paper?’ Jess propped herself up on her elbows, weariness forgotten. ‘Who are you writing to?’
‘It’s for a patient, if you must know.’
Jess’s dark brows shot up. ‘You’re writing letters to a patient? Won’t Sister Blake mind? Sister Holmes doesn’t even approve of us looking at our patients, in case they become infatuated with us.’
Effie grinned. ‘Some chance, in this horrible old uniform! No, it’s for Mr Campbell. The young man who was in the car crash?’
‘Don’t tell me you’ve got a soft spot for him?’
‘No! Actually, he’s the most horrible man I’ve ever met. But I feel sorry for him. He seems sort of – lost.’
‘You
do
have a soft spot for him!’
‘No, I don’t,’ Effie denied heatedly. ‘I’m just being a good nurse, that’s all.’
‘A good nurse doesn’t get personally involved with her patients, Nurse O’Hara,’ Jess mimicked Sister Holmes’s strict tones. ‘But it’s hard not to sometimes, isn’t it? Some of them are so sad.’
‘I know.’ Effie found the writing paper at last and put it beside her bed so she wouldn’t forget it. Then she set about patiently folding up all her belongings and putting them back in the drawer. The Home Sister would create merry hell if she found a pair of stockings out of place.
‘Like your friend Mr Campbell’s mate,’ Jess went on. ‘He’s a very sad case. Tragic, in fact.’
Effie turned round. ‘You mean Mr Webster?’
‘That’s him.’ Jess shook her head. ‘Did you know he was engaged? Due to be married in the spring, apparently.’
‘Poor man.’ No wonder Adam Campbell felt so wretched about him.
‘Not much chance of that now, of course,’ Jess went on.
‘You never know.’
Jess sent her a pitying look. ‘Sister Holmes doesn’t think he’ll make it to Christmas. Not that anyone’s told his fiancée that,’ she went on. ‘Poor girl comes in every day, just to sit by his bed and hold his hand. So sad.’ She sighed. ‘Still, that’s love for you, I suppose.’
‘I suppose,’ Effie agreed. Not that she’d ever experienced such devotion herself. In spite of her best efforts, none of her boyfriends had ever shown more than a passing interest in her.
That was why she felt such sympathy for Adam Campbell. His girlfriend was treating him with similar indifference, and
Effie thought about Richard Webster, lying in a coma on Male Surgical. She didn’t know a great deal about brain injuries, but she couldn’t imagine him making a full recovery after so long.
‘I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘Truly, I don’t.’
‘It should have been me,’ Adam said. ‘Richard is a good man, a kind man. He’s never hurt a soul in his life. I should be the one who’s dying, not him.’
‘You mustn’t talk like that.’
‘Why not? He doesn’t deserve to die!’
‘Neither do you.’
‘How do you know?’ Adam’s eyes turned to green ice. ‘You don’t know anything about me, or my life. You don’t know what I’ve done.’
Effie felt a blush rising in her cheeks. ‘I was just trying to make you feel better, that’s all.’
‘Well, don’t,’ he said sourly. ‘Save your Florence Nightingale act for someone who appreciates it!’
Her friend and fellow student Jess Jago was already in their attic room when Effie returned to the students’ home that evening. Jess lay on her narrow bed, still in her uniform, arms outstretched.
‘I can’t move,’ she complained. ‘Sister’s had me running around all day, changing dressings and sorting out drips and drains and taking samples and testing urines, and I haven’t had time to think.’
‘Poor you,’ Effie sympathised. ‘You should be on Blake, it’s much more fun.’
She went to the chest of drawers and started rummaging around inside. Jess lifted her head to look at her.
‘What are you looking for?’
‘I had some writing paper in here.’
‘Writing paper?’ Jess propped herself up on her elbows, weariness forgotten. ‘Who are you writing to?’
‘It’s for a patient, if you must know.’
Jess’s dark brows shot up. ‘You’re writing letters to a patient? Won’t Sister Blake mind? Sister Holmes doesn’t even approve of us looking at our patients, in case they become infatuated with us.’
Effie grinned. ‘Some chance, in this horrible old uniform! No, it’s for Mr Campbell. The young man who was in the car crash?’
‘Don’t tell me you’ve got a soft spot for him?’
‘No! Actually, he’s the most horrible man I’ve ever met. But I feel sorry for him. He seems sort of – lost.’
‘You
do
have a soft spot for him!’
‘No, I don’t,’ Effie denied heatedly. ‘I’m just being a good nurse, that’s all.’
‘A good nurse doesn’t get personally involved with her patients, Nurse O’Hara,’ Jess mimicked Sister Holmes’s strict tones. ‘But it’s hard not to sometimes, isn’t it? Some of them are so sad.’
‘I know.’ Effie found the writing paper at last and put it beside her bed so she wouldn’t forget it. Then she set about patiently folding up all her belongings and putting them back in the drawer. The Home Sister would create merry hell if she found a pair of stockings out of place.
‘Like your friend Mr Campbell’s mate,’ Jess went on. ‘He’s a very sad case. Tragic, in fact.’
Effie turned round. ‘You mean Mr Webster?’
‘That’s him.’ Jess shook her head. ‘Did you know he was engaged? Due to be married in the spring, apparently.’
‘Poor man.’ No wonder Adam Campbell felt so wretched about him.
‘Not much chance of that now, of course,’ Jess went on.
‘You never know.’
Jess sent her a pitying look. ‘Sister Holmes doesn’t think he’ll make it to Christmas. Not that anyone’s told his fiancée that,’ she went on. ‘Poor girl comes in every day, just to sit by his bed and hold his hand. So sad.’ She sighed. ‘Still, that’s love for you, I suppose.’
‘I suppose,’ Effie agreed. Not that she’d ever experienced such devotion herself. In spite of her best efforts, none of her boyfriends had ever shown more than a passing interest in her.
That was why she felt such sympathy for Adam Campbell. His girlfriend was treating him with similar indifference, and
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