Read Online Outpost Hospital by Sheila Ridley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sheila Ridley
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away to her bed,” Andrew said, easing her head back onto the cushion.
“I must’ve been asleep a long time, then. You were playing cards.”
“Nearly half an hour,” he said taking the needle from her hand and carefully folding the tablecloth. “Katherine,” he said, after a brief pause, “I’m awfully sorry my sister’s not more friendly with you and Charlton. I’d hoped that by this time she would have got over her resentment of you. I can’t understand it.” His thin face was creased in puzzlement.
Katherine put her hand over his. “Don’t worry about it, Andrew. Perhaps it’s just that she is tired and needs a holiday.”
“Yes, that may be it.” He seemed grateful for the suggestion, as though he felt he had been disloyal to his sister. “I know she misses Scotland terribly. She used to roam over the moors for hours with her dog—rather like Emily Bronte, I used to think. I tried to persuade her not to come out here with me because I knew she wouldn’t be happy, but she thought it was her duty, so... ” With a little sigh, he began to pick up the colored silks that had slipped to the floor. He laid them neatly on the tablecloth and put this on a chair.
Then he stood up and held out his hands to Katherine. She put hers into them and reluctantly got to her feet.
“Off you go to your bed, my girl,” he said, and very lightly he brushed her hair with his lips.
Going to her room, Katherine met Mark leaving his. He was still wearing his white coat, and he stopped when he saw her.
“Oh, Nurse, I’m a bit worried about that appendectomy I did this morning,” he told her. “I’m going across to the hospital to have another look at him. Come with me, will you?”
She looked down at her thin court shoes. “I’d better change my shoes and then I’ll come over. It won’t take a minute.”
When she had changed her shoes, Katherine rubbed her face with her sponge in an effort to liven herself up. She had never felt so tired in her life. With a longing glance at her bed she went out of the room.
It was nearly eleven o’clock before she got back to it. As she lay in bed she heard Andrew and Mark talking in the living room. Andrew was doing most of the talking and, to Katherine’s surprise, he sounded rather annoyed. But she was too tired to think about it then.
Next morning after breakfast she and Mark were alone in the living room. When she rose from the table, Mark said, “Just a minute, Nurse. I don’t want you to go on duty today.”
“Not go on duty?” she repeated with a puzzled frown. “But why not, Doctor? Is there something else you want me to do?”
“Yes, there is,” he said. “I want you to take the day off. Have a rest. I hadn’t realized that you must be overworking.”
So that was what Andrew had. been angry about last night. He had been telling Mark she was doing too much, and this was the result.
“I can’t stay off today, Doctor,” she protested. “There’s too much to do. Out-patients, three operations—”
Mark broke in. “We’ll manage. There’s no more to do today than there will be tomorrow and you can’t go on forever without a break.”
“I’m all right,” Katherine insisted. “I can rest later, when the other nurses have had more experience and things are going more smoothly.”
Mark sighed. “You’re an obstinate young woman,” he said and, getting up from the table, strode across to her. Looking closely into her face, he went on, “Kennedy was right. You are tired. I’ve been too busy to notice, I’m afraid.” As she opened her mouth to protest again he said firmly, “No more arguments, Nurse Marlowe. Whether you like it or not you will take today off. I must go.”
She stood by the window watching him as he hurried toward the hospital. His shoulders were quite stooped. It was kind and thoughtful of Andrew to take such an interest in her welfare, but she wished he had not complained about her doing too much. If she did less
“I must’ve been asleep a long time, then. You were playing cards.”
“Nearly half an hour,” he said taking the needle from her hand and carefully folding the tablecloth. “Katherine,” he said, after a brief pause, “I’m awfully sorry my sister’s not more friendly with you and Charlton. I’d hoped that by this time she would have got over her resentment of you. I can’t understand it.” His thin face was creased in puzzlement.
Katherine put her hand over his. “Don’t worry about it, Andrew. Perhaps it’s just that she is tired and needs a holiday.”
“Yes, that may be it.” He seemed grateful for the suggestion, as though he felt he had been disloyal to his sister. “I know she misses Scotland terribly. She used to roam over the moors for hours with her dog—rather like Emily Bronte, I used to think. I tried to persuade her not to come out here with me because I knew she wouldn’t be happy, but she thought it was her duty, so... ” With a little sigh, he began to pick up the colored silks that had slipped to the floor. He laid them neatly on the tablecloth and put this on a chair.
Then he stood up and held out his hands to Katherine. She put hers into them and reluctantly got to her feet.
“Off you go to your bed, my girl,” he said, and very lightly he brushed her hair with his lips.
Going to her room, Katherine met Mark leaving his. He was still wearing his white coat, and he stopped when he saw her.
“Oh, Nurse, I’m a bit worried about that appendectomy I did this morning,” he told her. “I’m going across to the hospital to have another look at him. Come with me, will you?”
She looked down at her thin court shoes. “I’d better change my shoes and then I’ll come over. It won’t take a minute.”
When she had changed her shoes, Katherine rubbed her face with her sponge in an effort to liven herself up. She had never felt so tired in her life. With a longing glance at her bed she went out of the room.
It was nearly eleven o’clock before she got back to it. As she lay in bed she heard Andrew and Mark talking in the living room. Andrew was doing most of the talking and, to Katherine’s surprise, he sounded rather annoyed. But she was too tired to think about it then.
Next morning after breakfast she and Mark were alone in the living room. When she rose from the table, Mark said, “Just a minute, Nurse. I don’t want you to go on duty today.”
“Not go on duty?” she repeated with a puzzled frown. “But why not, Doctor? Is there something else you want me to do?”
“Yes, there is,” he said. “I want you to take the day off. Have a rest. I hadn’t realized that you must be overworking.”
So that was what Andrew had. been angry about last night. He had been telling Mark she was doing too much, and this was the result.
“I can’t stay off today, Doctor,” she protested. “There’s too much to do. Out-patients, three operations—”
Mark broke in. “We’ll manage. There’s no more to do today than there will be tomorrow and you can’t go on forever without a break.”
“I’m all right,” Katherine insisted. “I can rest later, when the other nurses have had more experience and things are going more smoothly.”
Mark sighed. “You’re an obstinate young woman,” he said and, getting up from the table, strode across to her. Looking closely into her face, he went on, “Kennedy was right. You are tired. I’ve been too busy to notice, I’m afraid.” As she opened her mouth to protest again he said firmly, “No more arguments, Nurse Marlowe. Whether you like it or not you will take today off. I must go.”
She stood by the window watching him as he hurried toward the hospital. His shoulders were quite stooped. It was kind and thoughtful of Andrew to take such an interest in her welfare, but she wished he had not complained about her doing too much. If she did less
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