cross, his face set. Even his walk, the way he held himself, seemed angry. What, she wondered, had she done now?
But they stopped at John Snelling's bed and Sister began to give the boy a gentle yet firm telling-off. The registrar left her and came towards Anna as she hurriedly replaced Mr Pearson's chart.
'Can't you do anything right?' he asked, as soon as they were out of earshot of the patients. 'Do you have to stir people up all the time? Must you be the centre of attention?' he went on relentlessly, his firm jaw jutting pugnaciously. Anna's eyes flashed with anger.
'I'm very sorry, sir,' she said quietly. She would have liked to tell him a few home truths but knew no one would take her side. If she cheeked a senior registrar she would be reported to Mrs Lucas and possibly removed from the ward.
Head held high, she marched back to the ward, feeling Dr Alexandre's eyes boring into her. Once inside, she pulled the door to and collapsed, trembling, on to the only chair. Tears pricked her eyelids and she couldn't stop the shaking. Only her heart felt numb. Whatever she did, it was wrong in his eyes. She believed now that the registrar had heard Mr Pearson accuse John and had told Sister she must deal with the matter more severely then she had done. Sister thought it no more than a sign that John was getting better, his condition stabilising, but Dr Alexandre thought otherwise.
He was a prude, Anna decided. When he was a medical student he must have caressed a few girls. The miserable creature! Perhaps he didn't like her because she was tall and red-haired, she thought illogically. Try as she might, she could find no logical reason for his attitude towards her.
Sister called Anna into the office just before four-thirty and told her firmly that she must stop antagonising Dr Alexandre.
'But Sister, I don't!' Anna cried. 'At least not knowingly. Whatever I do he finds fault with. Perhaps he doesn't like tall women,' she went on, reflectively.
Sister raised an eyebrow. 'He doesn't keep finding fault with me,' she pointed out, 'and I'm only a couple of inches shorter than you.'
Anna considered their height difference more like four or five inches than a couple, but refrained from saying so. 'Maybe he doesn't like first-year students.'
Sister shrugged. 'Few senior registrars even notice first-years, so I shouldn't think it's that. Anyway, keep a low profile whenever he's around. He seems a good-humoured man, but there's no point in living dangerously, Nurse.'
Anna didn't think him at all good-humoured, but didn't argue with Sister Noakes. Although, she mused, as she made her way home a few minutes later, he was good-humoured at times. He enjoyed a laugh with the patients and with Sister Noakes. It was something about her he didn't like. Some personality trait of Anna's that caused his hackles to rise.
Feeling alone and friendless, Anna began her wintry walk through the recreation ground. Even Mike wouldn't be around to cheer her up. Tomorrow he was working and at the weekend he was going home to Liverpool to see his parents. He often went home at weekends. He was a good son to them, Anna thought warmly. And she loved him for his many kind little ways.
That she loved him because he was the only young man she'd allowed to get close to her emotionally, Anna didn't stop to think. She was sure that it was a deep, abiding love that would last until death. She could see Mike's faults and was prepared to make allowances for them. He was hopelessly untidy. He spilled cigarette ash over everything. And he was a heavy smoker. That might not be classed as a fault, she acknowledged, but it was worrying. She'd attended health education lectures at school and had learned the dangers of smoking to excess. He might cut it down, just to please her, though. He had promised to do so before, but his promises were never kept, she reflected. That was another fault. He could not be trusted to keep his word.
Anna walked on, angry with herself
But they stopped at John Snelling's bed and Sister began to give the boy a gentle yet firm telling-off. The registrar left her and came towards Anna as she hurriedly replaced Mr Pearson's chart.
'Can't you do anything right?' he asked, as soon as they were out of earshot of the patients. 'Do you have to stir people up all the time? Must you be the centre of attention?' he went on relentlessly, his firm jaw jutting pugnaciously. Anna's eyes flashed with anger.
'I'm very sorry, sir,' she said quietly. She would have liked to tell him a few home truths but knew no one would take her side. If she cheeked a senior registrar she would be reported to Mrs Lucas and possibly removed from the ward.
Head held high, she marched back to the ward, feeling Dr Alexandre's eyes boring into her. Once inside, she pulled the door to and collapsed, trembling, on to the only chair. Tears pricked her eyelids and she couldn't stop the shaking. Only her heart felt numb. Whatever she did, it was wrong in his eyes. She believed now that the registrar had heard Mr Pearson accuse John and had told Sister she must deal with the matter more severely then she had done. Sister thought it no more than a sign that John was getting better, his condition stabilising, but Dr Alexandre thought otherwise.
He was a prude, Anna decided. When he was a medical student he must have caressed a few girls. The miserable creature! Perhaps he didn't like her because she was tall and red-haired, she thought illogically. Try as she might, she could find no logical reason for his attitude towards her.
Sister called Anna into the office just before four-thirty and told her firmly that she must stop antagonising Dr Alexandre.
'But Sister, I don't!' Anna cried. 'At least not knowingly. Whatever I do he finds fault with. Perhaps he doesn't like tall women,' she went on, reflectively.
Sister raised an eyebrow. 'He doesn't keep finding fault with me,' she pointed out, 'and I'm only a couple of inches shorter than you.'
Anna considered their height difference more like four or five inches than a couple, but refrained from saying so. 'Maybe he doesn't like first-year students.'
Sister shrugged. 'Few senior registrars even notice first-years, so I shouldn't think it's that. Anyway, keep a low profile whenever he's around. He seems a good-humoured man, but there's no point in living dangerously, Nurse.'
Anna didn't think him at all good-humoured, but didn't argue with Sister Noakes. Although, she mused, as she made her way home a few minutes later, he was good-humoured at times. He enjoyed a laugh with the patients and with Sister Noakes. It was something about her he didn't like. Some personality trait of Anna's that caused his hackles to rise.
Feeling alone and friendless, Anna began her wintry walk through the recreation ground. Even Mike wouldn't be around to cheer her up. Tomorrow he was working and at the weekend he was going home to Liverpool to see his parents. He often went home at weekends. He was a good son to them, Anna thought warmly. And she loved him for his many kind little ways.
That she loved him because he was the only young man she'd allowed to get close to her emotionally, Anna didn't stop to think. She was sure that it was a deep, abiding love that would last until death. She could see Mike's faults and was prepared to make allowances for them. He was hopelessly untidy. He spilled cigarette ash over everything. And he was a heavy smoker. That might not be classed as a fault, she acknowledged, but it was worrying. She'd attended health education lectures at school and had learned the dangers of smoking to excess. He might cut it down, just to please her, though. He had promised to do so before, but his promises were never kept, she reflected. That was another fault. He could not be trusted to keep his word.
Anna walked on, angry with herself
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