Nurse in Love by Jane Arbor Read Free Book Online

do?”
    “I don’t know. It’s possible, if you’ve got access to what I want. There’s a patient of mine—a child named Roger Horrick—whose mother is in difficulty about being able to afford him the care he needs. She is going to have to give up the night work she has been doing, and I’d an idea that she might suit me as a daily woman. I thought of getting Miss Dale to sound her about it, take up her references and so on. I don’t know if that comes within the Social Worker’s province.”
    “If it doesn’t, I’d willingly do it for you,” smiled Thelma. “Horrick—let’s see. Yes, her details are here somewhere.” She found the appropriate record card and in a characteristic gesture smoothed a forefinger over a delicately arched brow as she read it. “I’ll see that she comes for a talk with Miss Dale next time she visits hospital, shall I?”
    “Yes, do that, please. And if it’s outside her scope, may I look to you to follow it up instead and let me know the result?”
    “You know you may.”
    Adam nodded, and was about to go when he was arrested by Thelma’s adding quickly: “Adam—I may call you that, mayn’t I? I always think of you so because of Steven—would you mind if I talked to you — about Steven?”
    “Of course not. Go ahead. Have you heard from him?”
    “I had a letter this morning. He’s back on duty again, but the letter worries me, and I’d be glad if you’d read it.”
    Adam glanced at his watch. “Willingly. But I’m due at my clinic immediately. Perhaps you’d let me take it along, and return it to you on my way to luncheon? Or look here, if you aren’t doing anything this evening, will you dine with me? Bring Steven’s letter and we’ll talk it over. Where do you recommend? It must be somewhere close, in case I’m called out.” They agreed on a Dining Club of which Thelma was a member. Adam promising to call for her at seven, went on his way.
    Over their after-luncheon cup of coffee in the Sisters’ common-room Kathryn found an opportunity to tackle Sister Bridgeworth about Sara.
    Even Sister Bridgeworth’s manner of drinking coffee was swift and expert, as if she had allotted so many minutes and no more to its consumption. Between sips she said: “Yes—Spender. Does as she’s told. Doesn’t want to argue. Doesn’t shirk anything. What’s she complaining about?”
    Kathryn’s eyes twinkled. “She says she doesn’t get enough to do.”
    “Not enough to do! On my ward? Why, even I am r un off my feet with wor k! ”
    “You may be. I gather your student nurses are merely frustrated. You do most of their work for them.”
    “But how could I ? ”
    “The other morning you admitted it,” Kathryn reminded her with a smile. “As for ‘how’—well, I always thought they gave you an option on atomic energy as soon as it was discovered! Come now, Bridgeworth dear, you do like to be in amongst anything that’s going on, don’t you?”
    “No, I don’t think I can accept that. Take Nurse Spender now—what has she done this morning?—let’s see. First of all she checked in the clean linen — ”
    “ She was permitted to count it. You checked it by the book.”
    “Did she tell you that?”
    “I haven’t seen her. Pure guesswork on my part,” chuckled Kathryn wickedly.
    Sister Bridgeworth shot a suspicious look. “Yes, well—I helped her because I wanted her to get on with cleaning the sterilizer — ”
    “Don’t tell me you let her do it alone !”
    “I was showing the other student nurse how to mitre her sheet comers. No idea of it had she got. No idea at all — ”
    “Just let Sister Tutor hear you! However, go on.
    “We had an intravenous to do after that,” continued Sister Bridgworth loftily. “And I remember particularly that I asked your Nurse Spender to bring the saline stand.”
    “Who set it up?”
    “We were in a hurry — ” At sight of Kathryn’s face Sister Bridgeworth blushed, laughed and gave in. “Honestly,