Yankee Surgeon by Elizabeth Gilzean Read Free Book Online Page A

sex,” Sally began.
    George stood up abruptly. “I see we ’ ll be arguing all night at this rate.” He became serious. “What I was trying to say when I was so rudely interrupted was, don ’ t be misled by this apparently informal democratic approach, this manner—call it what you want—of our new surgeon. It could suggest that you can take liberties. But you can ’ t. And when you happen to stray over the line ... wham! You wonder what ’ s hit you.”
    He walked toward the door and then turned back. “Apart from fighting with our Dr. Tremayne, what do you think of him?”
    Sally took an unusually long time to answer. “I ’ m not quite sure—one moment I think he ’ s all right, and the next he makes me so mad. Oh, I don ’ t know. I suppose it ’ s all a case of getting used to different techniques, other ways of thinking and so on.”
    “I suppose you could regard it as an apprenticeship .course toward your trip to America.”
    But Sally didn ’ t rise to the bait. “Perhaps...” she said quietly and picked up her tray of instruments and went toward the cupboard.
    George didn ’ t accept his dismissal. “Sally?”
    “Yes?” She didn ’ t look up from what she was doing.
    “You wouldn ’ t be going soft over this chap, by any chance?”
    Sally took a deep breath and then let it out reluctantly. “Twice before I ’ ve answered that remark in no uncertain terms and he ’ s walked in. So this time the answer will be ... no comment. And you needn ’ t go making anything of that, either.”
    “Thanks, Sally. I only wanted to know.”
    George had gone before Sally could retort to his unexpected meekness. She sighed a little. Perhaps there was something in what the rest of her set kept insisting ... perhaps George was in love with her. She didn ’ t know and at the moment it was the last thing she wanted. She had to be free ... free to try her wings ... free to follow her star to America or wherever else her ambition might take her. It wasn ’ t that she didn ’ t like George. She was very fond of him, but not in terms of settling down. He was someone she could share her troubles with, laugh with over muddles —
    T he nurse from Mary Ward came back and Sally went off to supper. She was even more reluctant than last night. The other staff nurses would be eagerly awaiting her comments on tonight ’ s session and she didn ’ t feel like making them ... not the kind of comments they would be expecting.
    There was the usual drop in tone as she came in and she knew that it wasn ’ t only because Night Sister came in at the same time. “Come on, Sally ... give!”
    “Have a heart, girls, I ’ m starved and dead-beat into the bargain.” She sank into her chair with exaggerated weariness.
    “That ’ s cheating ... but you can have the first course. Say, Johnson, did you have that new house surgeon down on your ward tonight? Not the female one—I mean the tall, handsome...?”
    “He ’ s only a holiday ‘ locum ’ so you ’ re wasting your time. Hasn ’ t even taken his finals yet ... wet behind the ears and as soft as a baby. You should have seen his hand trembling when he had to do that cut-down! You ’ d think he was doing it without a local.”
    “Well, wouldn ’ t you if you had a hard-bitten staff nurse almost willing you to make a muck-up of your first cut-down intravenous?”
    Sally listened to the lively chatter of her friends and wondered why she didn ’ t feel like joining in. Perhaps she really was tired ... the nervous strain of taking a new surgeon or ... something. She pushed away her plate of macaroni and cheese and helped herself to stewed plums.
    The others pounced on her. “Come on ... first course finished! Give us the low-down.”
    Sally was almost grateful for the warning glance from Night Sister ’ s table, but it only gave her a momentary reprieve.
    “Well, of course his methods are a bit different and he sometimes asks for things by another name. He ’ s