Authors: Helen Wells

Cherry Ames 04 Chief Nurse (21 page)

BOOK: Cherry Ames 04 Chief Nurse

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He grinned, looking down at her. “Part your fault.

You nursed me back to health, you know. Cherry, I want to say several things to you. Let’s find a quiet place where we can talk.”

Under a thicket of palm trees, away from the road, they sat down.

“I know one thing you’re going to say,” Cherry smiled regretfully. “Charlie told me you’re all leaving.” Gene smiled back at her, “Yes. And I’m going along because all those things in my mind are straightened out now. Now that I know for sure, I’d like you to know too. The reason I was so shocked in the first place was this: in that split second when I saw a new enemy plane, and was hit in such a strange way, I realized the enemy must have a new weapon. Worse, I realized I—we—

had nothing with which to fight it—not only that my transport was unarmed but that there was no American gun to meet this new enemy gun. I felt so—helpless.

And then when I found no one else had seen this new thing, and didn’t quite believe me, I was so terribly
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discouraged, and confused, and shaken, and well—

you know.”

Cherry nodded. “I understand, Gene,” she said, warmly clasping his hand. “But now everything is all cleared up, isn’t it, Gene?”

“Absolutely all cleared up!” the flier said joyously.

He took her hand. “Thanks to you. Cherry, only a remarkable girl could have nursed me through that. I want to thank you with all my heart. You’ve been not only a good nurse, you’ve been a good friend to me as well. I’m certainly going to miss you,” he added soberly.

Touched by Gene’s sincerity, Cherry replied a little shakily, “Of course, we’re good friends! We’ve gone through this difficult thing together, so naturally we feel great sympathy for each other. I’m sorry you’re going away, Gene. But, Gene,” Cherry’s face brightened, “we’ll all be seeing each other again, you and Charlie and I.”

“Of course!” Gene regained his smile. “Of course we’ll see each other again. Maybe we’ll meet in a plane.

There are such things as flying nurses, you know!

But right now, I’ve got to say good-by. We’re leaving immediately. In fact,” he joked, “they’ve probably left without me!”

“So soon?” Cherry cried. They both got to their feet and hurried down the road. “Charlie, too? But I haven’t said——”

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C H E R R Y A M E S , C H I E F N U R S E

“Say it now,” Charlie called as he caught up with them and put his arms around Cherry. “So long, Sis. Wish me good luck.”

Her brother kissed her lightly on the cheek. Cherry could not control the hot tears this time.

“Look,” said Charlie steadily. His eyes were intensely blue in his sunburned, windburned face. “Ever see a snappy salute?” He saluted and snapped his fingers at the same time. They both managed a brief laugh. Then the two young men strode quickly toward the jeep that was waiting to take them to the airport. Cherry waved until they were out of sight.

She stumbled down the road and ran to the empty Operating hut to find Mrs. Flanders. “Oh, Bessie!

Bessie!” she wailed and pillowed her head on the older woman’s comforting shoulder. “Charlie’s going and everything’s happening and I’m all mixed up and excited!”

“Why, Cherry,” Bessie said softly. “You’ve been a brave soldier all along. You’ve taken your troubles with Colonel Pillsbee in your stride, and you’ve done a grand job as Chief Nurse, and now you’re all cleared and won a great honor and everything! So you really have a right to be proud! Besides, don’t you hear the planes? Let’s go out and see them!”

Cherry and Bessie ran to the beach. Other nurses and patients and hospital people came running too. Here
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came the planes, great roaring rows of them, in beautiful formation, flying into the sun! They soared and sang over Cherry’s lifted head. And as she watched the magnificent planes fly proudly past, she vowed to herself:

“I’m going to be up there myself, flying and nursing, one of these days!”

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