Cherry Ames 24 Companion Nurse (2 page)

BOOK: Cherry Ames 24 Companion Nurse
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“Have some?” Gwen asked.

“No, thanks. I had dinner on the plane,” Cherry said. “What’s this about wanting to ship me off to England when I’ve barely arrived here? A fi ne welcome!

You can’t wait to get rid of me!” Gwen gave her a fond look and said, “Just let me have some nourishment, and I’ll tell you all about Martha Logan’s broken arm.”

“Martha Logan?” Mai Lee repeated. She reached for a book on the coffee table and held it up. It was an historical novel. On the back of the book jacket was a 6
CHERRY

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photograph of an attractive woman in sports clothes.

“I’ve been reading this book by Martha Logan. Is the author your patient, Gwen?”

Gwen nodded, gulped down a big bite, and said,

“She’s the one. By the way, I’m not being unethical in talking to you about my patient, because what happened to Martha Logan probably will be in the newspapers, anyway. She’s all set to go to England next week, to do research for her next book, and this afternoon she had a nasty fall. Fell down a whole fl ight of subway stairs. Broke her arm—her right arm, it’s a simple closed fracture—and gashed and bruised both legs, quite badly. She’s awfully shaken up, poor thing.
But
she insists on going ahead with her trip.”

“Your Dr. Merriam treated her?” Josie asked.

“Yes, he was called by Mrs. Clark, who’s one of his long-time private patients. Mrs. Logan and the Clarks are friends,” Gwen explained. “She came from the West Coast two or three weeks ago to stay with them before fl ying to London.” Gwen took a long sip of lemonade.

“Fortunately, Mrs. Clark was with Martha Logan when she fell. The doctor sent an ambulance to bring her to the hospital. He set her arm there and put on a cast and had her lie down for a while. Mrs. Clark insisted that Martha Logan rest and recover at home rather than at the hospital—thinking of the expense, I guess, and a broken arm really isn’t enough reason to occupy a hospital bed.”

The other nurses agreed. Gwen paused for breath, then went on, “That’s when Dr. Merriam telephoned

SPENCER CLUB REUNION

7

me. It was fi ve o’clock, and I was just going off duty at Mrs. Jackman’s apartment.” She turned to Cherry to say, “I’m on private duty, daytime, severe heart case—

Well, Doctor asked me to go to the Clarks’ apartment and give Martha Logan some comfort measures. Of course I went and did what I could—got her out of her clothes and into a nightgown and into bed, washed her and combed her hair. She was very grateful just for the personal hygiene. I propped her arm on pillows to support it, but we had a hard time fi nding a comfortable position.

“I let Mrs. Logan rest a while,” Gwen went on between bites of her supper, “and then I explained to her that we mustn’t let the arm grow stiff. She was awfully game about moving her arm now and then into a different position on the pillows. I know it hurt her.

She was good about moving her right shoulder, too.” Gwen said, “She and I checked whether the cast was too tight and interfering with her circulation. Fortunately her fi ngers didn’t change color, and she was able to move them easily when I asked her to, several times; when I asked if her fi ngers felt numb or tingling, she said No.” Gwen let out a sigh of relief. “Mrs. Clark will look in on her during the night.”

“What’s Martha Logan like?” Cherry and Mai Lee asked in the same breath.

“Well, she has a sense of humor, and managed to grin about the pain in her arm and shins,” Gwen said. “Her friend, Mrs. Clark, is more upset than she is because—for some urgent professional reason—the 8
CHERRY

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trip to England
must
be made on schedule. Fractured arm or not.” Gwen looked straight at Cherry. “Dr. Merriam asked me whether I knew of a good nurse who’s free for a month to go abroad, and I—well, I—ever helpful . . .”

“We can guess,” Bertha broke in. “You recommended Cherry.”

“Well, at least I suggested Cherry as one candidate for the job,” Gwen said.

“Thank you for that,” Cherry said to Gwen. “But
can
Mrs. Logan go?”

“Dr. Merriam would rather she’d wait and have a good rest,” Gwen said, “but she has some very special appointment and says she can’t wait. I overheard her say ‘No telling when I’d get a second chance
there
.’ ”

“Where?” said Josie. Gwen shrugged. Cherry sat thinking.

Even if Dr. Merriam decided she was qualifi ed, even if Martha Logan liked her well enough to engage her, would she—in view of the nurse shortage—have the right to go? It was one thing to be on vacation, yet easy to reach in case Hilton Hospital needed her. It was quite another matter to go off to England.

“Will Martha Logan really need a nurse?” Cherry asked Gwen. “If she simply needs a traveling companion, someone to help her dress and take notes and pack, I wouldn’t be justifi ed in taking such a job. Not when nurses are so urgently needed on really serious cases.”

“Of course she’ll need a nurse,” Gwen replied.

“I guess I didn’t make it clear how badly she’s hurt.

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9

The dressings on her legs will have to be changed frequently, the arm in the cast observed for any swelling, her general health and diet watched, since she’s run down. That’s nursing. Actually, Cherry, it’s a serious private-duty case, trip or no trip.” Mai Lee said gently, “I appreciate how Cherry feels.

The hospital nursing she’s been doing is so urgent.

On the other hand, Cherry, you need a vacation, so couldn’t you look at this assignment as half vacation, half work?”

Gwen said, “I—er—took the liberty of making an appointment for you with Dr. Merriam at his offi ce, tomorrow morning at nine, and with Martha Logan at the Clarks’ apartment at ten.”

“Wow!” exclaimed Josie. “To think that Cherry might be going to England!”

“How soon?” Cherry said gratefully but weakly. She shook back her dark curls. “It takes time to get a passport and plane reservations and—and—”

“Martha Logan doesn’t leave until a week from tomorrow,” Gwen said. “You’re in luck.” Then Cherry wailed, “Oh, I left my nursing kit home!”

“Lend you mine,” said four friendly voices.

“And what will my family say?” Everyone smiled, knowing Cherry’s lively family. If Cherry announced she were going to the moon, her parents and her twin brother Charlie would give her a grand send-off and hide any misgivings. At least this was Gwen’s impression of the Ames family, she said.

10
CHERRY

AMES,

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NURSE

“Cherry’s going to England!” Josie babbled. “Just like that! Oh, my goodness, it’s eleven o’clock! Good night!”

They all moved to adjourn. Cherry and Gwen shared one of the small bedrooms, as they used to when all eight—Marie, Ann, Vivian, Mai Lee, Bertha, Josie, Gwen, and Cherry—were visiting nurses in New York. For a long time Cherry lay awake, listening to a neighbor’s hi-fi set. She felt excited about the chance to travel abroad, yet half wanted to stay and visit here for a while, then maybe fl y up to Quebec for a few days, and then to Washington, D. C., which she loved. She might persuade the Spencer Club to join her for weekends.

England seemed far away, and Gwen’s recommendation more of a nice try than a real chance to go. Well, tomorrow would decide!

c h a p t e r i i

Nurse’s Vacation

dr. merriam, a small, prematurely gray-haired man, looked at Cherry with watchful eyes.

“Your nursing record is very good, Miss Ames,” he said, when Cherry fi nished describing her training and experience. “I like the fact that you’ve tackled so many kinds of nursing jobs and dealt with a variety of people. That should make you a resourceful person for Mrs. Logan to travel with—though I wish she wouldn’t travel until she’s rested, and recovered from the shock of the fall and fracture. However, she insists on going now, so—if you don’t mind, Miss Ames—I’d like to telephone your nursing superintendent at Hilton Hospital for a recommendation.”

Cherry said, “Certainly, Doctor,” and supplied him with the name and telephone number. He wrote them down.

11

12
CHERRY

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“On the whole I think you would be a good nurse for this job,” he said. “Of course it’s up to Mrs. Logan to decide whether you’ll be a congenial companion. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you nurse her for the next few days? It will give both of you a chance to fi nd out how well you get along. Traveling together could be miser-able,” Dr. Merriam said with a grin, “if you don’t like each other.”

Cherry smiled back. “I’d like to try your plan. Is there anything special I need to know about this patient, Doctor?”

‘‘Well, I gather you know she’s an author, and Mrs.

Clark says a hard-working one. She’s a widow with two young children to support—they attend boarding schools. At the moment, I understand, they’re with their grandparents until school starts.

“Now, about nursing care,” Dr. Merriam continued. “Her hand extending from the cast will have to be watched for swelling. I’ll give you a prescription for her, to relieve the pain. See that she rests. Her legs are sore where she bruised them, especially the shins, but there’s nothing you can do except change the bandages and wait for the skin to heal. I want her to eat a well-balanced diet. It’s necessary after this shock to build up her general health again, if the bone is to heal.”

The telephone on the doctor’s desk rang. At the same time his white-clad offi ce nurse quietly came in, patients’ fi les in her hand.

NURSE’S

VACATION

13

“That’s all for now, Miss Ames,” said Dr. Merriam.

“I’ll see you at the Clarks’ apartment about four this afternoon.”

“Thank you, Dr. Merriam,” Cherry said, and with a nod at the offi ce nurse, she left.

The Clarks’ apartment was only a few blocks away, across Central Park. Cherry walked, enjoying the fresh-ness of the morning and the children playing in the grass and on the swings.

In a big apartment building Cherry took an elevator to the tenth fl oor and rang the Clarks’ doorbell. She was admitted by a maid who doubtfully eyed Cherry’s trim red dress, spanking white gloves, and oversize black leather handbag.


You
the nurse?”

“Yes, Dr. Merriam sent me. I have my uniform with me,” Cherry explained. It was one Gwen had lent her.

A plump woman bustled to the door and said,

“Hello, Miss Ames. I’m Alison Clark. We’re expecting you,” and led Cherry down a hall. Just outside a door that stood open, Mrs. Clark whispered, “Take good care of her. She never takes enough care of herself.

It’s all I can do to make her stay in bed, even in her condition.”

“I’ll try my best, Mrs. Clark,” Cherry whispered back.

Mrs. Clark led her into a bedroom where a rather tall, slim, short-haired woman lay propped up in bed, a cast on her right forearm. Her clear-cut face was drawn 14
CHERRY

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with pain, but even so she had a lively look, and smiled when Mrs. Clark introduced “your new nurse.”

“How do you do, Miss Ames?” said Martha Logan.

“You are now meeting the most awkward woman of the year, and the world’s worst houseguest.”

“Martha, do stop being annoyed with yourself,” said her friend and hostess. “You aren’t used to those steep subway stairs, that’s all.”

Cherry said very politely, “We could always say someone pushed you.”

Mrs. Logan’s face lighted up in a grin of pure pleasure. “I can see you’re a fi rst-rate nurse.” Cherry said, seriously this time, “How do you feel, Mrs. Logan?”

“I hurt,” her patient announced. “And I’m astonished at how tired and shaky I feel. Shock, I suppose. I
must
leave for England a week from today, but right now I wonder how I’ll ever stand on my poor, battered legs.”

“In a week you’ll be ever so much better,” Cherry said, “providing you cooperate fully with Dr. Merriam and with me,” she added assertively.

“I’ll cooperate like mad,” said Martha Logan. “Miss Ames, can you type? Do you know how to work a tape recorder?”

Mrs. Clark said warningly, “Now, Martha, if this is how you cooperate—”

“But I have to meet a deadline—that book contract I signed day before yesterday—” Cherry saw how worried Mrs. Logan was about her work, and said, “Yes, I can type, and I know how a tape
NURSE’S

VACATION

15

recorder works. But you’d do better to rest now—really relax all this week. Otherwise, Dr. Merriam may have to tell you not to make your trip. You wouldn’t risk going in spite of the doctor’s advice, would you?” Martha Logan’s large, grayish-blue eyes turned to two framed photographs on the dresser. One was of a boy of about thirteen, one of a girl aged eleven or twelve. Both children had the same eager, intelligent face as Mrs. Logan, their mother.

She said, “No, I won’t do anything foolish.”

“Hah!” Mrs. Clark said triumphantly. “Martha, you have met your match in Miss Cherry Ames.”

“Where did you get that lovely fi rst name?” Martha Logan asked.

“My parents gave it to me,” Cherry said with a straight face, and her patient whooped with laughter.

Then Cherry explained she was “sort of named after her grandmother Charity, Cherry for short.” Mrs. Clark said to Martha Logan, “This girl is good for you. I’m relieved to hear you laugh again.” However, so much conversation was tiring the patient, Cherry observed. She caught Mrs. Clark’s eye, and they both moved out into the hall, where they discussed meals for Mrs. Logan. Dr. Merriam had ordered a nourishing diet, Mrs. Clark said, but Martha Logan had no appetite.

“We might coax her to eat with smaller portions and more frequent meals,” Cherry suggested. “Could she have a cup of hot, rich broth at midmorning, and a glass of milk or ice cream in the afternoon?” Calcium 16
CHERRY

AMES,

BOOK: Cherry Ames 24 Companion Nurse
13.81Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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