Unknown (3 page)

'Hey! Wait, Anna!' Mike caught up with her and forced her to stop. 'I thought you'd be pleased! We can get really cosy during your meal break. Why, you could cook us a nice meal. Be like being married, it would,' he coaxed, and Anna wavered.

'Perhaps. I'll pop round to see the flat once you're settled in, then we'll see,' she conceded, and Mike patted her cheek.

'That's my girl! See you.'

She listened to his receding footsteps, her anxious eyes following his dimly visible shape until it disappeared completely. She almost sobbed in her anguish and frustration, then placed her hand over her heart where she kept a tiny photo of Mike in a
locket hung from a slender gold chain. A locket and a photograph about which her mother knew nothing.

They had waited tea for her, as always, and she felt ashamed. They were good to her, all three of them, and she was a selfish girl to want more from life.

Her mother, Jennifer, was only in her late forties, a tall, buxom woman, though she was thinner than she used to be. Anna had inherited her dark red hair as well as her shape. Only the big green eyes came from her late father, a professor, who'd been killed six years before.

Jennifer missed him still and sometimes spoke of seeing him sitting in his favourite chair in the study.

The other two females in the household were Mary Dixon, Mother's nurse, and Mrs Jenkins, the cook-housekeeper. In addition they had a daily woman, Mrs Walker, to do the rough work, and a twice-weekly gardener, a crabby old man who did odd-jobs during the winter months. Apart from occasional visits from the doctor, the gardener, Mr Hill, was the only man Anna ever saw except for the staff and patients at St Aidan's. And Mike, of course.

'Anna! You're late, dear,' her mother said anxiously, and Anna hurried forward to kiss her. Jennifer stroked her daughter's cheek, just as Mike had done earlier, and Anna flinched, feeling more ashamed than ever.

'Anna, whatever is it? Have you had a bad day? Go and wash and change out of that tight dress and tell me about the ward,' she commanded, and Anna did as she was bid.

Mrs Curtis was always interested in the goings-on at the hospital and, once
she
'd got over the shock of hearing that Anna was going to be a nurse, she'd seemed pleased.
All
in all, mother and daughter got on well together, and Anna was learning how to cope with her mother's possessiveness—but this business of Mike . . . How would her mother view that?

She stripped down to her sensible underwear, the locket gleaming brightly between her breasts. Lovingly she fingered it, snapping it open to have one quick gaze at Mike Forster.

He was dark-haired, and his hair was crinkly and springy, full of life when Anna ran her fingers through it. His pale blue eyes gazed steadfastly at her from the photo. Anna felt they were brimming with love. Or was it simply laughter? Her fingers closed convulsively about the locket before she hurried to the bathroom.

Mike Forster was the only secret she kept from her mother. They had met the previous summer at Bournemouth. Mary and Anna between them had managed to persuade Jennifer to take the holiday and Bournemouth wasn't too far away. It wasn't Anna's idea of a dynamic holiday venue, being an area popular for retirement with a seafront full of ladies in the winter of their lives, but it was peaceful early in the season and Anna had managed to get out on her own quite a bit.

On one of her solitary walks Mike had come up to ask her for a light, though he admitted afterwards that he didn't need one.

The unsophisticated Anna had been thrilled that a boy as attractive as Mike, with his crinkly hair, pleasant, almost handsome face and splendid physique, should be interested, and the relationship had snowballed, particularly when she found that Mike also lived in Middleborough, sharing a flat with five others.

There was nothing sexual in their relationship— yet. But Anna yearned to belong to him, for she loved him and was sure he loved her. It wouldn't be a casual one night stand affair, she was convinced. They were in love and oh, how she longed to tell the world! She wanted to shout from the rooftops, proclaim that she loved Mike Forster and would deny him nothing.

But she wanted to be married. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Mike, but wondered if his love would extend to that. Marriage was a tie for a man. She could see that, could understand his reluctance. He was only twenty-three and she knew girls matured emotionally sooner than boys, and she was mature for her age.

Perhaps in time he would come to see things her way, she reasoned, as she ran lightly down stairs, her full grey skirt swirling about her long, slender legs. Everything would come, in time.

'You, Nurse!'

Anna whirled round, nearly losing her hateful cap in the process. One of the grips was always working loose. The owner of the imperious voice caught up with her as she struggled with the starched cap.

'Yes, Doctor,' she said quietly, wishing Dr Alexandre miles away.

A smile touched his mouth then was gone, and Anna thought she must have imagined it. 'Here, let me.' He took the grips from Anna's cold fingers, set the butterfly cap on at its proper angle, then pushed the grips firmly into place.

He stood back to admire his handiwork, eyes serious, and Anna could feel herself blushing.

'Yes. That will do, I think. A neat job if I say so myself,' he said smugly, and Anna bit her tongue to stop herself from snapping at him.

'Thank you, Doctor,' she said instead, then waited, supposing he wanted to send her on some errand.

Much as she disliked his arrogant, self-satisfied manner, she had to admit he had lovely eyes. That direct look was disconcerting but exciting, too.

She began to fidget when he didn't speak. He seemed to be memorising her face, though surely with her height and red hair she stood out enough?

'I have to apologise,' he said shortly, and she opened her mouth in surprise then closed it again. 'For ticking you off for not knowing Mr Gabriel was being admitted today,' he explained, seeing the puzzlement in her clear green eyes.

'Oh! That. I'd forgotten, Doctor. Really,' she assured him blandly, secretly pleased that he realised she was new on Park Ward.

'Being new myself I didn't realise yesterday was your first day on the ward.' He smiled then, actually smiled, and Anna's lovely eyes crinkled with laughter in response, her face alight.

Smiling back at the senior registrar was evidently not the done thing and his face closed up, his aquiline nostrils flaring. Anna's smile faded. With a polite 'Thank you again, Doctor,' she hurried on towards Park Ward, crestfallen without quite knowing why.

Whatever she did would be wrong for that man, she thought crossly. She could hear the clatter of dishes as she hurried through the ward doors. She was on late shift today so would not have the whole day with Sister, who probably went off duty at five.

She was early and only Sister was in the office, busily writing in the Kardex. Sister looked up before Anna had time to knock. She was much younger than Anna had imagined, probably in her late twenties, with elegantly coiffured black hair and heavily made-up brown eyes.
Cold
brown eyes, Anna noticed with a sinking heart. Evidently Sister's weekend had not been a successful one.

'I'm student nurse Anna Curtis, Sister,' Anna said softly, trying not to smile and possibly annoy the older woman.

Sister Noakes frowned. 'Oh, yes. Staff mentioned you. Said you kept getting in Dr Alexandre's way.'

Anna gasped. 'Only once, Sister. Anyway, he came up so quietly I didn't know he was there,' she protested, and Sister gave her a sharp look then shrugged, her scarlet mouth turning down at the corners.

'Please see that the registrar doesn't make a habit of creeping up on you. Running this ward is difficult enough without upsetting him. He's new and doesn't understand St Aidan's ways yet. I shall have to educate him,' she added smugly, and Anna decided she didn't like Sister Noakes very much.

However, ward sisters were a law unto themselves so Anna would have to do her best to get on
with the woman. She only hoped Sister didn't fancy Dr Alexandre. That would make matters much worse. Though Sister wore a wedding ring, Anna mused, having been told to run along and find the SEN.

State Enrolled Nurse Hatcher, a Mauritian, was talking to one of the patients and Anna hovered uncertainly. It was the patient who saw her first, Mr Pearson, a miserable complaining little man for whom nothing was ever right. Anna had already fallen foul of him for not being quick enough to bring him fresh water.

'Yes? You're the new first-year?' the pretty SEN asked with a smile, and Anna brightened. A friendly face at last.

'She was here yesterday, Nurse. Proper slow she is,' Mr Pearson grumbled, but Nurse Hatcher only smiled, and patted his hand.

'Come along then, Nurse . . . ? What is your name?'

'Nurse Curtis. Anna Curtis, Nurse Hatcher.'

'Call me Reshma. All this Nurse this and Nurse that business is so formal,' Nurse Hatcher laughed. 'You can help me with Mr Wendlesham. He's allowed up for one hour this afternoon,' she added, as they approached the end bed.

Anna hesitated, recalling Mr Wendlesham from the day before. He was one of those bottom-pinchers Ruth Barratt had warned her about!

'After we get him up I shall go to lunch, as I am here since seven-thirty, then you will have to listen to the hand-over,' Reshma Hatcher said quietly, as they approached Mr Wendlesham.

'We have come to get you up, Mr Wendlesham,' Reshma said firmly as the patient was about to protest. Briskly, she drew the curtains around the bed and she and Anna helped him into his dressing-gown then eased him gently into the armchair which the SEN had placed ready.

'There. Isn't it better to sit up?' Reshma asked, tucking a rug around him.

Mr Wendlesham grunted, his bold black eyes fixed on Anna who froze under the scrutiny. He was certainly on the road to recovery if he was taking an interest in women again, so Anna tried to be pleased for him. He insisted on staying by his bed rather than joining several of the others in the day-room, so they didn't try to persuade him.

'He is a bit of a loner,' Reshma warned. 'He needs supervision, that one. If he isn't watched, he will very likely try to stand up and Sister says only one hour sitting quietly in his chair. Her word is law,' Reshma added, and Anna smiled.

'I'd worked that out for myself!' she agreed.

Leaving Ruth Barratt to watch over the patients, Reshma disappeared in the direction of the canteen after calling out to Sister that she was leaving the ward.

Anna thoughtfully made her way to the office, then saw a nurse beckoning from the doorway. She quickened her pace, wondering if there was an emergency, to find Sister scowling and the others shuffling their feet uncomfortably.

'Time is of the essence, Nurse! Haven't you learned to hurry yet? I'm waiting to give the report to the afternoon shift and I can't wait about for you!'

Anna apologised gracefully, knowing quite well that she wasn't at fault, and the report began.

'You—Nurse Sulu!' Sister snapped, pointing to the African second-year, Eliza Sulu. 'This man who is coming tomorrow—Mr Snowden. He's on a cytotoxic drug. What is that?'

Anna listened with interest, glad that Sister was keen on teaching even if her manner
was
abrupt.

Eliza hesitated and Anna longed to prompt her, but knew that wouldn't go down well. 'It's something to do with cancer, Sister,' she said at last and Sister let out an exaggerated sigh.

'Obviously it has to do with cancer, since I've already told you he has that disease.
What
has it to do with cancer, Nurse Sulu?'

Eliza apparently didn't know any more, and it was Pauline Wilson who supplied the information that it was a cell-killing drug.

'It kills all cells nearby, Sister, normal cells as well as abnormal,' she said, and Sister nodded.

'Good. By Thursday, Nurse Sulu, I want a note of all the cytotoxic drugs you can find plus a discussion of their usefulness or otherwise,' she said firmly, and Eliza began to protest. Anna held her breath, wondering at the second-year's audacity.

'I already have two nursing-care studies to write on your patients, Sister,' Eliza said obstinately. 'And I have only four more weeks here.'

'Then I suggest you make better use of your last four weeks here than you did of the first eight!' Sister said, bitingly. Then she turned to Anna. 'As this is your second ward, I shall expect some work from you, Nurse Curtis. Read up all you can about, heart disease—particularly coronaries—and set it down for me. I'll give you three weeks since you're new,' she added generously, and Anna let out her breath in relief. She had expected to be given just a couple of days like poor Eliza.

After the report, Anna followed Eliza out—just in time to see Mr Wendlesham stand up.

The auxiliary was nowhere to be seen, so Anna hurried down to the patient and told him, very firmly, to sit down.

No doubt surprised at her vehemence, he did so, a big grin on his face.

'Just testing my legs, Nurse. See if they are still working, like,' he assured her, and she smiled back.

'It was worth a try, Mr Wendlesham, but Sister will have me hung drawn and quartered if you don't behave!' she said lightly, then almost bumped into Eliza as she turned.

'Sorry, Eliza. Did you want me to help you with something?'

Eliza shrugged, lines of ill-humour on her face. 'I'm not doing much. I'll talk to Mr Wendlesham while you tidy the beds,' she said, perching herself on the bed, and Anna, eyebrows raised, went in search of Ruth Barratt.

Eliza was right when she said she wasn't doing much, for Anna and Ruth found they were slaving away all afternoon. Reshma went off at four-thirty and Sister at five, leaving Staff Nurse Powell in charge. She was doing a split duty and wasn't too happy about it.

Anna knew learners were not expected to do split shifts until they were in their third year, and only rarely then, so she had been surprised when
Sister Noakes told her she would have to do one the following day.