"Yes, sir, everything is ready," Theatre Sister responded briefly, and unable to restrain her resentment, added, "I've had to get Sister Robinson to send two nurses from John Mason, we couldn't spare anyone, we are rushed to death with emergencies which couldn't be postponed."
"I presume from that remark that you do not consider this case to be an emergency." Guy Brenton spoke curtly. "Perhaps you'll allow me to be the best judge of that." He signed to the anaesthetist to begin, then proceeded to explain details of the injury to the students.
"Be careful, Nurse Jones, look how you're spotting the floor with that plaster!" Sister remonstrated, frowning more angrily than before. "We'll be late enough as it is without you making work!"
Felicity, feeling that the reprimand was unjustified, deftly placed a rubber sheet beneath the bowl and with a smile of encouragement to Nurse Jones, turned again to the table. Since it was apparent that Sister intended to do no more than was absolutely necessary, it was Felicity who stepped forward to help Guy Brenton into his overalls and although she was tall, it was more than she could manage to reach the tapes at his neck and even on tiptoe she could only just grasp the ends.
"Here, Newlyn, fix this tape!" Guy Brenton demanded of one of his housemen. "Nurse Dene will have to grow before she's of any practical use!" and as Felicity moved away she was surprised to glimpse a faint smile curving his lips.
It was an accepted fact that Guy Brenton dealt with his cases with amazing speed but that afternoon Felicity felt that the operation would never end. The atmosphere of the theatre grew unbearably hot and the enveloping overall, worn as a protection from splashes of plaster, seemed to be choking her.
"That's about as good a result as we'll get." Guy Brenton's decisive words reached Felicity's ears like sweet music. Now there was the plaster to adjust and then it would be over. She stooped to whisper to Nurse Jones.
"Get the bandages ready now ... take care, not too wet!" With skilful fingers the surgeon began to wind the bandages, fixing the limb in position. "Hang on to the foot, Nurse Dene, whatever you do don't let it slip ... that's right, keep it inverted." His tone was peremptory, then he added, "There'll have to be some weight on this, must try to avoid shortening."
Still holding on to the patient's foot, Felicity could give little attention to anything else ... the bandages were too wet, she was sure they were. Couldn't Sister tell Jones, why didn't she do something about it?
"What's the use of these? I want bandages, not sodden sponges!" Guy Brenton's tone was cold with anger, then with a gesture of annoyance, he flung the offending articles to the floor. "Come along, Nurse, think what you're doing, surely you can wring out a bandage properly!"
The few splashes of plaster of which Sister had complained seemed a trivial matter compared with the white mass which now lay at Nurse Jones' feet, and dismayed completely by Guy Brenton's rebuke, she was now ineffectually spilling plaster over everything within range.
Guy Brenton's temper was rising fast as he half turned to address Sister. "What do you think you are here for, just an ornament? It's been difficult enough to straighten this limb, I don't intend losing the alignment now. You can see Nurse Dene is occupied, go and give a hand with the plaster."
At long last the limb was smoothly encased and Guy Brenton stood upright. Felicity was glad to stretch her back which ached from the awkward position she had been forced to adopt. She held out her hand to take the surgeon's overall. "Will you be sending Mr. Elver up to fix the extension?" she queried.
"Yes, he can do it." Guy Brenton glanced at his wrist watch which he had taken from his pocket, then he laid it aside as he put on his jacket. "I shall have to be getting along, I have an appointment. Nurse Dene, when you get back to the ward, ring Mr. Elver and tell him, I expect you'll find him in Casualty."
"Very well, sir." Felicity barely waited for the surgeon's departure before she crossed to the window. "May I open up, Sister?"
"Yes ... and then you and Nurse Jones had better stay and clear away. I can't ask my staff to stop on at this time of night." She picked up the cuffs she had previously removed and slipped them over her wrists, then with a brief "good night," she walked towards the door and disappeared.
It was not until both the anaesthetist and the radiographer had removed their respective equipment and departed that Nurse Jones gave vent to her pent-up feelings. "Thank heaven, that's over; What a devil that man is. He makes me so nervous I don t know what I'm doing. You seem to be the only person who ever gets a civil word and even you didn't get much change out of him today, he seemed ruder than ever!" She paused to draw a deep breath, then went on. "Why should Theatre Sister expect us to clear up, why can't her own pros, do it? You a Staff Nurse too, and after all I m a second year-it's disgusting!" she concluded indignantly.
"I expect the theatre staff are off by now. She's quite right, we can't leave the place like this," Felicity explained resignedly.
"I was going to a picture too-oh, dear, it is a nuisance, I did so want to see it," Nurse Jones lamented as she tucked a wisp of reddish hair under her cap, then as she prepared to retrieve some of the debris from the floor, she looked up to continue. "You know, Mr. Brenton has got me into such a state, I still feel half-paralyzed."
"It's silly of you to show you mind, that only makes him worse. If you nurses would behave like human beings instead of scared rabbits, you'd find him much easier to deal with."
"It's all very well for you ... he never goes for you. Even poor Sister Robinson dithers more than ever when he s around. You must have some special immunity or something." She stooped to gather up an armful of blankets, then went on. "Do you think we'll be long? The picture starts at seven fifteen and I'd hate to miss the beginning."
"You get off, I can manage alone." Felicity rolled her sleeves above the elbow. "Look here, go and hurry the porters to take the patient up to Mason's-then ring Mr. Elver about the extension-leave the case notes for Night Sister- and then you can get away."
"You mean that?" Nurse Jones beamed. "Sure you can manage?" She was already at the door before turning back to add: "Here are the porters now-I'll phone Mr. Elver directly I get to the ward. Thanks awfully-good night." With ill-concealed impatience, Nurse Jones waited for the porters to lift the still unconscious figure on to the stretcher, then hastily followed them from the theatre.
Left alone, Felicity methodically set about her task. It was no mean effort to clear up such a devastating mess after an already tiring day. The plaster, as was its habit, seemed to cling to the most inaccessible spots and the patch which Guy Brenton had made on the floor needed all her vigour to erase. His temper really was formidable-if he'd had to clear up himself he might think twice before throwing things about.
"Hallo-why, what in heaven's name are you doing?" Diana Weste stood in the doorway viewing her friend's exertions with surprise. "Since when have you been promoted to cleaner?"
Felicity looked up from her kneeling position, then sank back on her heels. "Just a little joke of Sister's-seemed to think that if Mr. Brenton chose to use theatre as late as this, then it was up to Mason's nurses to do the clearing."
"Then why not get a pro on to it?"
"You seem to have forgotten the time! Don't wait for me, I'll be at least another half-hour."
"I've only just finished myself." Diana perched herself on the edge of the operating table. The hair which peeped from beneath her cap was deep brown and although there was beauty in the calm serenity of her expression and well-moulded features, she lacked the animation which was Felicity Dene's charm. Fumbling in the pocket beneath her apron, she drew out a crumpled packet of cigarettes. "Here-have one?"
"What ... smoke in here? I daren't-and don't you either-for goodness' sake, Diana, don't dare-supposing Sister comes back and catches you?" Felicity exclaimed with horror.
"Rubbish, she won't come back, she has left me to lock up, no one will come along now. I'm off duty-so are you by rights, here, come on, don't be a fool." Diana had lighted her own cigarette and threw the packet across to her friend.