AllFreeNovel
Share Us
If Seamus had arranged their wedding, she would have to remain quiet about the fact. Married women were not acceptable as nurses, and pregnant nurses—they were unheard of. Shelving the pregnancy question until there was something she could do about finding out, she chose a bottom bunk and set out a fresh uniform, grabbed her toiletry bag and headed to the ablutions block for a quick shower. The water was warm and plentiful, and washed away dust and her fatigue so that, when she presented herself to Lt Breeks fifteen minutes later, she felt ready to cope with anything.
Lt Breeks handed her a manual. ‘Dr Ransom has arrived. I’ll introduce you first, then you are to familiarise yourself with the contents of that before tomorrow. You’ll be helping the doctor to set up the operating theatre as soon as it’s finished.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Once again, she followed the lieutenant, this time to a hut on the other side of the croquet lawn.
The lieutenant tapped on the open door and waited until an authoritative male voice bade them enter. Snapping a smart salute, she stood aside, and Meg got her first glimpse of the doctor. She scrutinised his face but couldn’t tell if he might be related to the corporal from her Darwin trip.
A one-sided tilt of his lips suggested he was holding back a smile. ‘Do I have something on my face, Sister?’
Her eyes widened and she stood straighter. ‘No, sir, sorry, sir. It’s just—the corporal who drove us down from Darwin was named Ransom too. It’s a somewhat unusual name and I wondered . . .’ Her cheeks heated and she kept her gaze on the loop on his shoulder. Stop blathering like an idiot and show him you’re a professional. ‘Sorry, sir.’
‘As it happens, I do have a younger brother who is a corporal. It could have been him. Now, Lt Dorset, isn’t it?’
Meg nodded.
‘We need experienced theatre nurses. More than are available. You have been recommended for this position. I’ve been told our operating theatre will be complete and ready to go operational soon, as in by tomorrow. I like my operating theatre to run in a certain way so I will train you to assist me since it seems most of our nursing staff won’t be arriving for a few days.’
‘Excuse me, Doctor, but am I the only nurse to have arrived so far?’
‘You are the first, Sister, and so you will have the task of helping me set up once we are able to access the theatre. Before we begin receiving patients, I will test you in procedures until you can do them in your sleep, and believe me, Sister, there will be times when you will feel as though you’re doing just that.’
‘Sir, I’m looking forward to improving and learning new skills.’
‘Good. I see Lt Breeks has given you the manual on setting up an operating theatre. Tomorrow, I’ll test you on the instruments and handling procedures. I trust you will quickly learn to anticipate my needs and meet them.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Dismissed.’
Meg turned to go, but before she reached the door, Dr Ransom stopped her. ‘On a personal note, how was my brother when you saw him?’
Memories of Pte Jackson’s death on the track were crystal clear in her mind, but she chose the most suitable to share. ‘Your brother was well and helpful. He dug a grave for a young soldier we couldn’t save in the evacuation from Darwin on the drive down to Adelaide River. I knew him for little more than a day.’
‘Trust Terry to be in Darwin when it was bombed. But we’re safe here—all those aircraft at the air base to defend us, right, Sister? I’ll see you at 0800 tomorrow.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Meg left clutching the manual. First, she’d make a cuppa and then she planned to find a shady patch of grass and become familiar with how to set up an operating theatre. And after that she would find someone who could tell her where Seamus was.
##
The wide central hallof the house channelled a breeze towards Meg as she held the handset of the wall-mounted phone. Soon, an operator picked up, and Meg asked for, ‘Army HQ please.’ She’d read the manual on setting up an operating theatre from cover to cover and would read it again, but now she was going to find Seamus. Just hearing his voice would be enough for the moment, but she wanted his arms around her soon. And she needed to tell him that she might be carrying their child. She needed—
Had someone picked up the phone on the other end? Drawing a breath ready to answer, she pressed the telephone to her ear and waited . . . and waited. She could hear men’s voices at the other end of the line and wondered if the soldier who had answered her call had forgotten her. At last, he returned. ‘Are you there, Sister?’
‘I’m here. Did you find Corporal Flanagan, my fiancé?’
‘I traced him. Sorry, Sister, but he shipped out two days ago.’
Her heart nose-dived, if one could say that of such a central organ. Nose-dived and sank without trace as reality hit. Seamus wasn’t here. Seamus probably wasn’t even in the same country as her now. She couldn’t speak to him; couldn’t tell him about their perhaps-baby; couldn’t marry him right away. All she could do was accept that, like so many others, this war was keeping them apart. Her breath juddered as she drew it in. She pushed out a soft ‘Thank you.’ At least, she thought she said the words before she hung up the phone.
Two days. She’d missed him by two days. It might as well be a year. It wouldn’t have mattered if there had been room on a passing truck a day earlier. She’d still have missed him. A lone tear slid down her cheek. She leaned her head against the wall beside the phone and wiped it away.
‘What’s the matter, Sister? Bad news?’ Of course Dr Ransom had chosen that moment to walk down the hallway. Of course he had seen Meg crying, but right now, she didn’t care. Well—maybe she cared a little.
Quickly she wiped both cheeks and took a deep breath before turning to him. ‘Sort of, though not the worst. I was hoping to see my fiancé, but he shipped out. Two days ago.’
‘I’m sorry. That’s lousy timing. Let’s start your first lesson. That should help take your mind off it for a bit. We’ll set up the autoclave.’
In some ways, Dr Ransom was not so much unsympathetic as practical. She would do well to emulate his attitude. Everyone had disappointments. Everyone had to face absences of loved ones in a war. No matter how much her heart hurt, she was no different.
