AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 16
Brisbane
Heading south, rushingtowards a new life she wasn’t ready for, the train whistle was too cheerful for Meg’s mood as she looked through the window. Cane fields and small settlements and occasional glimpses of a distant blue ocean passed by beyond the window frame, but nothing lightened her low spirits.
Although, she reminded herself, Doc had managed to arrange ‘leave’ from duty for her to travel to Brisbane for ‘medical treatment’. With any other superior officer—she supposed that included everyone who hadn’t proposed to her—she’d have been sent away as soon as her pregnancy had become known. For that, she must be grateful. Given the expectation that a woman would be married before she had a child, most didn’t have a choice to keep working once they were married.
Except army nurses.
Was that meant to include nurses in other arms of the services?
Frowning, she took out and unfolded the newspaper cutting Mum had clipped from the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate from mid-June:
MARRIED ARMY NURSES
CAN KEEP JOBS
MELBOURNE
Tuesday. - Australian Army nurses who are already married or who marry while in the service may retain their appointments in the A.A.N.S., provided their marriage does not interfere with the performance of their normal nursing duties.
This was announced to-day by the Minister for the Army (Mr. Forde).
Previously, the appointment of a member of the A.A.N.S. who married or was found to be married was terminated.
Under the new arrangement, army nurses may retain their appointments at the discretion of the Director-General Medical Services.
The report was unclear, but if she could find care for her child, she would return to Townsville. Doc had gone out on a limb for her, so she supposed he really didn’t want to lose her. She thought of his proposal again, and about how willing he was to marry her if Seamus didn’t return.
Still no letter had arrived, but she consoled herself with the thought that neither had she received a telegram regretfully informing her of his death.
‘Excuse me, miss, do you have your ticket?’ The raspy voice came from a ticket inspector in an old-fashioned cutaway coat.
‘Yes.’ Meg ferreted through her handbag, certain she’d put the ticket in her purse. ‘It’s here somewhere.’ Unable to find it amongst the coins and a couple of one-pound notes, in a moment of anxious annoyance she upended the contents into her lap. ‘Here it is. Sorry.’
‘A nice cup of tea helps settle the nerves, miss. Just head down that way to the dining car.’ The inspector pointed towards the next carriage, touched the brim of his hat in a polite but very un-army salute and moved onto the next row of passengers.
Muttering softly to herself, Meg tidied her bag and snapped the clasp shut. ‘Settles the nerves indeed. What does he think I am?’ She was proud of her uniform, and her rank in the RAAFNS had been earned, like any serving soldier. Why did most men—Doc not included—insist on treating women as weak creatures?
When did I become so bolshie?
Her mother would look askance were Meg to express such views, but Gerry would agree and cheer her on.
Deciding she needed to stretch her legs and get out of her own head, Meg set off for the dining car. If Don Newton hadn’t recommended a no alcohol diet, she’d have ordered a Whisky Sour and sat sipping it as the ticket inspector worked his way through the carriage. Maybe she’d have raised it in a mock toast to him and said something sophisticated like, ‘Real women prefer whisky’.
The silly image cheered her, as did an egg sandwich, and she decided she’d follow Gerry’s recommendation of several smaller meals more often in the day.
Gerry—did I make the right choice?
Doc had accepted her recommendation of Gerry to fill her shoes while she was away, but Catherine had seemed a little disappointed when the announcement was made yesterday. On paper, Meg hadn’t been able to select one set of skills above the other. In the end, her instinct—perhaps swayed by their close friendship? —led her to choose Gerry.
‘Can I get you anything else, miss?’ The attendant removed her plate and nodded at her empty Queensland Railways mug. ‘Another cuppa, on the house?’
‘Yes please. That’d be lovely. Do you know when we’ll get into Brisbane?’
Her mug was filled and the oversized QR teapot set down before she got her answer. ‘Well, generally the powers-that-be claim it takes forty-eight hours. Our top speed is thirty-five miles per hour, so that’s probably right, but there are often delays at switch points. We have to give way to northbound military trains of course.’
‘Of course.’ Meg sipped her drink. The tea was well and truly stewed, stronger than she normally liked, but it was hot and wet and all that mattered right now. ‘What about Ambulance trains? Are they allowed to pass us?’
