A Daughter’s Choice

Lunch over, we had half an hour to ourselves before being taken to Matron’s welcome talk. She was a large woman with iron-grey hair and a stern manner, and her speech was more of a lecture than a welcome. We were told that we were expected to work hard and behave ourselves, then warned not to be late on duty.

‘You will find a duty roster at the Dower House,’ she told us. ‘It is up to you to check where to report and at what time. Recruits who arrive late for duty will be reprimanded. We expect certain standards from all our nursing staff. Please make sure you keep to them.’

‘Phew – she’s a right old battleaxe,’ Ally said as we were at last released to settle in, having been told we were now free for the rest of the day. ‘I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her!’

‘No, nor me.’

Matron was strict, but I supposed she had to be. She had a lot of young women under her charge, and that couldn’t be easy at the best of times. I just hoped I wouldn’t do anything to displease her.

I was pleased to see that I was working on Saturday morning and then free until six in the evening on Sunday.

‘Oh good, that means I can push Sergeant Harley in the race. It starts at four on Sunday afternoon so that gives me plenty of time to get ready.’

‘More fool you,’ Ally retorted. ‘It’s going to be hard work. Rather you than me.’

She pulled a face but I got the idea that she was a bit miffed because I’d been picked to take part and she hadn’t.

The next few days were the most hectic of my life. We worked seven-hour shifts on the wards fetching and carrying for the nurses and patients, but we also had to take turns scrubbing endless floors. On Friday I came off duty at five feeling tired after three hours in the sluice room. I was looking forward to putting my feet up before supper but as I was about to leave the main building someone called to me.

‘Miss Cole, could I have a word please?’

I stopped and turned, staring in surprise as a doctor came sprinting up to me. For a moment I was afraid I’d done something wrong and then I saw he was smiling – and that I knew him. It was a long time since I’d seen him in the lanes and I hadn’t been sure when I heard him talking to Eleanor Ross, but now I was certain.

‘Yes, Dr O’Rourke? Is there something you wanted?’

‘You are Kathy Cole … little Kathy from the lanes,’ he said. ‘What a nice surprise to find you here. When Sergeant Harley told me about the girl who had offered to help him, I wondered if it could possibly be the same person. Bridget wrote in her last letter that she’d heard you had joined the Service. How are you getting on?’

‘Oh, managing,’ I said and smiled ruefully. I wasn’t sure that I liked being remembered as little Kathy from the lanes. ‘I knew it was going to be hard work but we never seem to stop.’

He nodded, eyes bright with amusement. ‘They work you girls hard; it’s part of the initiation. But at least you’ll have some fun on Sunday. Sergeant Harley wanted to be sure you were still up for it?’

‘Oh yes. I was going to pop in this evening and have a word with him, find out what it’s all about.’

‘It’s sheer nonsense,’ he replied. ‘But some of them take it seriously and the competition is fierce.’ He arched his brows, which I’d noticed were fine and nicely shaped. He was very attractive altogether and his smile was somehow easing my tiredness. ‘Have you ever pushed one of those chairs?’

‘Yes. I had to take a patient down to the common room yesterday. It wasn’t easy … those chairs can be awkward to manoeuvre.’

‘No, they aren’t easy, and you’ll find it much worse round the building, especially on the gravel. My advice is to take it slowly for that part and put a spurt on when you get back to hard ground. Otherwise you might get bogged down.’

‘Thanks. I’ll remember. It was good of you to give me some advice, doctor. Sergeant Harley told me he expects to win so I want to do my best for him,’

‘Yes, mustn’t let the patients down. They will all be watching the outcome eagerly.’ He smiled and nodded, his bluish grey eyes studying me thoughtfully. ‘I shall be there to cheer you on, Kathy. Good luck.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’

‘Right then. Get off and put your feet up for a while.’

His smile made my heart jump with excitement, and I felt pleased that he had taken the trouble to seek me out and wish me luck. Suddenly, I was looking forward to the race on Sunday and what might come after it …

Three (#ulink_9980bae4-6e9a-591c-a7de-5650e2c952f6)

‘Come on, Kathy!’ I heard Ally’s voice screaming above the others as I turned the last corner with my chair and patient still intact despite a bumpy ride. We were lagging behind the leader, who had seemed to fly over the first part of the course. ‘Don’t let them beat you!’

‘Push harder,’ Sergeant Harley urged me on as we saw our quarry just ahead. ‘We’ll catch them if you put your back into it, Kathy. Come on, don’t give up. Why are you slowing down?’

‘We’ve got to cross that gravel yet …’

Ahead of us I could see Nurse Peters struggling to get through the loose gravel. She had glanced at me over her shoulder and then plunged in recklessly, obviously fearing that I was about to catch up with her, and now the wheels of her chair had become embedded in the gravel just as Tom O’Rourke had warned.

I entered the stretch of gravel gingerly. Nurse Peters was digging at the gravel that had bunched beneath the wheels of her chair with her bare hands and I noticed that the chair she was using had small wheel arches and looked hopelessly stuck.

‘Put a move on,’ Sergeant Harley said. ‘She’s getting it free …’

‘We have to go carefully – and if she rushes she’ll get stuck again.’

Nurse Peters scowled as I wheeled my chair carefully past her. It took patience to maintain my slow pace until we were through the gravel and on to solid ground again, and then, to the sound of cheering, I started to push for all I was worth.

Nurses, patients, and quite a few doctors were at the finishing line urging us on. I was breathing hard, feeling the strain of pushing a considerable weight for some distance. Behind me, I could hear the sound of pursuing feet and the rattle of Nurse Peters’ chair. Then I heard a crashing noise and looked back to see her chair collapse as a wheel came off, but another nurse was coming up fast behind her and I had to put a spurt on to keep my lead. Then we were at the finishing line and I felt a surge of triumph as I realized we had won.

‘Well done, Cole,’ I heard praise on the lips of others. ‘It’s about time someone else won. Nurse Peters has had it her own way for too long.’

‘Clever girl, Kathy,’ Sergeant Harley said. ‘I didn’t think about the gravel trap.’

‘That was brilliant, Kathy.’

‘Well done, Kathy.’

I swung round as I heard Tom O’Rourke’s voice. He was smiling at me, obviously pleased with the result.

‘I took your advice, Doctor.’

‘I knew you’d had help.’ Nurse Peters looked at me half-admiringly and half-annoyed. ‘But it was a good race. I shall know to watch out for you in future.’

‘There’s always next time,’ I said. ‘It was a good race … fun.’

‘We’re having a few drinks in the common room,’ Sergeant Harley said. ‘You’ll come and celebrate, won’t you, Kathy?’

‘I shall have to stick to lemonade. I’m on duty in an hour. I mustn’t be late.’

‘Plenty of time. You’ve got to celebrate your victory.’

It was an excited group who trouped into the common room to toast the victory. I hadn’t realized quite how important the event was and I was amazed by all the fuss everyone made of me. The praise for my tactics was overwhelming and I glowed from all the attention while feeling a bit of a cheat. After all, it was Tom O’Rourke who had told me about the gravel trap. He had watched the race but didn’t seem to have joined the celebrations, which left me feeling slightly disappointed.

It was half an hour after the race when the laughter in the common room suddenly stilled. Everyone was gazing towards the door and following the general direction my heart jerked as I saw Matron standing there watching us.

‘So much noise,’ she said. ‘You are disturbing my patients, ladies and gentlemen, and some of you are needed on duty.’

Her eyes seemed to dwell on me with what I fancied was disapproval as she spoke, and then she turned and walked out leaving a hushed silence behind her.