Amy by Peggy Savage Page B

Maddox?’
    ‘Is that his name?’ Amy said. ‘No, I don’t know him – it was just bringing him in. I was interested.’ But I do know him, she thought. In some odd way I do know him. She had brought in dozens of men now and none of them had stayed in her mind like this man. Maybe it was just because he had annoyed her so much.
    Dr Hanfield and Sister went behind the screen and Amy could hear a murmur of voices. Sister came out.
    ‘He’s awake,’ she said, disapproval in her face, ‘and he would like to speak to you.’
    Amy felt herself flushing. ‘Thank you, Sister.’
    She stepped in behind the screens to find him lying on his back with a cage over his legs. He was washed and clean. His face was deathly pale, but his blue eyes were bright, as she remembered, and his smile as disturbing.
    ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘I’m Johnny Maddox. I think I owe you my life.’
    ‘That’s all right, Lieutenant,’ she began, ‘I was glad to help,’ but his eyes were already closed.
    She slipped out of the screens. Dr Hanfield had already gone. Sister was standing at her desk, still looking disapproving. ‘You can go now, Amy,’ she said.
    ‘Thank you, Sister.’
    She walked wearily up the great staircase, tired out; she had to pull herself up the last few steps by the banister rail, then walked slowly along the corridor.
    He hadn’t lost his leg. She stopped and looked at herself in one of the big mirrors, looking into her eyes as if she were someone she didn’t know. Why him? In the river of men that flowed through this hospital, why had he become so important? Her reflection gave nothing away. I’m just tired, she thought, just very tired.
    She opened the door quietly so as not to disturb Helen, but she was still awake, sitting up in bed with a book on her knees.
    ‘I couldn’t sleep,’ Helen said.
    ‘I think I could sleep on a clothes line.’ Amy undressed, almost too tired to bother. She washed and cleaned her teeth and got into bed. For a few moments she stared at the ceiling.
    ‘I brought an officer in today,’ she said. ‘Leg injury. He was very rude about women doctors.’
    ‘Oh nice,’ Helen said. ‘You should have left him behind.’
    ‘I think he’s changed his mind,’ Amy said. ‘He actually thanked me this evening.’
    ‘That’s all right then.’ Helen turned off the light. ‘We’ll let him stay.’
    Amy laughed and was instantly asleep.

CHAPTER SIX
    1914
    ‘W E’RE on the general ward this morning.’ Helen wound up her glowing hair. ‘Sponge baths and changing beds.’
    ‘Nothing new then.’ Amy buttoned up her shirt and bent around to do up the side placket on her skirt. ‘I wish they’d invent something easier than buttons to do up these things. It’s always a struggle.’
    ‘We’ve got a few hours off this afternoon,’ Helen said. ‘Had you forgotten?’
    ‘Of course I haven’t. We’ll do something – that’s if I can stay awake.’
    The ward was bustling with the usual early morning activity. Sister looked harassed. ‘We have ten more coming in today,’ she said. ‘I don’t know where we’re going to put them. I really don’t want to put the beds any closer together; it all makes cross infection more likely. And I really do wish we could stop all and sundry visiting the men. They seem to think that they can wander in whenever they feel like it.’ Visitors to the ward were frequent, often just the local people bringing gifts, fruit and cigarettes and sometimes books in English. The men seemed to enjoy it.
    ‘I expect it cheers them up,’ Helen said. ‘It makes a break from the usual routine.’
    ‘It won’t cheer them up if they get colds or flu,’ Sister said tartly. ‘And it tires them out sometimes. Get on with the beds, please.’
    Amy glanced around the room. It was completely full, as always. The lingering smell of infection would not go away, no matter how much they scrubbed everything with carbolic soap. As soon as a bedwas freed because the