her desk. “ Goodness! yes, I ’ ll come at once. Why didn ’ t you remind me? ”
“ I didn ’ t like to disturb you and Dr. Traven. ” Jill glanced quickly at her companion, but Brenda ’ s expression was completely blank, betraying nothing of her thoughts.
“ There was no reason at all why you shouldn ’ t. I was only giving him some tea. ”
“ I thought he might have come over to discuss a case with you. How was I to know you were only fixing up your week-end? ”
Jill, passing Brenda as she stood in the doorway, gave the girl a quick glance. Her expression was cool and impassive, but there was no mistaking the underlying insolence of her words. Jill, walking ahead of her towards the ward, could almost feel the girl ’ s antagonism; no doubt she had overheard Philip ’ s parting remark, and it had merely served to add fuel to her already burning resentment. Determined to let it pass unnoticed, Jill threw open the folding doors of the ward, then, glad of an excuse to change the subject, turned to her companion. “ What an awful noise! Shall we ever get the children settled down? How about letting them start some paper chains for Christmas, that might distract them. ”
“ I ’ ll get some, ” Brenda Malling agreed. “ It ’ s a bit early yet but, as you say, it might quieten them down. ”
“ Yes, the paper is in a box just inside the office. They ’ ll probably be to rn and dirty by the time we are ready to put them up, but perhaps that ’ s all to the good. It will mean we ’ ll need another lot, which will serve nicely for distraction after next visiting day! ”
By the time Jill had completed her ministrations to Ma r y and was making her way back to her office, all was quiet in the beds evenly arranged along each side of the ward. The older children—and even some of the tinies—were earnestly engaged in looping the coloured strips of paper into chains. Busy fingers were carefully manipulating the flimsy paper, happily vying with each other to complete the longest strip, parents ’ and visitors ’ departures completely forgotten in the childish dreams of Christmas which the coloured chains no doubt evoked. Jill suppressed a sigh. How easy it was to distract a child, how easy to replace a tear with a smile. She re-entered her office where Brenda Malling awaited her, ready with the day ’ s reports. Jill advanced towards her with a smile. How nice it would be if only they could be friends, but her smile evoked no response in the other girl. It was obvious that the distribution of paper chains had done nothing towards imbuing her Staff Nurse with the season ’ s goodwill.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The car purred its way along the country roads out of S unsand Bay, over the Sussex Downs, and Jill relaxed against the leather seat, glad in the knowledge that she was going home for the week-end. Despite her love for her work, she was thankful to have left hospital and its manifold worries behind her for a brief forty-eight hours. She ’ d be able to forget the pin- pricks of irritation which Brenda Malling ’ s non-co-operative ways had caused her; forget, too, Duncan McRey s brusque and critical attitude. Once at Brent Towers she would be fussed and perhaps over-pamp ered, but it would be a pleasant change and, above all things she knew that Terry would give her a riotous welcome; Terry with his mop of curly hair and bright blue eyes, his chubby limbs and winsome smile, always showered on her boyish admiration and affection. He was an adorable child, full of laughter and high spirits, and it was a considerable source of surprise to Jill that her indolent mother should have produced such a boisterous offspring. Terry quite obviously realized that neither his mother nor his father in spite of their spoiling, ever really wanted to join in childish games, and it had always been left to Jill or his nurse to play with him, to teach him nursery rhymes, and later on to help build up his Meccano toys
“ I didn ’ t like to disturb you and Dr. Traven. ” Jill glanced quickly at her companion, but Brenda ’ s expression was completely blank, betraying nothing of her thoughts.
“ There was no reason at all why you shouldn ’ t. I was only giving him some tea. ”
“ I thought he might have come over to discuss a case with you. How was I to know you were only fixing up your week-end? ”
Jill, passing Brenda as she stood in the doorway, gave the girl a quick glance. Her expression was cool and impassive, but there was no mistaking the underlying insolence of her words. Jill, walking ahead of her towards the ward, could almost feel the girl ’ s antagonism; no doubt she had overheard Philip ’ s parting remark, and it had merely served to add fuel to her already burning resentment. Determined to let it pass unnoticed, Jill threw open the folding doors of the ward, then, glad of an excuse to change the subject, turned to her companion. “ What an awful noise! Shall we ever get the children settled down? How about letting them start some paper chains for Christmas, that might distract them. ”
“ I ’ ll get some, ” Brenda Malling agreed. “ It ’ s a bit early yet but, as you say, it might quieten them down. ”
“ Yes, the paper is in a box just inside the office. They ’ ll probably be to rn and dirty by the time we are ready to put them up, but perhaps that ’ s all to the good. It will mean we ’ ll need another lot, which will serve nicely for distraction after next visiting day! ”
By the time Jill had completed her ministrations to Ma r y and was making her way back to her office, all was quiet in the beds evenly arranged along each side of the ward. The older children—and even some of the tinies—were earnestly engaged in looping the coloured strips of paper into chains. Busy fingers were carefully manipulating the flimsy paper, happily vying with each other to complete the longest strip, parents ’ and visitors ’ departures completely forgotten in the childish dreams of Christmas which the coloured chains no doubt evoked. Jill suppressed a sigh. How easy it was to distract a child, how easy to replace a tear with a smile. She re-entered her office where Brenda Malling awaited her, ready with the day ’ s reports. Jill advanced towards her with a smile. How nice it would be if only they could be friends, but her smile evoked no response in the other girl. It was obvious that the distribution of paper chains had done nothing towards imbuing her Staff Nurse with the season ’ s goodwill.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The car purred its way along the country roads out of S unsand Bay, over the Sussex Downs, and Jill relaxed against the leather seat, glad in the knowledge that she was going home for the week-end. Despite her love for her work, she was thankful to have left hospital and its manifold worries behind her for a brief forty-eight hours. She ’ d be able to forget the pin- pricks of irritation which Brenda Malling ’ s non-co-operative ways had caused her; forget, too, Duncan McRey s brusque and critical attitude. Once at Brent Towers she would be fussed and perhaps over-pamp ered, but it would be a pleasant change and, above all things she knew that Terry would give her a riotous welcome; Terry with his mop of curly hair and bright blue eyes, his chubby limbs and winsome smile, always showered on her boyish admiration and affection. He was an adorable child, full of laughter and high spirits, and it was a considerable source of surprise to Jill that her indolent mother should have produced such a boisterous offspring. Terry quite obviously realized that neither his mother nor his father in spite of their spoiling, ever really wanted to join in childish games, and it had always been left to Jill or his nurse to play with him, to teach him nursery rhymes, and later on to help build up his Meccano toys
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