and the folding of gauze so tedious. As a penance for her unintentional unkindness to John she made herself finish the roll of gauze, stitch all the mops that were in the dressing bag into bundles of six, and fill the glove boxes to the very brim with freshly powdered new gloves.
At last it was all done and there was a full half-hour before she was supposed to go to supper. Restlessly she crossed to the window and looked down into the courtyard. It was almost empty. Not an ambulance could be seen anywhere and the lighted panel outside Casualty flashed on and off ... on and off. Sally leaned out farther to see whether the big red car was there or not, but it was too dark. Before she could move the door opened behind her.
“Looking for that red car again, Sally? You ’ re getting into bad habits, you know.” George said cheerfully.
Sally scrambled back into a more dignified position. “Don ’ t tease, George, please.”
“So it ’ s like that, is it? Or could it be because I saw a certain staff nurse standing on Matron ’ s mat?”
“I didn ’ t see you,” Sally said quickly.
“I know you didn ’ t. I was tucked away in Switchboard ’ s little cubicle wishing it was wired for sound ... it ’ s time someone shoved a microphone behind one of Matron ’ s pictures.”
Sally shivered. “I ’ m glad they haven ’ t,” she said fervently. “Some things are better private.”
“Like that, is it? Shall I tell you what I know?” George asked quietly.
Sally spoke without thinking. “Who did tell then, George?”
“Claris did,” George said grimly.
“Claris? But how...?” Sally was almost spluttering in her astonishment.
“I don ’ t mean she went to Matron or anything like that. It was much more clever, and what ’ s more, no one could prove that it was deliberate.”
“Stop talking in riddles, George! What do you mean?” Sally was impatient.
“Keep your hair on! I ’ ll make it short and snappy for you. Well, Claris was in the Residents ’ corridor holding forth about it to that mousy little H.P.—you know, the new one on Infants. And it seems one of the junior sisters was checking up on what the maids were doing and heard enough to go haring off to Matron.”
“But Claris didn ’ t know about our breakfast,” Sally said flatly.
George looked uncomfortable. “I didn ’ t tell you, but I bumped into the head chef when I was coming out of the kitchen. He didn ’ t say anything ... just gave me a dirty look. So I didn ’ t borrow trouble and kept my mouth shut. So he must have beaten a track to Matron ’ s door as well.” He groaned. “Somehow we seemed to stir up a tricky brew last night. Was that all or had someone else seen you depart on your joy ride?”
“So you did see us then,” Sally said unhappily.
George nodded. “If you had simply walked to the car I don ’ t suppose I ’ d have noticed, but all your cloak and dagger antics shrieked for attention. Where did you go—or is that indiscreet?”
Sally shook her head. “We went to a common the other side of Croydon to get a breath of fresh air ... that ’ s all.”
“That ’ s a long way ... hope you remembered to take several breaths! Whew! You must have traveled on wings, or has he got a helicopter tucked away somewhere? He walked into Outpatients just ahead of me.”
“He ’ s found a back street route,” Sally explained.
“Has he now? I ’ m beginning to wonder if he hasn ’ t found a back street route into other territory as well,” George said somewhat bitterly.
Sally stared at him. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded.
George gave her a grin but his eyes were suddenly bleak. “If my guess is right, you ’ ll know what I mean. Good night, Sally, and remember to call on Uncle George if you want the pieces picked up any time.”
The door closed behind him with a very definite click and she could hear his footsteps going steadily down the corridor.
Sally sighed. It definitely wasn ’
At last it was all done and there was a full half-hour before she was supposed to go to supper. Restlessly she crossed to the window and looked down into the courtyard. It was almost empty. Not an ambulance could be seen anywhere and the lighted panel outside Casualty flashed on and off ... on and off. Sally leaned out farther to see whether the big red car was there or not, but it was too dark. Before she could move the door opened behind her.
“Looking for that red car again, Sally? You ’ re getting into bad habits, you know.” George said cheerfully.
Sally scrambled back into a more dignified position. “Don ’ t tease, George, please.”
“So it ’ s like that, is it? Or could it be because I saw a certain staff nurse standing on Matron ’ s mat?”
“I didn ’ t see you,” Sally said quickly.
“I know you didn ’ t. I was tucked away in Switchboard ’ s little cubicle wishing it was wired for sound ... it ’ s time someone shoved a microphone behind one of Matron ’ s pictures.”
Sally shivered. “I ’ m glad they haven ’ t,” she said fervently. “Some things are better private.”
“Like that, is it? Shall I tell you what I know?” George asked quietly.
Sally spoke without thinking. “Who did tell then, George?”
“Claris did,” George said grimly.
“Claris? But how...?” Sally was almost spluttering in her astonishment.
“I don ’ t mean she went to Matron or anything like that. It was much more clever, and what ’ s more, no one could prove that it was deliberate.”
“Stop talking in riddles, George! What do you mean?” Sally was impatient.
“Keep your hair on! I ’ ll make it short and snappy for you. Well, Claris was in the Residents ’ corridor holding forth about it to that mousy little H.P.—you know, the new one on Infants. And it seems one of the junior sisters was checking up on what the maids were doing and heard enough to go haring off to Matron.”
“But Claris didn ’ t know about our breakfast,” Sally said flatly.
George looked uncomfortable. “I didn ’ t tell you, but I bumped into the head chef when I was coming out of the kitchen. He didn ’ t say anything ... just gave me a dirty look. So I didn ’ t borrow trouble and kept my mouth shut. So he must have beaten a track to Matron ’ s door as well.” He groaned. “Somehow we seemed to stir up a tricky brew last night. Was that all or had someone else seen you depart on your joy ride?”
“So you did see us then,” Sally said unhappily.
George nodded. “If you had simply walked to the car I don ’ t suppose I ’ d have noticed, but all your cloak and dagger antics shrieked for attention. Where did you go—or is that indiscreet?”
Sally shook her head. “We went to a common the other side of Croydon to get a breath of fresh air ... that ’ s all.”
“That ’ s a long way ... hope you remembered to take several breaths! Whew! You must have traveled on wings, or has he got a helicopter tucked away somewhere? He walked into Outpatients just ahead of me.”
“He ’ s found a back street route,” Sally explained.
“Has he now? I ’ m beginning to wonder if he hasn ’ t found a back street route into other territory as well,” George said somewhat bitterly.
Sally stared at him. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded.
George gave her a grin but his eyes were suddenly bleak. “If my guess is right, you ’ ll know what I mean. Good night, Sally, and remember to call on Uncle George if you want the pieces picked up any time.”
The door closed behind him with a very definite click and she could hear his footsteps going steadily down the corridor.
Sally sighed. It definitely wasn ’
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