Part 2 (1/2)

' asked Beth in her nice quiet voice.

Mevrouw Thor becke nodded, her eyes shut.

”T'll give you something for it.

Will you tell me your name?

' ”You know who I am I wish to sleep.

' Her voice was a mumble and a frown came and went.

”I have a pain.

' ”OK,” said Beth, talking to herself, 'you shall have something now, though you're not really supposed to have it until you're quite round.

Hang on a sec.

' Mevrouw Thor becke mumbled crossly in her own language as Beth checked her pulse.

The smallest of sounds behind her made her look over her shoulder.

Profess or van Zeust was standing quite close, leaning against one of the trolleys and her eyes brightened at the sight of him.

”Oh.

what luck that you should turn up just when I could do with you,” she exclaimed sunnily, and he, who had been there all the time, smiled a little.

”You need help?

' he inquired mildly.

”Well, Mevrouw Thor becke is almost round and we're not supposed to give a post-op.

until the patient is quite conscious, but now you're here, perhaps you'd give me the all clear to give her some Pethedine before she goes downstairs.

She's quite OK, but not quite with us yet.

' The profess or's mouth twitched just a little.

”T'll take the responsibility.

Staff Nurse- ram home whatever you've got there and get her down to the ward, will you?

Doctor Moore asked me to look in; he was called away to some emergency.

' He walked unhurriedly over to the trolley and took his sister's pulse and when she opened an unwilling eye said something to her in a soft voice.

”She's fine,” he declared, and went away so quietly that Beth didn't realize that he had gone.

She delivered her patient, drowsy now, to the Ward Sister on the Private Wing and sped back to the Recovery Room.

Sister Collins and Harriet would be back in a matter of minutes; she started to clear up with Mrs Wise, the orderly, to help her and they were just finished when the other two returned.

The afternoon went quickly after that, but then it nearly always did, there was always so much to do.

The list was a long one and although Beth was due off at half past seven, it was considerably later than that when at last she left the theatre.

It had been William's half day and she was surprised and touched to find that he had laid the table and made a few rather inadequate preparations for supper.

He followed her into the kitchen while she cooked it, something he seldom did, so that she asked: ”Aren't you going out?

You usually do on your half day did Wendy stand you up?

' Wendy was the current young lady of his s fancy; she was a physiotherapist whom no one liked much because she gave herself airs, but Beth had suffered an unending catalogue of her perfections with sisterly patience, knowing that within a week or two her brother's eye would have been caught by some other girl.

They were all alike, the young doctors and students, and no one took them seriously, although a few fell permanently in love and got engaged or even married.

But William would be too busy for the next year or so to think about marrying; he had only just got started on his career and at the end of his six months with Profess or Mac donald's firm he would be joining the medical side if they would have him, and after that it would be a year--two years, at least, before he could apply for a post as registrar.

She dished up their meal and carried it through to the sitting room while he explained that Wendy hadn't stood him up; he had decided to stay home because he wanted to talk to her.

The?

' exclaimed Beth, much astonished at this brotherly attention.

”Whatever for?

I haven't any money till payday.

' William frowned.

”It's not that,” he said impatiently.

”You've got a week's holiday starting on Sunday, haven't you, Beth?

' He sounded uneasy all at once.

She began her supper and then paused to pour their coffee.