"That hold up means we won't get the dyes this morning." "All right, George, but get it ready by this afternoon." " We ought to be able to by then." " You've got to." "All right." " Yes?" " Miss Clarke is still waiting, Mr Rains." " Who's she?" " The architect about the new first-aid room." "All right, send her in." "And don't forget, George, ready by this afternoon." "Good morning." "Thank you." "Good morning." "Where did you get your figures about the space?" "Factories Act." "If your figures are correct..." "They are." "Your present first-aid room just isn't big enough." "Even with the alterations, it will scarcely be adequate." "Our factory has the lowest accident rate of any in the country." "Have you taken that into account?" "It isn't about me taking anything into account." "Those figures are based on the cubic space..." "Well, it's obvious you've never had to keep up a production quota." "Actually, our firm has the unique reputation..." " Yes?" " Miss Pamela Siddell on the phone, Mr Rains." "All right." "Excuse me." "Oh, er...cigarette?" "Thank you, no." "Pamela?" "Hello, darling." "I'll try and come round after the show." "By the way, thank you for sending the poster." "Yes, it's lovely." "It's hanging in the place of honour." "All right, I'll try." "Bye-bye." "Well, if these are government requirements, I'll have to accept them, I suppose." "Mind you, I still think it's a shocking waste of valuable space." "And I still think it's inadequate." "When will the final plans be ready?" " l can let you have them by Monday." " Monday." "Day after Boxing Day?" "Are you closing down for Christmas?" "We're not." "What time on Monday would be convenient for you?" " Nine o'clock?" " Nine o'clock." "Good morning." "Miss Clarke?" "Happy Christmas." "Happy Christmas." "You look pretty busy." "Yes, it's the Rains factory." "I've promised the final draft by Monday." " That'll mean you working over Christmas." " l know." "But that Rains man looked at me as if he thought a woman's place was the home." "I wanted to show him." "You've always been impetuous, like your father." "I suppose I'd better get off to that Croydon job." "See you tonight for dinner?" "I'm afraid not. I'll be working late on this." " Well, happy Christmas, my dear." " Happy Christmas, Uncle Bob." " Happy Christmas, Jim." " Merry Christmas, sir." "Answer that, will you, Jimmy?" "Hello?" "Hargreaves  Clarke." " It's Sir Marshall Freyne." " Oh, here, give it to me." "Hello?" "Yes, Sir Marshall?" "I've been looking at your plans for the proposed alterations." "You will excuse me, won't you?" "And I wonder if you'd care to come along to discuss them?" "I've had a wonderful idea." "I'm afraid I'm terribly busy just at the moment." "You won't be back till after Christmas?" "Then I'd better..." "How about right away?" "One moment." "Er, yes, yes, I could fit you in between two patients." "All right." "Then I'll be there in 15 minutes." "Right." "Goodbye." " Jimmy, call me a taxi, will you?" " Yes, Miss Clarke." "Taxi!" "Taxi!" "Phone for an ambulance quickly." "Jimmy!" "We can't let him lie here, he'll get pneumonia." "Give me a hand, someone." "We'll take him inside." "Outside 28, Bryanston Square." "Thank you." " The ambulance is on the way." " Thank you." " Can I help?" " No." "No, there's nothing you can do." " Are you a relation?" " No, but I..." "Well, we'll let you know how he is if you'd care to wait." " Miss Clarke, Sir Marshall." " Oh, yes." " l'm sorry I'm late, Sir Marshall." "An accident..." " Were you hurt?" "Oh, no, not me, young Jimmy in my office, you know." "I sent him for a taxi and the next thing I knew, there was a scream of brakes and he was under its wheels." " We took him to Queen Eleanor's." " He'll be well looked-after there." "It's a fine hospital, very well run." " l'm on the staff." " Are you?" "Now, about these plans of yours... I'm amaid I've changed my mind again about the position of the door." "I've sketched in my alternative and dictated a few notes." "Do you see what I mean?" "I hope you'll agree with me." "Oh, yes, of course. I'm sure I shall." " l'll take it away and have a look." " That's very kind." "I know you're just as busy as I am and I very much appreciate your coming here." " If there's anything I can do..." " You can do something for me." "By all means." "Get me a letter of introduction to Queen Eleanor's." "You won't get any business there." "Hospitals haven't any money to spare these days." " l want to be a nurse." " A nurse?" "My dear girl, with yourjob?" " l only went into the firm to please my father." " What?" "You know, the family business, there being no son to carry on." "I took it on out of a sense of duty but it's never been what I really wanted to do and it's getting me down." " l'm getting bad-tempered." " l don't believe it." "Oh, yes, I've got a temper and I can lose it." "This afternoon, in the ambulance, watching that nurse... so calm, so efficient, so quietly confident of herself..." "..I realised Jimmy probably owed his life to the few minutes he spent in her care." "I asked her if there was anything I could do to help." "And without even looking at me, she said, "No, there's nothing you can do."" "And then in the hospital, the same air of calm efficiency and the same unhurried speed with which they did everything." "I was told to wait with a lot of other people." "All sorts of people, all waiting." "Old men, young mothers with babies." "I sat down and waited too, till I saw the last patient go for treatment and leave." "I thought a lot while I sat there, waiting." "At last a nurse came to me." " How is he?" " Badly injured, I'm afraid." "He's just left the operating theatre and been admitted to the ward." " The surgeons say he has a chance." " Can I do anything?" "No, there's nothing you can do." ""No, there's nothing you can do."" "I keep on hearing those words, Sir Marshall." "I shall go on hearing them until they're not true." "Do you realise what's involved?" "The training's tough, appallingly tough - all sorts of rules and regulations and whatnot, discipline that a girl in your position isn't used to." "Sir Marshall, it isn't easy to put into words what I feel." "I've known for a long time there was something wrong, I didn't know what it was." "Now I do and I know what I want to do about it." "It's rather like joining the army, only a hospital is always at war, against disease and accident." "It's like training to be a commando." "There simply isn't room for anyone who can't take it." "And when you're in the uniform, my girl, everyone expects everything of you." "And in order to give them what they expect, like any soldier, you've got to be ready for any sacrifice." " Do you want that life?" " l want that letter of introduction." "I operate at the hospital on Thursday." "I'll have a word with Matron." " l've an appointment with Matron." " First left, second door left." "Thank you so much." "Come in." "Good morning, I'm Hilary Clarke." "You were expecting me?" "Yes, good morning." "Won't you sit down?" "Oh, thank you." "Oh, I see by your papers, you're an architect." "What made you want to take up nursing?" "Well, it's rather hard to explain, but I know I do." " You're not just thinking of it as a war job?" " Oh, no, it's to be permanent." " You want to do the full training?" " Definitely." "I see you're rather older than the average student nurse." "You may not find it easy to start a new profession." "I'll risk that." " Have you ever suffered from rheumatism?" " No, never." " Sore throats?" " No." " l see you'd like to start at once." " Oh, yes, please." " You may come on the first of the month." " Thank you, Matron." "Whether or not you'll make a good nurse depends entirely on yourself." " l'll do my best." " l'm sure you will." "Goodbye." "Goodbye, Matron." "By all means." " Hold on, please." "Yes?" " Miss Clarke, Sister." " Good afternoon, Miss Clarke." " Good afternoon." " Number 34." " Yes, Sister." "What were you saying?" "Not before Friday." "Goodbye." "What are those stripes for?" "You get one of those after you've been here a year if you pass your preliminary state exam." "A year later you get another until you get three stripes." "So you see, they're for dimerent degrees of seniority." "Who are the nurses in frilly caps?" "Nurses?" "They're sisters." " And the ones with lace on?" " Staff nurses." "You can have a cap like that one day but it means years of hard work." " Who is she?" " Staff Nurse Christine Morris." "Now here's the new rota as from tomorrow." "Nurse Lacey, Grace Ennisbrock ward, women's surgical, day duty." "Thank you, Sister." "Nurse Smith, Morvern Callaghan ward, children's medical, night duty." " Thank you, Sister." " Nurse Clarke." "Herbert Waterlow ward, men's surgical, day duty." "Thank you, Sister." "Nurse Watkins, maternity ward, night duty." "Thank you, Sister." "I don't think!" "Taking me off men's surgical, the old..." "For what we receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful." " We are both on the same ward." " Oh, I'm glad." "Better get a good night's sleep." "You'll need it." " Six o'clock, Nurse." " Thank you." " Six o'clock, Nurse." " All right!" "If you want to know where anything is, ask the patients." "They know everything." "Just hang it in there." "Let me look at you before you meet Sister Herbert Waterlow." "Sister Herbert?" "Yes, the sisters are always known by the names of their wards." " Is Sister Herbert Waterlow very...?" " Very." " The night report, Sister." " Thank you." "Go and have your supper." "Good morning, Sister." "I've brought along a new nurse, Nurse Clarke." "Thank goodness." "We're short enough of them." " Good morning, Nurse Clarke." " Good morning." " Is this your first day in hospital?" " Yes, it is." "I am usually addressed as "Sister"." "Yes, Sister." " l hope you'll be very happy here." " l'm sure I shall, Sister." "Yes, you will if you do your work well." "Take off your cuffs and Nurse Morris will tell you what to do." " Good morning, Mr Hervey." " Good morning." "Full of sunshine as usual." " Good morning, Mr Trevor." " Morning, Sister." "How's our youngster this morning?" "Oh, there's not much the matter with me, Doctor." "I think I'm a bit of a fraud." "I know you are." "Pop the cuffs in the cupboard." "Your first job is to change the water for the flowers in the kitchen." "Answer the phone, will you?" "Hello?" "Yes." "Well, Siddons, and how are you feeling?" "My duodenum's having a set-to with my intestinal tract." "is that so?" "I'm thinking, maybe you'd be better offwithout it." " Get him ready for a barium X-ray." " Operation, eh?" "I'd like that." "Could I have a local anaesthetic so I can watch?" "You may not need the operation." "We'll try and mend you without one." " Good morning." " Good morning, Mr Hervey." "Aha." "You're sure you haven't been eating any sweets lately?" "Of course I haven't." "Excuse me." "Mr Hervey, you're wanted in Grace Ennisbrock ward." "Mrs Kelly's kidneys, I'll bet you." "Carry on." "You know where l am." " Yes, sir." " Nurse." "Murse!" "Oh, I'm so sorry." "I'm not used to being called nurse." "You're not allowed to address the medical staff direct and without your cuffs on." "How do you deliver a message if you can't speak to a doctor?" "Tell someone senior who tells the staff nurse who tells Sister who tells the doctor." "By that time the patient may be dead." " Sister Catley was furious." " She's probably in love with Mr Hervey." "Half the sisters in the hospital are." "And you know...women in authority." "But you're not like that." "Perhaps that's why I'm not a woman in authority." "Nurse!" "Nurse!" " My bleeding nose." " Bring me a bowl ofwater from the table." "There." "There, there." "That's it." " Back, right back." " You want me to drown myself?" "Bring me some ice from the fridge in the kitchen." "There." "You mustn't rush about like this." "A nurse may only run in the case of fire or haemorrhage." "But it is haemorrhage." "Nurse Morris asked me to get some ice." " Take some ice to Nurse Morris at once." " Yes, Sister." "I want to talk to you." "Close the door." "I don't think you realise the necessity for discipline in hospital." "Nurses have to be disciplined women with a calm and balanced manner." "This has a good effect on the patient and gives them confidence." " Remember that." " Yes, Sister." "Now take that to Sister Ennisbrock." "She's waiting for it." "And mind you wear your cuffs." "Nurse Clarke, on no account is Siddons or the diabetic to have this food." "They require special diets." "Their charts are on the cupboard." "Look at them." "You're doing them tonight with Nurse Morris." "Why aren't you wearing your cuffs?" "Go and put them on at once." "Quite promising, when she's had some discipline." "Don't tell her I said so." "Now I'll show you how to make an envelope corner." "There." "Now try it." "Oh, but you mustn't make beds with your cuffs on." "Nurse!" "Nurse!" "One of them's for me." "Are you a diabetic?" "Now do I look like a diabetic?" "Give me mine, Nurse." "The other one's over there." " You've got a sweet feed!" " No, I haven't." "Yes, you have and I wouldn't put it past you to drink it, neither." " What's all this noise about?" " Nothing, Sister." "What are you drinking?" "You should never have had this." "I Well, I didn't want to be difficult, Sister when the new nurse gave me the wrong mug." "You dirty swine." "What do you want to go and give her away for?" "She's only..." "Nurse Clarke." " Oh, hello." " How do you feel after your first day?" "Oh, I'm dead beat." "And I've done everything wrong today." "I'm afraid I'll never make a nurse." "Do you still want to?" "Oh, yes, of course." "Oh, yes, I'm not quitting." "That's good." "But you mustn't break hospital rules." "I shouldn't think there's a rule left for me to break." "I had my cuffs on when they should have been off and offwhen they should have been on." "I ran in the corridor, I talked to a doctor." "I was late for a lecture." "Oh, and I broke a plate." " You'll have to pay for it, you know." " Oh, I signed for it." "Oh, and then..." "Then I was told off by the fracture ward sister." "What were you doing in the fracture ward?" "I went to see a boy I knew who had an accident." "And then I gave a diabetic a gastric feed." " l shouldn't think there's a rule left to break." " Oh, yes, there is." "You've just broken one." ""Nurses may not absent themselves from meals without permission on any pretext whatever."" "I didn't want any supper." "But you've got to eat when you're working." "Look, I've brought something for you." "It's not much but..." "Why, it's wedding cake!" "Yes, it's my brother's." "Oh, but you mustn't give it to me." "I couldn't eat it anyway." "Well, I'll put it under your pillow for luck." "Thank you." "Well, anyway, you've got your first day over and that's something." "Thank you." "Good night." " Good night." " Sleep well." "Second-year nurses are to attend my lecture on advanced hygiene at 9.15 tomorrow morning." "First-year student nurses, elementary anatomy, three o'clock tomorrow afternoon." "Hurry up." "You're late for my lecture." " l'm off duty, Sister. I'm just going to lie down." " Indeed you're not." " Do I have to attend lectures when I'm off duty?" " Certainly." "When else?" "And you should have taken off your apron." "No, no, not here." "We can't have nurses undressing in the corridor." "Come along." " Good afternoon, Nurses." " Good afternoon." "Now you'll remember that last week I was telling you about the vertebral column." "This week I'm going to tell you something about the skull." "You must understand that the skull is not a single, hollow osseous structure." "The skull proper, independent of the lower jawbone or maxilla..." "Nurse Clarke." "Yes, Sister." "Thank you." "Nurse Clarke, as you were not prepared to attend my lecture, I presume you are acquainted with the names of the human bones." "Yes, Sister, I am." " What's this?" " Sternum." " This?" " Scapula." " This?" " The patella." "And this?" "Radius or ulna, I can't see what you're touching." "Sssh, quiet, everybody, please!" "You may sit down, Nurse, and don't let me hear your voice again until you're spoken to." "You have to learn these splints, although they are seldom used nowadays, having been superseded by plaster pads." "Now this, this is a splint used for Colles' fractures." "And in the case of shock, you give a transfusion of plasma or serum." "This replenishes the blood which disappears into the tissues and upsets the circulation." "And this is the bottle of serum that hangs on a stand and runs through an apparatus into the patient's vein." "Its speed is regulated by a drip." "Now remember, the life of a patient is in the surgeon's hands." "A solemn thought." "But the care of the patient, aye, and maybe the recovery of the patient is in your hands." "It's time I got Siddons ready for his operation." " Carry on with dressings." "You help Nurse Lloyd." " Yes, Nurse." " l wish I could be sent to theatre with a patient." " You will be, when you've had more experience." "And you've no next of kin?" "Can't say I have as far as I know." "I did have a brother once but it was a long time ago." " Sign this, Mr Siddons, please." " l know, to relieve the hospital of all blame if I should die." " l don't believe in cutting up people with knives." " You ain't got no medical conscience." "What they're doing is one of the marvels of the age." " You'll be a new man." " And if I'm not, I bequeath my body to the hospital for the purposes of research." "What would they want your body for?" "Salvage?" "We're not going to have any bodies, are we, Mr Siddons?" "Get back to your bed." "You'll be seeing him in a couple of hours." " Yeah, in the mortuary." " l'll see you there first." "Cheerio." "Can I have one peep at them barium X-rays?" "Mr Hervey says I got an eight-hour delay in my stomach." "Now you're not going to mind this a bit." "Here, Mr Trevor." "I don't want to be anaesthetised out here." "I wanted to see the slaughterhouse." " Just take a deep breath." "Breathe in." " Why couldn't I see them barium X-rays?" "I got an eight-hour delay in my stomach." "Surely I can have a dekko at me own delay." "Here, what are you giving me?" "Gas?" "Ether?" " Chloroform?" " Just a deep breath." "Herbert Waterlow ward." "Would Nurse Clarke do, Matron?" "I think she'd be quite capable." "Thank you, Matron." "Get the nurse to meet me at the main entrance." "I'm going to pick up my bag and some serum." "Nurse Clarke, you're to get your coat and meet Dr Barrett at the main entrance at once." "Yes, Nurse." "What for?" "You're going to a factory to help with a transfusion." " It will all add to your experience." " Oh, good." "He's reacting well." "I hope he's going to be all right." "# Violin accompanied by piano" "Mr Rains, I'm afraid he's worse than we thought he was." "He seemed fine when I left him." "I'll come at once." "The doctor's working on him now." "Hello, Frank." "How are you feeling?" " Oh, are you the doctor?" " Yes." "Why not?" "Oh, no reason." "How is he?" "What's wrong?" " It's traumatic shock." "We're looking after him." " Oh, I see." " Anything I can do, Nurse?" " No, thank you, Mr Rains." "Why, hello." "Been called up?" "Boys, you can take him now." "I'm very grateful." "Can I get you some coffee?" "No, I'm going with him in the ambulance to keep on with the transfusion." " Get ready quickly, Nurse." " Yes, Dr Barrett." "Don't be too long, Frank. I need you badly." "Excuse me." "Mind you get that chap back quickly." "He's a key man. I can't spare him." " He's a very sick man." " Yes, I know, but we have government contracts to fulfil." "That's your business." "Getting him well again is ours." "Oh." "Well, what do you think of our first-aid room now it's finished?" "Oh, it's fine...what there is of it." " So why did you chuck up such a good job?" " l've got a better job." " You like your new work?" " Very much, thank you." "I still don't understand." "Weren't you ajunior partner, very successful?" " Success isn't everything." " No." " l mustn't keep Dr Barrett waiting." " No." "Well, goodbye." "Goodbye." "Very nice to have seen you again." "Thank you." "Larry." "Why, hello, Pam." " Who is she?" " Well..." "Well, the last time I saw that nurse, she was... she was an architect." "Come on." "I've been watching her, Larry." "I've found her very...interesting." "I'm sorry I had to walk out on your concert, but this accident..." "You know how things are these days." "The machinery's overworked." "Always machinery." "Honestly I did want to hear you play, especially that thing I like." "You did. I just played that thing you like, Larry." "The first time I heard you play it was on that boat from Australia." "Bit highbrow but I liked it." "Come in." "The engineers are here." "Can you come now, sir?" "I'll be with you in a moment." "If Bolton can't repair that machine, we're sunk." "Are we?" " l'm sorry." "What were you saying?" " l wasn't saying much, I was thinking." "Oh, excuse me." " Hello?" " McVeals are endorsing that contract, sir." "You've changed a lot lately, Larry." " For the better, I hope." " No, you've become too important." "It wasn't like that when we first met." " We had a lot of fun then." "Remember?" " Not much chance of our having fun now." "Don't you realise that there's a..." "All right, I didn't say it." "Perhaps I have changed." "You'd better stop me before I get any worse." "I'd like to but we've drifted so far apart lately." "I think I might have helped you." "You must be very lonely, Larry." "Me?" "Yes?" "George here, guv'nor." "Can you come over right away?" "We're having trouble with that machine." "The engineer's here." "All right. I'll be right there." "Funny you saying that about my being lonely." "I'd be the last to admit it." "I suppose a man does need someone." "In fact, I've always had an idea in my mind, a kind of picture." "Of machinery, Larry?" "You don't like machinery." "You wait, I'll show you a machine..." "Mr Rains, have you seen the alterations on those new blueprints?" "You won't find the trouble, not the real trouble, unless you shut down." " That means stopping production." " l can't help that." "You've had one accident already." "Yes, they're OK." "Pam..." "We're both thinking about the same thing." "Marriage. I told you I'd always been looking for someone." "Look out, guv'nor!" "Yes, fractured ribs." "By his breathing, he's probably punctured the lung." "I don't like it." "I think it's also concussion." "When Sir Marshall arrives, I'll get him to look at this case." " The next patient I want you to see is just here." " Thank you." " Another casualty from the factory?" " Yes, Pamela Siddell, violinist." "Evening." " Bad luck, bad luck." " Yes, isn't it?" "I heard her play the Brahms concerto last month." "Ifwe're going to save these hands of hers, I shall have to operate at once." "Hello." "What are you doing here?" "Don't you remember?" "I'm a nurse." "No, you're not a nurse." "I'm glad you've come at last." "I've been looking for you." "I've always been..." "looking for you." "Sister, he regained consciousness but only for a moment." " Was he mentally alert?" "Did he speak?" " Yes, but he didn't make sense." " Good evening, Sister." " Good evening, Sir Marshall." " Evening, Nurse." " Good evening, Sir Marshall." " Oh, it's you." " Yes, it's me." " How are you getting on?" " All right, I hope." "Well, let's have a look at him." "Nurse said he regained consciousness for a few moments." " To what extent?" " Tell Sir Marshall." "He spoke but he was not coherent." "I think you're right." "Fractured rib and a punctured lung." "Have him X-rayed and sent to the theatre." "Yes, Sir Marshall." " He's pretty bad, isn't he?" " He has a chance, ifwe're in time." "Take the patient up to theatre as soon as he's ready." "You will be in charge." "Me?" "Me?" "Show me the X-ray plates." "Nothing surgical there." "He'll need watching." "He's showing signs of a pretty bad concussion." "Ah, there are the fracturedribs that have penetrated the lung." " Heard from my boy this morning." " How is he?" "Oh, great." "He's just got his wings." " Is this your first operation, Nurse?" " Yes, sir." "Oh, it's you again." "Watch yoursem." "It isn't a pretty sight." "Table up a bit." "Higher." "Higher. I must have a high table." "That'll do." "Lights." " Yes?" " l hear you're exploring this man's chest, sir." "Yes, thoracotomy." " May I watch?" " Of course." " What's that hissing?" " It's the steriliser, sir." " Turn it off, please." " Yes, sir." " If you feel like that, you'll never stick it out." " Won't I?" "Stand by the emergency lights." "Severe laceration." "Yes, rather a tricky business." "Out you go, quick." "I'm closing now." "Yes." "Yes, he's all right." "Stitches, please." "Nurse?" "What did they give him?" "Gas, ether or chloroform?" "That's none of your business." " l only want to know if he had the same as me." " Why don't you ask him?" " Raiders overhead." " Yes." "I suppose we daren't move Siddons or old Carter or the factory casualties?" "No, I'm afraid not." "I'd like to wring that man's neck." "He can't be moved." "One of you nurses will have to stay with him." " May I stay, Sister?" " Yes." "The day staffwill have to remain on." "When he comes round, don't let him talk, especially about the accident." " Mr Hervey's express orders." " Yes, Sister, I understand." "Good." "Come on, out you get." "You're going down to the shelter." "Help him, Nurse." " Going down to the shelter?" " Yes." "Windy." "Oh, it's good to take the weight off your feet." "Mine don't seem to be able to sustain me any more." "Then I wouldn't like to be in your shoes, Sister." " But perhaps I would after all." " You wait until you're my age." "Oh, that's better." "I always swear by MB." "Fomentation put on at four o'clock?" "Yes, Sister, it's still four-hourly." "I don't think I shall be with you all much longer." "I'm going to do private work, sit down more often." "Hello." "Where have you been?" "I've been right here." " l thought you'd left me." " No." "But I..." " You mustn't leave me." " No, of course not." "You are a nurse." " What's all that noise?" " It's... lt's nothing." "You mustn't try to move." "Well, talk to me." "I love the sound of your voice." "Go on, talk to me." "You go to sleep." "Why can't I remember your name?" "It's Hilary." "Oh, yes, of course." "I love you, Hilary." "Pardon me, old cock, but was your journey really necessary?" "Have some beer." "Daren't. I should fall asleep with my head in Matron's lap." "Then don't have any beer." "Care to do a movie on Saturday?" "Ask me when I wake up." "Why, I'd simply love to." "Hello." "Hello." " Have some beer." " What a wonderful idea." "Deserted your patient?" "Only for a minute." " He's going to be all right, isn't he?" " Sir Marshall thinks so." "Given good nursing." "Today..." "Yesterday was the first time I've been treated like a responsible person." "I thought Mr Hervey sent you to sick bay, Sister." "Weren't you injured by a blast?" "It was nothing and there is so much to be done." "What were you doing outside the hospital?" "There were some casualties to bring in." " l think you should go off now." " Thank you. I will later when the nurses can." "I should like to say a few words to the nurses." "Yes." "Nurse." "Murse." "You all look very untidy and dishevelled." "That's only to be expected." "You've done very well." "I'm sorry to say three nurses have been injured in tonight's raid." "Who were they, Matron?" "Nurse Ellen Curtis, Nurse Mary Palmer and Staff Nurse Elliott." "There have been no casualties among the patients." "For that we must be thankful." "You all look very tired." "Let them off as soon as you can, Sister." "You two can go now." "Won't you change your mind?" "Yes, I think I will." "Nurse Clarke, Nurse Lloyd." "Mr Trevor." "It's only a beer, Matron." "A glass can't do any harm." "I'm afraid your ideas of harm are more elastic than mine, Mr Trevor." "Nurse Lloyd, Nurse Clarke, I should like to see you in my office." "Are you asleep or just dreaming?" "I was wondering ifwhen I'm matron I'll ever talk to anyone as Matron's just talked to us." "What a night." "Your nursing staff did you credit, Matron." "Thank you." "By the way, how's my protégée getting on?" "I regret to say, Sir Marshall, I found her this morning drinking beer with Mr Trevor." "Lucky lassie. I wish she'd asked me to share it." "She's been reprimanded and I hope you will have something to say to Mr Trevor." "Then you hope in vain." "Forgive me, Matron, but I think you'd have better understanding with your nurses if you got them to like you more." "My object, Sir Marshall, is to preserve discipline, not to try to make myself popular." "Well, so long, Freyne." "Bless you." "Thanks." "Good day to you." "Have you forgotten what it's like to be young?" "Could this be you as a probationer, Matron, sprawling on a haystack with a young man?" "You had a pretty soft smile then." "That's a fine young fellow you're cuddling up to." "Good..." "It's me." "Got a lecture this morning?" "When I was a probationer, I never thought I'd pass my preliminary exam, but I did somehow." "I'll not forget the day I got my first stripe." "It was a wonderful moment." "I'll bet it was." "When you were training, did you have anything else to think about?" " Anything else?" " Well, I mean... for instance, did you ever fall in love?" "As you have?" "As I have?" "It's written all over yourface." "What nonsense!" "It's all right, all right." "Same thing happened to me, but I put it aside." "You see, I was quite determined to be a nurse." " And a good nurse." " So am I." "Of course, men say strange things when they've been ill, especially if their nurses have been sympathetic." "Aye, they do." "What you're really saying is, if you want to be a good nurse, you've got to think only of nursing." "Exactly." "Then we agree." "Yes, I suppose we do." "But lately I've been thinking of other things." "Time comes when either you have to become...well... ..like Matron... ..or just remember you're a woman and forget you've ever been a nurse." "I've never heard you talk like this before." "Well, it's all your fault, coming in here looking so dewy-eyed." " Who, me?" " Made me feel so envious." "Began to think I was missing something." "Began to wonder if I'd been wrong." "Go on." "Well, you see, there is a man I have known for years, but... I don't know how I'd feel about leaving." "But why leave, Christine?" "Can't you be a nurse and be married?" "There's no rule against it in this hospital, but it just wouldn't work out." "Why not?" "Well, think for yourself." "The hours, the responsibilities, so little time off." "I tell you, it just wouldn't work out." "Well, I've quite made up my mind to be an old maid." "There's only one thing I'm sure of, this is my work." "...you're right." "You know, hospitals is like being in the army." "You should have heard our sergeant major." "The way he used to talk to us recruits would make your heart bleed." "But after a while, you wouldn't have known us." "We was men." "This reminds me of the last war." "I was in the military hospital." "There was a nurse... ls there any time in your life when you haven't been in hospital?" "Not much." "Spent all my time in the army or in hospital and been in all kinds ofwards." " Except one." " What's that?" "The maternity." " Hello." " If you're awake, I'll take your temperature." " You must be tired." " Keep your mouth shut." "I am, very." " Why, it's always the same thing." " Don't chew it." "What's always the same thing?" "Well, even in my more hazy moments, I seem to have known you always." "Why won't you tell me where we met?" " Is this a good book?" " How should I know?" "And don't change the subject." "Well, it's very pleasant lying here, watching you pop in and out of my front door." "Gosh, you do work hard." "Nurse!" "Work." "When was I at work?" "Nurse!" "All right, I'll be there in a minute." "That voice." "I know that voice." "It's George." "George?" "I don't understand." "George?" "He works at my factory." "Factory." "That's when I met you." "You came with some plans, remember?" "Yes, of course, I remember." "And then you came to the factory again." "And after you left, I remember, I turned to... to... I turned to..." " Oh, who was it I turned to?" " There, there." "We were talking about marriage." "Pamela." "Pamela." "Nurse Clarke." " Nurse Clarke?" " Yes, Sister?" "Pamela." "Thank you, Sister." "Yes, Nurse?" " Sister Herbert Waterlow sent these, Sister." " Thank you." "Haven't I see you somewhere before?" "I know, it was at the factory." " Oh, don't go." " All right, Nurse." "Have you...?" "Have you seen Mr Rains?" "Why yes, he..." "He's much better." "You mustn't worry about him." "He..." "He hasn't forgotten me?" "Of course not." "He hasn't forgotten...anything." "Well, then, will you...?" "That'll do, Nurse." " And she's very ill indeed." " But is everything being done for her?" "You know, the best doctors and specialists?" "Everything's being done the hospital can do." "Poor Pam." "Well, it means we'll have to wait, before we tell her about us." "Us?" "But there's nothing to tell." "What do you mean, there's nothing to tell?" "You're going to be married." "She's very ill and she needs your help." "I'll see she gets better, she'll have everything money can buy." " That's not enough." " But, Hilary." " Don't you understand?" "She's in love with you." " You know who I'm in love with." "You're a very sick man." "You don't know what you're saying." "Oh, I see." "You think I'm still raving." "Well, I'm not." "I mean every word I've said." "We've been running away from reality." "We both know what we've got to do." "Well, what have I got to do?" "I You must write her a letter so she'll know you've not forgotten her." "I see." "And you?" "I want to be a nurse." "is that all you want?" "That's all." "All right." "Lend me your pen, please." " How is she?" " Sister's just sent for Dr Barrett." "I've got a note for her from Mr Rains." "You're forbidden to go into another ward without permission." "Yes, I know, but..." "give it to her when she wakes up." "I am awake, Nurse." "Please read it to me." "I think you ought to read it yourself." "I can't." "Please read it for me." ""Pamela, my dear, you must have thought I'd forgotten you." "I had forgotten everything until today." "Now I'm just beginning to remember things I did and said before the accident." "I remember I asked... you to marry me."" "Ssh, here's Sister." "You wouldn't think that frail woman had such guts, but I'm afraid it's mental courage only." " Did you want to speak to me, Nurse?" " No, Sister." "Then what are you doing in this ward?" "I came to see Nurse Watkins." " l'll speak to you later, Nurse." " Yes, Sister." "And so, if it can be arranged, I'd rather not have Nurse Clarke in my ward, Matron." "I quite appreciate that, Sister." " All right, I'll give her a trial elsewhere." " Thank you, Matron." "Mind you, she has the makings of a good nurse." "But you do see that I can't..." " You sent for me, Matron?" " Yes, I did." "Sister has reported you." "I should like an explanation." "I'm sorry, Matron, I don't think I quite understand." "Don't you?" "Sister, you'd better repeat what you've just told me about this letter-carrying." " Now I understand." " Good." " In that case there's nothing for me to say." " But surely I haven't done anything wrong." "It seemed a perfectly natural thing to do..." "You are quite aware that you are breaking hospital rules by carrying notes from one ward to another and going into wards that you had no permission to enter." " You have upset a patient who is extremely ill." " l assure you..." "All this is the result of identifying yourselfwith your patients." "A good nurse must be impersonal." "I'm going to transfer you." "You will reportfor duty to Sister Theatre." " Matron has sent me." " l'm so glad. I'm terribly short-staffed." "Get this trolley ready for a transfusion as soon as you can and take it to the casualty ward." "Nurse..." " How dare you come in here unsterilised!" " Merry Christmas, Sister." "Oh, Mr Hervey, I'm so sorry." "And a merry Christmas to you, sir." " l was looking for some cotton wool." " Nurse Clarke, cotton wool for Mr Hervey." " Hello, Nurse Clarke." "Merry Christmas to you." " Merry Christmas, Mr Hervey." "Oh, that will brighten my cape up a bit." "It's looking kind of bald, isn't it?" "Yes, it is." "You're not looking too bright yourself, my dear." "It's these examinations, Sister." " Will you let her come round the wards?" " Of course." "Om you go, Nurse." " Thank you, Sister." " It'll do you good." "When the snow lay round about" "Deep and crisp and even" "Brightly shone the moon that night" "Though the frost was cruel" "When an old man came in sight" "Gathering winter fuel" " Happy Christmas." " Happy Christmas!" " Merry Christmas, everybody." " Merry Christmas." "Merry Christmas, Harry." "Happy Christmas, Jim." " Forceps, sir." " Quite." " Sterilised, I hope?" " Quite." " Merry Christmas, Sister." " Merry Christmas, Mr Hervey." "And to you, Freyne." "Man, you've got a tough patient there, eh?" "I dread this operation." "I'd rather do ten appendicectomies." " Merry Christmas to you." " Merry Christmas, Sir Marshall." "Merry Christmas, Nurse Clarke." "Still here?" "You surprise me." "No regrets?" " No, no regrets." " You surprise me even more." " What are you doing here today?" " Operating. I always come here at Christmas." "It's almost a tradition for the surgeon to carve the turkey." "Makes a change." " Hey, Nurse." " Yes, Mr Hervey?" "Come on, my stocking's empty." "Merry Christmas." "Thank you, dear." " Happy Christmas." " Thank you, Doctor." " Merry Christmas." " Happy Christmas, George." "Leg better?" "Oh, yes, thanks." "You back with us again?" "No, I'm afraid not." "is Mr Rains...?" "Has he...?" "Has he gone?" "No, he was here." "He's much better now, you know." "He's up and walking about." " Sister Catley?" " Yes, Mr Hervey." "Come here, will you?" "Yes, sir." "Do you see what I see?" "Mr Hervey!" "Really, Sister, and in your cuffs!" "Knock, Nurse." "You can't barge into a private room as if it was a ward." "Come in." " Happy Christmas." " Happy Christmas." "Happy Christmas." "Come in." " Happy Christmas." " Merry Christmas." "Happy Christmas to you!" "Come in." " Merry Christmas." " Ha..." "Happy Christmas." "The same to you, Nurse." " Oh, how nice to see you again." " Yes, isn't it?" "Happy Christmas, Nurse." "Happy Christmas, Mr Rains." "Are you better?" "Yes, thank you. I leave here in a day or two." " Oh, I'm glad." " Yes, I'm sure you are." "I mean..." "Well, don't let us keep you." "We both know how important your work is." "I know." "Nurse Clarke has found out she's just a lassie after all." "Oh, Mr Hervey." "It hurts, eh?" "You'll get over it." "I didn't know doctors ever noticed what nurses were feeling." "Such nonsense." "Omwith you." "Don't know what's the matter with me." "I'm not usually rude to other people like that." "It's just that there's something..." "That made you fall in love with her?" "Pam!" "Have you forgotten that you and I are going to be married?" "I don't think so." "Well, you don't love me." "But, Pam, I..." "No, not truly." "You're just putting on the most wonderful act and I've been doing the same thing." "I've known all along that you don't really care for me at all." "Pam, that's absurd." "Oh, no, it's not, and you know it." "You're in love with her." "I've known about it for a long time." "Whenever I let myself think about it, I see your face that day, the day she came to the factory." "Oh, I've been dishonest, making you stick to me, playing on your sympathy." "But I don't need it any more." "I shall have my violin again." "And...well, I'm really just another career woman." "I've got my work." "And in a few months..." "Look." "I'm no worse om than I was before." "Better, perhaps." "You know, you can't lie here in a place like this for weeks... without doing an amul lot of thinking, sort of stock-taking." "And a great deal has happened to me since I've been here." "I know all that, Pam, but... lt's just a lot of nonsense." "I mean, you're talking as if I were trying to back out." "You should want to." "This whole thing doesn't make any sense and you know it." " Now listen, Pam, I asked you to marry me..." " And I'm not going to." "Oh." "Well..." "I thought I could make you happy." "But you're in love with someone else." "I'm not in love with anyone else." " No?" " No." "It's just part ofyour imagination." " Sure?" " Yes." "All right." "Well, what do you want me to say?" "Er..." "let me see." "You say, "Pamela, let's be friends."" "And..." "I'll reply, "l'll be a sister to you, Larry."" "Oh, dear." "Pam..." "Now, you run along and ask her..." "Ask her to marry you." "She doesn't want me, Pam." "She wants to be a nurse." "Oh, well, I'll be going back to work in a day or two." "I've got my work too." "Well, good luck, Larry." "Goodbye, Pam." "And Ginger Watkins said the costume was ever so chic." "The man told her that the fur collar was genuine leopard." "She said she thought it looked like rabbit." "Hilary... I want you to be the first to know." "I'm going to be married." "Christine, I'm so glad." "Does that mean you're leaving here?" "Yes." "You see, I've been thinking about getting old." "When I retire, finished, there's very little money saved up and any chances of marriage are gone for good." "I don't think I have the moral courage to face that future." "When will you go?" " As soon as I've made my wedding dress." " Made?" "Why, of course." "I've made all sorts of things for my trousseau." "Nurse Morris, Matron wants to see you." " Do you know what for?" " Not the foggiest." "Very well." "Come along and wait for me." "Then I'll show you what I've made for my bottom drawer." "That'll be Nurse Morris." "May I...?" "Merry Christmas..." "Sister." "Why, I don't... I've sent for you, Nurse, to offer you the post of sister in this hospital." "Oh, I'm sorry, Matron, I can't accept." "I'm going to be married." "Oh." "Oh, I'm very glad for your sake, of course, but..." " When do you want to leave?" " Oh, I'll suit your convenience, Matron." "Thank you." "With Night Sister leaving so soon, we are very short-staffed." "I'd like you to take the post of sister until you leave." "Matron, I do want to say..." "how grateful I am for this chance." "I appreciate the honour very much." "There's just one thing." "I wish you'd exercise a little more discipline and try not to be so easy-going." "Yes, Matron, I'll do my best." "You'll start tomorrow, Sister." "Sister!" "Thank you, Matron. I..." "I hardly know what to say." "Hilary, I've just been made a sister!" "Christine, I'm so glad." "How wonderful for you." "What a lovely wedding present." "Yes, isn't it?" "I can hardly believe it." "Sister, have you forgotten what I said about discipline?" " l'm sorry, Matron, it was just..." " Discipline?" "Christine's a friend and I was congratulating her..." " Don't, please." " But it's absurd." "If anyone's to blame, I am, but it's unfair..." "You're placing a new sister in a very difficult position." "Being familiar with her juniors undermines her authority." "I never heard anything so absurd." "What good do these petty regulations do?" "We're not children, we're responsible adults." "We wouldn't be nurses ifwe weren't." " You've got to love nursing to put up with..." " That will do." "Will you come into my room?" "I want to talk to you." "Thank you, Sister." "So you won't put up with our restrictions?" " l think some of them are stupid." " So you want to leave?" "No, of course not." " l'm willing to put up with anything." " There are some things I won't put up with." "Matron..." " l'm sorry I lost my temper." " It isn't only this incident." "You seem unable to accept discipline and to conform to the ordinary etiquette of the hospital." "I wondered when I took you whether at your age you'd be able to adjust yourself to this life." "Obviously you can't, so I've no alternative but to recommend the board of governors to terminate your training." "That's all." " Matron, please..." " Close the door quietly." " This is a magnificent gift, Mr Rains." " l owe my life, for what it's worth, to this hospital." "Not every grateful patient can afford to donate the magnificent sum of... f1 1 ,OOO." "We were financially embarrassed, most embarrassed." "Yes, indeed, we were wondering how to take our fences." "I even began to think of selling some of my bloodstock." "Do you mean to say this hospital depends entirely on charity?" "Certainly." "We have a number of regular subscribers and of course there are flag days and the annual bazaar." "And there is my hospital Sunday." "And sometimes people can be persuaded to leave us money after they die." "Surely you mean before." "As a matter of fact, Mr Rains, ours is a voluntary hospital and we regard it as our privilege to tender a helping hand to the poor and needy." "Well, then, how will my f1 1 ,OOO be spent?" "As a businessman, I'm interested." "Well, we have a good many outstanding debts." "Amongst them, the final payment for the new wing." "And of course, current expenses." "Will the nurses benefit at all?" "From what I've noticed, there's room for improvement." "But you must realise that equipment for the patients' benefit must come first, which means that the staffwill have to wait." "Although your f1 1 ,OOO is a magnificent gift, it's... well, it's really only a drop in the ocean." "Well, it's...it's a very welcome drop, Mr Rains." "So the nurses seem to be out of luck." "Mr Chairman, whilst we're on the subject of nurses, I see by the agenda that my protégée Nurse Clarke has been up to no good." "As she is a protégée of mine, I wonder if I might request that we should see her now." "Oh, certainly, certainly." " Matron, I wonder, could you...?" " Yes, of course." "She's waiting in my room." "Well, Mr Purvis, perhaps you would..." " Yes." " Could you...?" "Nurse Clarke, the board will see you now." "Nurse Clarke, it's reported that your general conduct has been far from satisfactory." "Matron recommends your dismissal." " Have you anything to say, Nurse?" " Yes, sir." "Oh, you have." "You consider this report unjust?" "No, sir." "What does she mean?" "Please explain yourself." "I didn't realise before how impossible things would be for Matron if..." "well, if all the nurses were like me, each trying to make her own rules." "I should like to be given another chance." "If I may butt in, sir?" "Tell us, Matron, is Nurse Clarke a good nurse?" "She had the makings of a good nurse." "Mr Chairman, may I ask Nurse Clarke a question?" "Nurse Clarke, when you first came here, you found the work, shall we say, tiring?" "Yes, sir, very." " But you stuck it?" " Yes, sir, of course." "Ah, a truly Christian spirit." " Quite." " With your permission." "You were prepared to give up everything to become a nurse, weren't you?" "Yes, I was, and still am." "Prepared to give up everything I value most." "I'm prepared to give up my personal freedom and live hemmed in by petty restrictions." "I'm even prepared to renounce my right as a woman to a home and children of my own." "The demands of this profession leave no time for a personal life." "I'm prepared to submit to all this because... I count it a privilege to be allowed to devote my life to nursing." "That's why I'm grateful to you for giving me this opportunity to state my case and why I beg you to let me stay on here no matter what the conditions." "But are those conditions inevitable?" "They are not merely the result of the war." "It's always been like this." "And there's always been a shortage of nurses." "I don't believe they're inevitable." "And because I care so much, I urge you to agitate for their improvement." "I implore you, start a reform, a complete reform." "Because if you do, hospitals need never be understaffed again." "Yes, well, thank you, Nurse." "Well, now, if you wouldn't mind waiting?" "Mr Purvis, would you...?" "Oh, thank you, Mr Rains." "I seem to remember her father was a remarkable speaker." "Oh, now, Freyne, be fair." "I'm positive she was sincere." "I hope I didn't suggest that I thought otherwise." "Well, I think there's something in what she says." "Yes, there are two sides to every question." "Now, Mr Chairman, it's up to you." "Well, yes, but..." "Well, I think..." "Well?" "What do you think?" "Well, I mean it's... lt's rather difficult." "It's not difficult at all." "It's up to you to do something about it." "Or are you all going to sit there smugly, knowing things are wrong and passing the buck onto someone else?" "It seems to me high time that the public ought to force the government to make the reforms and to find the money to do it." "It's up to us to start it going." "In fact, I'm going to start now." "Good morning." " Well, that's that." " What's what?" "Well, there's nothing to stop us now." "Oh?" "What about Pamela?" "Well, that's all over." " She's no fool." "She knew all about us." " And what about me?" " You're fired." "You're going to be my wife." " l'm not fired yet." "It's all very well for the lass to talk like that but she's older than most of them." "It's mostly girls of 1 9 to 20 being taught to deal with life and death." "You must have rules and you can't just ignore them when they seem a nuisance." "And it's all very well for Mr Whatshisname to talk like that." "That's the worst of relying on charity." "People give you money and think they can say what they like." "Government doing nothing indeed." "Every possible improvement under consideration." "I've spent hours on that committee." "Aye, and there's the Rushcliffe reforms." "They're getting better conditions already." "Better conditions mean more nurses and that means less overwork." "After all, nothing in this world's perfect." "It won't do us any harm to be told we could be better." "Another excellent Christian sentiment." "Now what about my protégée?" "May I suggest to the members of the board that you leave the matter entirely in my hands?" "Oh, well, that's splendid." "Well, that settles it." " Unless there's anything else on the agenda?" " The drains in the left wing." "Oh, well, we've f1 1,OOO." "She's got to take me back." " And if she doesn't?" " Then I'll marry you now." "And if she does take you back?" "Well, then we'll have to wait until they change conditions." " That is, if you still want me?" " You know I'll always want you." "Listen, Hilary, I'll fight for everything you want outside the..." "Nurse, I want to speak to you in my room." " Goodbye, Mr Rains." " Matron." "Wait a minute." "I think you're going to fail in there, but if you don't, I'll do my damnedest to get those reforms for you." "One day you're going to have a job and a home." "Larry." "Nurse Clarke, I'll admit that I rather admired your spirit just now in the boardroom." "I think you realise that a hospital is like a ship." "It can only have one captain and it must be run with rigid discipline." "Are you quite sure you can accept that discipline?" "I was never more sure of anything in my life." "You're determined, aren't you?" "I was like that at your age." "Things being as they are, it's a difficult decision for a woman to take, to dedicate herself to a life of service." "There are times when one is full of fears and regrets." "But not for long." "One has only to look round a place like this and see what is being achieved to realise that it's worth it, more than worth it." "You'll be interested to hear that the examination results are out." "You come very near the head of the list." "You are now entitled to wear one stripe." " Then I can stay?" " Yes, you may stay." "We need good nurses." "Thank you, Matron." "Now go along and reportfor duty." "Yes, Matron." "All right, don't tell me." "Oh, Larry."