Nurse Saxon's Patient (4 page)

CHAPTER II
I

As soon as Isobel Stephenson came to relieve her of duty Julie hurried to keep her word to Tansy Maitland and to give her Ian
’
s message. Tansy must have been waiting by the telephone, for it had barely rung more than a couple of times when Julie heard her
‘
H
ello, Tansy Maitland here.
’

‘
It
’
s Nurse Saxon, Miss Maitland,
’
she began.
‘
I rang to let you know that
Mr.
Holroyd regained consciousness for a very short time this evening, and
Mr.
Greensmith says you may come in for a brief visit tomorrow. You have the card they gave you with the visiting times
?’

‘
Yes, thank you. I know all that by heart.
’
Tansy brushed Julie
’
s words on one side.
‘
Tell me, please,
’
she demanded,
‘
how is he? What did he say? How much does he remember?
’

Julie drew a deep breath. How could she give this girl the details of the two short periods of consciousness without making her think thoughts which must be hurtful and upsetting? She spoke slowly, choosing her words with care.

‘
He didn
’
t say very much,
’
she told the other girl.
‘
He was worried about his hands, naturally, but he accepted
Mr.
Greensmith
’
s word that they will eventually be all right, providing he does as he is told about the treatment. He remembers he had been at a party. He remembers you were there.
’
So much, she felt, was true
...
what was it he had said
?
‘
A pretty kid with chestnut curls
...’
‘
He didn
’
t know about being the prizewinner, but I think he was more than delighted to know he had won. He didn
’
t say much, and naturally we didn
’
t press him. Maybe by morning he will remember more, but I shouldn
’
t count on it if I were you. These cases are often slow to recover completely. By the way,
Mr.
Greensmith says that whatever it is that
’
s worrying you about what happened just before the
accident is a matter of secondary consideration just now. In short, don
’
t mention it if
Mr.
Holroyd doesn
’
t. Let his memory return slowly, naturally. A good night
’
s sleep would help if he can get it, and when I left him he looked as though he would have exactly that.
’

‘
You
’
ll be there tomorrow, won
’
t you, Nurse?
’
Tansy asked quickly.
‘
While I
’
m there, I mean.
’

‘
Yes, I
’
ll be there,
’
Julie assured her,
‘
but only to watch over my patient. You must remember that he must not be agitated or upset, Miss Maitland.
’

‘
I won
’
t agitate him or upset him,
’
Tansy assured her equally quickly,
‘
but I just wanted to be certain you
’
d be somewhere around. I get so scared with all the others. They all appear to disapprove of me
...’

‘
Not really.
’
Julie smiled to herself, the girl sounded so forlorn.
‘
It
’
s just the professional manner, you know. We
’
re all like that, but we
’
re all human under the surface.
’

‘
The others don
’
t let anyone see below the surface,
’
Tansy countered swiftly.
‘
Anyhow, I
’
m not so scared now I know you
’
ll be there, and I
’
ll be along at two
-
thirty on the dot. How long will I be able to stay
?’

‘
An hour, if all goes well,
’
Julie told her,
‘
but if
Mr.
Holroyd becomes upset, if his temperature rises or his pulse begins to race, then you
’
ll have to leave.
’

‘
I
’
ll remember,
’
Tansy promised,
‘
and I
’
ll be as quiet as a mouse. I just wanted to know
...
anything you could tell me that might help,
’
she went on, adding in a little breathless rush:
‘
You are sure he doesn
’
t remember anything about what happened just before that thing crashed into us, aren
’
t you, Nurse?
’

‘
Quite sure,
’
Julie said firmly,
‘
and now I must go and get some sleep myself. I
’
ll see you tomorrow, Miss Maitland, and—oh, don
’
t be upset if he doesn
’
t appear to remember who you are at first. It isn
’
t anything personal, just the result of the blow on his head.
’

‘
I
’
ll remember,
’
the girl said again.
‘
Thank you for ringing, and goodbye.
’

J
ulie walked thoughtfully up to her own room. Maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed to her that, after her show of anxiety concerning how much or how little Garth might remember of the events just prior to the accident, Tansy was secretly relieved to learn that so far he remembered almost nothing.

I
’
m getting as melodramatic as she is, Julie admonished herself. Must be because I
’
m tired! With an effort she dismissed the problems of her patient and his
fiancée
and prepared for an early night. Somehow the emotional factors concerned with this case were extra wearing, and soon Julie found herself drifting into a slumber where dreams of the Hospital Ball—with Tansy fantastically singing with the band as accompaniment—mingled with dreams of a disapproving
Mrs.
Crossman and a sardonic-looking Ian, standing on one side.

She awoke curiously unrefreshed and went on duty with a slightly heavy head, an unusual thing for her. Nurse Stephenson greeted her, tired but triumphant, happy to report that their patient had enjoyed a sound night
’
s sleep.

‘
He seems much better, much brighter,
’
Isobel said.

‘
I
’
m sure
Mr.
Greensmith will be pleased with
him
when he comes round.
’

‘
Let
’
s hope this continues,
’
Julie remarked, wondering what effect Tansy
’
s visit would have on Garth.
‘
He needs plenty of rest even now, and he
’
ll not take kindly to being disturbed to have his hands treated and so on. His
fiancée
will be in this afternoon,
’
she
added, without knowing quite what made her refer to Tansy at this point.
‘Mr.
Greensmith asked me to let her know she could come in for a brief visit.
’

‘
The dynamic redhead?
’
Isobel asked with interest.
‘
She
’
s gorgeous to look at, but I bet she
’
s difficult to get along with. Hope she doesn
’
t upset him
!
She certainly made plenty of fuss about wanting to be allowed to see him when he was first brought in. You
’
ll need all your tact there, Julie dear.
’

‘
If I need help I
’
ll ring for
Mr.
Greensmith,
’
Julie smiled.
‘
But somehow I don
’
t think that will be necessary.
Miss Maitland is as pleased as we are that
Mr.
Holroyd is recovering.
’
Even to herself she was doubtful of the authenticity of that statement, but she could not say so to Isobel.
‘
I only hope he recognizes her,
’
she went on, speaking more to herself than to the other girl.
‘
Yesterday he had only a vague recollection of the girl with him.
’

‘
I know they haven
’
t been engaged very long,
’
Isobel confided.
‘
Sister Gregson told me. She hears all the news and what she doesn
’
t hear she asks about. It seems he met her through someone
’
s party—she
’
d been singing
there
—
and they
’
ve only been engaged a matter of weeks.
He couldn
’
t have known her very well, do you think?
’

‘
I don
’
t know, and it
’
s none of our business anyway.
’
Julie felt they had discussed their patient and his affairs long enough, but Isobel was by no means abashed.

‘
Interesting, though
’
—she stifled a yawn—
‘
other people
’
s lives, I mean. Always intrigue me. I
’
m for bed. I hate night duty. Mornings like this seem wasted when you
’
ve to draw the curtains and snooze, but I
’
d be no good to anyone until I
’
ve done just that.
’

She made her sleepy way from the room, and Julie was able to give her full attention to Garth. He was awake and watching her with the dark eyes she remembered so well.

‘
Do you
think
I
’
ll be allowed to sit up today, Nurse?
’
he asked as she gave him his breakfast.
‘
I
’
m tired of lying here.
’

‘
We must wait and see what
Mr.
Greensmith has to say when he comes in on his rounds,
’
Julie answered quietly.
‘
I do know you are to be allowed a visitor this afternoon. You can
’
t have too much excitement at once as yet, you know.
’

‘
A visitor? Aunt Lavinia?
’
Garth asked eagerly, and it was a few moments before Julie realized he was referring to
Mrs.
Andy.

‘
No,
’
she told him,
‘
although she keeps looking in on you, so I wouldn
’
t be surprised to see her here as well. It
’
s the young lady who was with you in your car when
the accident happened,
’
she explained.
‘
She
’
s been waiting eagerly to be allowed to see you, and
Mr.
Greensmith said she could look in for a few
min
utes
this
afternoon.
’

‘
I hope she won
’
t want to talk about it,
’
Garth said slowly, a painful look of bewilderment on his face.
‘
It
’
s awful, Nurse, but I can
’
t remember anything about her
...
only that she had a lot of reddish chestnut-coloured curls and that she talked a very great deal. Chattered, rather, not talked.
’

‘
Don
’
t worry about it,
’
Julie advised calmly.
‘
It
’
ll all come back to you, slowly but surely. The great thing is to get you well first, as quickly as possible.
’

It was a relief that Ian came in then, preventing any further comment. He made a quick but careful examination of the patient and said that Garth might be allowed to sit up for a little time that afternoon, but when he was questioned fretfully as to
‘
how long my hands are going to be encased in these lumps
...’
he smiled down at Garth and shook his head.

‘
The plaster will have to stay oh a little while longer, I
’
m afraid,
’
he told him.
‘
Just be patient, and we
’
ll do our best to get you fit as quickly as ever we can. I
’
ll look in again this afternoon, just to check on
thing
s.
’
But Julie did not need to be told that he was
‘
looking in
’
to observe his patient
’
s reactions to his first official visitor.

Tansy arrived exactly on time and, for her, she was very subdued and quiet. She sat primly on the edge of the bedside chair, her hands folded in her lap, her wide eyes staring at Garth as if she could not believe he was alive and on the way to recovery. Julie tactfully withdrew to as discreet a distance as possible, leaving them to talk together, but although she unconsciously strained her ears she could hear nothing but a polite murmur from Tansy and an occasional interjection from Garth, but as her patient did not appear to be upsetting himself she remained where she was.

Tansy did not stay very long. Long before the hour
was up she approached Julie
’
s chair and asked in a whisper if she might have a private word with her. Julie gave a quick glance towards the bed, but apparently Garth had fallen asleep, so she nodded agreement.

‘
Only for a moment,
’
she cautioned the other girl, as they stepped into the corridor together.

‘
It won
’
t take any longer than that,
’
Tansy assured her, closing the door of Garth
’
s room behind her.
‘
Listen, Nurse. I
must
talk to someone about what
’
s bothering me. What will happen when he
does
remember
?’
She hesitated a moment, then in a little breathless rush she added:
‘
It
’
s so awful, you see. If I could talk to you
...
privately ... not just for a moment, but really confide in you. Could you come round to my flat as soon as possible and let me tell you all about it
...
ask your advice?
’

Tansy had not noticed that Ian had approached along the corridor and halted just behind them. If he had been expecting a scene in Garth
’
s room he must have been surprised to find instead the nurse in charge and the patient
’
s visitor chatting cosily in the corridor. Julie saw him first and gave
him
an anguished glance, imploring him not to say anything sharp to the girl or to herself for leaving her patient unattended for a few minutes.

‘
Miss Maitland wanted to ask me something privately,
Mr.
Greensmith,
’
she greeted him.
‘Mr.
Holroyd is asleep.
’

‘
I
’
ve asked Nurse if she
’
ll come and see me as soon as she can, Doctor,
’
Tansy began confusedly.
‘
It
is
important ... for Garth, I mean. I
’
m sure she would be able to advise me what to do.
’

‘
I have an afternoon free tomorrow,
’
Julie began doubtfully, but before Ian had time to make up his mind whether or not this was an appropriate time to mention he had hoped to take Julie for a drive or not, Tansy had seized her opportunity.

‘
That would be lovely,
’
she gushed.
‘
Around three, if you can. You have my address?
’

‘
Yes, I have it.
’
Julie looked at Ian, but his face was a controlled mask and she had to make up her mind for herself.

‘
I
’
ll be there,
’
she promised, and because Tansy still looked uncertain of herself she smiled reassuringly.
‘
If what you have to tell me will help
Mr.
Holroyd I wouldn
’
t miss it for the world,
’
she assured her, and with that Tansy had to leave the two to return to Garth and make her solitary way home with her worry still unsolved.

Julie was left in no doubt whatsoever as to Ian
’
s feelings with regard to her proposed visit to Tansy
’
s flat. Once assured that his patient was asleep and comfortable, he turned round to face her.

‘
When will you learn?
’
he demanded.
‘
You
’
ve always been the same
...
involving yourself in the lives of your patients to your own detriment. What does it matter to you that this girl has obviously some secret she wants to keep from young Holroyd? People like
T
ans
y
Maitland aren
’
t like us. They don
’
t live ordered lives. They live on their emotions, and expect other people to be able to react to them, no matter whether they are on the heights or in the depths. They like it that way
...
even their distress isn
’
t as real as you imagine it to be.
’

‘
You may be right,
’
Julie said slowly,
‘
but I
’
m not sure. I always feel that it
’
s my duty to help if I can, and often the greatest help one can be to people like Miss Maitland is to provide a shoulder to cry on now and again. They need that sort of emotional release.
’

‘
I
’
m no psychologist,
’
Ian sounded disgruntled, but his smile flashed out again, suddenly, robbing the words of any sting,
‘
but I do appreciate your point, and seeing that your good works on Miss Maitland
’
s behalf are to rob me of the pleasure of your company tomorrow afternoon, perhaps you will allow me to call for you at her flat and run you home? At least I
’
ll be able to see that you
’
re not completely swamped by whatever misery it is that
’
s upset
her
so much this past week or so
!’

‘
You do that,
’
Julie agreed, surprising herself by
adding:
‘
I wish you could have gone with me, but she was
so insistent on seeing me alone...’

Surprisingly enough she was still thinking she would have been grateful for Ian
’
s company, for his matter-of-fact acceptance of whatever it was that disturbed Tansy so much, as she pressed the bell to the other girl
’
s flat. Tansy herself opened the door so quickly that it was obvious she had been awaiting her visitor, and Julie found herself being ushered into a room crowded with
frilly
cushions, mascot dolls and a variety of knick-knacks. A baby grand piano dominated one corner of the room, draped with an exotic shawl, and there were highly perfumed flowers everywhere.

‘
Do sit down.
’
Tansy indicated a low, cushion-strewn settee.
‘
I
’
ve made some coffee. Help yourself to cigarettes
...’

She disappeared in the direction of what Julie assumed was the kitchenette, emerging in a matter of minutes with a tray containing cups and saucers, a percolator and a plate of biscuits.

‘
Now we can talk,
’
she decided.
‘
I can
’
t talk properly in the hospital. The atmosphere there does something to me.
’

Julie was surprised. She had expected the other girl to hedge, to dissemble, while she would have to coax the story, whatever it may be, from her, but with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Tansy amazed her by plunging straight into the story. It was as though, having made up her mind to confide in Julie, she wanted the whole thing over and done with before she had time to change her intentions.

‘
I haven
’
t known Garth very long,
’
she began.
‘
He
’
s not really my kind of person, although he
’
s very sweet, but we don
’
t see eye to eye on a number of things
...
as I expect you
’
ve guessed, now you
’
ve seen the pair of us.
’
She frowned slightly, searching for the right words to convey her meaning.
‘
He
’
s an orderly sort of person,
’
she said at last.
‘
He likes things to keep in sequence, he likes his days to be planned ... to know ahead just what
’
s going to happen, when and why. I like excitement, difference, change. All of this must sound silly to you, but it
’
s all part of what I must tell you.
’

‘
It doesn
’
t sound silly in the least,
’
Julie assured her, although at the time she wondered exactly where all this might be leading.
‘
Do go on.
’

‘
The night of the accident,
’
Tansy said slowly,
‘
we
’
d been to a party. It wasn
’
t a planned sort of party, you know, where you get an invitation, accept it and all the rest of it. A friend of mine had just been offered a good part in a new television series. She
’
d been out of work for some time, and this was like a miracle, so she decided to throw a party, on the spur of the moment, to celebrate. I wanted to go—naturally—but Garth wasn
’
t keen. I must admit I sulked a bit, said I went to see his stuffy aunt when he wanted me to meet her, went to the equally stuffy luncheon of his office colleagues, so I didn
’
t see why he shouldn
’
t go to this party to please me. I knew he
’
d enjoy it when we got there.
’