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With a sigh, she straightened up as she finished running yet another bath. This one was for John Snelling, and she was about to call him when strong arms curled themselves about her waist.

For one heart-stopping second she thought it was Rick, and she didn't struggle, a half-smile hovering about her mouth.

Then she saw it was John Snelling, and treated him to her 'let's have no nonsense' look. He grinned, his hands locked in front of her, and she had great difficulty in prising them apart.

Luckily, she was far stronger than the slim-built John, and succeeded in releasing herself just as a stern voice spoke from the open doorway.

'Nothing better to do, Nurse?' the deep voice enquired, and Anna whirled around, scarlet-faced.

Dr Paul Tester leaned against the door, a scowl on his heavy-featured face, but after John had apologised to them both and assured the consultant that it was his fault, the scowl disappeared and Dr Tester chuckled, much to Anna's relief.

'Can't say I blame you, young man. I might try to snatch a quick cuddle myself if I wasn't a consultant!'

Leaving John without any reluctance, Anna meekly followed the tall, well-built consultant. Just outside the bathroom door he turned around for a closer look at her, and her eyes widened. Was his show of good humour only for the patient? Was this impatient, demanding man going to tear a strip off her after all?

He frowned. 'Where have I seen you before? That mop of carroty hair seems familiar.'

Anna didn't like her red locks being described as carroty but wisely refrained from saying so. 'I. . . I, er, nearly knocked you down in the car park a couple of weeks ago, sir,' she ventured reluctantly, and his face cleared.

'So you did. So you did,' he murmured. 'I remember—your pulse was pounding away! You were going to Brightling Hill, weren't you?'

Surprised, Anna nodded. 'Fancy you remembering that.'

'Hm. I'm not so old and decrepit that my memory is going,' he said dryly, and Anna laughed, her green eyes lighting up.

Realising almost immediately that she had no business smiling at consultants, Anna asked what she could do for him, and Dr Tester winked.

'Well now, that's the sixty-four thousand dollar question, isn't it!' he chuckled. 'I was looking for Sister, as a matter of fact. I couldn't see her, there was no one manning the nurses' station, so I ended up searching the bathrooms.'

'Oh, I'm sorry, sir!' Not that it was her fault, but it wasn't very nice for a senior doctor to have to winkle out junior staff because no one senior was around. 'Sister is at a committee meeting,' she explained hurriedly, 'and Staff Nurse is off, but SEN Hatcher ought to be in the office. I'll go and find her,' she offered but the consultant shook his head,-still smiling.

'No, don't bother. Tell me about yourself,' he invited, and Anna's mouth opened in a big 'O' of astonishment. Consultants weren't supposed to be interested in first-year students!

'Um, there's nothing to tell, sir. This is only my second ward.' Anna stopped, wondering how much else he wanted to know.

'Enjoying Park Ward?' he asked,
and Anna nodded and said 'Yes thank you, sir' very politely, wishing he would go because she knew word of their meeting would get back to Sister Noakes.

'Good, good. Perhaps you had better find Nurse . . .' Dr Tester began, then the squeak of crepe-soles heralded the arrival of the Jerseyman. Anna saw him first because she was facing the door. The set expression on his face was one with which she was all too familiar.

'Ah, there you are, Rick! You didn't tell me there was a beautiful redhead on my ward!' Dr Tester said jovially. Rick permitted himself a tight smile, but Anna could see it was an effort. He was in a temper again and for no apparent reason.

'Sorry, sir. I didn't know you were interested in large student nurses,' Rick said cuttingly, and she flinched from the look of contempt he threw her.

Dr Tester turned puzzled eyes on Anna's stricken face, then glanced at his registrar again. 'Hardly a kind remark, Rick,' he reproached, then went on to ask Rick's opinion about a patient while Anna, glad to be forgotten, crept away, trying to hide the hurt behind a professional smile.

Large student nurses, indeed! She wasn't
that
big. He made her sound six feet tall, with muscles to match! She was so distressed that at first she failed to notice Sister Noakes observing her from the office doorway. When she did, she surprised a look of dislike, almost of hatred, on the other woman's face. Sister must have arrived back when she and the doctors were standing in the middle of the ward. She would think that Anna was making up to Dr Tester—or Dr Alexandre, and Anna still wasn't sure which one Sister preferred.

'If you aren't busy, Nurse, perhaps you would make Dr Tester some tea,' Sister said, tight-lipped, and Anna hastened to obey, then remembered John Snelling.

'John Snelling is in the big bath, Sister. He's the last one. Shall I check on him before I make the tea?' Anna asked, knowing that at that moment whatever she did would be wrong in Sister's eyes.

'No, he can manage, Nurse. For heaven's sake make the tea!' Sister said crossly, her cold brown eyes fixed on Anna's flushed face. Anna was glad to hurry away. Her cap was askew again, she knew, and Sister would draw her own conclusions from that.

After that, Anna always seemed to be bumping into the consultant, both on and off the ward, and it was inevitable that word of it got back to Sister Noakes. Not that she ever said anything. She merely treated Anna to long, searching glances at times, which were very unnerving and made Anna long to have the matter out in the open. But if Sister chose not to broach the subject there was nothing Anna could do to clear the air.

Fortunately, her notes on heart diseases were well-researched and she put the subject across in an interesting way, so Sister had no cause for complaint. Anna found heart diseases of interest, anyway, and in her reading she often found little ways of helping her mother, encouraging her to take more interest in life.

Of Mike Forster nothing was said, and Anna saw no more of him, though she thought of him often, in his dingy flat with the broken settee. Was he still there, she wondered, or had the call to his Northern Ireland factory come?

The weather was cold enough here but it would be wetter over there, Anna felt sure, and she worried about him, believing he might not be warm enough or not be eating properly. She realised now that she didn't love him, that what she'd taken for love was merely a being in love with love episode. A teenage failing that was part of growing up and which had come to Anna late because of her inexperience. No, it was Rick Alexandre she loved, Rick who filled her dreams, whose face she saw and whose voice she heard even when he was far away.

Christmas was less than one week away and Anna felt lonelier than ever. She longed to spend Christmas with the man she loved and at least she was on duty for most of the festive season and expected Rick would be too. Hadn't he told her he was bringing mistletoe on to the ward? But that was ages ago, or it seemed so. He didn't care now. He knew he wasn't going to get anything for his trouble so he must be making up to some other girl. Anna only wished she knew which one.

Deep in her brown study she didn't at first hear Rick and he had to speak twice before she was aware of him. Even then, she thought him an apparition conjured up by her mind—she had wanted to see him so her mind had obligingly projected his image. Then she realised that he was really there in the flesh, and blushed because she felt he must be aware of her need for him. He looked bad-tempered, tired, too, and Anna found herself asking after his health.

Surprise momentarily replaced annoyance on his lean face, and his eyes narrowed. 'Why should you be concerned about my well-being, Nurse Curtis?' he asked, voice and eyes chilly, and Anna shivered, feeling the iciness reach out and touch her.

'I thought you looked rather p . . . peaky,' she stammered. 'There's still a lot of 'flu going around, you know,' she hurried on, wanting to stop but unable to control her tongue. 'You ought to take care. Don't overwork or . . .'

'Thank you, Dr Curtis!' he cut in, 'but I can manage without your expert advice!'

Anna closed her eyes in pain, and he was immediately contrite. His granite face softened a little, and he patted her shoulder awkwardly. 'Sorry, Anna. I guess I'm tired. Forget what I said.' He strode on, and Anna's eyes watched his tall figure until it vanished from sight.

Then, heavy-hearted, she continued her journey to the Path Lab. Her mind was on Rick, however, and she had passed the turning and gone some way towards the administration offices before she realised where she was. Dazed and angry she was about to retrace her steps, then heard her name.

'Nurse! Nurse Curtis, wait a moment.' It was Dr Tester's voice and she wondered what he'd been doing in the Path Lab, but when she turned she saw him in the doorway of the Hospital Administrator's office. The two men said goodbye and the tall consultant hurried up to Anna, who stood impatiently, wishing Dr Tester was Rick.

Would Rick look like that when he was middle-aged? Anna pondered on the thought, seeing the grey hair at Dr Tester's temples, the hairline that was receding ever so slightly, the signs of a thickening waistline. She couldn't imagine the athletic Rick ever letting himself go like that. Why, his flat belly and . . . She checked the drift of her thoughts. She mustn't think about Rick Alexandre. He couldn't care less about her.

'Why so sad, Nurse?' Dr Tester asked, matching his longer stride to hers, and Anna smiled wanly.

'I was thinking about Christmas, sir,' she murmured. 'It would be nice if everyone could be with those they love at Christmas.'

'So it would. Do you have someone to love?' he asked lightly, and Anna's smile deepened, her green eyes widening.

'I can't tell you that, sir!' she teased, and his loud, deep laugh rang out, causing several heads to turn their way. One of the heads belonged to Sheila Haggerty, and Anna smiled at her as they passed, but without really seeing her. She wasn't seeing Dr Tester, either. Her mind was on the man she loved, as usual.

Consultant and student nurse parted outside Park Ward and Anna pushed open the swing doors, the meeting with Dr Tester already fading from her mind.

She was due off at four-thirty but carol-practice had been arranged for a quarter past five so Anna obligingly worked until just after five, then hurried to the lecture hall in the School of Nursing, where the final practice was being held. Her mother knew she would be late, knew the reason why as well, so Anna felt free to linger afterwards and share a coffee with her fellow students. Now she no longer felt so much of a stranger among the younger ones. She was beginning to fit in at last. She was really looking forward to the coffee and general discussion after the practice.

Although she loved singing, Anna was sad because a certain dark-haired doctor wasn't among the choir. Most of the songsters were nurses, male as well as female, but there was a smattering of domestics, one porter who was a lovely bass, and Mr Archer, the Administrator.

To Anna's surprise, he made straight for her when, flushed and breathless, she arrived for the session.

He was a short, portly man with a mass of white hair which Anna was sure he had permed it always looked so immaculate. Although an important member of staff, he was always friendly, so she wasn't prepared for the stern look he gave her.

He manoeuvred her into a corner of the huge hall, away from the others, and Anna's eyes widened with dismay. She knew she was about to be ticked off for some misdemeanour but wasn't aware of having committed any crime.

Mr Archer's first words showed Anna where her supposed crime lay. 'Do you realise the whole hospital is talking about you and Dr Tester?'

Anna gasped, then began to protest, already knowing by the adamant expression on Mr Archer's face that it was useless. The St Aidan's grapevine had done its work too well.

Anna
stood numbly while Mr Archer continued his quiet but stern castigation. His words finally penetrated the cloud that enveloped her, 'I realise that nurses are not angels. I've been at this hospital long enough to have the scales pulled from my eyes!' he was saying, and Anna nodded automatically. 'So if you and Dr Tester are enjoying an affair, for heaven's sake why didn't you keep it quiet?'

'But we . . .' Anna began, but Mr Archer was in full stride now. 'It's too late to keep it quiet now, Nurse. That's the pity of it. Why on earth couldn't you pick one of the junior doctors?' he asked sharply. 'A consultant has a certain reputation to keep up, even a divorced one.' Still grumbling like an old woman, the administrator moved away, leaving a stricken Anna to gaze after him.

When the conductor waved all the singers together Anna could take no more. She fled, uncaring of the eyes and pointing fingers her imagination was conjuring up.

It was a fine though cold night, and she half-walked, half-ran all the way home. She wished with all her might she'd never set eyes on Dr Paul Tester. It could only be a matter of time before the rumour reached the ears of Rick Alexandre. He had little opinion of her as it was—what would he think then?

Next morning Anna was on duty at seven-thirty
and was surprised to see Sister's figure just ahead of her in the corridor. Sister never arrived before eight, except for a consultant's round day, and even then did so rarely. There must be some trouble on the ward but Anna could not imagine what.

John Snelling had been discharged two days before, and Anna had heaved a sigh of relief at his going. Most of the others were still there, though Mr Pearson was expected to be discharged today.

Anna hoped Sister Noakes hadn't heard the rumours. Although Sister wore a wedding ring, Anna now knew that the woman's husband had been killed on their honeymoon some two or three years before. Because of that Anna no longer felt animosity towards her senior. Her soft heart could not bear to dwell on the pain and the anguish Sister must have suffered, so she went out of her way to perform little services for her. Eliza Sulu had openly sneered and called it 'touting for Sister's favour' but Anna didn't mind. As long as
she
knew why she did it, the opinion of the others didn't matter. She had only to imagine Rick Alexandre lying in a road somewhere, his body bruised and crushed, his life-blood spilling on to the ground, to feel empathy with Sister Noakes.