CHAPTER X
The Red Cross Hospital
There was just one more exeat for Marjorie and Dona before the holidays.Christmas was near now, and they were looking forward immensely toreturning home. They had, on the whole, enjoyed the term, but the timehad seemed long, and to Dona especially the last weeks draggedinterminably.
"I'm counting every day, and crossing it off in my calendar," she saidto Marjorie, as the two stepped along towards The Tamarisks. "I'mgetting so fearfully excited. Just think of seeing Mother and Peter andCyril and Joan again! And there's always the hope that Daddy might getleave and come home. Oh, it would be splendiferous if he did! I supposethere's no chance for any of the boys?"
"They didn't seem to think it likely," returned Marjorie. "Beviscertainly said he'd have no leave till the spring, and Leonard doesn'texpect his either. Larry may have a few days, but you know he said wemustn't count upon it."
"Oh dear, I suppose not! I should have liked Larry to be home forChristmas. I wish they'd send him to the camp near Whitecliffe. Hepromised he'd come and take me out, and give me tea at a cafe. It wouldbe such fun. I want to go to that new cafe that's just been opened inKing Street, it looks so nice."
"Perhaps we can coax Elaine to take us there this afternoon," suggestedMarjorie.
But when the girls reached The Tamarisks, their cousin had quite adifferent plan for their entertainment.
"We're going to the Red Cross Hospital," she announced. "I've alwayspromised to show you over, only it was never convenient before. To-day'sa great day. The men are to have their Christmas tree."
"Before Christmas!" exclaimed Dona.
"Why, yes, it doesn't much matter. The reason is that some very grandpeople can come over to-day to be present, so of course our commandantseized the opportunity. It's Lord and Lady Greystones, and AdmiralWebster. There'll be speeches, you know, and all that kind of thing.It'll please the Tommies. Oh, here's Grace! she's going with me. She'sone of our V.A.D.'s. Grace, may I introduce my two cousins, Marjorie andDona Anderson? This is Miss Chalmers."
Both Elaine and her friend were dressed in their neat V.A.D. uniforms.Marjorie scanned them with admiring and envious eyes as the four girlsset off together for the hospital.
"I'd just love to be a V.A.D.," she sighed. "Oh, I wish I were oldenough to leave school! It must be a ripping life."
Grace Chalmers laughed.
"One doesn't always think so early in the morning. Sometimes I'd giveeverything in the world not to have to get up and turn out."
"So would I," agreed Elaine.
"What exactly has a V.A.D. to do?" asked Marjorie. "Do tell me."
"Well, it depends entirely on the hospital, and what she has undertaken.If she has signed under Government, then she's a full-time nurse, and issent to one of the big hospitals. Elaine and I are only half-timers. Wego in the mornings, from eight till one, and do odd jobs. I took nightduty during the summer while some of the staff had their holidays."
"Wasn't it hard to keep awake?"
"Not in the least. Don't imagine for a moment that night duty consistsin sitting in a ward and trying not to go to sleep. I was busy all thetime. I had to get the trays ready for breakfast, and cut the bread andbutter. Have you ever cut bread and butter for fifty hungry people?"
"I've helped to get ready for a Sunday-school tea-party," said Marjorie.
"Well, this is like a tea-party every day. One night I had to cleanfifty herrings. They were sent as a present in a little barrel, and theCommandant said the men should have them for breakfast. They hadn't beencleaned, so Violet Linwood and I set to work upon them. It was a mosthorrible job. My hands smelt of fish for days afterwards. I didn'tmind, though, as it was for the Tommies. They enjoyed their friedherrings immensely. What else did I have to do in the night? When thebreakfast trays were ready, I used to disinfect my hands and sterilizethe scissors, and then make swabs for next day's dressings. Some of themen don't sleep well, and I often had to look after them, and do thingsfor them. Then early in the morning we woke our patients and washedthem, and gave them their breakfasts, and made their beds and tidiedtheir lockers, and by that time the day-shift had arrived, and we wentoff duty."
"Tell her how you paddled," chuckled Elaine.
"Shall I? Isn't it rather naughty?"
"Oh, please!" implored Marjorie and Dona, who were both deeplyinterested.
"Well, you see, there's generally rather a slack time between four andhalf-past, and one morning it was quite light and most deliciously warm,and Sister was on duty in the ward, and Violet and I were only waitingabout downstairs, so we stole out and rushed down to the beach andpaddled. It was gorgeous; the sea looked so lovely in that early morninglight, and it was so cool and refreshing to go in the water; and ofcourse there wasn't a soul about--we had the beach all to ourselves. Wewere back again long before Sister wanted us."
"What do you do in the day-shifts?" asked Marjorie.
"I'm in the kitchen mostly, helping to prepare dinner. I peel potatoesand cut up carrots and stir the milk puddings. Elaine is on ward dutynow. She'll tell you what she does."
"Help to take temperatures and chart them," said Elaine. "Then there areinstruments to sterilize and lotions to mix. And somebody has to get theday's orders from the dispensary and operating-theatre andsterilizing-ward. If you forget anything there's a row! Dressings aregoing on practically all the morning. Sometimes there are operations,and we have to clean up afterwards. I like being on ward duty betterthan kitchen. It's far more interesting."
"It's a business when there's a new convoy in," remarked Grace.
"Rather!" agreed Elaine. "The ambulances arrive, and life's unbearabletill all the men are settled. They have to be entered in the books, withevery detail, down to their diets. They're so glad when they get totheir quarters, poor fellows! The journey's an awful trial to some ofthem. Here we are! Now you'll be able to see everything for yourselves."
The Red Cross Hospital was a large fine house in a breezy situation onthe cliffs. It had been lent for the purpose by its owner since thebeginning of the war, and had been adapted with very little alteration.Dining-room, drawing-room, and billiard-rooms had been turned intowards, the library was an office, and the best bedroom anoperating-theatre. A wooden hut had been erected in the garden as arecreation-room for convalescents. In summer-time the grounds were fullof deck-chairs, where the men could sit and enjoy the beautiful viewover the sea.
To-day everybody was collected in Queen Mary Ward. About sixteenpatients were in bed, others had been brought in wheeled chairs, and alarge number, who were fairly convalescent, sat on benches. The roomlooked very bright and cheerful. There were pots of ferns and flowers onthe tables, and the walls had been decorated for the occasion with flagsand evergreens and patriotic mottoes. In a large tub in the centre stoodthe Christmas tree, ornamented with coloured glass balls and tiny flags.Some of the parcels, tied up with scarlet ribbons, were hanging from thebranches, but the greater number were piled underneath.
Marjorie looked round with tremendous interest. She had never beforebeen inside a hospital of any kind, and a military one particularlyappealed to her. Each of the patients had fought at the front, and hadbeen wounded for his King and his Country. England owed them a debt ofgratitude, and nothing that could be done seemed too much to repay it.Her thoughts flew to Bevis, Leonard, and Larry. Would they ever bebrought to a place like this and nursed by strangers?
"You'd like to go round and see some of the Tommies, wouldn't you?"asked Elaine.
Marjorie agreed with enthusiasm, and Dona less cordially. Thelatter--silly little goose!--was always scared at the idea of wounds andhospitals, and she was feeling somewhat sick and faint at the sight ofso many invalids, though she did not dare to confess such foolishnessfor fear of being laughed at. She allowed Marjorie to go first, andfollowed with rather white cheeks. She was so accustomed to play secondfiddle that nobody noticed.
The patients were looking very cheerful, and smiled broadly on thei
rvisitors. They were evidently accustomed to being shown off by theirnurses. Some were shy and would say nothing but "Yes", "No", or "Thankyou"; and others were conversational. Elaine introduced them like aproud little mother.
"This is Peters; he keeps us all alive in this ward. He's lost his rightleg, but he's going on very well, and takes it sporting, don't you,Peters?"
"Rather, Nurse," replied Peters, a freckled, sandy-haired young fellowof about twenty-five. "Only I wish it had been the other leg. You see,"he explained to the visitors, "my right leg was fractured at thebeginning of the war, and I was eighteen months in hospital with it atHarpenden, and they were very proud of making me walk again. Then, soonafter I got back to the front, it was blown off, and I felt they'dwasted their time over it at Harpenden!"
"It was too bad," sympathized Marjorie.
"Jackson has lost his right leg too," said Elaine, passing on to thenext bed. "He was wounded on sentry duty. He'd been out since thebeginning of the war, and had not had a scratch till then. And he'dbeen promised his leave the very next day. Hard luck, wasn't it?"
"The only thing that troubles me," remarked Jackson, "is that I'd paid aquid out in Egypt to have my leg tattooed by one of those black fellows.He'd put a camel on it, and a bird and a monkey, and my initials and aheart. It was something to look at was that leg. And I've left it overin France. Wish I could get my money back!"
The next patient, Rawlins, was very shy and would not speak, though hesmiled a little at the visitors.
"He's going on nicely," explained Elaine, "but I'm afraid he stillsuffers a good deal. He's awfully plucky about it. He doesn't care totalk. He likes just to lie and watch what's going on in the ward. Thisboy in the next bed is most amusing. He sends everyone into fits. He'sonly eighteen, poor lad! Webster, here are two young ladies come to seeyou. Do you know, he can imitate animals absolutely perfectly. Give us aspecimen, Webster, before Lord and Lady Greystones arrive."
"I'm a bashful sort of a chap----" began the boy humorously.
"No, no, you're not," put in Elaine. "I want my cousins to hear the pigsqueak. Please do."
"Well, to oblige you, Nurse."
He raised himself a little on his elbow, then, to the girls' surprise, awhole farm-yard seemed to have entered the ward. They could hear a sheepbleating, a duck quacking, a dog barking, hens clucking, a cock crowing,and a pig uttering a series of agonized squeals. It was a most comicalimitation, and really very clever.
Even Dona laughed heartily, and the colour crept back to her cheeks. Shewas beginning to get over her terror of wounded soldiers.
"They seem to be able to enjoy themselves," she remarked.
"Oh yes, they've all sorts of amusement!" replied Elaine, drawing hercousins aside. "It's wonderful how cheery they keep, not to say noisysometimes. In 'Kitchener' Ward the men have mouth organs and tinwhistles and combs, and play till you're nearly deafened. We don't liketo check them if it keeps up their spirits, poor fellows! You see,there's always such a pathetic side to it. Some of them will be cripplesto the end of their days, and they're still so young. It seems dreadful.Think of Peters and Jackson. A man with one leg can't do very much for aliving unless he's a clerk, and neither of them is educated enough forthat. Their pensions won't be very much. I suppose they'll be taughtsome kind of handicraft. I hope so, at any rate."
"Are they all ordinary Tommies here?" asked Marjorie.
"We've no officers. They, of course, are always in a separate hospital.But some of the Tommies are gentlemen, and have been to public schools.There are two over there. We'll go down the other side of the ward andyou'll see them. There's just time before our grand visitors arrive. Wemust stop and say a word at each bed, or the men will feel left out. Wetry not to show any favouritism to the gentlemen Tommies. This isWilkinson--he reads the newspaper through every day and tells us allabout it. It's very convenient when we haven't time to read it forourselves. This is Davis; he comes from Bangor, and can speak Welsh,which is more than I can. This is Harper; he's to get up next week if hegoes on all right."
"Who is this in the next bed?" asked Marjorie suddenly.
"Seventeen? That's one of the gentlemen Tommies," whispered Elaine. "Anold Rugby boy--he knew Wilfred there. Yes, Sister, I'm coming!"
In response to a word from the ward sister, Elaine hurried awayimmediately, leaving her cousins to take care of themselves.
Marjorie looked again at the patient in No. 17. The twinkling brown eyesseemed most familiar. She glanced at the board on the bed-head and saw:"Hilton Tamworthy Preston". The humorous mouth was smiling at her inevident recognition. She smiled too.
"Didn't we travel together from Silverwood?" she stammered.
"Of course we did. I knew you at once when you were going down the otherside of the ward," he replied. "Did you get to Brackenfield all rightthat day?"
"Yes, thanks. But how did you know that we were going to Brackenfield?"
"Why, you were wearing your badges. My sisters used to be there, so Itwigged at once that you were Brackenfielders. Your teacher wore a badgetoo. I hope she found a taxi all right?"
"No, she didn't. It was a wretched four-wheeler, but we were glad to getanything in the way of a cab."
"How do you like school?"
"Oh, pretty well! I like it better than Dona does. We're going home nextTuesday for the holidays."
"My sisters were very happy there, and Kathleen was a prefect. I used tohear all about it. Do you still call Mrs. Morrison 'The Empress'? Iexpect there are plenty of new girls now that Joyce and Kathleenwouldn't remember."
"Have you been wounded?" asked Dona shyly.
"Yes, but I'm getting on splendidly. I hope to be up quite soon. TheDoctor promised to have me back at the front before long."
"We have a brother at the front, and one on the _Relentless_, andanother in training," volunteered Marjorie, "besides Father, who's atHavre."
"And I'm one of five brothers, who are all fighting."
"Didn't you get the V.C.?"
"Oh yes, but I don't think I did anything very particular! Any of ourmen would have done the same."
"Have you got it here in your locker?"
"No, my mother has it at home."
"I'd have loved to see it."
"I wish I could have shown it to you. I thought it would be safer athome. Hallo! Here come the bigwigs! The show is going to begin."
All eyes turned towards the door, where the Commandant was ushering inthe guests of the afternoon. Lord Greystones was elderly, with a whitemoustache and a bald head; Lady Greystones, twenty years younger, waspretty, and handsomely dressed in velvet and furs. Admiral Webster, likeNelson, had lost an arm, and his empty sleeve was tucked into the coatfront of his uniform. The patients saluted as the visitors entered, andthose who were able stood up, but the majority had perforce to remainseated. Escorted by the Commandant, the august visitors first made atour of inspection round the ward, nodding or saying a few words to thepatients in bed. Speeches followed from Lord Greystones and the Admiral,and from one of the Governors of the hospital. They were stirring,patriotic speeches, and Marjorie listened with a little thrill, andwished more than ever that she were old enough to take some real part inthe war, and bear a share of the nation's burden. It was wonderful, asthe Admiral said, to think that we are living in history, and that thedeeds done at this present time will go down through all the years whilethe British Empire lasts.
Then came the important business of stripping the tree. Lord Greystonesand the Admiral cut off the parcels, and Lady Greystones distributedthem to the men, with a pleasant word and a smile for each. The presentsconsisted mostly of tobacco, or little writing-cases with notepaper andenvelopes.
"It's so fearfully hard to know what to choose for them," said Elaine,who had found her way back to her cousins. "It's no use giving themthings they can't take away with them. A few of them like books, butvery few. Oh, here come the tea-trays! You can help me to take themround, if you like. The convalescents are to have tea in thedi
ning-room. They've a simply enormous cake; you must go and look at it.It'll disappear to the last crumb. Here's Mother! She'll take you withher and see you back to Brackenfield. I must say ta-ta now, as I've tobe on duty."
Marjorie lingered a moment, and turned again to Bed 17.
"Good-bye!" she said hurriedly. "I hope you'll be better soon."
"Thanks very much," returned Private Preston. "I'm 'marked out' for aconvalescent home, and shall be leaving here as soon as I can get up. Ihope you'll enjoy the holidays. Don't miss your train this time.Good-bye!"
A Patriotic Schoolgirl Page 10
