The Lieutenant's Nurse

by Sara Ackerman

  “Look, they’re surf riding!” she said, temporarily forgetting her worries. Men on long wooden planks rode the breakers like they were flying. “Do women do it, too?”

  “They usually go tandem with a beach boy.”

  “I want to try it,” she said.

  Billy looked nervous. “First things first, honey. There’s a hospital waiting for you.”

  The smell of torch fuel and seaweed drifted in the air around them. Light from the first stars began to pop. It was about the most romantic setting you could imagine, and yet she felt a bottleneck forming in her throat. Unable to bear it, she pulled up her dress and plopped on a patch of thick green grass.

  She looked up at him. “Sit with me?”

  “Are you okay?” he said.

  “I think the heat is getting to me. And maybe I’m just a little overwhelmed by all the newness.”

  Dusk and ninety degrees. Something she would need to get used to.

  “You’re a long way from home, darling. I was going to wait until we were at the table to give this to you, but maybe this’ll help.” He drew an envelope from his pocket.

  “To Eva” read the words on it.

  “Ruby!” Eva cried.

  “She said she didn’t know when you’d be settled in so she mailed it to me, and asked me to give it to you.”

  She tore open the letter with trembling hands.

  Dear Eva,

  I am dying to hear about your trip to Hawaii. Was it everything they say and more? I bet it was! And Billy, did he officially propose yet? I still plan on coming, you know. Nurse Sylvia is like a drill sergeant about those exercises, but we have to do them in secret because Dr. Badger starts yelling at me to rest if he catches me so much as lifting my hairbrush. He does let me get wheeled around twice a day, though, and it is the highlight of my day going to the picture window and watching the squirrels. That and seeing Scout. I love that dog. If only I could go outside myself. This stale air is getting to me. I’m feeling well, other than the fact that my legs are still uncooperative. I’ve been having lots of conversations with God about this, and He has assured me that, in time, I will walk. Do you want the good news now? I wiggled my big toe yesterday! At first I thought it was a fluke, but no sirree, that toe was moving on its own. I’m going to look into traveling out there next month, by rowboat if I have to. That may sound soon to you, but I have faith. Send news as soon as you can.

  Love,

  Ruby

  Eva held the letter to her chest and closed her eyes. She tried to catch any familiar scent of Ruby and her favorite lemon-scented balm, but the paper smelled like gasoline. Above all, she had been hoping to hear that Ruby’s legs were better. But she knew that nerves took their sweet time in healing and they could be fickle as the devil. No change for weeks and then a sudden, small improvement. Then the same thing a month later. She remembered one young man in particular who had fallen while hunting and pinched his spinal cord. He spent hours staring at his legs, then pleading with them and finally screaming at them, Move, you hear me? Move!

  Billy asked, “How is she?”

  “The same ridiculously optimistic Ruby. At least she’s in good spirits, but her legs still don’t work and she has the notion she’s coming out here next month.”

  He gulped. “Next month? You better talk some sense into her.”

  “I’ll ring the hospital tomorrow if I have time,” she said.

  The unfortunate problem was that Ruby was a patient at Hollowcreek General.

  “You don’t want people snooping around Pearl Harbor, asking about you. Be careful what you tell Ruby,” he said.

  “I have it worked out, thank you,” she said a little sharply.

  Billy leaned in and put his arm around her. “I know it’s been rough on you. What do you say we go find a cocktail and forget the outside world for a bit, eh?”

  It sounded like a splendid idea.

  While Billy ordered drinks at the outdoor bar, Eva watched the guests standing around in small clusters, many she recognized from the Lurline. It looked like a band was setting up under a cloth tent and dancing would be in the grass under the stars. Here they were in December wearing nothing but summer dresses and sandals. Some people were even swimming. It was certainly a life one could get used to.

  Billy handed her a pineapple-shaped mug. “World-famous Royal Hawaiian pineapple cocktail.”

  “You must come here a lot, you seem to know your way around.”

  He shrugged. “I appreciate the finest, and this place is it.”

  The drink was tart with a fruity twist. She felt herself lightening up after a few sips, thank goodness. Was it even legal to be unhappy in Waikiki?

  “Yum!” she exclaimed.

  “The boys and I come here now and then, and this here is my favorite.” He moved closer, eyeing her lips and then meeting her gaze with longing. Instinctively, she stepped back.

  “Are you not happy to see me?” he said.

  The kiss with Clark loomed. She was happy, but she was having a hard time erasing that memory and the feelings of guilt that came along with it. She took a huge sip and gave him her best smile. “Of course I am. It’s just—”

  “Eva!” said a familiar twangy voice.

  “Fancy meeting you here, love.”

  She spun around to see Bree and Sasha hurrying toward them across the lawn. She should have known they would be here. Nothing but the finest for those two, either. Seeing them here made the world feel small and friendly, and she was happy for it.

  “So, this is the lucky bloke,” Bree said.

  “Sasha and Bree are friends from the Lurline,” Eva said to Billy, introducing them all.

  “A pleasure to meet you, ladies. Double trouble,” Billy said with a nod and a hint of a smile.

  Was he flirting? All this time away from him, and she’d never given much thought to what he did in his time off, other than golfing and going to the beach. Maybe living in such a small town had made her naive, but the lovesick letters had given her confidence and caused an unflinching trust.

  “Poor Eva, you should have seen the ball she took to the face,” Sasha said to Billy.

  “She took it like a champ, though. And Lieutenant Spencer is no weak fish, I’ll tell you that,” Bree added.

  Billy perked up. “Clark Spencer?”

  “You know him?” Eva asked, doing her best to keep her voice casual.

  “I know of him. Big guy.”

  For a split second, Eva was against his chest again, listening to his heartbeat.

  “Very,” Sasha said.

  “He was your tennis partner?” Billy asked.

  “He was Bree’s.” She nodded toward Bree.

  “Lucky for me,” Bree said with a grin.

  “How long you ladies here in the islands?” Billy asked.

  “Not long enough,” Sasha said.

  “Three weeks in Waikiki and then we hop back on a ship.”

  Eva realized she wanted to see more of them before they left. “Maybe we can meet up on my day off.”

  “What fun that would be! We’re staying here at the Royal. Just drop on in.”

  The twins floated away as quickly as they’d come, two bright spots of color in the night. They would want to make the rounds and chitchat with everyone from the hula dancers to the waiters to the guests.

  Soon, Billy led her onto the dance floor. At first he felt like a statue, awkward and stiff and stepping on her toes. But the moment she relaxed into him, he softened. The lazy pulse of steel guitars wafted through the night around them. Despite his lack of dancing skills, he held her with care. They danced and sipped on pineapple drinks in between. He brushed his lips against her cheek, stirring up a familiar fondness that she had begun to doubt was still there.

  “Evelyn,” he whispered in her ear. “I wan
t to marry you. Please, say you will?”

  The blood rushed from her head. He pulled away and looked at her, his fingers gripping her arms a little too firmly. A proposal had been the furthest thing from her mind. Eva was conscious of his breathing and hardly noticed that hers had stopped until she broke into a coughing fit. This was too much, too soon. Another helping of confusion piled onto an already towering mound. But she had gone and gotten herself into this mess. Now how was she going to get out of it?

  A MASSIVE CIRCLE

  December 5

  With such finicky weather, they have to alter their formation often. Today, four destroyers lead, followed by heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma. After them come the six carriers—Soryu, Hiryu and Zuikaku in one line and Akagi, Kaga and Shokaku in another. Three submarines cruise along underneath. Behind them are the oil tankers and more destroyers, and then battleships Hiei and Kirishima taking up the rear. They move at sixteen knots, as fast as their slowest vessel. Expanding out from here, in a massive circle around Hawaii, the First, Second and Third Submarine Fleets, along with a Special Attack Unit, are all in place.

  Up until now, by some strange miracle, the fleet has remained invisible. Passing no other ships. And then a strange thing happens. A trawler appears, close enough to read the name. Uritzky. Soviet.

  Both keep on sailing by without any acknowledgment.

  BLACKFISH

  Five miles outside of Pearl Harbor, US destroyer Ralph Talbot makes underwater contact with an unidentified vessel. They believe it is a submarine and ask permission from the squadron leader on Selfridge to drop depth charges. The squadron leader denies, telling them it’s an orca.

  “If this is a blackfish, it has a motorboat up its stern,” is the reply from Talbot.

  SISTERS

  December 4 & 5

  The next two days were a blur of activity for Eva. Meeting the Tripler General staff, being assigned to Maternity—not what she expected—and learning the ropes. Meanwhile, going through all of this with one phrase playing over and over in her head and causing a strange throbbing in her temples.

  I want to marry you.

  Couldn’t he have waited until she had her bearings? To spring it on her while her legs were still wobbly from the crossing seemed unfair. She hadn’t said yes, but she hadn’t said no.

  The atmosphere in Tripler Hospital was unhurried and carefree, to say the least. The rooms were painted a light sunshiny yellow, with white window trim on oversize windows. The effect was bright and cheery and a lovely welcome to the world. Two young army wives were close to giving birth, and the doctor had ordered them on bed rest. Another two had new little pink bundles with them and would likely be discharged in a day or two. The other two nurses on duty, Sally Watts and Judy Walton, wanted to fill her in on all the hot spots around town.

  “The football games are always a hoot. There’s a big one tomorrow, if you’d like to join us,” Sally said.

  “I’d like that. The boys from Oregon were on the ship with us,” Eva said.

  Clark would probably be there, too, of course, unless he had work to do. On both Thursday and Friday, Eva had grabbed a newspaper first thing to check for updates about the approaching Japanese ships. But there was nothing. Still, she was on edge and the knowledge scratched away at her insides.

  Eva felt like a novelty item, the way Judy and Sally were peppering her with questions. What happened to your face? Was there anyone famous on the Lurline with you? Do you like dancing? Have you ever been to a luau? Do you have a man back home? Sally had one in Ohio, and Judy was engaged to Sid, a pilot she’d met on Waikiki Beach. Sid was teaching her how to surf, and she invited Eva and Billy to join them the following weekend.

  “Have you heard any scuttlebutt about the Japanese attacking?” Eva asked.

  “Attacking where?” Sally said.

  “Attacking here.”

  Both women laughed. “Oh no, that won’t ever happen. Sid says the Japs are smart enough to know they can’t defeat us,” Judy said.

  Sally lowered her voice for the moms-to-be. “It does sound like there’s going to be conflict over in Asia soon, and we may get transports of wounded from there. So our easy days may be numbered.”

  How could absolutely no one be aware of the danger lurking just offshore? It seemed impossible.

  “May as well enjoy it while we can,” Judy said.

  With three nurses on duty and only two mothers and babies, there was plenty of time to stand out in the hallway and talk in between wiping bottoms and taking temperatures. Midway through the morning, Judy stepped outside for a fifteen-minute break and came back with an armful of long red torch-like flowers and an assortment of ferns and vines and began plucking them apart and arranging them. The vines were covered in tiny green blossoms that perfumed the whole building. Sweeter than honeysuckle and far more potent.

  “I never want to leave this place. Year-round flowers and moonlight swims. You’ll be hooked in no time,” Judy said.

  Eva believed her. “Will you be getting married here?” she asked.

  “As soon as my year is up. Right on Waikiki Beach, where we met. I’m learning the hula,” she said, waving her arms around and swiveling her hips.

  “I can teach you, too, if you’d like.”

  Here they were, living every person’s dream, and yet Eva sensed a change about to come. She’d heard too much on the way over to rest easy. In the other room, one of the babies started a wailing fit, and Sally and Eva hurried in to help the poor mother, who looked desperate for help.

  When they came back out, Judy hung a lei over Eva’s neck. “You deserve a proper welcome. We consider ourselves sisters out here, being so far away from family and all. So now you’re one of us.”

  At the word sister, Eva choked up.

  “Lord knows us nurses have to band together,” Sally said.

  Wasn’t that the truth.

  In the middle of her shift on Friday afternoon, Willa Smart, head nurse on duty, came in. “We need to borrow one of you for surgery. Gladys went home with a fever.”

  “Who’s on?” Sally said.

  “Dr. Newcastle.”

  Sally and Judy exchanged glances and said in unison, “Eva will go.”

  Despite Grace’s warning, Eva was happy to have something to do that involved tending to patients. Anyway, Dr. Newcastle couldn’t be worse than Dr. Brown.

  When she walked into the operating room, Dr. Newcastle was all scrubbed up. He was younger than she had expected, with a shiny bald head, and was barely taller than Eva.

  No greeting, no smile. Just a quick once-over with steel eyes. “I’ve never seen this woman before, Willa. Can you get me someone who knows what they’re doing?”

  “I’m sorry, Doctor, everyone else is gone or busy. Give her a chance,” Willa said before she turned and walked out the door.

  Eva stood quietly, giving a small smile. Her heart was pounding more than it should be. Right away, she could smell his dismissal. The hair on the back of her neck went up.

  Newcastle handed Eva a chart. “Appendicitis. What’s your experience?” he said.

  It was hard not to give him her full qualifications, but that was part of the deal. “Three years of surgical experience in Indiana, all kinds.”

  “Where was your training?”

  “Greenwood Hospital.”

  “Never heard of it.”

  Good. Eva didn’t give him any more.

  “I don’t know about the doctors in Indiana—I’m from New York—but I expect you to follow my orders and I don’t like to be questioned. You got that?”

  She nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “What happened to your face?”

  “Tennis accident.”

  “Nice work.”

  “Dr. Wallace stitched me up. Aboard the Lurline.”

  He looked impressed
, leaning in and inspecting the work. Rancid breath in her face. She’d remember to bring some chewing gum next time. “Dr. Wallace is a legend,” he said as if she didn’t already know.

  “Will you be attending his lectures?” she said, hoping they might have some common ground.

  He pulled his spectacles down to make his point. “Does it look like I am?”

  “Well, no, it doesn’t. But Sunday I’m—”

  “I don’t have time. Now, get cleaned up.”

  Private Allen Dean had been having stabbing pain in his lower right abdomen for several days now, with bloating and constipation. A simple procedure, Dr. Newcastle assured her.

  “Are there signs of rupture?” she asked.

  Newcastle rolled his eyes. “You worry about his blood pressure and pupils.”

  Eva had to clench her jaw to keep herself from saying more. Surely, Newcastle knew what he was doing, but she had so many questions. When he pulled out the drop ether, she was relieved. Private Dean seemed as though he was on the edge, with a weak pulse, clammy face and skyrocketing fever. The last thing she wanted was to have to make any suggestions.

  “Nurse, am I going to be okay?” Private Dean said.

  She smoothed back his hair. “You’re in good hands. We’ll have it out before you know it.”

  Newcastle eyed her. Was she not allowed to talk to patients? Touch them?

  The minute they sliced him open, the putrid smell of pus almost knocked Eva back. “Rupture,” Newcastle said through his surgical mask.

  She nodded, feeling smug about her diagnosis. As Newcastle went to work removing the diseased organ, she had to admit he was good. His small hands and delicate fingers maneuvered around the abdomen easily, and he snipped and scraped with great precision. As much as possible, Eva stayed out of his way. And when it was all over, despite the rupture, she got the feeling that Private Dean would survive.

  Outside, Newcastle pulled off his mask. “Well done, Nurse, but leave the talking to me.”