Highland Interlude

by Lucilla Andrews

  Mrs Lewis was on that night. She showed in Mrs Pringle before taking the day report. Mrs Pringle was armed with more shortbread and another fruit cake. ‘Don’t thank me, lassie! It was a pleasure to be baking! The emptiness of Achnagairl House these last few days and the terrible silence tonight with the Professor shut in his study working!’

  ‘I can imagine. But you’ll be glad to have him back.’

  ‘Och, but he’s away again tomorrow for the rest of the week-end.’

  ‘Is he now? He’s staying in Glasgow?’

  ‘I’ve no doubt he’ll do that, though he’s not yet informed my sister Mary of the fact. But Mary was meeting Mrs Valentine when she was out shopping this morning.’ She looked disapprovingly down her nose. ‘Mrs Valentine was asking what time the Professor’d be leaving with you in the morning. It appears she’s invited to some house-party in Glasgow this week-end, and there’s something wrong with her car. I expect she’ll be asking for a lift.’

  ‘Reasonably, as he’s driving me in.’

  ‘Maybe so. Mary told the Professor, and he was away up the glen to see her directly he returned from London and before he came on here. I’ll not be surprised at all to hear he’s taking her along with you.’

  Nor would I, even though the idea vastly depressed me. To cheer myself up I said, ‘One thing, as it’s such a lovely moonlit night, tomorrow should be a beautiful day.’

  ‘I doubt it.’ She sighed sadly. ‘The moon’ll soon be hidden. There’s a nasty wee breeze getting up.’

  Inside of an hour the wee breeze was strong enough to sweep huge clouds over the moon and whisk up black waves on the loch. Across the water Achnagairl House was a dark smudge lit by pin-points. I stood for some time at my window, looking at the house, after I had switched off my light and before getting into bed, and only then realized that to do that had become my nightly habit ever since allowed up. Last night, I thought, and the thought was curiously saddening.

  I was wide awake when Mrs Lewis pattered along in her bedroom slippers at eleven-thirty. ‘Is the wind disturbing you, Elizabeth?’

  ‘It’s a bit rowdy, but it’s not bothering me. Is it the others?’

  ‘They’re all sleeping now.’ She went over to the window. ‘I hope it drops.’

  ‘The noise worries you?’

  ‘Not for myself, but it could signify a change to worse weather, and I’d not care for that with the hospital so full.’

  I sat up and hugged my knees. ‘Why should that affect the hospital?’

  ‘It’s the week-end, dearie, and the time of the year when the tourists come up to climb. Once here, they’ll be determined to climb, whatever the weather.’

  ‘But are there many here now the school holidays are over?’

  She sat on my bed. She was not only the best nurse I had come across, she was the only one I had known dare do that. ‘The universities are not yet back. Earlier tonight Sister Kilsyth was saying she’d heard from her husband that a large party of English students arrived yesterday and are camped on the far side of the Ben till Tuesday. And Staff Nurse in Men’s Surgical was just telling me last night she was dancing with some of the laddies here in Gairlie. They’ve come to climb the Ben, so, as Sister was saying, it’s to be hoped their party leader has a good understanding of Highland weather. This may blow out before morning, or blow up into a blizzard.’ She glanced again at the window. ‘Sister’ll be anxious. You’ll know Andrew Kilsyth works with Mr Urquhart?’

  ‘Sister’s husband? I didn’t know.’

  ‘And he was one of the men to carry you in here!’

  ‘How awful of me! I never guessed or thanked her.’

  ‘Och, she’ll understand.’ She tilted her head. ‘This wail puts me in mind of your second night. It was worse at dawn. The Professor said it sounded as if the wind was trying to move the Ben.’

  ‘He was here that late?’

  ‘He was here all your first two nights, and sitting on that locker. You don’t recall? You were poorly ‒ but he was greatly concerned and no trouble to the staff. There’s not many a doctor who’d have behaved as well. Doctors can be as difficult as visitors as they are as patients. But the Professor’s a good man ‒ aye ‒ and he’s been a good friend to you.’

  ‘Yes.’ I looked at my locker-seat. ‘Very.’

  Chapter Twelve

  ‘THE LOST ENGLISH LADDIES’

  I woke for a short time at first light. The wind had dropped, the loch was the colour of gunmetal, the waves had subsided, and the heavy under-swell made the water heave like oil. The sky was a queer crimson-mauve, and despite the radiators the air in my room was icy.

  Mrs Lewis arrived with another steaming cup of tea. ‘There’s snow on the way.’

  I repeated Dougal’s words about the road to Glasgow. ‘He’s right,’ said Mrs Lewis. ‘It’ll be different on the wee roads over the hills. The snow may lay there all week, but they’ll start clearing the main directly it falls.’

  I thought of those students. ‘And on the Ben?’

  ‘There’s snow on the Ben throughout the year and ice on the slopes. Another fall’ll only add to what’s there already.’ She warmed her hands on the radiator by the window. ‘I do not like the look of that sky at all.’

  ‘But it’s so clear, and isn’t that crimson the sign of a good day?’

  ‘Maybe in your part of England it might be a good sign. Not here. Do you see those sea-birds lining the loch shore? In fine weather they’re away out to sea at dawn. They’ve come in for sanctuary. But the wind’s gone. Maybe it’ll stay fine.’

  ‘You think it’ll get up again?’

  ‘It can do that before you’ve finished your tea.’

  The wind had not returned when she moved my cup, refilled my hot-water bottle, and tucked me down. The sky had turned yellow and the blue mountains in the east purple, but there was no sign of a cloud. When Craig’s voice in the corridor woke me later the sun was shining from a clear sky and starting to melt a fine carpet of snow. It had all disappeared before I finished breakfast.

  As the hospital was so full my room was needed for a patient coming in at lunch-time. I finished my packing, stripped the bed, carbolized the furniture and bedsprings, and then remade the bed with the nursing orderly before nine. Gordon arrived to carry my case into Sister’s office, and the orderly and I added all my still-fresh flowers to the collection in the ward.

  The elderly lady was still in coma. Mrs Burns, after three pints of whole blood, was back on form.

  ‘Could I not get my teeth into more than sops, Sister? I’m famished!’

  ‘Are you daft as a brush?’ retorted Sister sharply. ‘Do you want to bleed again?’

  Mrs Burns’s beam was undaunted. When Sister retired to her office Mrs Burns informed the ward it was no wonder to her the Sister should be in a wee fret. ‘Her mind’s on her man. You’ll ken he works for Mr Urquhart. This looks no day to be up the hills.’

  I was so preoccupied by my coming drive that I had forgotten the student party. ‘Surely, Mrs Burns, if there’s any element of risk Mr Urquhart won’t take anyone up?’

  Half the ward assured me there was no climb without risk even in the best weather. ‘It’ll be that party of English students that’s fretting the Sister,’ put in Mrs Jamieson in her breathless voice. ‘Have you not heard they were seen starting up the north face just after dawn this morning? A large party, so the paper-boy said. He watched them through glasses. It’s to be hoped they’re experienced and have had the good sense to come down with that first snow. Here’s another wee fall.’

  The snow fell finely past the ward windows and, as previously, swiftly began to melt. I walked over to one and looked at Ben Gairlie. It was nearly hidden in cloud, and the clouds were moving in from the sea more rapidly than even a few minutes ago.

  The patients said, ‘Maybe you’ll have to postpone your journey, Elizabeth.’

  I felt that should have upset me. I was ashamed by my own selfishness, and much shaken that
it did not.

  Shortly after Dr MacAlistair stopped me in the corridor. ‘This weather is only local. I’ve just been having a word with Sergeant Cameron at the police station. There’s no snow to the south and the roads are clear, so you can stop looking so anxious.’

  ‘That’s not all that’s on my mind, Doctor.’

  ‘Oh? And what else?’

  ‘I was wondering if that party on the Ben has come down?’

  ‘Sergeant Cameron has no information.’

  ‘Is that good or bad?’

  He said, ‘It could be either.’

  ‘If there should be any kind of problem, would you hear?’

  ‘I take it you mean the kind of problem that might involve a rescue operation. Yes. I’d hear. On such occasions the police are the first to be informed. They promptly get in touch with Charlie Urquhart, the leader of the Gairlie Mountain Rescue Organization, and nearly as promptly inform us to expect whatever the number of casualties or exposure cases it may be.’ He patted my shoulder. ‘Stop fretting, Miss Wade. With any luck those English laddies are sheltering somewhere safely at this very moment.’

  ‘And without luck, Dr MacAlistair?’

  He shrugged heavily. ‘I’ll get a call from Sergeant Cameron.’

  The snow stopped, but the wind increased. When we lunched at twelve the loch was nearly as rough as last night. I said goodbye to Matron, my physiotherapist, the women in both wards, the staff. Craig was specialing the woman in coma, whose condition had suddenly deteriorated, and was only able to wave at me over the top of the curtains. I mouthed, ‘Can’t thank you enough ‒ I’ll write.’

  Sister escorted me into the hall to wait for Dougal. Dr MacAlistair joined us. ‘So this is where we lose our oldest inhabitant! Ach, I’ve an aversion to farewells, so I’ll do no more than wish you Godspeed and good health and fortune.’

  We shook hands. I said, ‘Doctor, I don’t know how to thank you and Sister and all the nurses for all you’ve done for me.’

  ‘My dear gurrrl, we’ve but done our jobs, and as you’ll well know there’s no greater satisfaction in our profession than seeing a patient who was carried into here in a bad way walking out with a bonnie colour in her face and a healthy impatience to get back to her normal life. Though I’ll tell you this, my dear ‒ had I not given my consent to all these arrangements before the temperature started falling last night, I’d have picked another day for your discharge, badly though we need your bed. But, if necessary, we could have fitted you into an emergency in the middle of the ward for a night or two. However, as you’ll be driving in a warm car and will have Professor Grant to take good care of you down to London, you’ll be in safe hands. The weather’s warmer in the south of England. From there on you should take no chill.’

  ‘Professor Grant isn’t taking me to London. He’s staying in Glasgow ‒’ I looked from one to the other. ‘Isn’t he?’

  Both were shaking their heads. MacAlistair said, ‘I’d a word with him only an hour ago. He repeated the intention he’d had from the start of seeing you safely to St Martha’s.’

  ‘Why didn’t he tell me?’ I demanded almost peevishly.

  Sister remained silent. Dr MacAlistair suggested it might have slipped Dougal’s mind. ‘Or possibly, being a man who has always preferred to let his actions speak for themselves, he considered such a communication unnecessary. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but, having a wife and daughter, I’m aware any high-spirited lassie prefers to be consulted on matters that concern herself. Would you not agree. Sister ‒’ He broke off as Gordon suddenly pushed up the lodge window.

  Gordon called. ‘Sergeant Cameron for you, sir. Will I put him through to your office?’

  Dr MacAlistair vanished. Sister folded her arms without comment. Gordon pulled out and pushed in plugs at the switchboard. A bell rang in Matron’s office across the hall and was muffled by the closed door.

  Another bell was ringing in my mind. It was unexpected, unwanted, and as tangible as the bell in Matron’s office. It was also, without question, an alarm bell.

  Gordon called again: ‘Miss Wade! Professor Grant. Will you take it in Box 2?’

  I shot into the second of the two public booths in the hall. I knew what Dougal was going to say before I raised the receiver. I said it for him. ‘This is where I came in. You’ve got to join the search party?’

  I heard his quick intake of breath. ‘You know already?’

  ‘Guessed from the signs and symptoms.’ My voice astonished me by sounding so normal. I didn’t feel normal. ‘Many involved?’

  ‘Eighteen.’

  ‘Not all eighteen lost?’

  ‘I hope to God not,’ he retorted, ‘but it’s a possibility. They started up in a party of twenty. Two have now managed to get down for help. Their deputy-leader is still up and injured, and they’ve lost touch with the other seventeen and fear they may all be in difficulty. Charlie’s just had the alarm call from the police. He’s just rung me. As I’m here, I have to go up with the others, even though it entails letting you down. Those students have to be got down before the weather gets worse, as it almost certainly will from the look of things. I’ve no words, or time, to describe how much I dislike having to do this to you, but I can’t pretend I’ve any bloody choice. I’m in Charlie’s team, and I’ve got to go up. I’m sorry.’

  I was suddenly very, very frightened. ‘It’s not your fault. Of course, I understand ‒’

  ‘Elizabeth, let me do the talking. I should have left already. Just listen. Davie MacDonald is going to drive you to Glasgow with one of his hotel guests, an Englishwoman, a Mrs Sumner. Davie says she’s a sensible, kindly woman and very willing to keep an eye on you …’

  I was listening mechanically without taking it in. When he finished I said, ‘Thank you, Dougal. That’s very kind of you, Dougal. I’m sorry about this, too.’ Never in my life before had I been so conscious of the inadequacy of English, or, come to that, any other language. ‘I’ve never thanked you properly. Take care on the Ben. Good luck.’

  ‘And to you. I shall be coming south shortly, so we may meet again. I hope so. Goodbye, and a good journey now, and, as we say up here, haste ye back.’ He rang off.

  Sister Kilsyth waited blank-faced. ‘Lost your escort?’

  ‘He’s fixed me up with another.’ I did not bother to explain. I was not clear just when I had made up my mind, but I was dead clear I had no bloody choice either, if not precisely why. I had a rough idea. ‘Sister, I want to stay and help.’

  She said calmly, ‘Oh, aye? Ask the Doctor.’

  I waited till MacAlistair reappeared and tackled him. ‘Are you expecting all eighteen as possible emergency admissions?’

  He was grave. ‘Aye.’

  ‘Couldn’t you use an extra pair of trained hands? Even in a hospital with a staff as big as Martha’s that number coming in together would present a major problem. This is so much smaller and you’ve a full hospital. How’ll you manage?’

  His eyes smiled. ‘We’ve cured the lassie, and she’s now going to take over the hospital! What have we done, Sister? And you ask how we’ll manage. Miss Wade? As we’ve done previously. Do you recall Easter last year, Sister,’ he added, ‘when we admitted thirty over the one week-end? And there was not a spare bed in all Gairlie with the number of English relatives up and needing accommodation.’

  ‘I’ve not forgotten,’ said Sister. ‘The wards were so packed with emergency beds it was hard to get round and take a pulse.’

  ‘Hard! This whole wee hospital was an obstacle course! But they all did well ‒ and so did the nursing staff. All off-duty went by the board, Miss Wade, and one was hard put to differentiate between the day and night staff, the hours the nurses worked. It was the Easter holiday week-end ‒ but not for Gairlie Hospital. We managed. We’ll manage again.’

  I felt flattened. ‘You don’t need my help?’

  ‘I did not say that, but since it is a nursing point, it must wait on Matron’s decision. You wis
h me to ask her for you?’

  ‘Dr MacAlistair ‒ would you? Oh! Davie MacDonald.’ Having taken in more than I realized while Dougal was speaking; I explained that bit. ‘Can I ring him to say I’m staying?’

  ‘Do you want to stay so much?’ Dr MacAlistair studied me searchingly. ‘Aye. You do. Then I’ll put you out of your anxiety and tell you the last thing I wish to see any ex-patient do is set off for a long journey with an anxious mind in this weather. I’ll have a word with Davie MacDonald for you, and another with my wife. She’ll be happy to offer you hospitality, as we cannot keep you in this hospital since we’re likely to require every emergency bed we possess. Ach! Here’s Davie for you now. Don’t step out in the cold. I’ll speak with him.’

  ‘Doctor, thank you. Thank you very much.’

  ‘It’s no trouble. But I’m warning you that as your ex-physician I shall advise Matron that if she permits you to work it’ll not be for long. Now, to Davie MacDonald!’

  The snow was falling again and more heavily. In the few minutes Dr MacAlistair spent outside the world turned white. He stamped and shook himself free of snow before coming back into the hall. ‘Don’t look so worried, lassie. As you’re aware, Davie has to be away to Glasgow on his own business. I’ve left your train ticket with him, as he’s obligingly offered to attend to the cancelling of your reservation. He’d already agreed to do the same for Professor Grant, when the Professor rang him directly he heard the English party had started up the Ben earlier this morning. Realizing the weather was deteriorating and what could happen, and knowing Davie had to be in Glasgow, apparently Professor Grant thought fit to make provisional alternative arrangements for you. After he was called out one wee word to Davie was enough. But he said nothing of this when he rang me.’ He paused. ‘Are you going to take new offence at the lack of consultation?’

  ‘No. Thank you, Doctor.’

  He had to see Matron. Sister took me back to her office to remove my outdoor clothes. ‘Sister, how long can this take?’

  She watched her ward from the doorway. ‘A few hours, all night, or longer. A big operation takes time, and this is big.’ She flicked her watch over her apron-bib. ‘The whole search-party’ll be mustering now at the police station. They keep all their heavy, communal equipment in the shed next door.’