He thought that nurses should not be too long in one place and he wanted some of them sent to the Barrack Hospital and others brought in from there to replace them.
Henrietta and Ethel were among those chosen to go to the Barrack. We were dismayed, although we were not so far apart, but one did not see nurses so often if they were in a different hospital.
Henrietta was resigned. Not so Ethel. She was in great distress.
“You see,” she explained to Eliza and me, “I won’t be seeing Tom.
We’ll never see each other. “
“You’ll be able to come here and see him,” I comforted her.
“It’s not the same. I look after him. I haven’t told him. It’ll kill him.”
“What’s all this potty idea about moving people?” demanded Eliza.
“It’s that Dr. Adair,” said Ethel.
“He says we’ve been neglecting our duties. I was with Tom when he come through the ward the other day. He must have noticed.”
I said angrily: “It’s so stupid. The nurses are overworked. Of course they are going to forget things now and then. He’s just trying to make trouble.”
Ethel was in despair.
Eliza sought me out afterwards.
“This isn’t half going to upset young Ethel. I reckon it could blight the budding romance. Do you think you could do something about it?”
“How?”
“Speak to him … the almighty one.”
“Do you think he would listen to me?”
She looked at me shrewdly.
“He just might … to you.”
“He despises us all. And I haven’t done anything to make myself especially acceptable in his eyes.”
“I think he knows you. What I mean is … the rest of us is just bits of furniture to him, not useful pieces either.”
“Oh, even he must see what the nurses are doing here.”
“Perhaps he does but he won’t let himself see. He is the high and mighty doctor and nurses is just skivvies to go here and come there at his command.”
“And you think could change him?”p>
Eliza nodded.
“It would be worth a try.”
I couldn’t help laughing at the prospect, but in that moment I decided to make the attempt.
The opportunity occurred that very afternoon. I saw him go into that room where Charles had proposed to me and I followed him.
“Dr. Adair.”
He swung round and as he looked at me, I felt all the anger and resentment I had harboured against him flare up.
“Miss er ” I know you are thinking I have great temerity in daring to address you . ” I paused and he did not deny it.
“But there is something I have to say to you. I believe it is your idea to move some nurses from the General to the Barrack and vice ” Am I expected to discuss my plans with you? ” he asked almost pleasantly.
“I am asking you to discuss this particular plan with me.”
“May I know why?”
“Yes. You are moving nurses willy-nilly without considering what work they may be doing.”
“I know what work they are doing.”
“And despise those menial tasks. But Dr. Adair, I assure you they have to be done and doctors should be grateful to Miss Nightingale for all she has achieved.”
“Thank you. Miss er for reminding me of my duty.”
“There is one nurse, Ethel Carter. She is being moved. She must not be.”
He raised his eyebrows and those dark luminous eyes surveyed me. I could not fathom what they expressed. Cynical amusement, perhaps.
“Let me explain,” I said.
“I must beg you to.”
“She has formed an attachment with a young soldier. His condition has improved greatly and she herself is much better. They cannot be separated.”
“This is a hospital, not a marriage bureau. Miss erAs you seem to have such difficulty with my name, let me tell you it is Pleydell.”
“Ah … Miss Pleydell.”
“And I do not think this place is a marriage bureau. I have been here long enough to know what it is. It is a place of great suffering.” I was furious with myself because my voice broke. I had to fight hard not to show my emotion.
“If a soldier can be made happier isn’t that part of his recovery? Of course, I suppose that is something you do not believe in.”
“How do you know what I believe? You take a great deal upon yourself.
Miss Pleydell. “
“Is it a great deal to ask? Just that this nurse should not be moved?”
“If her name is on the list for the Barrack she should go.”
“And what about this soldier who would have given his life for his country and perhaps has … what of him? Is he to have no consideration because some demi-god has made out a list? “
His lips curled faintly. I think he rather liked the idea of being called a demi-god, seeing himself supreme, no doubt.
“Listen to me,” I went on, growing more and more angry every moment. I had my enemy before me, the man I had planned to destroy, and how I wanted to! I hated his supercilious smile. He was taunting me, amused by my passion, urging me to hurl more and more abuse at him, which he believed I would regret later.
“I can hardly do anything else,” he reminded me, ‘short of leaving you, which might be considered somewhat impolite. “
I went on: “The soldier was brought in from Sebastopol. He was almost frozen to death. It was believed he could not last more than a few days. Ethel Carter looked after him and a special relationship grew up between them. Since then he has started to recover. I can tell you that she has had an unhappy life. She lost a child.” My voice faltered again.
“They are planning to make a life together. They are helping each other. They cannot be separated. Oh, I know you don’t understand this. You are far too clever to understand the simple things in life.
When you are tired of it you just go off . you leave others to carry on while you indulge yourself in fancy costumes in some . “
“Yes?” he said.
“Do go on. Where do I indulge myself?”
“You know very well. I, fortunately, am ignorant of these places and wish to remain so.”
“Ignorance is not something the wise desire.”
“It is a joke to you. But there are other means of healing than those you practise. There is happiness … contentment, hope for the future. They are as effective as medicines. Oh, I know it is foolish to appeal to you, and over something which you would consider of no importance. You are hard and ruthless and human suffering means nothing to you.”
“I did not know we were so well acquainted,” he said.
“I don’t understand you.”
“And yet you have given a detailed account of my character.”
I felt numb with dismay, horror and frustration. What had I done? Just succeeded in making a fool of myself.
I turned and went from the room.
I returned to my duties, my cheeks burning and my eyes blazing. I was near to tears.
Why had I said all that? All the hatred had come tumbling out and he had stood there laughing at me. He was wicked. He was cruel. He cared nothing for people’s feelings. They were objects to be used; their bodies were to be experimented on so that he could acquire experience and astonish the world with his knowledge. If only I could bring him crashing from his pedestal. If only I could show the world what he really was!
It was the next day when I saw Eliza in the kitchens.
She said: “The swap’s been made. Our lot’s gone to Barrack and the Barrack lot are now in the General.” She gave me a nudge.
“Ethel’s still here. She ain’t half glad about that.
“Er and Tom is having a special cuddle.” She winked at me.
“Spoke to him, didn’t you?”
I nodded.
She started to laugh.
“There! I told you you could do it.”