Miss Nightingale's Nurses

by Kate Eastham

  Rose lifted the blanket to check the stump bandage. ‘I’m checking for haemorrhage,’ she said and Ada had a look too, relieved to see that there was no bleeding. Rose looked back at the patient’s face and then used the back of her hand to feel his forehead. ‘No fever,’ she said, then, ‘Right, you stay here with him. I need to go and find Dr Lampeter.’

  Ada nodded gravely, looking at the man’s face and praying that he wouldn’t get any worse while Rose was away. One of the hospital nurses glanced over from the other side of the ward, calling over, ‘Give me a shout if you need anything.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Ada, pleased at last to be making some connection to the other staff on the ward, who were always so busy and always seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

  Looking back at her patient, Ada could see that his colour seemed to be darkening and his breathing was starting to rasp in his chest. She didn’t like the look of him, not one bit, but she knew she had to just try to provide what comfort she could and wait for the doctor.

  Then he started to make a gurgling sound in the back of his throat, a gurgling sound that got worse. Ada looked at him more fiercely, hoping that inspiration might come as to what she could do. Then to her relief she heard the sound of feet running down the ward and Rose was there with Lampeter.

  Lampeter pushed Ada roughly out of the way and Rose moved to the opposite side of the bed. Then they rolled the man off his back and over on to his side. The gurgling sound eased instantly and Ada’s head sank, wishing she had thought to do that. Lampeter and Rose soon had the man wedged over on his side but his colour still looked bad and he was unconscious. Lampeter felt for a pulse and lay the back of his hand on the man’s forehead as Rose had done, but then seemed at a loss himself.

  Turning to Ada, he glared at her and said, ‘What in God’s name do you think you are doing, nurse? Have you no idea at all?’ Ada opened her mouth to reply, feeling outraged by his accusation, but he continued to rant at her. ‘The other day at the harbour I made allowances for you. You were straight off the ship, you were exhausted, but what about today, nurse, what about today? Are you always so incompetent?’

  Ada felt herself bristle and opened her mouth to speak but Rose was in there first.

  ‘Dr Lampeter,’ she said with a clear, firm tone to her voice, ‘Nurse Houston has not only just arrived, she is a complete novice. She is here to be trained and this is her first day on the ward. Her first day.’

  Rose’s words stopped Lampeter in his tracks and Ada saw a glimmer in his eyes of someone who knew he was out of line and should apologize. Then he squared his shoulders and looked over to Rose, whose face was now bright pink.

  ‘Well, why didn’t someone tell me?’ he said.

  ‘I’m telling you now,’ said Rose. ‘Now, can we get on with treating this patient?’

  Lampeter looked back to the man and then spoke quietly to Rose. ‘There is no more that we can do. It looks like the amputation this morning was too much of an assault. He might pull through but I doubt it. In the meantime just keep him comfortable and call me back if you need anything else.’

  Then Lampeter was gone from the bedside. As Ada watched him stride away up the ward she felt stunned by what he had said and knew that he was right – she was incompetent.

  ‘I want you to be clear,’ said Rose, ‘none of that was your fault. This man is dying; putting him on his side will ease him, that’s all. And you’ll soon learn, I can tell. When you see this next time you will know exactly what to do.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Ada, taking a deep breath and trying to find something inside herself that believed this to be the case.

  ‘You are here to learn,’ said Rose. ‘If you want to learn and you want to become a trained nurse it will be very tough – much tougher than getting told off by some doctor who should know better.’

  Ada still felt bad but she took in what Rose had to say.

  ‘That’s my girl,’ said Rose, seeing Ada’s face change as the scrunch between her brows began to relax. ‘Now let’s make sure that this patient is as comfortable as we can make him.’

  Ada helped Rose straighten the bedding under the man and then they sponged his face. ‘Should we offer him a drink?’ said Ada, noting how dry the man’s lips were.

  ‘No, he won’t be able to swallow,’ said Rose. ‘But we can clean his mouth and lips with a sponge soaked in some water.’

  Rose showed her how to do this and it felt good to be able to do something for the man that might make him feel more comfortable.

  ‘Do you think you could sit with this patient?’ asked Rose. ‘We like to do that for the men if we have staff to spare. It’s just that they are so far away from home and family, it feels like the least we can do.’

  Ada took a moment, and then said yes, of course. She had never sat with anyone who was dying before, but she knew lots of people in the street who had. Mary had sat with her father as he died from consumption and she had talked to Ada about it. Ada had been terrified for months that her grandfather would get it as well. He didn’t get the consumption but that hadn’t saved him in the end, had it? Looking at her patient, Ada was glad that, although his breathing was slow and gurgling, he was not fighting. His face looked relaxed and his eyes were closed. Every now and then she stood up to moisten the man’s lips with the sponge and to wipe his brow. But mostly she just sat with him and waited.

  When the end came, it was more peaceful than she’d expected. Ada quietly stood and crossed herself, wondering who the poor man had left behind at home. They wouldn’t know he was gone for months. She didn’t spot Rose, who had returned silently to stand by her side, until she heard her say, ‘You did well there, Ada.’

  She looked at Rose; then she glanced around the ward, and was amazed to see that those men who were awake and not delirious were sitting with their heads bowed in silent respect. She was moved beyond words at this, and stood quietly for a few more moments, feeling the sense of togetherness in that room.

  When Rose asked her if she wanted to help with the laying out, she was sure that she did. ‘Have you done it before?’ asked Rose.

  ‘Yes,’ said Ada, ‘for my grandfather.’ It felt strange mentioning him in this place so far away from their home in Liverpool.

  ‘All right then,’ said Rose. ‘Now I’ll show you exactly what we do here in the hospital.’

  As they washed the man’s body they saw that a number of his toes were missing from his remaining foot. Rose had not seen this before but Ada remembered what Elsie the washerwoman had told her in Scutari, that frostbite could make this happen – though it was a shock to see it at first hand. Looking out now at the bright sun, feeling it bake down on the earthen walls of the hospital, Ada found it hard to imagine that this land of Crimea could become so cold in winter. When Tom came to move the soldier’s body they asked him about the winter and he told them that Dr Lampeter had a fur-lined coat that he had brought up from Scutari so that, come this winter, he’d be warm and cosy. The story was that it had once belonged to a Russian general.

  Typical of him to look after himself, thought Ada.

  Evening was fast approaching and the ward seemed to be settling, but when she had time Ada made sure that she went back to check on Mr Jackson.

  ‘He’s so much more comfortable,’ said Duncan. ‘Whatever those drops were they seem to have done the trick. I hope he just slips away quietly; that would be best.’

  Ada looked at him, her eyes wide.

  ‘I’ve been on this ward long enough to know when someone is dying,’ he continued. ‘We soldiers have to deal with it on a daily basis and I’m telling you now, most would choose a quiet sleep in a hospital bed rather than some of the things I’ve seen in the trenches.’

  Ada nodded, not able to say much to that except, ‘Well, you get some sleep yourself tonight. Don’t be watching him all the time.’

  ‘Aw, that’s all right, I can catch up during the day.’

  Ada walked away from hi
s bed smiling and shaking her head; it seemed like they were all in it together here, the nurses, the doctors and all of the patients.

  As they continued doing their best to settle the patients for the night, Ada turned to Rose, remembering something she had been meaning to ask all day.

  ‘Where are the lamps, Rose? Do we get one each?’

  ‘The lamps?’ said Rose, wondering if Ada was becoming a bit delirious and needed to lie down.

  ‘Yes, you know,’ said Ada, not really all that sure of her ground any more. ‘The lamps like the one that Miss Nightingale has.’

  Rose started to smile, then seeing Ada’s serious face she said, ‘There are no lamps like that one, Ada. I think somebody must have made it up. You won’t find a lamp like that anywhere in Balaklava or Scutari. It makes a nice portrait, though, and of course the “Lady with the Lamp” has a nice ring to it, but no, we don’t have those lamps.’

  Although it seemed a bit daft to be disappointed by something so trivial, Ada did feel let down; she had imagined that was exactly what they would have. She had been hoping for a proper uniform as well but it was beginning to look like the nurses out here in Balaklava were not provided for as well as those in Scutari. But then she remembered the Sister who had marched her through the hospital and felt grateful to be up here well out of the way. Lamp or no lamp, she was better off here, that was for sure.

  ‘Come on, Nurse Houston,’ said Rose, putting her arm around a thoughtful Ada, ‘let’s get away from this ward and get some rest. Our Miss Nightingale would want to make sure that we’re off the ward by eight o’clock sharp, and no one, not even Miss Smith, can break a rule set by the Lady with the Lamp.’

  13

  ‘If a nurse declines to do these kinds of things for her patient, “because it is not her business”, I should say that nursing was not her calling.’

  Florence Nightingale

  The next day the other nurses got up and went down to the ward but Ada slept on. No one wanted to wake her; in fact they were intrigued by her ability to sleep so soundly. Rose kept an eye on her by regularly nipping back from the ward, but didn’t want to disturb her.

  As Ada slept she had no idea that Miss Smith had opened the door to the nurses’ quarters and had a quick look in. Seeing nothing, she had clicked the door shut then moved along to the ward. Bursting in through the door as the staff went about their morning duties, she had prowled down the centre of the ward, glancing closely at each patient and then under each bed.

  Seizing on an empty basket, she shouted up the ward to Sister Roberts, ‘Sister, this should be full of clean bandages. Where are they? These men need clean bandages!’ Then she threw the basket down on the floor. Some of the men slid down in their beds; others looked away; a brave few risked a smile. Even the delirious patients went quiet.

  Sister Roberts came down to Miss Smith and told her in a calm but steely voice that they would send another member of staff to the laundry as soon as someone could be spared.

  ‘Send one now!’ shouted Miss Smith. ‘Immediately!’ Then she strode back up the ward, the click of her heels breaking through the silence.

  When she was gone, Sister Roberts breathed out and looked around. They were busy, short-staffed, and already behind with the morning’s work. Rose gently touched Sister’s arm and said, ‘I have an idea.’

  Ada was woken by someone gently shaking her arm. ‘What time is it?’ she mumbled, struggling to emerge from her notorious sleep. ‘What time is it, Rose?’ she mumbled again. ‘I should be on the ward.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Ada, we’ve been letting you rest up,’ said Rose, shaking her protégée more strongly. ‘Wake up now,’ she urged as Ada tried to lie back down. ‘We need you to do something different for us today. We need you to work in the laundry.’

  ‘That’s all right, I know a washerwoman,’ said Ada, turning over and trying to pull the blanket over her head.

  ‘Oh no you don’t,’ said Rose, pulling the blanket off her. ‘Miss Smith has been down and she wants to see clean bandages.’

  Ada sat up groggily but still had her eyes closed.

  ‘Open your eyes,’ said Rose. ‘You need to open your eyes.’

  Ada slowly opened one eye and Rose started laughing. ‘Come on, we need you!’

  As they walked along the corridor on the way to the laundry, Ada was still feeling a bit sleepy and trying her best not to yawn. When they came to the back door, Rose stopped and looked at her, then reached over to tidy a few stray wisps of hair. ‘Come on then,’ she said. ‘Sister Roberts is really grateful that you can do this for us today.’

  ‘Tell me later how things are on the ward, will you?’ said Ada. ‘Let me know about Mr Jackson and Duncan.’

  ‘Duncan?’ said Rose. ‘Which one is that?’

  ‘The Scottish man in the bed opposite Stanley Jackson, the one with the below-knee amputation.’

  ‘Oh yes, of course, Mr Brodie,’ said Rose, looking perplexed.

  ‘Is he all right?’ said Ada, seeing the look on Rose’s face.

  ‘Yes, of course,’ said Rose. ‘Sorry, I was thinking about poor Stanley. Sadly he died overnight.’

  ‘Sorry to hear that Rose – are you all right?’

  ‘Yes, yes, of course. I have to be; we still have a ward full of patients to look after … but there was something special about Stanley.’

  ‘It must be hard,’ said Ada. ‘I don’t know how any of you manage.’

  ‘Well, we have to, and if the men can manage what they have to do out there in the trenches, we nurses back here can do our bit too. That’s how I always think about it.’

  ‘Even so …’ said Ada, lost in her own thoughts.

  ‘Yes, well, Mr Brodie – Duncan – is doing very well this morning, and in fact Sister Roberts is hopeful that we can have him moving around on crutches fairly soon.’

  ‘That is so good,’ said Ada, smiling. ‘I hope I can be on the ward for that.’

  ‘We’ll try to make sure that you are. But for today they need all the help they can get out here in the laundry,’ said Rose as they walked out of the shaded building into an open area full of bright sun.

  ‘Looks like they’ve got a good drying day,’ said Ada, suddenly wide awake and pleased to feel the sun on her face.

  ‘It does indeed,’ said Rose, squinting and shading her eyes with her hand. Then she called a greeting to a woman standing by a large, steaming tub. Ada had never seen a more massive woman, not even on the streets of Liverpool. She stood with her reddened hands on her hips, the sleeves of her blouse rolled up to the elbow. When she looked up and saw them, her face broke into a broad smile.

  ‘That’s Dolly,’ said Rose. ‘She’ll look after you.’ Then, shouting again to Dolly: ‘I’ve brought you some extra help. Miss Smith needs more bandages.’

  Dolly gave Rose a wry smile, then gestured for Ada to come over.

  ‘I’ll see you this evening,’ said Rose as she retreated back into the shade of the building.

  Ada nodded eagerly, still enjoying the feel of the sun on her face, then made her way over to Dolly. As she approached, she heard the sound of a woman weeping, and looked across to see a poor creature sitting on a wooden packing case, rocking backwards and forwards with her head in her hands.

  ‘Come on then,’ said Dolly, sensing her concern for the weeping woman.

  When Ada stood before the washerwoman she seemed even bigger, almost like a giant. Dolly looked down at her and said, ‘Well, you’re a bit small but we’ll see what we can do.’ She saw that Ada was still distracted by the woman’s distress, and filled her in. ‘That’s Ruth; her man was blown up in the trenches yesterday. We’re just letting her mourn today and then tomorrow we’ll see if she’s fit to get back to work.’

  Ada didn’t think that Ruth would be fit for work any time soon and felt so sad for the woman. She wished there was something she could do to help, but for now she had to make a start on the much-needed bandages.

  ‘We’ll
start you off at the shitty end – it’s always best to get that out of the way,’ said Dolly, nudging Ada into action. ‘See this big pile of mucky sheets and bandages?’

  Ada could not only see them but smell them very strongly indeed.

  ‘Take them over to the washtubs and get ’em into the hot water. When they’re all in we’ll need you to help work on the sheets with the possers – have you done that before, young lady?’

  ‘I have indeed,’ said Ada, laughing.

  ‘Just checkin’, that’s all,’ said Dolly with a smile. ‘It’s just that you look like you might be a bit la-di-da.’

  Ada laughed again. ‘Oh, there’s not much la-di-da about me,’ she said as she walked over to the pile of sheets and got stuck in, gagging at first with the smell. She was glad that Rose had kitted her out again with a clean pinny; at least it would save her only skirt from getting too soiled. The sheets were full of excrement and the bandages even worse, caked with blood and pus.

  There was another woman working the tubs with Dolly, Lavinia, an army widow. Ada learnt quickly to pay her little mind but found it hard trying to work alongside someone who never spoke except to pray, which she did almost constantly as she stirred the sheets in the tub. Dolly told her quietly that Lavinia had always been a bit strange, but since her husband had been killed she had become mute, apart from the praying. ‘Hard worker, though, hard worker.’

  When Ada had finished moving the big pile of sheets she found a basket full of bloodied rags. ‘Do you want these in as well?’ she shouted across to Dolly, holding up the basket.

  ‘No, leave those till tomorrow. I’ll put them in first with the clean water.’ Seeing Ada’s puzzled expression she continued, ‘Those are the cloths the nurses use for their monthly courses. I make sure they’re washed and I always have a clean supply if you ever need any.’