Peter Raynal, Surgeon

by Marjorie Moore

  Janet stared at her friend in perplexity. She personally thought the postponement was for the best, but it certainly was rather a difficult situation. Of course, she was willing enough to stand by Kay and keep her mouth shut but these things had an unfortunate habit of leaking out, besides it would look curious if Kay didn’t leave at the end of the month, and yet Kay had given no indication of how long the postponement was to last. She wished that Kay was less reticent, it was difficult for Janet to speak her mind about a matter that was so personal and intimate, and as Kay had never expressed any particular sentiments about Robin, the prospect of having a home of her own and being able to leave hospital had appeared to be the ideas uppermost in her mind. Now that Janet came to think about it, Kay had not said much about love for Robin ... affection and fondness were the only two emotions which she seemed to permit herself. Suddenly she became aware that Kay was wondering about her silence, looking at her with questioning eyes. She rose from her chair and seating herself beside Kay, she slipped her arm affectionately round her shoulders. “Cheer up, dear, it’s not such an awful thing to postpone a welding. You look as gloomy as if you’d done something really frightful ... like giving a patient an overdose or something equally unprofessional,” she added with an attempt at levity. “You know, I did suggest in the beginning that you ought to wait a bit, naturally I realize that it’s no use nibbing salt into the wound, but you did go off in a frightful rush and you’ve always admitted that you didn’t like the sort of life you have to lead on a farm and couldn’t understand why your sister was so keen on a rough and irregular sort of existence. I know that you wanted to get away from hospital... and perhaps from Peter Raynal in particular... but they aren’t adequate reasons for rushing into marriage,” she concluded logically.

  “I’ve been a fool, I realize that now,” Kay murmured regretfully. “And it’s sweet of you not to say ‘I told you so,’ and to word your reproach so tactfully.” She hesitated before continuing. “I ought to tell you the whole truth while I’m about it and it’s such a relief to be able to talk to someone who understands. You see ... I believe ... at least I know now that Penelope is fond of Robin—in love with him in fact, and...”

  Janet interrupted her brusquely. “I understand, you can spare yourself saying anything more. You’ve been very wise, Kay, things will probably sort themselves out. Don’t worry about it and we’ll keep it a dark secret, there isn’t any reason why anybody should know, except...” She broke off abruptly, then queried: “What about the great Raynal? You’ve been seeing him quite a bit lately haven’t you?”

  “Peter Raynal doesn’t know...” Kay spoke meditatively. “At least, I don’t suppose he does, although, in a way, I’m acting on his advice.”

  “Acting on his advice!” Janet echoed. “What on earth has it got to do with him?”

  “That’s just it!” There was more than a trace of anger in Kay’s tone. “He presumed to advise me, and I told him pretty plainly that it was none of his business. We had one of our usual verbal battles but this time, just by an unfortunate chance, he turned out to be right,” she ended lamely.

  “He usually is!” Janet retorted, then her normal high spirits came to the surface and she burst out laughing. “It is priceless to think that you are in the old state of being at daggers drawn with the great Peter, it will seem like old times in the ward, your rows gave quite a zest to life, it’s been awfully dull with Evans, who can’t say ‘boo’ to a goose. She was so colorless and meek that I thought Raynal was often as annoyed with her as he used to be with you.” She chortled merrily. “I’d forgotten what fun it could be to see you and Raynal getting across one another. He’ll probably be calling you Sister Aldon just to make you angry.”

  Kay rose to her feet and her eyes glinted as she glanced down at her friend. “If he does ... I shall throw something at him...” She bit her lip angrily. “It’s just the sort of thing he would do,” she said vindictively.

  Janet laughed again. “Really, Kay, you behave exactly like a schoolgirl where Raynal is concerned. Don’t take any notice of him, I’m sure he is sometimes deliberately trying to irritate you and the more you show your annoyance, the worse he gets. Try being sugary sweet to him, even if it’s only an act, it’ll make life much simpler.”

  “I couldn’t be sweet to him,” Kay protested, but even as she uttered the words, she knew that they didn’t ring true, she had spent some wonderful hours with him ... that afternoon in the attic ... they’d had such fun and they’d found that they had so many interests in common. At those moments, it was difficult to realize that he could be anything but amusing and companionable. She supposed that he’d seen her in a different light too, and then there was their joint bond in Christine. How silly it was of them to quarrel ... and always over such stupid things ... She sighed dejectedly. Probably Janet was right and she ought to ignore his domineering ways in hospital. She really must try to follow out Janet’s theory of dealing with him. She smiled down at Janet. “You’ve won, I believe you’re right after all. In future I shall try to make it a rule that it’s ‘the soft answer’ ... you know the rest of the quotation, don’t you?”

  Janet smiled approvingly. “My words of wisdom have fallen on fallow ground at last! Good for you, I shall be all ears when you come face to face with the great one.” “I’ll give the plan a trial, I don’t promise that it will work,” Kay amended. “Now let’s hear how things have been going in my absence, I suppose we’re busy as ever?” she queried. “And how’s Martin Grig? You haven’t as much as mentioned him.”

  “Martin’s all right ... I’ve been out with him quite a bit. Now, don’t read me a lecture about the unwisdom of it ... I know all about that!” She looked up at Kay persuasively as she spoke, and the color flooded her cheeks as she burst out hurriedly. “You see, I’ve fallen for Martin in rather a big way.”

  “Fallen for Martin!” Kay ejaculated. “But is he serious or is it just ‘fun’ for him?”

  “I haven’t a clue,” Janet responded. “Sometimes I think he’s more than a little fond of me, and then at other times...” She shook her head lugubriously. “I know that I’m not the first nurse he’s taken out, but then I’ve had a pretty good time myself one way and another, but as far as I’m concerned, this is the thing and no mistake about it. Anyway, he wants us both to go out with him this evening, as a sort of celebration of your return.” She looked at Kay persuasively. “Do say that you’ll come!” She smiled in her normal cheerful fashion. “You may be able to detect a loving gleam in his eye.”

  “Of course, I’d love to come,” Kay accepted with alacrity. “I don’t feel I could stand a canteen meal on my first evening. Ought I to begin to change, I haven’t washed off the dust of the journey yet.”

  As if in answer to her query, the quadrangle clock struck six, and Kay knew beyond doubt that she had picked up the threads of her hospital life, just where she had dropped them.

  Getting back into the routine of work after a holiday was always difficult to Kay, but this time there seemed insurmountable problems to face. Summer was an upsetting period and with three deputy nurses on the ward instead of her usual staff, two new probationers and a new houseman, Kay found everything at sixes and sevens. In her absence, Sister Evans had been more popular than efficient and there were signs of slackness which Kay immediately detected; the lockers hadn’t been scrubbed, the brass fitments on the tea-trolleys needed cleaning and the floors lacked their normal polish. Kay seated herself at her desk and began to deal with the pile of neglected reports, charts and X-rays; and as she tried to sort out the muddle, her smooth brow creased into a frown. Work was an effort after the precious idle hours of holiday, but still, she told herself, she shouldn’t find it as difficult as this to concentrate. Perhaps it was because the holiday hadn’t been as restful as it should have been; in fact, it had scarcely been a relaxation at all, and instead of feeling braced to face any difficulties, she felt completely worn out A timid tap on her door was followed
by the entrance of one of the new probationers. Standing diffidently at attention, she addressed Kay. “Please, Sister, should I go off for tea now?”

  “Tea-time already! Kay glanced at her watch. “But it’s only half-past three, Nurse. Your tea ‘off duty’ should be arranged, and if you work it properly, you can all get it in between four-thirty and five-thirty. In any case, ward teas must be served first.” She spoke decisively.

  “But Sister Evans used to...”

  “I am not interested in what arrangements were made while I was away. Sister Evans ran things as she thought fit; now I am back, I intend to carry on as I did before. A list will be made out, and you will go for tea at the time specified. You seem to have finished your afternoon work very early,” Kay added, as the probationer, somewhat abashed, and with the opinion that she wasn’t going to like working for this Sister at all, had turned to leave.

  “I’ve done the lockers, as you told me.” There was a sulky twist to the younger girl’s lips as she spoke.

  “Wiped over, or scrubbed?”

  “They are quite clean...” the girl began defensively.

  “I asked you a question, have you scrubbed them?” Kay queried.

  Before the girl could answer, Peter Raynal’s tall figure stood framed in the doorway and as Kay rose to her feet, she dismissed the probationer with a curt nod. “Go and do them again ... properly this time.”

  “Trouble already?” There was a quizzical smile playing round the corners of Raynal’s lips as he addressed Kay. “The poor child looked like a scared rabbit, she has only been on about a week, give her a chance.”

  “I don’t imagine you came here to discuss the manner in which I choose to train my nurses ... is there anything I can do for you?” Kay’s tone was-chilling.

  “No, I didn’t.” Raynal gave an imperceptible shrug and drawing forward a chair, seated himself. “Sit down, Sister,” he requested.

  Kay sat back in the chair which she had just vacated and half turned round to face the surgeon. “Did you want to speak to me?”

  “Yes, Sister.” Raynal drew his cigarette case from his pocket and, taking out a cigarette, lighted it before continuing. While he performed the simple action, he glanced cautiously at Kay. She didn’t look too well, and she’d sounded very irritable, probably she’d been rushing round getting the farm ready and trying to emulate her sister’s skill in agricultural matters at the same time. He felt an intense desire to ask her how things were going, to find out how this odd marriage of hers was turning out, he didn’t believe for one moment that she would have had the sense to postpone it and, he thought wryly, the very fact that he had suggested that it might be wiser to wait, had probably only strengthened her decision to carry on. Her hand was devoid of any ring, but that didn’t mean anything, Sister Somers would probably think such a symbol out of place until she had given up hospital. Probably she wore it on a ribbon next her heart, he thought cynically, in the futile hope of bringing to her marriage a sense of romance which he felt so deeply did not, and never would exist. The idea sobered him and for a moment he was filled with misgivings for the girl seated so quietly before him. Closer intimacy had shown him clearly the finer side of her nature, nursing didn’t suit her temperament, that was the long and short of it, she was too sensitive, too withdrawn, and he could once again see her at the piano and hear the passionate music which those slender fingers could draw from the instrument. She was beautiful too, it was queer how all those months in hospital he’d never noticed it ... but then one didn’t notice these things with Sister Somers, somehow that impenetrable barrier she had built round herself had completely obscured the real woman.

  “You wanted to ask me something, sir?”

  Kay’s quiet tones awoke Raynal from his reverie. “I have a lecture tomorrow—at twelve—I wanted to have Mrs. Wilkins and Miss Fuller down. I think those are the names.” He referred to a note-book which he drew from his pocket. “Yes, the cystic liver and the nephrectomy case.”

  “I’ll arrange that.” Kay made a note on her pad, then looked up as Raynal continued speaking.

  “I shall also want a cubicle towards the end of the week, will you try to manage it?”

  “Well, I’ll see what can be done, it’s going to be very difficult, if not impossible.” Kay frowned. “I understand that while I have been away you have been doing your round before the theatre, it interferes with the ward work, I’d be glad if you could go back to the old routine and do your theatre cases first.”

  Raynal could not repress an inward smile, he had been waiting for that, and had known all along that Sister Somers was unlikely to stand by any deviation of routine made during her absence. “It seemed to work all right...” Raynal began.

  “It may have seemed to, but I assure you it didn’t,” Kay broke in. “The condition of things generally rather points to the fact that with Honoraries visiting during the busiest time of the day, the nurses can’t get through the work. We are extremely short-handed and two of my experienced staff are still on holiday.” Kay’s mouth hardened into a firm line. “Sister Evans was perhaps more able to please everyone than I ... but of course, if you would like to carry on...” Kay ended lamely, as she suddenly recalled her promise to Janet. Of course, the thing was absurd and why she’d ever made the promise she couldn’t imagine, Raynal was the sort of person that if you showed any sign of weakness—if you gave an inch—then you could put up with his inconsideration for the rest of time ... but then, on the other hand, was her forbearance entirely due to her promise to Janet? Kay didn’t really know, perhaps it was because she felt too exhausted too worn out, to stand up to any more arguments.

  “No, Sister, we’ll go back to the old way if you prefer it.”

  Kay was too astounded to speak, but just stared at her companion in amazement. What on earth was the matter with Peter Raynal, was he also too exhausted to argue? ... But then, she hadn’t given any cause for argument, was he perhaps too taken aback to accept the victory? “The soft answer ...” Kay suddenly felt like laughing aloud, and it was with an effort that she held back the almost irresistible urge.

  If Kay had been surprised, Raynal was even more so. but, unlike Kay, he felt no necessity to restrain his amusement. A smile played round his lips. “Good gracious. Sister, what’s the matter? I came in like a lion and go forth like a lamb...” As he stood up from his chair and Kay stood too, they both laughed. “You have quite thrown out my calculations, I had allowed at least half-an-hour to argue matters out with you and now my business is settled in five minutes! I shall be too early for Theatre Sister.”

  “Then perhaps you’d like a cup of tea?” Kay considered this was going much too far, but somehow she had spoken without due thought.

  “I’d love it ... I’ve at least four operation cases and if I don’t snatch this opportunity, I may not have another chance.”

  While Kay ordered the tea, she was conscious of the futility of that remark. Not have another chance, why, in theatre they were always running round the famous Raynal with cups of tea, or coffee, and would probably even produce nectar if he wished. No, she wasn’t taken in by that story. Still, it didn’t matter, she told herself, she only had to humor him for another month and, at that thought, her feelings were akin to fear, where would she go then, what was going to happen? Had there ever really been a moment’s doubt in her heart that when her marriage had been postponed, it hadn’t been for weeks, nor even months, but forever? She thrust back the uncomfortable thought as she set out the cups and saucers on her table; it was no use worrying about the future, it was the present she had to deal with and Janet had probably been right, she may as well try to keep the peace during the short time she would remain at St. Jude’s.

  “How does it feel coming back to work?” Raynal’s question was merely perfunctory, he still felt curiosity regarding the success of her initiation into the duties of a farmer’s wife and was perhaps unconsciously seeking an opening.

  “A lot of work has piled
up and it’s a bit hard getting down to things at first.” Kay handed a cup of tea to Raynal and placed a plate of biscuits at his elbow. “No two persons have the same methods of running a ward and it’s always difficult taking over again.”

  “Sister Evans’ methods were certainly very different from yours.”

  Kay glanced up quickly. Was Raynal’s tone disparaging and if so, was he making comparisons detrimental to herself? If he was going to start on that line, then all her promises to Janet could certainly go to the wall ... His features told her nothing, his face was expressionless. Kay’s fingers tightened on the cup she was holding as she waited for his next comment.

  “A pleasant person, very pleasant, but what a muddler! It took me just twice as long to get round the ward. I’m used to having everything cut and dried ... I suppose in that way—you’ve spoilt me.”

  Kay relaxed. The danger-mark had passed and despite herself she was aware of an inward glow of satisfaction, back-handed it might be, but it was the first compliment which she had ever heard from the great Raynal.

  “Well, Sister, I think that’s all.” Peter Raynal paused as he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. “But I must say that I am very glad to see you back.” Even as he spoke, he was surprised at his own attitude and yet, odd as it might seem, he was glad to find Sister Somers once more in charge of her own domain. Even if today’s cooperation didn’t last—which he scarcely believed it could—in spite of her quick temper, she did have the most efficiently run ward in the hospital and he never suffered a moment’s anxiety for any case which was in her capable hands. It was possible too, that although he had believed himself to resent her arrogance, he realized now that there had existed an element of novelty in her manner, one could get a little tired of hordes of females hanging on one’s every word and never daring to venture an opinion of their own. But curiosity concerning her marriage still rankled, and somehow he hadn’t managed to approach the subject, in her present mood she might even accept an inquiry without jumping down his throat, he felt very inclined to try. Diffidently, he ventured. “I trust you are happily married and settling down in your new home?”