Outpost Hospital

by Sheila Ridley

  “You never used to get discouraged until ... I mean, until recently,” said Katherine, distress making her brave.

  “Perhaps not,” he conceded, “but probably that’s because I’ve been too busy to think. Anyway, I wanted to tell you straight away. You’ve been a wonderful help, Nurse. I would never have been able to do even as much as I have without you. Of course, I won’t be leaving yet. It will take time to find a doctor to take my place here and I’ll stay long enough to show him the ropes.”

  “Thank you for telling me, Doctor,” Katherine said. There seemed nothing else to say. She stood up.

  “You will stay on and help the new doctor won’t you, Nurse? Then when your leave is due he will have become used to the routine and the other nurses will take over your work.”

  “I’ll do all I can, of course, Doctor.”

  “Thanks, Nurse, I know you will. Good night. I’ll go and see Tegu now.”

  Feeling very despondent, Katherine returned to the house. She had been prepared for the news she had just received but, still, to have it expressed and made final had been upsetting. Now she knew exactly where she stood, which was what she had wanted. In a few weeks, or it might be months, Mark would leave, and it was unlikely that she would ever see him again. Perhaps that was a good thing. She might be able to forget him. She had Andrew who loved her and she must think about him and try to make him happy. As she passed the living room she heard someone playing the piano. It was a Brahms waltz. The pianist was Elizabeth Frayne for Andrew did not play so well.

  As she washed and changed in her room, Katherine thought about Elizabeth Frayne. Did she really love Mark? If she did, surely she would not have put her career first when he asked her to marry him. But if she did not, she would not have come here to Ngombe; unless she had come just to prove to herself that she could get him back any time she wanted to. Well, if that was why she had come, Dr. Frayne must be feeling very pleased with herself.

  Having achieved her object in coming to Ngombe, Elizabeth Frayne did not intend to stay a moment longer than was absolutely necessary and began to make arrangements for her return to civilization at once.

  The night before she was to leave she was in high spirits, though a bit put out because Mark had said he could not go with her as far as Makurdi. When the others had gone to bed and they were alone in the living room she tried to make him change his mind.

  “Do come with me, Mark,” she pleaded. “It will be weeks, perhaps months, before we see each other again.”

  “I can’t possibly, Elizabeth. It would mean two days away and I’m too busy just now.”

  “Oh, very well,” she said grudgingly, “though I do think after all these months you should be able to take two days off.” As he began to protest, she went on quickly.

  “All right, keep calm, I’m resigned to the situation, but I hope it won’t be too long before we’re together again and for always.” She went to him. “Darling, darling Mark,” she breathed, clinging to him. Their lips met in a long passionate kiss. Breathless, she leaned against him.

  “You won’t make me wait a day longer than you must, will you, Mark? You know how hard it will be—every minute will be like an hour; every hour a day, until you come to me.”

  Holding her tightly, his cheek against her soft hair, he whispered, “I’ll come as soon as I can, I promise you, my love.”

  “You’ll leave here when the new doctor arrives, won’t you?”

  “Not at once, darling,” he said gently. “I shall have to stay until he knows his way around. It’s not the same as handing over an ordinary practice. There are dozens of things to be delved into before I can leave him on his own.”

  She frowned. “You won’t be leaving him entirely on his own. There’ll be the invaluable Nurse Marlowe to help him and things will be much easier for him than they were for you. There is a hospital of sorts and a staff.”

  “All the same, I’d rather see him properly settled in before I go, and as for Nurse Marlowe helping him—of course she will, but I can’t leave her to do what is my job. She has quite enough to do and she ought to have more time to herself not less, especially now that she’s engaged to Kennedy.”

  “The girl must be crazy, tying herself to a penniless missionary,” replied Elizabeth Frayne scornfully. “Imagine spending your life in a place like this.” She shuddered. “In ten years she’ll look and feel like an old woman. There’s no sense in it.”

  “No sense, no reason,” he said quietly, and something in his tone made her look at him keenly, “like a thoughtless prodigal.” Seeing her bewilderment, he smiled, “It’s just something Nurse Marlowe said to me once.”

  “Nurse Marlowe? You surprise me. She doesn’t seem the lyrical type.

  “I don’t think she is, but she was annoyed with me that day,” he explained with a smile.

  Elizabeth’s eyebrows shot up. “You surprise me more than ever. Did that little mouse actually get angry with you and let you see that she was angry? I wouldn’t have thought she would dare.”

  “Nurse Marlowe may be quiet and shy, but she has plenty of spirit. In fact, I don’t know anyone with a stronger character than she has—I know I haven’t.”

  “You’re not still worrying about leaving here, are you?” she asked impatiently.

  “I can’t help it, Elizabeth,” he admitted. “It will be some time before I get over the feeling that I’m letting a lot of people down.”

  “Well, we’ve been into all that more than once, haven’t we? You have the right to live your life as you want. Stop thinking so much about everyone else and think about us—you and me.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “What did you do to upset little Miss Nightingale anyway?”

  “We were talking about two young patients who had married when the girl was ill. When she recovered and her husband’s condition worsened I told her she must go back to her people and consider the marriage at an end. But she refused and said she intended to stay with her husband, even though it meant risking her own health and never seeing her family again—he suffers from leprosy and so far no treatment has been effective. So I asked Nurse Marlowe what she thought I ought to do.”

  “And she said ‘Love is all!’ or words to that effect,” scoffed Elizabeth Frayne.

  “You’re quite right,” he told her. “What she actually said was that love doesn’t reason but gives its all like a thoughtless prodigal or something of the sort. I said that was sentimental tosh.”

  “I see, and do you still think so or have you changed your mind?”

  “I’m not really sure what I think,” he answered slowly, “but it is a nice idea, isn’t it?”

  “Oh yes, it’s a nice idea, but one must be a bit practical even where love is concerned.”

  “I suppose so,” he agreed with reluctance.

  “I don’t understand—” she began.

  “I know you don’t, Elizabeth, but don’t worry about it.” He pulled her to him. “You’re beautiful; so beautiful you don’t need to understand.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  When Elizabeth Frayne had gone, Mark began to work harder than ever. It seemed as though his conscience was troubling him and he was trying to ease it by completing as much work as possible in the time left to him. As the news that he was leaving spread around the villages, patients poured into Ngombe. Katherine and the other nurses were busy, too, coping with the very large out-patients’ clinic and the extra in-patients. Off-duty went by the board.

  After about six weeks a letter arrived from the Mission Society telling Mark that a doctor had been found to replace him. The new doctor was called Dr. Mastingley and he would be on his way to Ngombe when the letter arrived.

  With the letter to Mark about Dr. Mastingley had come several for Katherine, including one from Miss Fiona Graham. This was a brief but charming letter offering the writer’s best wishes for Katherine’s future happiness. Although it was so short and formal, Katherine felt again as she had when Andrew first told her
of the other girl, that Fiona Graham had more than just a friend’s affection for him.

  When she told Andrew of the letter he said:

  “I had a letter of congratulation from her myself.”

  Katherine asked, “Did she mention coming to Ngombe?”

  “No, as a matter of fact, she didn’t. Or rather, she did mention the subject but she isn’t coming. She has decided that she can’t leave her parents. Perhaps she’s right. She’s the only child, you know. But I would have been, glad of her help with the girls here.”

  “Are you surprised that she has changed her mind?”

  “Yes, very. She had seemed so keen and was only waiting for her mother to get well before she came. But it’s easy enough to understand.”

  “Yes, of course,” agreed Katherine. “It’s easy to understand.”

  When word came that Dr. Mastingley had reached Makurdi, Mark decided to go and meet him there and escort him to the station. Katherine was surprised when he suggested that she should go too. “It will be a break for you,” he had said. “You’ve not had a minute’s rest in these past few weeks.”

  Katherine had protested that they could not both be away from the hospital at the same time, but Mark had said that everything would be all right for the short time they would be away.

  The beds were all full so that no new patients could be admitted; there was no one seriously ill and Joseph and Simon were quite capable of holding the fort for a couple of days. Andrew agreed with Mark that she ought to go, so Katherine consented.

  “That’s settled then,” said Mark. “We’ll start early in the morning so that we can take our time; meet Dr. Mastingley and stay in Makurdi overnight. We’ll be back before dark the next day. I’ll go and make sure everything’s okay and give the nurses their instructions. It’ll do them good to be left on their own for a while; give them confidence.”

  Katherine and Andrew stood watching at the window as he walked quickly to the hospital.

  Andrew shook his head slowly. “He’s not really happy about leaving here. It’s a great pity. He’s done so much despite tremendous difficulties.”

  “Well, it’s not as though we were going to be left without a doctor,” said Katherine brightly. “Dr. Mastingley will carry on the good work and the patients won’t suffer.” That was all that mattered. So long as the patients did not suffer by the doctor’s departure, who was the nurse to complain?

  “I suppose so,” Andrew sighed. “Of course he’s right to go if his heart’s not in the work.”

  Katherine considered this. Had Mark’s heart ever been in his work in Ngombe? His will, his strength, his skill he had poured out for his patients—but his heart? No. That had been with Elizabeth Frayne. Suddenly Katherine wished she had not allowed herself to be persuaded to go on the trip to Makurdi. What would she and Mark talk about during the long hours on the river? Away from their work they had nothing in common.

  “I don’t think I’ll go to Makurdi, after all, Andrew,” she said.

  “Why ever not, Kathie?”

  “I don’t think Dr. Charlton and I should be away from the hospital at the same time.”

  “But Charlton said the boys could manage for a day or two.”

  “I know, and they can so long as things go smoothly, but if anything unexpected happens they’re liable to panic.

  “Charlton wouldn’t have suggested you both go if he hadn’t been sure nothing would go wrong, would he? Now don’t argue. This will be the first time you’ve been away from the village except to visit patients. I think it’s going to be a fine day. You’ll enjoy it if you’ll just stop worrying.”

  Katherine smiled. “All right, Andrew, I’ll stop worrying. I must stop imagining I'm indispensable.”

  Andrew drew her toward him, kissing her forehead. “You’re indispensable to me, love. I hope you realize how unselfish I’m being in encouraging you to go on this excursion.” He clasped his hands over his heart in a dramatic gesture. “I shall miss you dreadfully.”

  “You must be brave, my dear,” replied Katherine, in the same vein. “I shall return ere long, never fear.”

  Early next morning Katherine got up and looked out of the window. It was not raining, she was thankful to see, but neither was the sun shining. A pearly gray haze lay over the village and, when it lifted, the day would probably be fine and clear.

  She dressed in her gray two-piece and white blouse. It was a pity she would have to wear her sun helmet—it was not the most becoming headgear in the world—but it was essential even if the sun did not shine brightly. In her small case she put her nightdress, toilet things and a fresh blouse.

  When she and Mark and Andrew walked down to the landing stage, the boat was waiting. Mark, looking very brown and handsome in his white linen slacks and jacket, took her case and put it in the boat and Katherine turned to say “goodbye” to Andrew.

  He kissed her on the cheek and called to Mark, “Take care of her, Charlton.”

  Mark promised he would and held out his hand to help her into the boat. She settled into the seat at the end of it and Mark took his place beside her. They waved to Andrew and a group of nurses and villagers who had gathered to see them go; the boys pushed off, and the boat slid slowly away.

  After a few moments’ silence, Mark said with a grin, “I left Simon and Joseph in a state of delighted terror, with instructions and warnings tumbling over each other in their heads.”

  “I expect they’re thrilled at the prospect of being in sole charge,” said Katherine.

  “They are. They’re good nurses and the way they manage to keep so darned cheerful all the time is quite amazing. I shall miss them. I shall miss all of you and my hospital.” As he talked he gazed thoughtfully across the smooth water. “I’ll always think of it as my hospital.”

  Katherine was surprised that he should talk so freely about himself.

  “It will always be your hospital,” she replied quietly.

  “Thank you for saying that, Nurse; I’d like to think it was true. You know, er...” He hesitated, looking rather embarrassed, “After all my high falutin’ talk back in Grinsley, I expected you to disapprove pretty strongly of my desertion.”

  “You must do what you think is right,” said Katherine.

  “Hm. So you do disapprove,” was his wry answer. “Well, I must say I’m sorry not to be able to do all the things I planned here, but this new chap Mastingley will do them instead. I don’t know much about him except that he has a string of letters after his name. He hasn’t done this type of work before, but the Society wouldn’t have sent him if, he wasn’t suitable.”

  “You are staying on here for a while until he settles in, aren’t you, Doctor?”

  “Yes, I’ll take a month to show him the ropes.”

  The haze of the early morning had cleared now and the sun was hot. The boys’ cotton shirts were sticking to their thin bodies as they plied their oars. Occasionally a chattering monkey swung through the overhanging branches of the trees. It was odd, she thought, how few animals were to be seen in this part of the forest. Snakes there were, and ants, flies, and mosquitoes; but in all the months she had been in Africa, Katherine had never seen an elephant or a leopard.

  She remarked on this to Mark to break the silence, which was becoming uncomfortable. He nodded. “I was disappointed myself, though I suppose it’s understandable that they should keep out of the way after being hunted for so long. They are really more in need of protection than the humans. I had hoped to make an expedition into the interior to photograph some animals but there hasn’t been time and there certainly won’t be now.”

  “No, not now,” said Katherine. “Perhaps you’ll come back some time, to see how the hospital is going and then you could go on your expedition.”

  “Yes, perhaps I will,” he answered. “I brought a movie camera out here with me but it hasn’t been out of its box yet. I’ll hope to use it here one day.”

  It was still light when they reached the busy town
of Makurdi. Makurdi was the rail terminal.

  “Mastingley is expecting us,” said Mark, as they walked toward the center of the town. “He’ll be waiting at the hotel near the station. That looks like it.”

  “That” was a large wooden building badly in need of a coat of paint. They went in.

  Sitting at a small wicker table in a poorly furnished lounge was a thin, balding, middle-aged man with horn-rimmed spectacles on his high-bridged nose. Since he was the only person in the room, they approached him.

  When he saw them he stood up. He was as tall as Mark but he stooped and so appeared several inches shorter.

  “Dr. Mastingley?” Mark held out his hand as the other man nodded. “How d’you do? This is Nurse Marlowe who’s worked with me since I came to Africa.”

  The introductions over, they sat down and Mark ordered drinks.

  “I’m glad to be here,” said Mastingley when the drinks were on the table. “Yes, very glad. This is a great opportunity for me.”

  Katherine, who had not been very favorably impressed by the new doctor’s appearance, began to feel happier. It seemed that he had the right approach to the work even if he did not look the part. But when he went on to explain what he meant by “a great opportunity” her misgivings returned.

  “I’ve been wanting to come to West Africa for some time so as to be able to study the diseases prevalent here. One needs to be on the spot in order to make a thorough investigation into the causes of a disease; then one can go on to try to find a cure. I suppose the incidence of sleeping sickness is very high in this area?”

  “Yes. I’m afraid it is,” Mark told him. “It’s our worst problem. There’s so little we can do about it. I’ve been trying to catch it in the early stages by taking blood tests when there seemed to be the slightest chance of it, but with so much to do, cases are bound to get overlooked.”