by Marilyn Turk
He nodded and smiled. “You go ahead. You’re needed somewhere else. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Maybe lunch?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
As she climbed into the ambulance, she realized they hadn’t discussed their wedding plans … again.
Chapter Six
“Toby has a concussion,” Lexie said to the boy’s mother in the emergency room. “They’re taking him up to Pediatrics on the fourth floor.” Lexie patted the woman’s arm. “We’ll take good care of him.”
“Thank you, Nurse…”
“Smithfield, I’m Nurse Smithfield.” Lexie found it odd to hear the words come out of her own mouth.
“Nurse Smithfield. I’m so glad you were there. My husband, Toby’s father, is in the army, and I wanted a picture to mail to him. Oh, it’s all my fault!” A sob erupted from the woman.
Lexie placed her hand on the woman’s arm. “No, it’s not. Accidents do happen, and God knows you did not intend for Toby to fall.”
The woman nodded and sniffed.
“Go upstairs and check with the nurses’ station to find out when you can see him.”
“All right. I’ll do that. Thank you again, Nurse Smithfield.” She offered Lexie a grateful smile before turning around.
Lexie’s heart was heavy with sympathy as she watched the woman walk away. How alone she must feel with her husband away in the service and now her child injured. Sometimes, life just didn’t seem fair, no matter what she did to help.
Would she and Russell ever have a little boy like Toby? Or a girl? She sighed. Poor Russell. She’d left him again. She sure hoped he wasn’t angry with her. But how could he not be? He came home early from the island to spend time with her, and then she had to leave again. Her eyes filled with moisture. He’d say he understood, even if he didn’t like it. She didn’t like it either, but when it came to making choices about taking care of someone or spending the day with your fiancé, a nurse’s choice would always be to put personal desires aside and the welfare of others first.
She glanced outside as daylight changed to dusk. No chance of going back out now. She should go to the nurses’ residence and study for tomorrow. But while she was here at the hospital, maybe she could check on John Doe.
She walked over to the psychiatric hospital, the smell of disinfectant smacking her in the face when she entered the tiled hallway on the second floor. She stopped at the nurses’ station to inquire about the patient.
“Can I help you, miss?” The floor nurse looked Lexie over.
“Yes, please, I’m one of the nurses in training, and I was here yesterday.” The other woman crossed her arms, and, with a stern look, examined Lexie as she continued. “I just wanted to check on the condition of one of the patients—John Doe. Has it changed any?”
“Not that I can tell. If you were in uniform, I’d take you in, but I can’t when you’re dressed in street clothes.”
Lexie glanced down at her clothes, surprised to see how dirty she was after kneeling on the ground at the park, a run up one leg of her stockings. She had completely forgotten she wasn’t in uniform. “Of course. I understand.” Lexie was tempted to run back to the dorm and change but decided against it. The phone rang, and the nurse went to answer it, turning her back on Lexie.
Lexie started to walk away, then on impulse changed direction and went past the nurses’ station over to the door of the psychiatric ward. She peered through the small window in the door, trying to see John Doe. When a face appeared on the other side, she gasped and jumped back. The patient who’d caused the ruckus when she had been in there with the other students was looking out. Seeing her, his eyes grew wide, and he began to yell and beat on the door. “Let me out! Let me out! They’re trying to kill me!”
The door shook, and the knob rattled as the man tried to get it open. Lexie backed away, right into the floor nurse.
“What are you doing? You shouldn’t be here! Leave at once.”
Lexie hurried away from the angry nurse, embarrassed that her good intentions had not turned out well.
“Nurse Smithfield, do you mind telling me what you were doing yesterday in the psychiatric hospital improperly dressed?”
She had expected this. Lexie sat across the desk from the nursing supervisor and glanced down at her hands in her lap before answering.
“I was at the hospital because I had helped someone whose child had fallen at Central Park yesterday. When I left the emergency room, I decided to go check on John Doe, but I forgot I was out of uniform.”
“You forgot?” The volume of Nurse Addams’ voice rose.
“I’m sorry. I really did.” Lexie’s face grew hot. “It wasn’t until the floor nurse mentioned it that I remembered.”
Nurse Addams shook her head in disbelief. “And then when she reminded you, you decided to go look in the door anyway?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ve a good mind to put a reprimand in your file. However, I know you’re smart, despite your unwise decision yesterday.” The nurse tapped the desk with her pencil. “Nurse Smithfield, as you know, you entered the nursing school ahead of the other students because of your college degree at Vassar.”
The head nurse stood and walked over to a bookcase in her office, picked up a picture from the shelf, and showed it to Lexie.
“This is my graduating class from nurses’ training at Vassar in 1918.”
Lexie’s eyes widened as she scanned the old photo of nurses with their capes. “You went to Vassar too?”
Nurse Addams took the picture back, studied it, then replaced it on the bookshelf. “I did, but unfortunately, the nurses’ program was discontinued after that, or you might have attended it too.”
“I might have, although when I started college at Vassar, I didn’t know what I wanted to study.”
“But now you do. Apparently, you learned about mental health care on your own.”
Lexie nodded. “I’ve read a lot about the subject.” Her heart weighed heavy with memory, and she looked down as she continued. “My mother had dementia, so I wanted to know more about it.”
“I heard about that. You’re not aware of this, but I’ve consulted Dr. Grainger from the sanitarium where your mother lived.”
Surprised, Lexie lifted her gaze. “You did?”
“Yes, he tells me you assisted him on his rounds at times. That’s unusual for someone who’s not a nurse.”
Lexie waited for the next reprimand concerning another time when she stepped outside the boundaries of proper procedure.
“He also told me he was confident you were as familiar with patient care as many nurses he knew. In fact, not only did he recommend you for our nursing school, he said you would make a fine doctor if that was your desire.”
Astounded, Lexie couldn’t believe what she’d heard. “A doctor?”
Nurse Addams nodded. “That’s what he said. Apparently, you made quite an impression on him.” She sat back down and clasped her hands on the desk, focusing on Lexie. “Since you’ve already passed the first-year nursing exam, you’re presently a second-year student. Based on Dr. Grainger’s recommendation, I will give you the second-year test next week. If you pass that, you’ll be considered a senior, or third-year student. Would that be acceptable to you?”
Sitting up straight in her chair, Lexie said, “Yes, ma’am, it certainly would.”
“Fine, then plan on taking it Monday a week. Now, another thing, you have reached the point in your training where you can choose your preference of placement at the hospital. I assume that would be psychiatric nursing. Am I right?”
“Oh, yes, ma’am!”
“I know your mother had dementia, but I’m sure you know mental illness can have other forms.”
“Yes, in fact, I encountered someone last year who suffered from shell shock after the Great War. He was put in a mental hospital when he returned from the service because his family didn’t understand what was wrong. But when h
e got out, he was able to live a normal life.” Lexie recalled Abner from Jekyll Island. “I’d like to learn how to help the soldiers who come back with shell shock.”
“So you think our John Doe might be one of those?”
Lexie nodded. “Maybe.”
“That’s a distinct possibility. But we still have a lot to learn about mental illness and how to treat it. It’s just not as simple as setting a broken arm or putting a Band-Aid on a scratch.”
“Yes, ma’am, I know.”
The nursing instructor leaned back and steepled her fingers as she studied Lexie. “As you know, we are desperate for more nurses, both here and in the military. There are plans in the works to implement an accelerated study program for nursing students instead of the three years that are now required. You are already on an accelerated schedule. Do you have any intentions of joining the military, Nurse Smithfield?”
“No, ma’am. I prefer to stay stateside.” If Russell were in the military, maybe her answer would be different, but there was no chance he’d be leaving, so they could marry and stay here.
“Well, that’s good for us, then. We could use you here.” The head nurse scribbled something on a notepad. “As of today, I’m assigning you to the psychiatric hospital full time when you’re not in class or needed elsewhere. You can alternate between the men’s floors and the women’s.”
Lexie could not believe what she had heard. She exercised great restraint to keep from grinning, feeling as if she’d just won a small victory.
“One word of caution, though.”
“Yes?”
“The psychiatric ward can be dangerous. You never know what will set one of the patients off. It’s important that you remember to take precautions: never turn your back to the patients, and keep the door locked at all times. Of course, some of the patients are just alcoholics that the police brought in, or even checked themselves in. They’re not the most dangerous ones. Once they sober up, they’re pretty harmless. It’s the others, the ones with real mental illness, who can be dangerous.”
“Yes, ma’am, I understand. I’ll be careful.”
“You may leave now. Go to class, then report to the quiet male ward this afternoon.”
Lexie stood. “Thank you, Nurse Addams.” Yesterday, the quiet male ward had been anything but quiet.
The instructor nodded. “You might not be thanking me in a few weeks, Nurse Smithfield, because the psychiatric ward can be depressing and usually the least favorite place for most nursing students. However, I pray you will find your work fulfilling.”
Thrilled with her news, Lexie wanted to skip out of the instructor’s office, but she wouldn’t dare evoke Nurse Addams’ ire right now. Lexie was assigned exactly where she wanted to be. She couldn’t wait to tell Russell. Now they were even closer to being man and wife, with graduation coming sooner than expected. But she didn’t have time to tell him yet because she had to get to class. Her news would have to wait until lunch.
“Why can’t we get a room? Your sign out there said ‘Vacancy,’” the young man yelled across the front desk, his blushing wife standing behind him. The man leaned toward Russell, lowering his voice. “Hey, pal, we just got married, and I’m shipping out in two days. We need to be together, you know?”
Russell hated telling this couple they couldn’t have a room. The “Vacancy” sign should have been removed. Truth was, the hotel was staying booked like every other hotel in the city these days. So many people were going and coming as men left for the military, their families and sweethearts visiting and saying “goodbye.”
His brief respite in the Hamptons had quickly become a faded memory when he stepped back into his manager shoes Monday morning. He scarcely finished a sentence before someone asked him another question. His stomach grumbled, reminding him it was lunchtime. Yesterday, he had asked Lexie to join him for lunch today, but he wasn’t even sure he could take the time to eat. Besides, he hadn’t heard from her yet anyway. No doubt she was busy too.
Lord, help me help this young couple. Who knew when they would be together again?
One of his assistants came up beside him and whispered, “Room 420 just became vacant. You can put them in there.”
Russell breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled at the couple as he offered the room. “If you can wait here in the lobby a little while, we’ll get a room cleaned for you. We just had someone check out.”
“We’ll be right here,” the young man announced. “Just don’t give that room to anyone else, ya hear?”
“Wouldn’t think of it,” said Russell, taking the demand in stride.
A group of gentlemen passed the front desk, their hats shielding their faces, their heads down as they spoke to each other. Two of them glanced around the room as they followed the others to the elevator. They must be in town on business since they didn’t have that eager, naive look of the young servicemen. Nor were they wearing officers’ uniforms. The short, fat man in front reminded Russell of someone, yet he couldn’t place him at the moment.
The phone near him rang. Seeing no one else at the desk, he lifted the receiver. “Hotel Martinique.”
“Russell? Is that you?” Lexie’s voice sounded surprised.
“Guilty. How’s my pretty lady today?”
“Busy as usual. But I have something exciting to tell you!” Lexie dove into the episode at the hospital on Sunday and her meeting with Nurse Addams that morning. “And guess what?”
“You’re being promoted?”
“Not yet, but I get to take the second-year test next week, and if I pass it, I’ll be a senior! But guess what else? I’m being assigned to the psychiatric hospital! Now I get to spend more time with John Doe.” The excitement in her voice reverberated through the phone.
“That’s great, Lex. Just what you wanted.” Should he even ask about lunch? “So I guess you’ll be too busy for lunch.”
“Lunch? Oh, I completely forgot that you asked me to lunch.” She paused before continuing. “I’m so sorry, no, not today. Maybe later?”
“Don’t worry, sweetie. I don’t really have time to sit down today anyway.” Even though he didn’t, he regretted not seeing her just the same. “Say, thanks for telling me your good news. I’m sure you’ll be an asset to the psychiatric department. And I’m glad you’ll be able to keep a close eye on John Doe.”
“Thanks for understanding, Russell. Gotta run now. Love you!”
“Love you, too, Lex.” Russell hung up the phone, embarrassed about the twinge of jealousy he had for John Doe.
Chapter Seven
Karl studied the four newcomers who had arrived from Florida. He remembered them from the Abwehr school in Germany, all former U.S. residents, all trained to sabotage the American war effort. They had been prepared to blend in with the population after landing their rafts—his group on Long Island and the others on the coast of Florida.
Each of them had been pretty confident when they were selected to the elite spy mission, but Karl wondered if they were so sure of themselves now that they were back on American soil. Except for his group’s brief encounter with the lone guardsman on Long Island, it had been relatively easy to get on shore from the lifeboats the submarines had launched. The new guys joked and told how they had caught busses to New York, proud of how simple the “invasion” had been.
Now, here they all were in the same hotel room without creating any unwanted attention. Nobody would notice them among the throngs of men in the busy city. To avoid suspicion, they weren’t staying in the same place. Karl’s group had split in two and was rooming at separate hotels. The other group had also divided and would be headed out of town to their assignments soon. By the time they got back together in Cincinnati on July 4, their missions would be completed, and the United States would be reeling from their handiwork.
Oscar, with his typical cigar stuck in his mouth, unrolled a map and spread it across the bed. “George, here’s Niagara Falls,” he said, pointing to the chart. “You and Peter will p
lace your explosives in these places.” His finger poked several points on the paper.
George tapped his temple with his finger. “I’ve got them all memorized.”
Peter nodded. “We’ll retrieve the boxes we buried on the beach tomorrow night, then head north.”
“So you don’t think the guardsman told? What if he did? Will we be able to get our supplies?” Karl asked. What would they do if they went back to get them and they weren’t there? Or worse, if there was a trap set for them?
“We should’ve killed him when we had the chance,” said Peter.
“We have backup,” said George. “Oscar’s been stockpiling what we need, just in case.”
Karl glanced at Oscar, who nodded, then continued. “Karl and Henry, here’s your targets. Karl, the aluminum company here in New York, and the cryolite plant in Philadelphia.” Oscar chewed on the cigar clenched between his teeth. “Henry, this is where the locks on the rivers are, the ones you’ll destroy.”
The men muttered their acknowledgment as Oscar unrolled another chart. They were not seeing this information for the first time. It had been drilled into them before they left Germany. How could they forget?
Edward, the leader of the Florida group, stepped up to scrutinize the new diagram. “Here are the railroads and bridges we will take care of.” He glanced up at the other three members of his group. “Herbert, Bernard, and Max, these are yours.” Each of the men pointed to their targets, nodding.
A knock sounded on the door, and the men shot nervous looks at each other. “I’ll get it,” said Karl, walking toward the door. “I ordered some coffee for us.”
He reached into his pocket for some change as he opened the door, then handed some coins to the room service maid and took the tray. “Thank you.”
The maid thanked him in return, smiled, and left. Karl came in with the tray, pushing the door closed with his shoulder.
Oscar glared at him. “Why are you being so careless? Do you want to compromise our mission?”