The District Nurse

by Annie Groves

  ‘You don’t deserve any, missing breakfast like that …’ Mattie began, but Kathleen stood up.

  ‘I’d better go. Your mum said I could take some scones for Ray. Is that them over there?’ Kathleen went to the battered old biscuit tin and lifted the lid.

  ‘Put them in that tea towel there,’ said Mattie, jerking her head towards a red and white checked towel hanging beside the window, at the same time as Harry exclaimed, ‘Ray? Did you say Ray?’

  ‘You tell him,’ said Kathleen, bundling up a few scones. ‘I’m needed back at home.’ She raced out, a big smile on her face.

  Harry turned to face his sister.

  ‘Ray’s back?’

  Mattie shrugged. ‘Looks like it. She’s happy as can be, Harry, so don’t you go saying nothing.’

  Harry looked wounded. ‘I haven’t. I wouldn’t. But all the same, come off it, Mattie, you think the same of that scumbag as I do. What sort of man leaves his wife to practically starve without a word of comfort for months on end? Has he just swanned back in as if he’d never been away?’

  ‘Apparently.’ Mattie raised her hands. ‘I don’t know much more than you do. She’s only been here five minutes. He got in this morning, came round early.’

  Harry shook his head. ‘Where’s he been then? Cos I know for a fact that no ships got in yesterday or were due this morning. I saw Billy Reilly in the pub last night, and he happened to mention it. He gets extra if he unloads cargo down the docks at weekends.’

  ‘Maybe he didn’t dock here. She said he’d been on the Liverpool run. Maybe he docked there and travelled down.’

  ‘On a train that got in early this morning? Come on, Mattie. You wasn’t born yesterday.’

  ‘Maybe he got a lift. Look, I don’t know. There’s no point throwing all those questions at me. I don’t trust him any more than you do, but she married him, Harry. We can’t do nothing about that.’ She glanced across the room to where Brian was now slumbering peacefully in the far end of the big cot.

  ‘Good job Billy didn’t know about this last night,’ Harry observed.

  ‘Crikey, I forgot. He used to hold a candle for Kath, didn’t he.’

  ‘Fat lot of good that did him,’ said Harry, cutting a slice of bread. ‘Decent man he is, too. Unlike some we could mention.’

  ‘We can’t do nothing about it,’ Mattie repeated sadly. ‘Cut me some while you’re at it, would you? I got to top up my energy, after I been doing all your chores this morning.’

  For once Harry didn’t argue. On the one hand it was none of his business what Kath did. She was a grown woman who could make her own decisions. Yet, like the rest of the family, he was very fond of his sister’s best friend and he had felt uncomfortable these past months watching her struggling to keep herself and Brian healthy and properly fed. Not to mention the fact that his own friend, Billy, had at one time been very fond of her, but had been pipped to the post before he’d managed to screw up his courage to ask her out. So, whatever way you looked at it, he felt that Ray’s return was anything but good news.

  CHAPTER NINE

  ‘Sorry, Miss!’ The little girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand as she gazed up at Alice. She’d run around the corner without looking and gone straight into Alice’s legs, but as she was so small there wasn’t much harm done.

  Alice looked down at her and recognised the features, even though they were grimier than on a school day. ‘It’s Pauline, isn’t it?’ she asked.

  Pauline nodded solemnly. ‘You’re the nurse, ain’t you? But you ain’t got your uniform on.’

  Alice laughed. ‘I don’t wear it all the time, you know.’

  ‘But you’re still a nurse? Even when you wear a pretty frock?’

  ‘Of course I am. But I’m not on duty – I get Sunday evenings off. Isn’t it a bit late for you to be out? Are you on your own?’ Alice asked, concerned for the little girl. Surely it was the child’s bedtime. Alice had been to evening service at the local church, feeling the need for the comfort of familiar hymns.

  Pauline stared at her as if she was mad. ‘I’m not a baby. Ain’t my bedtime for hours yet,’ she said. ‘I had to go and get Gran’s fags.’ She held up a paper bag.

  Alice tried not to look shocked. ‘Do you buy them from the shop?’ she asked, thinking there wouldn’t be one open.

  ‘Nah, the pub. They know me in there,’ the little girl assured her. ‘They know what sort she likes, see. Gran’ll go in there tomorrow and settle up with them, but she’s mindin’ me little brother this evening so I had to go and fetch them.’

  ‘I see,’ said Alice, making a mental note. ‘How are you getting on with brushing your teeth?’ She remembered the child had said that Gran didn’t approve of toothbrushes.

  ‘Very well, thank you for asking,’ Pauline said politely. ‘I brush ’em every night now. But I got to hide the toothpaste from me little brother cos he tries to eat it.’

  ‘Yes, you’d better not let him do that,’ Alice said hurriedly.

  ‘Will it poison him, Miss?’ Pauline asked curiously.

  ‘No, nothing like that. It just won’t do him much good. Besides, it would be a dreadful waste,’ Alice pointed out. ‘And we don’t want that, do we?’

  ‘No, Miss.’ Pauline shuffled her feet. ‘I got to be goin’ now. Gran don’t like to be kept waitin’ for her fags.’

  ‘Of course.’ Alice nodded solemnly. ‘I shall see you at school later in the week, then.’

  ‘Bye, Miss.’ Pauline sprinted off, one sock falling down as she did so.

  Alice stared after her for a moment, pulling her cardigan more tightly around her shoulders against the evening chill. She wondered what sort of home the child had. Whatever the condition of it, it didn’t seem to dampen her spirits. Perhaps she would have to leave it soon anyway, with the planned evacuation of young children. Alice shook her head. She didn’t know why she’d been so strongly drawn to go to church that evening; she’d got into the habit of going with some of the other nurses to the morning service, but something about the overwhelming likelihood of war had propelled her out again, seeking some kind of solace. But there was little to be had. For once, the singing and the familiar responses hadn’t worked their magic, and even the fading golden light of what had been a hot summer day was making her despondent. The congregation had talked of little else but war as they made their way out though the churchyard.

  Then again, she had an interesting book to read later. Joe had made good on his promise. When she’d got back to the nurses’ home after the morning service, there had been a brown paper parcel waiting, with her name written on it in clear copperplate. She’d slipped it inside her handbag before any of the others could notice, and once upstairs in the privacy of her room, she’d torn off the paper – carefully, as she didn’t like to waste it – to reveal a copy of Jamaica Inn. There was no note, but she knew who it was from all right.

  She wasn’t sure why she still hadn’t told Edith about it. Her friend was Catholic, so didn’t go to the same church, and hadn’t seen Alice’s swift move to hide the book in the bag. Edith would never have missed such a thing, and Alice knew she was off the hook for the time being. She told herself that the reason behind her reluctance was that she didn’t want to spoil Edith’s excitement about Harry. This way, Edith wouldn’t have to share the limelight. But she knew her friend would be delighted if Alice received a gift from a man – even if it was purely out of a common interest in books, with nothing remotely romantic behind it. Alice sighed. It was all too complicated. She’d tried to explain to her friend why she wasn’t interested in men after Mark, but Edith was keen to see her find romance, or at least have some fun.

  She was married to her profession, she reminded herself. It was a path she’d chosen, and nothing must interfere with her dedication. It was important work, she’d trained for years, and she was good at what she did. There was no room in her life for distractions. Edith and Mary and the others might dream of finding a man and givin
g up nursing, but she had no intention of ever letting that happen to her.

  Although that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy Jamaica Inn. She’d make a start on it tonight; she’d have to get it back to Joe in good time, as it was only out on loan. She smiled to herself. There was no harm in a friendship, and that was all it was, all it could ever be. She deliberately didn’t think about how she’d first reacted to him, the anger beyond what the insult merited. It would be nice to have someone to talk about books with. None of her fellow nurses at the home shared her interest, or to nothing like the same degree. It was one of the main things that made her tick, and it was only common sense to become friends with anyone who felt the same way.

  ‘I said, get rid of it!’ Ray was tense with fury, his eyes staring at his wife, every muscle taut.

  ‘He’s not an “it”, he’s your son!’ protested Kathleen.

  ‘Is he? You sure?’ He grabbed her by the wrist.

  ‘Of course he is! You know he is! Everyone says he looks just like you!’ she cried, bewildered at how the evening had suddenly turned into an argument, stung by the unfairness of the accusation.

  ‘If I find out you was fooling around, there’ll be trouble,’ he warned, gripping her wrist harder.

  ‘I never!’

  ‘Look at his dark hair. Same colour as your old mate’s, is it? That Billy?’

  ‘You got dark hair, Ray! His hair is like yours! I never been anywhere near Billy.’

  ‘Good, cos you’re my wife and you’ll do as I say,’ he snarled. ‘And I’m saying get rid of it. Every time I come near you that bloody creature starts screaming, like it don’t want me to touch you.’

  ‘He’s just a baby! You can’t be jealous of a baby!’

  ‘Jealous, am I? What have I got to be jealous of?’ He pulled her face close to his and his spittle struck her on the cheek.

  ‘I … I …’ Kathleen knew she’d somehow said the wrong thing but couldn’t think how to put it right. This reunion that she’d longed for so badly for so long had gone horribly wrong, and now Ray was livid, all because little Brian needed his feed.

  ‘Take it round to your mates’ house.’

  ‘I … I can’t. They’ve had him most of the weekend …’

  He twisted her wrist and she cried out in pain, which made Brian scream even louder.

  ‘What sort of friends are they, then? Don’t they understand I’m back and want to have my rights?’

  ‘Just let me feed him, then he’ll be quiet,’ she managed to say, but it came out faintly as she was in so much pain.

  ‘You only think about that bloody baby, you don’t think about me at all. What about my needs, eh? Try putting them first for once. You’re my wife, it’s your duty.’

  ‘I will, I will, just let me feed him,’ she begged, but it was no good.

  He twisted her arm behind her back and she almost collapsed with the pain. ‘Is that what you want? To feed him and not do your duty by me?’ he snarled into her ear. ‘Is he more important than me?’

  ‘No, no, but he doesn’t understand …’

  ‘But I understand, Kath. I understand all too well. That little scrap of bones means more to you than I do – me, your own husband. Don’t matter that I haven’t seen you for months, or that I brought you back my wages.’ With his free hand he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a bundle of notes. ‘There you are then. That’s all you wanted, wasn’t it.’ He flung them onto the floor where they fluttered in the draught from the open window.

  ‘No, Ray, please, no …’

  ‘I’m keeping back a few shillings for myself if that’s all right with you,’ he said, pulling her arm still tighter. ‘If I’m not welcome here, I’m going down the pub, where at least I know I’m wanted.’

  ‘No, Ray, stay here with me, you only just got back,’ she cried.

  ‘With a snivelling woman and a screaming baby? What, do you think I’m stupid or something?’ He flung her from him and turned for the door, not caring that the force with which he’d thrown her had sent her straight to the floor.

  Kathleen lay very still and everything went black.

  First thing on Monday morning, Mattie hammered on the door to the nurses’ home.

  Gwen opened it, staring at the wild-haired young woman who was gasping for breath.

  ‘Yes? Is there an emergency? You appear to have been running,’ she said.

  ‘Please,’ Mattie got out, ‘please, is Nurse Lake here? Alice Lake? We need her. My friend …’

  Gwen frowned. ‘This is highly irregular. You should have whichever nurse is on duty and available. The referral should be via a doctor or hospital.’

  Mattie nodded. ‘I’m sorry, I know, but is Alice on duty? Can she come? My friend … my friend trusts her, you see.’ She gulped. ‘She’ll know what to do.’

  ‘All nurses will know what to do,’ Gwen said sternly.

  Mattie screwed her eyes tight shut and opened them again. ‘I’m sorry. I know. It’s just … my friend knows her and Alice has been there before and I don’t know if she’ll see anyone else; she’s so upset and she didn’t want me to come here and fetch anyone to see her but she’s in a bad way and I just know Alice will know what’s best.’ She drew breath. ‘I’m sorry.’

  Gwen pursed her lips but relented. ‘Very well. Wait here.’ She went back inside, leaving the door ajar. Mattie leant against the wall, hoping she’d done the right thing.

  It seemed an eternity before she heard footsteps from along the corridor and Alice appeared at the door, adjusting her collar and patting her hair, obviously only just ready to come on duty.

  ‘Alice! Thank God. I thought that old battleaxe wasn’t going to fetch you,’ Mattie said. ‘Come quick, something awful’s happened to Kathleen.’

  Alice gasped. ‘Whatever is it? Wait a moment, tell me what you can, then I’ll cycle over there. Is she at home?’

  Mattie wrung her hands. ‘I found her this morning. I went over with some of Ma’s gingerbread cos I know she likes it, and there she was, lying on the floor, her arm all funny and Brian crying cos he hadn’t been fed.’

  ‘Was she unconscious?’ Alice asked.

  ‘She sort of came round when she heard me. She was moaning and groaning, but she could speak. She was all white in the face, it was terrible, so I came straight for you. She won’t see nobody else.’

  Alice frowned. ‘Had she tripped over or something?’

  Mattie’s expression grew dark. ‘She says she fell. That’s what she told me. But, Alice …’ Mattie’s face twisted in misery. ‘She’ll tell you that as well, I bet. But she didn’t – she didn’t fall. It was that bastard Ray. Her husband.’

  Alice arrived ahead of Mattie, as she’d cycled as hard as she could. She swung off her bike and grabbed her nurse’s bag, knocked on the front door and let herself in without waiting for a reply. The front room was dark as the curtains were still closed. Alice went to the window and pulled them back so that she could see what she was doing.

  Kathleen let out a faint whimper at the sudden daylight. Alice turned to find her patient propped in the armchair, leaning over at a strange angle, trying to feed her baby using only one arm. The other hung uselessly by her side.

  ‘Kathleen.’ Alice went to the woman’s side and crouched down. ‘It’s all right, I’m here to help you. Your poor arm. Here, let me take Brian for a bit, he doesn’t look very comfy like that.’ In truth she was worried the baby would fall from his mother’s lap and hurt himself on the hard floor. Kathleen surrendered the child with barely a protest and Alice held him gently against her shoulder as he grizzled and then grew calmer. ‘There, there, that’s right. We’ll just put you in your cot while I look at Mummy.’ Carefully she laid the baby on the thin mattress, and waited a moment for him to settle. Then she turned her attentions back to her patient.

  Kathleen wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘I told Mattie not to bother,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll be all right, it’s nothing. You didn’t need to come.
’

  Alice pulled a wooden chair across the room and sat on it, opposite her patient. ‘Kathleen, that’s not true, is it? I think I did need to come. Mattie was right to be worried. Here, let me see you properly. Can you move your arm?’ Kathleen tried to do so but her face contorted with pain. Then a shaft of sunlight hit her and Alice just managed not to gasp out loud. One side of the young woman’s face was livid with bruising. The colours matched those around her swollen wrist.

  ‘Oh, Kathleen.’ Alice’s heart went out to her but she knew sympathy was only part of what was needed. Somehow she had to make her more comfortable and treat the arm so that Kathleen could use it fully again as soon as possible. ‘Can you tell me what happened?’

  Kathleen twisted her face away. ‘I fell,’ she said blankly.

  ‘You fell? But your wrist …’

  ‘I fell and hit my head, and landed on my wrist. My arm got stuck under me,’ Kathleen insisted. ‘I was stupid, it was my fault. I tripped and fell.’

  Alice wasn’t at all convinced. ‘Let me see your wrist. I’ll be very gentle.’ She slowly lifted it so that it rested on her lap, and as the sunlight fell fully on it she could see the impressions of fingers, marking the pale white skin. Even if she’d believed the woman before, she certainly didn’t do so now.

  ‘I’m going to bathe your wrist to help the swelling and then I shall bandage it, as it’s not only bruised but cut too,’ she told her. ‘Then I’ll bathe your face and assess what else is wrong with your arm.’ Calmly she rose and moved to the back kitchen, now familiar to her, and set the kettle to boil. Mattie arrived just as she was making a pot of tea, reaching for the sugar as well, to help with the patient’s shock.

  ‘Here, Mattie, would you mind making us all some tea?’ Alice asked, glad that Kathleen had such a loyal friend. ‘I’ll just bring through this bowl of warm water.’ Steadily she went about her business, trying to cause as little pain as she could while still ensuring the treatment was accurate and effective. Kathleen made barely a sound, stoically enduring what Alice could see must be uncomfortable at best and downright agony when she had to move the damaged arm.