Nancy Dale, Army Nurse
Page 19
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
A TEST
Vernon Goodwin had a relapse that night, and for the next few daysNancy feared they had learned all from him they would ever know. In themeantime, however, glorious news was brought back from the fightingfront. The great number of reinforcing troops had finished the job forwhich they had come. The last nest of "Yellow Jackets" had been cleanedfrom the island.
This news called for such a celebration as the nurses had not had sinceJuly Fourth, for their work had lightened somewhat. Planes had takensome of their serious cases back to hospitals in Australia. Even whenthe wounded were brought in after the final victory there were stillsome beds unoccupied, so the nurses found a few hours out of everytwenty-four to give to personal needs once more, and a bit ofrecreation.
But Nancy had little heart for amusement during those trying days. Shecould think of nothing but Vernon Goodwin lying at the point of death,and that Tommy might be alive still, somewhere in that jungle a day'sboat ride to the north.
"Ah, snap out of it, Nancy," wheedled Mabel, the afternoon before theparty when she came upon her pal sitting on her cot, staring intospace. "We've all decided to put on our whites for the shindig. It willbe good for the morale of the patients to see us looking like realnurses for once."
"We'll only make ourselves targets for the Zeros that come over."
"Can't you realize yet they've cleared out those Yellow Jackets! We'vegot something to celebrate over."
"I'm really tired, Mabel," said Nancy, stretching out on her cot. "Ihonestly don't feel like going up to the mess hall to the party."
"Oh, but honey, you can't miss it! I'll tell you something as aninducement. We have a surprise. Some of the Fuzzy Wuzzies are going toput on a special ceremonial dance--the kind they use to celebrate theirown victories."
These island natives had been most valuable in bringing back thewounded from the fighting front. Ned Holbrook, one of Nancy's patients,who had a broken back, had been brought out by them on a litter.
"They were as careful with me as any mother," Ned told her. "They savedmy life, Nancy, that's sure! I never could have stood the jolting ofour ambulance over those corduroy roads."
Nancy had read many articles in the magazines and papers of Australiaabout the Fuzzy Wuzzies, and the help they had been to the Allies, butshe had to see them in action to appreciate their amazing gentlenessand value. It seemed incredible that these dark-skinned men, who lookedso savage, with their bushy heads, and their bodies naked except forloin cloths, could make such good hospital aides. She had oftenwondered how they acted in their native villages, and she knew theceremonial dance would be something to remember always.
"The last plane that came out from Australia," explained Mabel,"brought some packages from the Red Cross for us to give the nativehelpers. We opened one just to see what they contained. Boy, will thoseFuzzies be thrilled!"
"What's in them?"
"Each one had a loin cloth and a new girdle, a string of beads, abracelet, an ornamental hair pin and a package of cigarettes." Mabellaughed. "I still can't get used to those men wearing fancy hair pins."
"I'm sure they're meant more for service than ornamentation," repliedNancy. "Yesterday a couple of Fuzzies came in with a litter. As soon aswe had the wounded man on the bed they sat down on the ground nearbyand began scratching their woolly heads with those pins."
"When they start that I always give them a wide berth. I don't relishthe idea of any of the inhabitants of those bushy mops jumping on me."Mabel scratched her head at the very idea, then added, "But it will befun watching the dance and seeing them get the packages."
"I'm afraid I'll have to miss it," said Nancy ruefully, as she yawnedand stretched on the cot.
Mabel pulled the mosquito net aside and wheedled, "Ah, come on, lazybones!"
She caught Nancy's hand to pull her off the cot, then stopped suddenly."Your hand's hot as fire!" she exclaimed. "Nancy, you're sick."
"Not so loud. Somebody will hear. I'm afraid I have malaria. I'vealready started taking quinine. Think I had a chill on the ward justnow."
"And you stuck it out--you numskull?"
"Please, Mabel, don't talk so loud. Somebody will hear. They may evensend me back if they find I have malaria. I'm going to doctor myselfand knock it out."
"When that bug gets a grip on you it's not so easy as you think."
"Please don't tell anyone, Mabel. It would be awful to be sent awayright now, just as I'm about to get on Tommy's track."
"Of course--if you don't want me to. If you're not better in a day ortwo, though, you've got to see one of the doctors."
When the nurses, who shared their outdoor quarters, started off to themess hall in white Nancy said wistfully, "It sure makes me think ofhome, seeing you all in regulations."
Mabel placed a glass of fruit juice on a box under Nancy's net beforeleaving, and ordered her to sleep. The girls had been gone only a fewminutes when Nancy dropped into a feverish sleep. She was roused sometime later by sounds of the Fuzzy Wuzzies' ceremonial drums. She wentto sleep again with them ringing in her ears, and didn't rouse tilldawn. She was wet with perspiration and realized her fever had burneditself out. Though she was weak and her head ringing from quinine, shegot into her clothes and went on duty. She knew she would haveforty-eight hours before a chill gripped her again, if her heavy dosesof quinine were not sufficient yet to knock it out.
How glad she was afterward that she did force herself to go on duty. Asshe entered the ward to take Shorty's place, her little friend said,"Vernon woke during the night and asked for you."
"Why didn't you send for me?"
"Mabel wouldn't let me. She said you were all in. But he's much betterthis morning--ate some breakfast."
Nancy waited for no more, but hurried to the gunner's bed. He wasfinishing some cereal, and gave her a wan smile as she drew near.
"That's the way you must eat," commented Nancy, taking his emptied messkit. "You'll get well now."
"I believe I will, Miss Nancy. I may yet be able to point out thatisland where we left Tom."
"Oh, if you only could, Vernon!"
"I believe I could. Though a gunner doesn't bother his head with wherehe's going--got enough to think about to hit the targets, but I doremember something about how that island looked from the air, and Isure had to pay attention to directions when we were leaving in thatrubber boat."
"Is it due north from here?" she asked.
"No, I'd say to the northeast."
"Entirely surrounded by coral reefs?"
"As much as we saw. Passages here and there, large enough for smallboats."
Though Vernon's voice was still cracked and weak Nancy could see he wasable to coordinate his thoughts more easily than during their earlierconversations.
"Major Reed said a searching plane would be sent," Nancy told him. "Butof course we could do nothing while you were so ill."
"Has it been very long?"
"Almost a week--a sort of reaction I suppose from our too vigorousefforts to bring you back. But you're going to make it this time," sheassured him.
"Sorry I delayed things," he apologized. "Poor Tom--if he's stillhanging on I guess he's given up hope. How long has it been? I've losttrack of time."
"The government notified us that Tommy was missing in action on Marchsecond. This is September."
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_Slowly Vernon Goodwin Gained Strength_]
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"Lord!" Vernon groaned. "Miss Nancy, I don't see how he could have madeit till now. There wasn't enough food."
"But there would probably be fruits, coconuts, fish like we have onthis island. Tommy would find some way to catch fish," Nancy said,stubbornly clinging to her little shreds of hope.
It took all the will power she had to keep on her job that day, for s
hehadn't realized how fever could sap one's vitality. When she startedback to her quarters in the late afternoon she stopped off to tellMajor Reed what Vernon had said. As she talked an odd expression cameinto his face. She feared he had lost interest and would not push thesearching expedition.
"I'm afraid Vernon Goodwin won't be well enough to go with anysearching party before we have to leave here." Major Reed finallyrevealed what was on his mind.
Nancy's pale face grew more wan. "Oh, Major Reed!"
"Our job here is almost finished. Planes can clear out the patientsfaster and faster now that Koshu has been taken. We can expect ordersfor a change at any time."
Tired and ill as she was the news upset Nancy more than anything hadsince she first heard Tommy was missing. She took a grip on the tentpole to steady her wobbly knees.
Major Reed was aware of her condition and said, "You look actually ill,Nancy. Don't drive yourself so hard--ease up a bit." He turned away aminute and rummaged in a box of medicines. He found a bottle of goldenpills and handed them to her. "Take these vitamins, two a day, till youget your pep back."
Nancy thanked him and hesitated a moment, wondering if she ought toconfess about the chill yesterday. She decided against it, however,feeling confident she could take care of herself. She was to wonderlater if things might have been different had she spoken then.
Nancy's second chill struck her the next morning before she was out ofbed, and at the hour she should have reported for duty she was burningwith fever. Mabel was scheduled to have the day off, so offered to takeNancy's place. She would report Nancy in need of a day's rest andotherwise keep silent. Their other dormitory companions were also askednot to betray her.
Nancy kept up her medicine and by dinner time that evening was feelingsomewhat better. Hoping to evade too many inquiries she decided toappear at the mess hall with Mabel, Shorty and Ida. Shorty and Mabelwere in high spirits and kept them laughing with funny stories aboutthe Fuzzy Wuzzies throughout the meal, and Nancy's morale mountedseveral degrees.
The four friends, who had grown so companionable during these months ofservice, little dreamed that was the last meal they would have togetheron the other side of the world. But their routine came to an unexpectedend just as they were leaving the mess hall.
Lieutenant Hauser rapped on the table and called out in her clear tone,"All nurses report for instructions just outside the mess hall."
"Somethin' cookin'!" Mabel said with conviction. "I've felt it all day."
The nurses found Major Reed outside, standing beside Lieutenant Hauserunder the palms.
"Orders have come through," began the major, when he lifted his handfor attention.
Instantly the ripple of light talk ceased, and every ear became alertfor the coming change.
"Half of us are to move up to open a new hospital. The rest will followwhen this camp has been cleared of patients. The situation is now sowell in hand that any on Koshu Island needing special treatment may bequickly flown out to larger bases."
Nancy caught Mabel's hand at this dreaded news. It threatened toshatter all her high hopes of an expedition to search for Tommy.
Mabel, fully aware of the cause of Nancy's concern, whisperedconsolingly, "Maybe you'll be allowed to stay behind and see itthrough."
"I'm afraid no one will push the expedition unless I'm here," shereplied. "Especially if Vernon's sent back to a base hospital."
"The moving unit will be prepared to leave at once. The transport willstand by to pick us up at any hour now," explained Major Reed. "Thefollowing nurses will leave for the new base." He then proceeded toread a list of about twenty-five names.
When he called Mabel's name Nancy clutched at her friend's handdesperately. She had scarcely recovered from that shock before her ownname was called. Weakened as she was with illness and fatigue she hadto take a grip on herself to keep back the tears.
"You're too sick now to make a change," Mabel said, knowing how verymuch Nancy wanted to stay here. "I'm going to tell them you've beenhaving chills."
This was a real temptation to Nancy. A week or two longer on Koshumight make all the difference in the world where Tommy was concerned.But had she any right to put her own personal considerations ahead ofthis call to more dangerous service? They might even think she wasusing her illness or Tommy's rescue as an excuse to cling to the saferwork here on Koshu Island.
Her thoughts moved swiftly, but her decision was unshakable when shereplied, "No, Mabel. I agreed to give myself to this work. I'll gowherever they send me."
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