THE NIGHT NURSE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 229, 15 June 1918, Page 7

THE NIGHT NURSE

A PICTURE FROM THE BATTLE-' ZONE. (By I'G.," in tho "Daily Mail.") I meet them on my way to iny break- . last. at. 7 p.m., a slowly moving inasa of blue returning to the various wards ■ iroui the nightly- concert in- tho hospital hall, singing mightly tho song that has most impressed Uiwn. j . 'Stretchers, ' wheel-chairs, crutcnes, : spiiiits.of all shapes and-sizes, bandages, ; and again bandages, a 'motley crowd indeed, but with one common element-— i abundant cheerfulness. ; When I arrive, at my ward half an hour later nil are in bed, eupper is i h'nished—singing is still in progress, but j now it is hymns. Somebody has chosen "Fight the Good Fight," and the men's \ ; voices mingle with' those of the nurses ' in a voluino of sound. . ■ Sister reads prayers, then: "Good,night, all." . ■ ■ "Good night, sister," from 75 voices. The day probationers go before her i table singly to report. Again "Good j night," and tho day probationers hurry ' ; off,- giggling together as they run down- i stairs. j Sister and the staff nurses withdraw to > discuss tho affairsof the' day. lam left ■ ; with the patients. ' ■ "I'm 'for it' to-morrow, nurse." ! "Oh, poor 3, are you?" ("For it" ; means the operating theatre.) j "Yes, tljo old ■ thing's got to go at last." ■ i "■' T,lib'..usual pluck of the' British soldier ■ shdws itself in the light words; but I know the bitter ...disappointment behind . \ them. For six. months -.the, doctors have j tried to save his ,leg, v u v.,»', " i At half-past-eigttt'lißut:out the lightsi , j leaving only the shaded onVat the table. -, "No more talking or smoking now, ; piease." A subdued silence—then a whispered conversation and laughter. • j "Hush I" ■. ■ - "A gleam of light in the darkness leads v > me straight to n cigarette. , « ■• ! "30:" put that out." •'■ : ' -^i "Just let. mo. finish it, nurse j I swear J'ii hide it, when flurso W. romes In." ! I pass on to , a strong smell of ether, I "How are you. 68?"-1 • whisper. ■ ■- | "Qh, nurse, ft's cruol to-night." Poor j OS has been to tho "theatro" to-day for : tho third time I ■! Tho silence deepens, the rows of white . ; beds look ghastly in the darkness; ! breathing becomes heavy—Number i is j snoring again. - ; A groan comes from one corner. i "Try and bear it, 6, for the sakeof i the others—just help me raiso him, ; nurse." We case his position. 1 Hours pass quickly, so mach there ie \ to do—silently renewing fomentations, ; complying with requests for "a drink ; of water," giving firandy and milk to the ; specially strengthless.. ; Night sister goes her round about U. 30 . ■ p.m.; her lamp flits from bed to bed. - j ■Vfter our midnight meal there is a \ lull, broken only by restless requests to '.'Give mj pillows a shift, nurse, or j "Could you move my leg a bitP" i 1 pad noiselessly about to keep myself j awake ■ j •U 3.30 a.m. we have ten, and I creep ' nlone to GS with a cud—it is not allowed, but I know ho is awake.. '.. j Tie- looks np in tho half light with \ grateful eye?. "You ain't 'arf a dar- ! I'm'!'- Ami I feel my strength renewed. I Fomentations Iwain again; we go from ; Imd to bod. Number 9 had added a ', "one" to his number. i "Wake up. Number 9." _ | ■Rvo'n in Kis slceo lie remembers his joke. . ; "I won't; I'm not .9—l'm 91!" ; Dawn breaks; the ward is astir. Early ■! as it is matches strike, cigarettes elow, j rind once more lawhter and chaff. Wash- ] ings begin and I Tiilco myself off to bed.' :