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Kate was much less confident. As she snapped the press-stud fastenings in place she pulled a face at the sight of herself in the mirror. She was far from vain, but this was verging on the ridiculous. The dresses provided were far too big. But it was a temporary job so she'd have to make do. She tightened her navy belt and  fastened the silver nurses' buckle her mother had given  her on graduation.  
    'At least I'll be able to scotch all those rumours about Mr Galvan having arms amputated and personality-altering head injuries.'
    *  *  *
    The Sister-in-Charge concluded her brisk résumé of the cases on Corridor B. 'Now Kate, I think that's everything. If you find yourself with a quiet moment take a look at the relevant case notes. But your prime responsibility is Mr Galvan.'
    'Of course, Sister.' Kate tucked notebook and pencil back into her pocket.
    This staff nurse looked cool as a cucumber, Sister Carter was relieved to note. Tall, straight-backed. No make-up and a severe hairdo that dragged her hair away from her pale face. Steady eye contact.
    She wasn't a youngster and that was just as well. Stamina, and a natural authority that doesn't offend others , to quote Mrs Harris. It would take more than a grumpy surgeon to makethis one cry.
    Though it sickened her to ask, Kate made herself say it. 'Could there be a degree of brain damage? There's a rumour that Mr Galvan's unusual behaviour is the result of trauma. '
    Sister Carter snorted inelegantly. 'Nothing of the kind on his CT scan. No, he's just being a naughty boy and causing me a lot of trouble. He's angry with everyone and everything. Never a day's illness in his life—and suddenly finds he's as vulnerable as the next man!' Beneath an expanse of blue cloth her impressive bosom heaved.
    But the indignation was a mite simulated because like all the rest, Sister Carter was under the charismatic surgeon's spell. All it needed was a nurse capable of keeping cool under fire. He was a darling, really. One of the sweetest of men in his normal frame of mind.
    'You have my permission to bind and gag him if need be. Stand up to our Tom, give him what for. I've told him he needs his bottom smacked and that the last person I'm sending him is a blonde student nurse with enormous …!' Sister Carter tut-tutted and raised her eyes to heaven.
    Kate got the picture. In fact it gave her what seemed, on the spur of the moment, a brilliant idea! It would only take a moment.
    'Sister,' called a voice from one of the rooms and with an encouraging nod of dismissal, Sister Carter bustled off. Just then came a crash at the far end of the corridor. Kate swung on her heel and hurried in the direction of the noise. 'What on earth!' she exclaimed, following the door numbers. Uh -uh! Room 27, I might have guessed.
    It sounded mighty like Tom Galvan had hurled his breakfast tray at someone. And the way he was bawling about the food it was a wonder the other occupants of Corridor B didn't justifiably complain.
    Time to put her plan into action.
    The staff cloakroom lay immediately to her left, so Kate with beating heart slipped inside. This was going to be a real challenge. Wanted to be specialled by a curvy blonde, did he? Well, he was going the wrong way about it. Bad behaviour was going to get its own reward.
    Adding a touch of the powder used on latex gloves to her already pale complexion, Nurse Wisdom assumed an expression of tight-lipped severity. Yes, great, that would do nicely. On her nose she stuck her dark-framed reading glasses; they gave her a nicely  forbidding air and a blurred image of anything further away than a good book. First impressions counted, and if the prospect of being ministered to by a no- nonsense, humourless young woman failed to calm this irascible patient —then she'd eat her … eat her… well, it would just have to work. With the belt loosened, Kate's uniform dress hung limp as a sack. She looked like a  long streak of flat-chested lightning, curveless,