Read The Nightingale Nurses for Free Online

whispered.
    ‘Pleased to meet you, Nurse Doyle. And this is Mr Gannon.’ He nodded towards the man on the bed.
    ‘All right, Nurse?’ he hissed through clenched teeth. ‘You don’t mind if I don’t shake your hand, do you?’
    ‘Ha! Very good, Mr Gannon.’ Dr McKay chortled appreciatively. His eyes were a warm brown behind his spectacles. ‘Mr Gannon has had rather a nasty accident at work, as you can see. But I’m sure we’ll have him up and playing cricket again in no time.’ He beamed.
    Mr Gannon exhaled sharply, swearing under his breath. His face was white and slick with sweat.
    Dora stared down at her hands, red and sticky with blood. They seemed to swim and blur in front of her eyes. The doctor’s voice was coming from a long way off.
    She quickly finished flushing the wound and stepped back. ‘All done, Doctor.’
    ‘Thank you, Nurse. Now, I’m just putting in a ligature in the main artery to control the bleeding points . . .’ Dr McKay worked quickly and deftly. ‘Have we met before, Nurse Doyle?’ he asked.
    She had been so busy watching him work, she didn’t realise the question was directed at her at first.
    ‘I don’t think so, Sir. This is my first day.’
    ‘That’s odd. I’m sure I’ve seen you before . . .’ He thought for a moment. ‘I know! Jubilee Day. Your leg needed stitches.’
    Dora stared at him in astonishment as it all came back to her. Last year, at the street party for the King’s Jubilee, her sister Josie had gone missing and Dora had injured herself looking for her. ‘How did you remember—’
    He winked at her. ‘I never forget a patient!’ He turned back to the man lying on the bed. ‘You see, Mr Gannon? Nurse Doyle survived my tender ministrations, so I daresay you will too. Now I’m going to give you a few more stitches to tidy you up. Do try to hold on, Nurse,’ he added, out of the corner of his mouth. ‘It really wouldn’t do for you to faint in front of the patient, would it?’
    ‘No, Doctor.’
    ‘If anyone’s going to pass out, it’ll be me!’ Mr Gannon said.
    ‘As long as it’s not me, we’ll be all right,’ Dr McKay quipped back.
    Dora watched him laughing, bewildered. She had never seen a doctor joking with a patient before. But then, she had never heard a doctor say ‘please’ before, either.
    Dr McKay pulled the last stitch tight, and snipped it off, then stood back to admire his handiwork. ‘Beautiful,’ he declared. ‘Even if I do say so myself. What do you think, Nurse Doyle?’
    ‘Very nice, Doctor.’
    Dr McKay smiled and said, ‘You’ve done a very good job yourself, Nurse. Well done.’
    As Dora flushed with pleasure at the unexpected compliment, Dr McKay turned to his patient. ‘We’ll see about getting you admitted to a ward, Mr Gannon. We’ll need to take care of you for a few days, make sure that wound is kept nice and clean until it heals properly. You can sort out the paperwork for me, can’t you, Nurse?’
    ‘Yes, Doctor.’
    Dora went off, glad to escape from the dizzying heat of the consulting room. The sickly smell of blood still filled her nostrils.
    She was making her way to the booking-in desk when Sister Percival stepped out from nowhere in front of her, blocking her path.
    ‘Nurse! Where on earth do you think you’re going?’ she demanded.
    ‘Dr McKay asked me to sort out a bed for his patient, Staff.’
    ‘In that state?’
    Dora looked down at herself. She had been in such a hurry to escape the operating room, she hadn’t noticed her apron and dress were soaked through with blood.
    Sister Percival’s brows rose. ‘Do you think it inspires confidence and a sense of well-being, having you wander about looking like Sweeney Todd?’
    ‘No, Sister. Sorry, Sister.’
    Sister Percival sighed. ‘Go and get changed. I will attend to the patient’s paperwork. And be quick about it.’ She nodded towards the rows of wooden benches, which had filled up since Dora had been gone. ‘We have a