wrinkling her brow in concentration. 'In asthma the shortness of breath becomes progressively worse after exercise, whilst in other diseases of the chest it improves immediately with rest.'
He nodded, apparently satisfied. 'Well done, Nurse Lang. I would like you to take special care of Peter whilst he's here,' he said. 'He's rather a timid little boy and it's important that he feels at ease while he's undergoing tests. It's clear that he's taken to you. I'll have a word with Sister.' He was turning to leave the ward and she caught at his sleeve. It was now or never.
'Please—can I talk to you?' she asked, her heart beating fast.
He looked down at her. 'Of course you can.'
She' glanced round. 'Not here—I—could I see you later?' Her cheeks were scarlet.
'In the canteen at lunch time—twelve-thirty,' he said abruptly.
When he had gone Karen Grainger came up to her. 'You really mustn't try to engage the doctors in conversation. Nurse,' she said loftily. 'Don't you realise that their time is precious?'
Katy looked at her, her temper flaring. 'Mind your own business!' she snapped. 'And get lost!'
Karen peered at her indignantly from behind her spectacles. 'Really, Nurse Lang! I shall have to report you to Sister if you speak to me like that again.'
'Be my guest!' Katy invited. 'But you'd better hurry up or you'll lose your chance. I'm leaving the week after next!' As she turned triumphantly away she caught sight of Peter's face and winked wickedly at him.
As soon as she had finished her chores she went back to his bedside. He was an engaging little chap with bright ginger hair and freckles. While she worked his eyes had followed her round the ward and now that she had time to give him her attention he was obviously delighted. She picked up the colouring book he was looking at.
'This is nice. Don't you want to colour some of the pictures?' she asked him.
He shook his head. 'I haven't got any crayons.'
'Oh dear, that won't do. I'll see if I can find some for you if you like. Or, better still, you could go into the playroom and find them for yourself. You might even find another little boy to play with in there.'
His smile vanished and he hung his head. 'I can't,' he mumbled. 'Playing makes me cough and I can't breathe—like last night.'
She patted his shoulder. 'Never mind. We'll find out why that is and see if we can make you better, shall we? In the meantime I shall have to try and find the time to come and play with you myself shan't I?'
The grin returned and she noticed that his two front teeth were missing leaving an endearing gap.
'I like you,' he confided. 'What's your name?'
'I'm Nurse Lang, but you can call me Katy if you like—as long as you don't let Sister or Staff hear you, right? It'll be our secret, eh?'
He nodded conspiratorially. 'You're the only person I know who's got hair the same colour as mine,' he told her. 'Do they call you "Carrots" too?'
She shook her head, frowning fiercely. 'They wouldn't dare! Actually, Peter, when you're grown up people seem to like it better. They stop calling you all those rude things.' At the back of her mind she was remembering Sean calling her 'Marigold'— well, it was an improvement on 'Carrots'.
She was late for her lunch break. It was nothing unusual on the children's ward, they were notoriously difficult with their meals. When she finally did arrive at the canteen she quite expected Sean to have gone, and at first she thought he had as she stood on tiptoe to scan the sea of heads. Then she saw him on the far side of the room. He was drinking a cup of coffee and he had even tipped up the chair opposite—saving it for her? She hurried across to him.
'Sorry I'm late.'
He glanced up at her. 'Your cap is crooked.'
She pulled it off and succeeded in loosening most of her hair at the same time. He looked amused.
'Aren't you eating?'
She lifted her shoulders, frantically trying to tuck her hair back into its chignon. 'I was afraid you might have given
He nodded, apparently satisfied. 'Well done, Nurse Lang. I would like you to take special care of Peter whilst he's here,' he said. 'He's rather a timid little boy and it's important that he feels at ease while he's undergoing tests. It's clear that he's taken to you. I'll have a word with Sister.' He was turning to leave the ward and she caught at his sleeve. It was now or never.
'Please—can I talk to you?' she asked, her heart beating fast.
He looked down at her. 'Of course you can.'
She' glanced round. 'Not here—I—could I see you later?' Her cheeks were scarlet.
'In the canteen at lunch time—twelve-thirty,' he said abruptly.
When he had gone Karen Grainger came up to her. 'You really mustn't try to engage the doctors in conversation. Nurse,' she said loftily. 'Don't you realise that their time is precious?'
Katy looked at her, her temper flaring. 'Mind your own business!' she snapped. 'And get lost!'
Karen peered at her indignantly from behind her spectacles. 'Really, Nurse Lang! I shall have to report you to Sister if you speak to me like that again.'
'Be my guest!' Katy invited. 'But you'd better hurry up or you'll lose your chance. I'm leaving the week after next!' As she turned triumphantly away she caught sight of Peter's face and winked wickedly at him.
As soon as she had finished her chores she went back to his bedside. He was an engaging little chap with bright ginger hair and freckles. While she worked his eyes had followed her round the ward and now that she had time to give him her attention he was obviously delighted. She picked up the colouring book he was looking at.
'This is nice. Don't you want to colour some of the pictures?' she asked him.
He shook his head. 'I haven't got any crayons.'
'Oh dear, that won't do. I'll see if I can find some for you if you like. Or, better still, you could go into the playroom and find them for yourself. You might even find another little boy to play with in there.'
His smile vanished and he hung his head. 'I can't,' he mumbled. 'Playing makes me cough and I can't breathe—like last night.'
She patted his shoulder. 'Never mind. We'll find out why that is and see if we can make you better, shall we? In the meantime I shall have to try and find the time to come and play with you myself shan't I?'
The grin returned and she noticed that his two front teeth were missing leaving an endearing gap.
'I like you,' he confided. 'What's your name?'
'I'm Nurse Lang, but you can call me Katy if you like—as long as you don't let Sister or Staff hear you, right? It'll be our secret, eh?'
He nodded conspiratorially. 'You're the only person I know who's got hair the same colour as mine,' he told her. 'Do they call you "Carrots" too?'
She shook her head, frowning fiercely. 'They wouldn't dare! Actually, Peter, when you're grown up people seem to like it better. They stop calling you all those rude things.' At the back of her mind she was remembering Sean calling her 'Marigold'— well, it was an improvement on 'Carrots'.
She was late for her lunch break. It was nothing unusual on the children's ward, they were notoriously difficult with their meals. When she finally did arrive at the canteen she quite expected Sean to have gone, and at first she thought he had as she stood on tiptoe to scan the sea of heads. Then she saw him on the far side of the room. He was drinking a cup of coffee and he had even tipped up the chair opposite—saving it for her? She hurried across to him.
'Sorry I'm late.'
He glanced up at her. 'Your cap is crooked.'
She pulled it off and succeeded in loosening most of her hair at the same time. He looked amused.
'Aren't you eating?'
She lifted her shoulders, frantically trying to tuck her hair back into its chignon. 'I was afraid you might have given
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