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Sorry, I mean yes, sir.”
    She became uncomfortably aware of the house surgeon hovering in the background and reminded herself nastily that it was most unusual for house surgeons to hang around after a session. They usually made themselves scarce.
    “One coffee and one cold milk for the surgeons ’ room, Nurse Jones, and then off you go, and thank you very much indeed for staying.”
    Sally smiled at the little nurse scrubbing dirty instruments so industriously at the sink. She was quick to notice that already the laundry had been sorted and that there were trays of instruments stacked on top of the sterilizers drying after their boiling. “Good girl. You haven ’ t left much for us to do.”
    Nurse Jones pushed back a damp lock of hair. “I could finish these for you.” She sounded reluctant to leave.
    Sally shook her head. “Mary Ward will do them. You ’ ve done more than your share. Drinks for the surgeons and then away you go.”
    She went back into the main theater to find her chief carefully washing the last bit of plaster off his gloves.
    He grinned at her. “One mess of plaster you won ’ t have to remove.” He searched the ceiling thoughtfully. “Not a single blob, I declare ... Not like my first plaster. I smothered not only myself but the big white chief as well. Reckon he wasn ’ t too pleased!”
    Sally looked toward the scrubbing-up room.
    “I ’ ve sent little sugarstick to write up the notes. I don ’ t think she cared for the idea much. If she ’ s a sample of what you inflict on your defenseless surgeons I fancy Hollywood is safer.”
    “She ’ s new.” Sally tried to be fair. “It may brush off.”
    He made a face. “The glamor, you mean? It ’ s more than skin deep, I guess. How ’ s a poor guy like me expected to cope?” He made a gesture of helplessness.
    Sally hesitated. She wasn ’ t quite sure how to deal with all this democracy at this hour of night.
    “The usual technique is to overload them with work ... let them finish off your lists and so on,” she said dryly.
    He looked horrified. “That ’ s rough on the patients, isn ’ t it? Or is that what you call utility surgery?”
    “It ’ s not! Let me tell you that I ’ ve never seen any utility surgery in all the time I ’ ve been at St. Bride ’ s!” Sally was furious.
    He grinned at her suddenly. “And that ’ s been years and years!” he drawled.
    Sally swallowed the insult with difficulty. She had made so many wrong remarks where this tall newcomer was concerned that she didn ’ t want to dig herself in any deeper.
    “Two years ’ theater staffing plus my training, of course,” she said quietly.
    Unexpectedly he reached over and ruffled his fingers slowly through her hair. “Heck ... not a single gray hair...”
    Sally sprang back out of reach and her face was scarlet. “I think you ’ re insufferable!”
    Then her hand went to her mouth in horror ... she had done it again. The silence seemed to be ticking away alarmingly before he started to speak.
    “Am I?” His fair skin seemed to have paled and there was a taut look about his mouth.
    “I ’ m sure he ’ s in here. I haven ’ t seen him come out of the theater,” a high-pitched voice was saying.
    Then the theater doors swung open and George Brown came in with Claris Stornoway babbling in his wake.
    Sally knew that George was taking in every nuance of the situation in his own quiet way ... her angry expression ... the way she was standing ... her theater cap pushed aside most untidily ... and Dr. Tremayne looking so tall and so bleak...
    George looked straight at the surgeon. “Sorry to bother you, sir, but there ’ s a case in Casualty that you might like to see. It ’ ll save getting one of the consultants in.”
    John B. Tremayne nodded. “Okay. I ’ ll be right with you as soon as I get out of this fancy get-up.” He glanced briefly in Claris Stornoway ’ s direction. “If you ’ ve got those notes done, you might as well