Call the Nurse by Mary J. MacLeod

Author:Mary J. MacLeod
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2013-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-TWO

The return to roots

A dark shape slipped silently into harbour and the man brought his tiny craft alongside, among the fishing boats. The night was dark and stormy with scudding clouds and lashing rain. No one saw him.

The crews of the bigger boats were either asleep in their cottages beside the harbour or in their bunks on board, oblivious of everything—even the roaring wind and crashing seas.

The man climbed the slippery stone steps, carrying the bow and stern ropes and secured them to iron rings set into the wall of the quay. Head down against the weather, he returned to his boat. Scrabbling about in the tiny forward cabin, grumbling the while, he picked up a large and rather lumpy grip bag, made sure that the zip was adjusted to his liking and ascended to the quayside once more.

With his torch in one hand and the bulky bag in the other, he battled his way through wind and rain to the steep little town. Partway up the hill, some tiny squeaks began to come from the bag.

‘Ach. Haud your wheesht, you!’ growled the man. ‘Aye. The sooner I get rid of you, the better.’

The town was in darkness, but he could see some lights at the top of a hill.

‘Ah! That will be it,’ he muttered.

‘It’ was the little cottage hospital. There was a stout front door with an old-fashioned bell beside it, so, transferring the bag to the other hand and turning his torch off, the man pulled on the bell. The discordant jangling grated on the quiet street, and he glanced nervously around. The noises from the bag were now more insistent, and he stamped his feet impatiently. He felt in his pocket for an envelope, which he then stuffed just inside the zip. At last he heard footsteps approaching and bolts were drawn back. Light, spilling from the door as it opened, seemed to punch a hole in the darkness and rain.

A sturdy young nurse peered out and, taking in the scowling face and rough appearance of the man, was about to shut the door when she heard the whimpering coming from the bag in his hand.

Suspicious, she asked, ‘What do you want? And what’s in that bag?’

Without answering, the man stretched out his arm and pushed the bag towards her.

Turning, he strode off into the night.

The nurse had automatically taken the bag from him, fearing that he would drop it if she hesitated. By now she was worried by the increasing noise coming from the contents. An animal? Puppy? Cat? Or . . .?

She sat on a nearby chair and, pulling the bag onto her lap she began to unzip it. She gasped as she peeped inside. There, wrapped in a grubby blanket, lay a very tiny baby!

‘Sister! Sister Bailey! Come here. Quickly!’

A well-starched and fairly substantial lady came into the hallway.

‘What is all the noise about? Patients are trying to sleep, Nurse Mackenzie, and you . . .’ She broke off as she became aware of the crying baby in the old bag and looked at the white, shocked face of the young nurse.

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