CHAPTER XI
IN spite of the seeming predilection of prems for spring and the extra work this preference entailed, Margaret and Jessa, knowing Matron Martha
’
s strict maxim concerning regular breaks, looked every day to the notice-board, where approachi
n
g vacations were listed as they came due.
They looked in vain... so kept on their good work, knowing that things must be very hectic for Matron not to hustle them away from the prescribed couple of weeks.
Then one day there appeared that long-anticipated
“
Trainees Due for Seasonal Leave,
”
but beneath it one name only. The name was M. South.
“
Only me?
”
exclaimed Margaret unbelievingly.
Jessa echoed a little disconsolately, for although she revelled in the busy rush she had been building up quite considerably in her mind this promised trip to Biggabilla,
“
Only you.
”
“
I can
’
t understand it, Jessamine,
”
said Margaret bewildered.
“
Really, I think Matron Martha should explain.
”
“
Then I don
’
t advise you to tap on the door and ask her to, darling. You
’
ve led a charmed life to date, not a single chid.
”
“
A lot of good it
’
s done me,
”
returned Margaret, who was really perturbed at Jessa
’
s exclusion.
“
You beat me at every post.
”
“
There
’
s only been one post so far, and I still think that result was alphabetical. Oh, well
”
—with a resigned sigh—
”
I suppose Matron will spill it all in her own good time. Where will you go, Meggy? Back home as you planned?
”
Margaret looked a little uncertainly at Jessamine, and Jess hastened to assure her,
“
Don
’
t worry about me, Meggy, Biggabilla will still be there for another break.
”
“
Yes, another break,
”
agreed Margaret eagerly—a little too
eagerly?—and as she smiled at Jessa her face still wore that slightly uncertain look.
That afternoon Matron Martha
“
spilled
”
it as Jessa had anticipated, and it was such an honour (even if an unintentional honour) that Jessa could not help thinking that this time she
had
pipped Margaret to the post.
Nurse Gwen informed her in her usual haughty manner that as soon as she had finished the Beresford infant—Nurse Gwen never used nicknames—she was wanted in the office by Matron. There was a touch of superiority in the announcement. Nurse Gwen
’
s tone indicated that a summons to Matron
’
s office was something that could happen to a G.S. graduate, but never,
never
to her.
“
Gosh,
”
said Jessa anxiously,
“
do you know why?
”
“
I certainly would not dream of enquiring,
”
reproved Nurse Gwen frostily.
“
You
’
d better let me finish that child
N
while you adjust your cap before you go down, Nurse Jess. It
’
s over one eye.
”
This was a little too much. Nurse Gwen had only been here three weeks.
“
My cap can wait,
”
said Jessa doggedly,
“
but
‘
Bubbles
’
Beresford can
’
t, she
’
s barely three pounds and she
’
s going to finish this bottle without any changing of guiding hands if it
’
s the last thing I do. And I might add, Nurse Gwen, that Matron Martha, were she feeding Miss Beresford, would do the same, too.
”
Nurse Gwen tossed her head and tilted her chin.
As soon as Bubbles was diapered and cribbed, Jessa adjusted the cap as advised and went downstairs.
As she descended by her usual two
’
s and three
’
s, she tried to tabulate her sins, but quite honestly could not discover one. This did not particularly encourage her. Quite frequently at G.S. she had been severely reproved when to her guileless mind she had boasted a completely impeccable slate.
She tapped on the door. The last time she had tapped here had been for the progress exam. She remembered her surprise when she had walked in and found Professor Gink.
It was not the Professor now, however, it was Matron Martha, and she was rustling papers busily, and looked a little harassed.
“
Oh, come in, Nurse Jess—you have been a long time.
”
“
I was in the middle of a feed, Matron Martha.
”
Perhaps Nurse Gwen had been right after all, and she should have downed tools, or rather downed babies, and come at once.
But Matron Martha was neither waiting for an explanation nor warming up to deliver a chid.
“
Nurse, you are used to flying, aren
’
t you? What I really mean is, you are accustomed to packing quickly and efficiently what things are best for such a mode of travel. Also always journeying by air, I should presume you never get sick.
”
“
Yes, I mean, no, I mean
—”
Matron Martha brushed her surprised answers aside by an impatient wave of her hand. Evidently she had decided to accept whatever Jessa babbled as the right replies.
“
Nurse, you peruse the daily papers, of course...you have no doubt read of the Winthrop anticipations.
“
Winthrop anticipations... you don
’
t mean...?
”
“
Yes, Nurse Jess, I mean the quadruplets that are expected in Curry Bulla in the south-west of this state at any time now.
”
Jessa nodded her head.
Of course she had read about it. You could not buy an Australian paper and not read about the anticipated quads. Australia might be large in space, but it was still not so big in population that quads could arrive unhonoured and unsung.
There w
e
re only a few sets of Australian quadruplets on record, and an eager continent awaited the new arrivals.
But what did it all have to do with
her,
Nurse, not even Sister Jess, an unimportant humble trainee at the Lady
Belinda
?
And what was it that Matron Martha was
about to announce?
“
Mrs. Winthrop,
”
said Matron,
“
was invited to come here weeks ago to Belinda so that the quadruplets would have everything at hand and get a flying start. She refused, preferring to stop at Curry Bulla—and perhaps that was wise, too, for there is no place like one
’
s own home town, however humble, especially when one faces the milestone that this mother-to-be faced.
“
We sympathized with her decision to stop on, and, at the cottage hospital
’
s request, we flew up humidicribs and isolets, every other apparatus we believed might be required. Specialists from a leading maternity hospital went
up later for the mother, and now
—”
“
Now?
”
breathed Jessa.
“
Now we are sending two specialists of our own, of Belinda
’
s, for the quadruplets, and one of them is yourself.
”
“
Me!
”
Jessa stood like a statue; she had never felt so
petrified in all her life.
“
A specialist—me! Oh, Matron Martha!
”
Matron shrugged impatiently.
“
That, of course, is only for the press,
”
she deflated unkindly.
“
I could hardly tell them I am releasing a trainee only halfway through her course.
”
“
But why me
?
I mean, there must be many others far
more entitled
—”
“
There are, but you just fit the bill, Nurse Jess. I don
’
t want to send anyone who gets out of the plane at Curry Bulla looking like a sick duck, and I certainly don
’
t want to send any of the senior staff, the rush at Belinda being still at its peak.
”
Seeing Jessa
’
s wide eyes even wider in enquiry, she added,
“
You see, Nurse Jess, I happen to know that, in spite of the feverish focus of attention on Curry Bulla, these babies probably will be less in need of specialized attention than most of our own babies here at Belinda. They will be small, of course, but. after your training these last few months a
merely
small
baby only means
—”
“
A piece of cake,
”
finished Jessa unthinking.
Matron Martha frowned.
She must have decided to overlook the impertinence, however, for she resumed,
“
Therefore, all things considered, I believe I am safe in agreeing that you should go, Nurse Jess.
”
“
Agreeing?
”
Jessa echoed it, puzzled.
Matron rustled the papers again.
“
I do not usually approve of special requests whoever
requests them, but
—”
“
Matron Martha,
”
asked Jessa curiously,
“
did someone ask
for—I mean
—”
Matron Martha looked at her coldly. She also looked caught out in her own thoughts, and the way her lips tightened made it apparent she would not be caught out again.
“
Nurse, go and pack and be ready to leave in twenty minutes. You can do that?
”
“
Oh, yes
—”
“
Then what are you waiting for, pray?
”
“
Matron Martha, did someone—that is
—”
“
Nurse!
”
“
Sorry, Matron Martha. Twenty minutes, Matron Martha? Yes, Matron Martha. At
once
.
”
And Jessa flew off.
Once in her own room, however, she paused to hug herself in ecstasy. This was something she had never anticipated in her wildest dreams, to be given the honour to help with quads.
Matron
’
s deflating words had not entirely deflated her. She might have been chosen merely because of her airworthiness, as Ba would have put it, or because Belinda at the moment had need of more skilled hands than hers, but she still had been chosen, she still was going to Curry Bulla to assist with the Winthrop babies.
For a moment she puzzled over Matron Martha
’
s caught-out look when she had queried her about that
“
special request.
”
Then she dismissed it happily. No one had requested her, for who would? Anyway, what did it matter when it all came finally to this: that she was the one to fly to Curry Bulla, she, un-important, humble Nurse Jess.
She packed quickly and expertly, putting in a change of uniform and several pinafores. Stockings, undies, a gay cotton for breaks grabbed through the day, a soft silk ballerina in the hope there might be something on one night, sponge bag, lipstick, cream, cologne, brush...that was all, she thought.
There was a knock at the door and there stood Sister Helen. She did not speak, but smiled broadly and pushed something into Jessa
’
s hand.
Jessa looked at the bundle wonderingly. A sister
’
s cascading veil, a crimson cape.
“
But... I don
’
t understand..
.”
she said.
“
Matron Martha
’
s orders. Matron Martha says she must not send a nurse up to Curry Bulla to tell them what to do, she must send a sister.
”