Outpost Hospital by Sheila Ridley

replied equably. “I hadn’t noticed how dark it was getting.”
    The Scotswoman sniffed her disapproval and Katherine, muttering something about getting ready for dinner, made her escape.

 
    CHAPTER NINE
    Andrew did manage to persuade Joseph’s wife Ona to come to the clinic, but it was largely thanks to Ona’s lively curiosity that she came at all.
    She arrived one warm, dull afternoon. She was very young and rather frightened and, to Katherine’s dismay, she was accompanied by three older women who stood around her in a protective phalanx.
    Very conscious of his importance, Joseph told them to sit on the bench near the door until the nurse could attend them. Katherine, busy syringing a child’s ears, felt four pairs of keen dark eyes watching her every movement, and in at least three pairs, she was sure there was suspicion, even distrust.
    When she had finished the child’s treatment and washed her hands, she went to Ona. Smiling reassuringly, she took the young woman’s hands and led her to a chair by the table. The bodyguard stood quietly watching while she took the pulse and temperature, but when she began to take a specimen of blood the women started to chatter excitedly and to wave their hands about in protest.
    Katherine looked appealingly at Joseph who spoke sharply to them and the chatter trailed off to a low mutter.
    Katherine was getting worried. Both the pulse-rate and the blood pressure were abnormally high. Yet she dared not show her anxiety. Keeping her face and voice relaxed, she said to Joseph, “I’d like Dr. Charlton to have a look at Ona—just to check up. Please go and ask him to come, will you? He’s at the building site.” When he had gone, Katherine persuaded Ona to lie on the bed that was screened off from the rest of the hut. Still the women kept guard and she was trying to think of some way of getting rid of them when Mark entered followed by Joseph.
    The doctor was still in his working clothes—khaki shorts and shirt—and as he washed, Katherine told him the results of her brief examination. Then he went behind the screen. “Who are all these women?” he demanded testily. “I want them out of here!” Katherine tried to shepherd them out but they stood firm. Again she appealed mutely to Joseph, but even he could not budge them. Finally Mark said, “Which one is her mother, Joseph? Right, she can stay but the others must go and wait outside.” And he took the indignant pair firmly by the arms and marched them to the door.
    Back in the cubicle he said, “Tell her to relax, Joseph. I won’t hurt her.”
    The young man spoke softly to his wife and she smiled faintly, looking less afraid.
    A few minutes later Mark straightened up and looked across at Katherine. She knew he was worried and, like her, was trying not to show it. He stepped outside the screen and she followed.
    Hands thrust deep into his pockets he stared at the ground and said, “She’ll never have this baby normally. She’s too small and the high blood pressure could be dangerous.”
    “Is there nothing we can do?” asked Katherine softly.
    Mark Charlton shrugged his wide shoulders. “If we were at home, of course it’s a case for Caesarean section; but here...”
    “Is it entirely out of the question, Doctor?”
    His dark head jerked back. “My dear girl, I’m not a gynecologist. I’ve never seen this operation performed, even. I’d be scared to death if I had to do it in a properly equipped theater with a fully trained staff. How can I possibly consider doing it here?” He looked around expressively.
    Despite all their efforts with whitewash and D.D.T., clean linen and much scrubbing, the out-patients department was little better than the accommodation other countries demand for their dairy cattle.
    “Of course it can’t be done,” she sighed. She felt depressed. She was unhappy for the young couple. She had seen the fear in the pretty little wife’s eyes replaced by childlike trust. And she was