Outpost Hospital by Sheila Ridley Page A

apprehensive. Here they had come up against their first real challenge and Mark was afraid to accept it. His lack of courage was very disappointing and it did not bode well for the future.
    She was turning to go back to Ona when he said, as if to convince himself of the rightness of his decision. “You would have had to give the anesthetic. You were prepared for that, I know, but not for a long operation thrust on you out of the blue.”
    “But if we don’t...” she ventured.
    “The next six weeks are going to be difficult. She’s not strong.” He was minimizing the danger, she knew.
    For a long moment neither spoke. Then Mark took his hands from his pockets and looked at them thoughtfully. They were coarse. For weeks they had handled saw, plane and hammer; how would a scalpel feel now? He flexed the long fingers. “Do you think Joseph would agree to an operation?” he asked half-reluctantly.
    Eagerly, Katherine said she was sure he would but added, “I’m not so sure about her mother, though.”
    Mark nodded. “Fortunately we don’t need her consent.” He spoke in a slightly puzzled way, as if he was wondering why he had changed his mind. A minute ago he had no intention of doing the operation; now, for some reason, he knew he must do it. But there was no time to lose. He wiped his hands and face on a towel and then said briskly, “While I’m talking to Joseph and his wife, you go and tell Simon what we’re going to do. Then come back and start preparing the patient. We’ll do it in the hospital.”
    “But it’s only half-finished!”
    “I know, but they’re putting the roof on and it’s freer of germs than anywhere else in the village. After I’ve spoken to the young people I’ll go and see what needs to be done to get one room into shape; then Kennedy can supervise the men until the job’s done.”
    “ There’s so much to do,” said Katherine, excited and nervous. “Must the operation be done today?”
    “Yes, Nurse. Every day she carries the baby weakens her. And apart from that I—well, I’d rather do it at once.”
    She knew what he meant. He didn’t want time to think and grow afraid again.
    The next two hours were the most hectic Katherine had ever spent. Once or twice she stopped in her tracks, suddenly frightened, and then she went on thankful that Mark had decided not to delay.
    After sorting out gowns, masks, gloves and sheets, she pulled out a box of gauze squares and took it to the out-patients department. Here she spread a clean sheet on the table, divided the gauze into two piles, one at each end of the table and put a chair beside each pile. Then by means of smiles, nods and gestures, she cajoled the two women who had come with Ona into the chairs, and within a few minutes, they were folding swabs with dexterous fingers.
    That will keep them busy for a while, she thought, as she went across to Ona.
    When the girl was ready, Katherine gave her an, injection to calm her nerves. Joseph would carry her to the hospital when the time came.
    Now to see how work was proceeding in the operating room. She found that the heavy work was finished. The small room was spotlessly clean and smelling strongly of disinfectant. The furniture consisted of two tables, one on trestles and the other an ordinary type. Regretfully, Katherine thought of the beautiful shining new operating table that was on its way to Ngombe now. However, the trestle one was the right height and the other would hold the instruments.
    Next thing was the lighting. Besides lamps, some direct light from above was essential. She mentioned this to Andrew who was standing by ready to do anything to help.
    “I have a large powerful torch and so has Charlton,” he replied. “We could fix them above the table somehow and then make a shade to direct the light.”
    She approved this idea. Glancing around, she asked where Dr. Charlton was. It was time to be deciding who was to carry out the various tasks connected with the