operation.
“He went up to the house a wee while ago,” Andrew told her. “I expect he went for his instruments. I’d better go and see if he’s all right.”
“If he’s all right? How do you mean, Katherine?”
“Oh, I didn’t really mean that. To see if there’s anything I’ve forgotten to do. That’s what I meant. I won’t be long.”
She walked quickly through the tall elephant grass and up the steps to the porch. The house was very quiet. He was not in the living room. His bedroom door was closed and she stood looking at it uncertainly for a moment. She could hardly knock and say, “Please I’ve come to see if you’ve lost your nerve, Doctor.” She was still hesitating when the door opened and Mark came out, his instrument case in his hand. She felt discomfited at being found there, but he gave her one of his rare, charming smiles and said, “I haven’t been chewing my fingernails or pacing the floor, Nurse, I swear. Just reading up on the subject in hand. Everything in order?”
Happily, she told him Andrew’s idea for fixing the overhead light; that Simon was filling all the available lamps with oil, that Joseph was with Ona, and that Ona was asleep.
“Good, ” he nodded. “I’ll have a look at her on my way over to the hospital. Then it won’t be long before we can make a start.” Back in the operating room, Katherine ran through the procedure in her m ind and realized that something had been overlooked. She dashed out and returned a minute later carrying a shallow oval basket.
“What’s the vegetable basket for?” asked Andrew.
“Don’t you know? That’s for the baby.”
And an hour later a small but vigorous baby boy lay howling lustily in that vegetable basket.
CHAPTER TEN
At last the main hospital building was complete.
The design was very simple. Raised three feet from the ground on poles, it was rectangular in shape and had a sheltered veranda on all four sides. A corridor ran the full length of the building, dividing it into two unequal parts. The larger part was again divided into two wards, one for men, one for women, and the smaller into office-consulting room, storeroom, clinic room and operating room.
In a separate building at the back was the kitchen and laundry.
The excited villagers and many others from the surrounding district marked the occasion with a fitting celebration.
Katherine had heard the patients and their relatives singing and playing their lutes and drums while they waited to see the doctor, and she looked forward to seeing their dances.
Toward evening, the heavy clouds that had hung over the village all day m oved away and left the sky clear and scattered with stars.
The display was to take place in a clearing in front of the hospital and chairs were placed on the porch for the guests. Katherine wore her gray two-piece and she felt very dowdy beside the local chief and his eldest son in their magnificent robes and head - kerchieves in orange and yellow.
The local people, from the oldest to babies in arms, formed a wide circle, their faces glowing in the light of the oil lamps arranged around the edge of the circle. Their excited chatter died away as the chief, a tall, dignified figure, rose to his feet. In a gracious speech he thanked the doctor and the nurse for the work they were doing for his people.
Then Mark replied, thanking all who had helped in the building of the hospital, and when Simon had translated his words, large quantities of fruit and nuts were, according to local custom, distributed among the villagers.
The festivity began with music. Quiet but insistent, it filled the air. The players knelt at their drums or sat cross-legged strumming lutes, or shaking gourds with beans inside. The people swayed to the rhythm and one, a younger boy, began to sing. A second and then a third joined in the pulsating chant.
When the singers stepped back into the shadows, the dancers took over. The pace quickened as a dozen boys and
“He went up to the house a wee while ago,” Andrew told her. “I expect he went for his instruments. I’d better go and see if he’s all right.”
“If he’s all right? How do you mean, Katherine?”
“Oh, I didn’t really mean that. To see if there’s anything I’ve forgotten to do. That’s what I meant. I won’t be long.”
She walked quickly through the tall elephant grass and up the steps to the porch. The house was very quiet. He was not in the living room. His bedroom door was closed and she stood looking at it uncertainly for a moment. She could hardly knock and say, “Please I’ve come to see if you’ve lost your nerve, Doctor.” She was still hesitating when the door opened and Mark came out, his instrument case in his hand. She felt discomfited at being found there, but he gave her one of his rare, charming smiles and said, “I haven’t been chewing my fingernails or pacing the floor, Nurse, I swear. Just reading up on the subject in hand. Everything in order?”
Happily, she told him Andrew’s idea for fixing the overhead light; that Simon was filling all the available lamps with oil, that Joseph was with Ona, and that Ona was asleep.
“Good, ” he nodded. “I’ll have a look at her on my way over to the hospital. Then it won’t be long before we can make a start.” Back in the operating room, Katherine ran through the procedure in her m ind and realized that something had been overlooked. She dashed out and returned a minute later carrying a shallow oval basket.
“What’s the vegetable basket for?” asked Andrew.
“Don’t you know? That’s for the baby.”
And an hour later a small but vigorous baby boy lay howling lustily in that vegetable basket.
CHAPTER TEN
At last the main hospital building was complete.
The design was very simple. Raised three feet from the ground on poles, it was rectangular in shape and had a sheltered veranda on all four sides. A corridor ran the full length of the building, dividing it into two unequal parts. The larger part was again divided into two wards, one for men, one for women, and the smaller into office-consulting room, storeroom, clinic room and operating room.
In a separate building at the back was the kitchen and laundry.
The excited villagers and many others from the surrounding district marked the occasion with a fitting celebration.
Katherine had heard the patients and their relatives singing and playing their lutes and drums while they waited to see the doctor, and she looked forward to seeing their dances.
Toward evening, the heavy clouds that had hung over the village all day m oved away and left the sky clear and scattered with stars.
The display was to take place in a clearing in front of the hospital and chairs were placed on the porch for the guests. Katherine wore her gray two-piece and she felt very dowdy beside the local chief and his eldest son in their magnificent robes and head - kerchieves in orange and yellow.
The local people, from the oldest to babies in arms, formed a wide circle, their faces glowing in the light of the oil lamps arranged around the edge of the circle. Their excited chatter died away as the chief, a tall, dignified figure, rose to his feet. In a gracious speech he thanked the doctor and the nurse for the work they were doing for his people.
Then Mark replied, thanking all who had helped in the building of the hospital, and when Simon had translated his words, large quantities of fruit and nuts were, according to local custom, distributed among the villagers.
The festivity began with music. Quiet but insistent, it filled the air. The players knelt at their drums or sat cross-legged strumming lutes, or shaking gourds with beans inside. The people swayed to the rhythm and one, a younger boy, began to sing. A second and then a third joined in the pulsating chant.
When the singers stepped back into the shadows, the dancers took over. The pace quickened as a dozen boys and
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