To Please the Doctor by Marjorie Moore Page A

unexpectedly, Jill ’ s latent sense of humour came to her rescue, her anger was forgotten, and even the unfortunate episode of the broken syringe ceased to rankle. “ That means you have a few moments to spare. I hope you ’ ll wait for a cup of tea! ”

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
    As each day had passed and Jill had completed her first ten days at St. Joseph ’ s, she became even more convinced that her earlier optimism had been unjustified. Seated at her bedroom window overlooking a dreary vista of sweeping rain which almost blotted the landscape, she felt that her mood fitted in only too readily with the storm. Leaning her chin on her hands, she stared across the drenched garden to the leaden sky beyond. How it all matched her own feeling of depression and frustration—yes, frustration was the word which best described her feelings. Already in these few days she had grown to love her new job. It satisfied a longin g for independence in her work which she had hitherto never known, and despite Duncan McRey ’ s ungracious attitude she had become imbued with some of his own enthusiasm. He had the power to add an ever - increasing interest to what might have been to any nurse merely an everyday routine. This new post of responsibility should have been the reward for her years of drudgery, yet it had brought her nothing but heartache and disappointment; it seemed to Jill in that moment of despair that everything had conspired against her. It might be a just retribution for over-confidence, but those high hopes with which she had first entered St. Joseph ’ s had been all too quickly dashed to the ground. Everything she had done appeared to have gone wrong, and that very morning an incident of lost case notes had seemed the very last straw .
    The notes on Mary Miles had been missing from the ward. Jill was certain that, after completing them the previous evening, she had replaced them in the holder at the foot of Mary ’ s bed. The most exhaustive hunt had proved unavailing. The junior nurses, who had from the first been friendly towards Jill, had hunted everywhere without success. The resulting storm, when Duncan McRey had demanded the notes, had been no better nor worse than Jill had expected. His scathing criticism of her carelessness had whipped the colour into Jill ’ s cheeks, and she had realized the futility of venturing any excuse.
    Brenda ’ s belated but triumphant discovery of the notes in a drawer of Jill ’ s desk hadn ’ t improved the atmosphere. Dr. McRey had said little, but his attitude had shown only too cl early what he thought of her for having stated so emphatically that she had herself replaced them where they belonged. Excuses would have fallen on deaf ears and would only have added to her humiliation. She had been bewildered and distressed, unable to understand, yet unwilling to believe that anyone else could have been responsible for the error.
    The rain splashed persistently against the panes and beat a tattoo on the roof above. It was as if the sound were beating in her brain, and with an unconscious movement Jill covered her ears with her hands as if she would shut out the maddening sound. Things would never straighten out. She ’ d assured Harriet she ’ d win through, but then she hadn ’ t known ... She had intended to give of her best, and with that confidence even Duncan McRey presented no problem, but things hadn ’ t turned out that way. She ’ d failed utterly, and a far less demanding nature than his would have been justifiably dissatisfied.
    Sunsand Bay! At that moment she hated it! Its deserted promenade and wide stretch of angry foam-flecked ocean reflected her depression and loneliness, and she could scarcely believe it was so short a time since, with excitement and not a little pride she had left the busy London terminus on this journey to the coast. Her hopes had been high, the idea of this promotion exciting, yet now she would have given much to be back in her secure position