Michelle was thoughtful as she joined the others in the canteen that day. She’d started her monthlies that morning and was feeling a bit under the weather, but she’d taken an Aspro and she thought the ache was easing a bit. Munching her share of fish pie, she worried at the problem that had been nagging at her for a while. Something was wrong with Alice, and she was afraid she might know what it was, because Alice’s cousin Eric had met her after work the previous evening and suggested going for a drink.
‘I’ve heard a rumour about Alice and I want to talk it over with you.’
‘Did Alice tell you why Jack Shaw left London in a hurry?’ Eric had asked over their first drink and Michelle shook her head, ‘It was because Butcher Lee put a contract out on him.’
‘Why would he do that?’ Michelle had asked.
‘Because Butcher reckoned he must be betraying them. The word is that Jack was selling up stuff and they thought he was getting ready to leave – and he knows too much about them. They can’t afford to let him get away, because his evidence would hang them.’
‘Alice hasn’t looked very happy lately. I’ve tried asking her out, but she’s always busy. I think she’s avoiding me.’ Michelle had hesitated, because she’d noticed little things, like how pasty she looked in the mornings, and a certain look that pregnant women had in their eyes. ‘I’m not sure so don’t get angry but I think she might be in trouble …’
‘If that bugger’s done the dirty on her …’ Eric had scowled. ‘Butcher Lee won’t be the only one after his blood.’
‘Some people think he was the man found dead at that factory fire.’
‘Nah, not him,’ Eric said. ‘There’s another way out of that office and I reckon he went down the fire escape at the back while everyone was watching the front. Jack Shaw is too cunning to get trapped like that; he would have cased the building before he decided to rob it … that’s if he was even there and, despite the speculation in the papers, no one knows that for certain yet.’ He scowled. ‘He won’t get away so easily if I catch up with him.’
Michelle had looked at him intently. ‘You’re very fond of Alice, aren’t you?’
‘Yeah, suppose I am. Alice has a rotten home life, but she’s always been a good friend. She was the only one who understood when me Da died …’
Michelle hadn’t asked him what he meant, because she didn’t want to become involved with him. Eric was all right for the occasional drink or a trip to the local dance hall, but she didn’t want to get too close – to him or any other man.
Oh, well, this wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Alice would confide in her if she wanted to and in the meantime Michelle had a job to do.
When she returned to the sick ward after she’d eaten it was to find that Marion had left to join the other children who were going to the pantomime.
Checking on Johnny, Michelle could see little change. He was still pale and quiet, but he wasn’t running a temperature and there was no reason to think he was any worse. Perhaps she’d imagined that look in his eyes, a look she’d seen in other patients who were close to the end. She bent over him and touched his face gently.
‘How do you feel, love?’
‘I feel tired, miss, that’s all,’ he said wanly.
‘I’ll get you a nice warm drink,’ she said, because she knew there was little else she could do for him.
After she’d made Johnny as comfortable as possible, Michelle felt her stomach ache returning and took another Aspro with a cup of tea.
Michelle popped next door into the isolation ward to look at Billy Baggins. One of the new carers was with him and had just given him a warm milky drink and some biscuits. He grinned at Michelle as she entered, obviously on the mend and no worse for his adventure. She reflected that he had his interview with Sister Beatrice to come and wondered what would happen. Would he be sent somewhere else? He had caused a lot of trouble by running off like that, but if he’d been frightened of what his brother might do … well, surely that was a consideration, wasn’t it?
Michelle felt it would be a shame if he were sent away from his friends, and was glad that she didn’t have to decide things like that, but she wouldn’t have dreamed of questioning Sister Beatrice’s right to make those decisions.
With nothing much else to do, she wrote up her report and then made herself a cup of tea and some more drinks for the children. One of the kitchen girls brought up a tray of sandwiches and cake a little later, and Michelle helped the children decide what they wanted. Billy asked for a sausage roll. Johnny didn’t want anything, though she persuaded him to have a ham sandwich, because ham was such a treat, but he took one bite and kept chewing it round for ages before swallowing it.
‘Couldn’t you eat any more, love?’ she asked, looking at the lovely food he’d left. Ham had been one of his favourites, and it worried her that he hadn’t eaten it.
‘I can’t chew it enough, miss. I’m sorry …’
‘It’s all right, Johnny. It doesn’t matter.’
She thought she might ask for some jelly and ice cream or a blancmange for him for his supper. Perhaps that would slip down easily and tempt him to eat something.
Marion arrived about half an hour later, having had her tea downstairs, and Johnny bombarded her with questions. Michelle turned as Mary returned from her afternoon off.
‘Johnny is no worse,’ she told her in a low voice, ‘but I’m going to see Sister before I leave just in case. Keep an eye on him but don’t fuss. He does not have a temperature so he may be fine; it was just a feeling I had, that’s all.’
Leaving the ward for the day, Michelle walked towards the Sister’s office. If she still wasn’t here, she would put a note on her desk.
However, she was invited to enter as soon as she knocked. Sister was frowning but her face lightened as she saw Michelle and she listened attentively while the nurse told her what was on her mind.
‘I know what you mean about that look in the eyes. I’ve seen it for a while now,’ Sister Beatrice said. ‘Do not worry, Staff Nurse Michelle. I shall be here all night and I will keep an eye on him. Go home now and enjoy your night off. I think you are free until Monday morning?’
‘Yes, that’s right, Sister. I just wanted to be sure you were aware of a change in him.’
‘That was very conscientious of you. Thank you.’
Michelle left her office, feeling as if a weight had been removed from her shoulders. Some of the staff – Angela in particular – thought Sister harsh, but Michelle admired her. Sister had a lot of responsibility and knew what she was doing. Now Michelle could stop fretting over Johnny for the time being, rather than worrying that Nurse Mary might not be able to cope if the child needed help during the night …