By then the commotion had woken several other patients who had seen the man running out into the hospital grounds and security staff instantly mounted a search. Later that morning he was found sitting peacefully in the sunshine on a bench in one of the gardens.
As Madge and a worried hospital security officer stood and watched him being led away to be placed in a ‘more secure environment’, she said, ‘I feel so sorry for the poor soul. He needs help. Who can blame him for being so unsettled after what he must have seen?’
‘I know,’ replied the security officer. ‘It doesn’t even bear thinking about what that poor boy’s witnessed.’
The incident had upset many of the badly injured soldiers on the ward because they had come to adore their little teenage nurse, who bustled in on duty with a cheerful smile every day. For the duration of that shift, there were touching words of comfort as they urged her ‘not to worry’ and ‘just forget about the whole thing’ but once they realised that this remarkable young woman had taken it all in her stride the teasing began.
Vera Clark, who Madge had met shortly after starting work at the hospital and who had quickly become a friend, knew every detail after tuning in to the most efficient communication system in all hospitals – the NGL (Nurses Gossip Line).
‘Are you OK, Madge?’ she asked, as they queued to get bowls of the thick and creamy pea soup that was such a favourite in the canteen later that day. The concern touched Madge as she nodded in answer to the question.
‘Well, if that’s the case, you’d better watch out for the bogeyman again tonight,’ laughed Vera.
The teasing went on when Madge’s shift started again that evening. ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an English woman,’ said a handsome young lance corporal as he lifted his heavily bandaged hands, pretending to be Dracula. Madge had written letters for him to his parents every week since he was brought into the ward and it was his way of letting her know just how concerned, and grateful, he was.
She was asked if the tea ‘really was that awful’ and was told never to be late with the breakfasts again ‘because you know what might happen’. It was affectionate humour that made her feel as though the boys on the ward were as fond of her as she was of them. They were treating her, without ever overstepping the mark, as one of the gang!
Madge joined in the laughter. If even the most grievously wounded soldiers were enjoying the fun and nonsense, she thought, then perhaps they could recover to lead a normal life once more.
Just when things seemed to have calmed down, Madge heard steps running along the corridor.
‘Watch out because HMS Crowley is as mad as hell,’ a laughing young Welsh nurse, Maggie, warned. ‘She’s on the warpath because that man ran off with a brand new pair of pyjamas from the inventory!’
For the last ten minutes of her eight-hour shift, Madge made sure to keep out of Sister Crowley’s way, just in case she was in trouble. At 8 a.m., having clocked off, she walked the ten minutes back to her room and fell into bed with her uniform still on. Well, she thought as her eyelids drooped, if I can survive that, I should think I can survive anything.
Over the next six months, Madge’s routine was much the same, although during that time she was taught how to use the many different medical instruments and types of bandages, and the kindest way to give injections. With the alternating shift patterns, there was not much time for fun but in her spare time she started going to the cinema in the town centre either on her own or with Vera or Phyl, who she’d also become friendly with. After six months Madge was also due a pay rise of one shilling, upping her wages to £1/11d a week. This was especially welcome as she was still paying off the cost of six thermometers that had broken when she put them in a jar that promptly fell off a shelf. That mishap took place in Madge’s second month on the ward.
Nurses had to pick up their weekly wages from Matron’s office, but by the time they got the money she had taken 2s 6d out for government savings stamps, which were issued in a bid to raise funds for the national coffers as part of the war effort. The Treasury never benefitted for very long, however, as the next time the nurses had a day off they went straight into the post office in Aylesbury and cashed the stamps in!
Just before her eighteenth birthday Madge woke up one morning with the worst stomach ache. She remembered how sarcastic Matron had been when Phyl had asked for the afternoon off because of her monthlies and thought better of staying in bed. Instead Madge joined the group following the surgeon on his ward rounds that morning. Matron was second in line, then came the senior nurses and, being the most junior member of staff, she was at the end.
That turned out to be the best place because the very observant surgeon took one look at Madge and baulked.
‘Get that nurse to sick bay straight away,’ he said. Matron gave Madge one of her most withering looks, almost as if it was all being put on. Madge flushed red at the reprimand but almost swooned with relief. Just two hours later she had her appendix removed by the very surgeon who had spotted how unwell she looked in the first place.
The following morning, she was still feeling groggy from the anaesthetic gas, which was administered via a rubber mask, when she woke to see Vera sitting beside her bed with a
