Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday "Well, Rood-niKht." he said. ■•Good-night," she leLuined frigidly. AQAIN8T THE RULES THE injured newsboy was still lying on the stretcher in the emerKencv-room when Carole returned to it with an X-ray film and another nurse. Dr. Norman Kennedy rose from a small desk and went with her to a table, where she inserted the film in a frame and switched on a Jight behind it. "Yes, it's a fracture all right." sighed the doctor. "We'll have to operate. See if you can locate the boy's parents to get their permission." •■Why?" Carole objected. "Is it necessary to get permission in an emer- gency like this? " •Oh. I don't think there's any great rush. The boy might be a better risk if we wait till morning." •• If you'll forgive me, doctor." said Carole firmly. " I think the case is much more serious than that." •■Sorry," he returned with an air of finality, ••but I can't agree with you. Send the boy to the ward. ' To avoid all possibility of further argument, he walked straight out from the room. Carole looked down at the un- fortunate newsboy, and then she looked at the nurse. ■I'm going off duty now." she said. 'Send the patient to Ward G. and put a special nurse with him. Dr. Kennedy doesn't want to operate—yet. ' At the end of a transverse corridor she entered the nurses' wash-room, and she was scrubbing her hands at a basin when Ann Stokes, a blue-eyed and fair-haired nurse who looked delicate, but actually was a verv fit and strong young person, saw the reflection of her set face in a mirror, and walked over. 'Hallo. Ann," said Carole, busy with a nail-brush. "What's the matter?" inquired the nurse. •'Bob break his date with you?" ■No." Carole shook her head. 'It's your boy friend, the great Dr. Norman Kennedy. There's a poor kid in Emergency with a cracked head " "There usually is!" '■Yes. But this one's going to die, just because Norman is afraid to try an operation that might cost him the assistantship." Ann Stokes glared. '• Aren't you forgetting your pledge of loyalty to your superiors?" she demanded sngrily. "Oh. no—no. I'm not. I promised also to minister faithfully to the sick and I'm not going to let that boy die! " The door was opened a little way, and Dr. Kennedy looked round it. "May I come in?'^ he asked smilingly. "You are in," said Ann. And then, as he advanced towards her: "There is a liead nurse around here, you know. " Kennedy eyed Carole sideways. "Do I have to kiss her?" Carole sailed past them with her head in the air, flinging the towel she had used into a basket on the way. The door slammed, and Kennedy arid Ann em- braced. ■Norman." said the nurse in a worried voice, "what does Carole mean about some kid you wouldn't operate on?" The young surgeon made a gesture of annoyance. ■■ Oh. I'll operate all right." he mutcered. '■I just want my uncle to take a look at h=m first. There's no hurry." Her blue eyes searched his face. ■Ai^e you sure?" she questioned. "Sure enough not to risk a delicate operation that might be imsuccessful, any- way " "Then Carole was right," she decided. 'What?" 'Oh, it doesn't matter, Norman." From the wash-room Carole went straight back to the emergency-room, and there she took the X-ray film of the news- ooy's head from the frame. She had intended to ascend to her own quarters and change into her ordinary clothes. BOY'S CINEMA but the utter callousness of Dr. Norman Kennedy had driven her to a different course of action. » She ascended to the first floor, and she went into the dispensary by a door o,pposite the door of Dr. Finley Morton's otnce. Inside the big room, with its shelves of bottles and jars, an elderly and spectacled doctor was standing beside a desk ,at which a ix)werfull.\' built young fellow in a lounge suit was seated. The doctor. Amos Thornton, was in charge of the dispensary: his companion was Dr. Robert Clayton, a very promising young surgeon to whom Carole was engaged. But Dr. Thornton had been a famous surgeon in his da.\. "Hallo, Bob!" she greeted. "Oh. there you are!" exclaimed her fiance. " But why the uniform? I thought we bad a date?^' " We have," she returned grimly, •' but not for holding hands in the movies. Dr. Thornton, will you look at this, please?' The surgeon who had become a mere dispenser took the X-ray film. ■It's still wet. " he commented. "Who is it?" " It's of the youngster who was brought in a little while ago," she replied. '•He was hit by a motor-truck. He's going to die unless something is done for him." Bob and Thornton studied the film to- gether. ■■What's Norman doing for him?" in- quired Bob. "Just exactly nothing! " explained Carole. "Norman is as yellow as butter! He's stalling till Dr. Morton gets back. You've got to step in! The boy's in a stupor now." But Bob shook his head. "I don't go on duty till midnight," he said, 'and even then I couldn't step in on Norman's case." She looked at him as though badly disappointed. But Dr. Thornton nodded approval. "Bob's right," he said regretfully. "He can't operate on another surgeon's patient. You know—ethics." ■■ Is it unethical to save somebody's life?" she stormed. ■■Is it?" "It's a shame Dr. Morton isn't here." evaded Thornton, and looked again at the film. "We could probably save that boy. " he murmured. "Does Bob have to let a poor, helpless little kid die because of one doctor's cowardice?" Bob thrust his hands deep into his tro user-pockets. :t "What would you do if you were m inv place?' he .su'd to Thornton. '■Well,' was the slow rtiply, "vou know hospital rules are strict. A violation like this could wreck your career. Bob. DckHois have been broken lor less. You'll probably lose aiiv chance of getting that assistantship, and be thrown out of the hospital as well.'■ While he was speaking the e'derly surgeon drifted acro.ss to a tall cabinet, opened a drawer and a case that was in the drawer, and took out .a gleaming scalpel. Bob's frown of irresolution vanished. '■ Here," .said Thorton to Carole with a little ghost of a smile. 'You'd bettei put that in the steriliser with the rest ol the instruments. He may need it." " Yes, doctor," said Carole happily. "What are we waiting for?" raid Bob. THE CASE OF SCALPELS INSTRUCTIONS were given for the theatre and the patient to be got ready for an operation, and Bob and Carole and Dr. Thornton were in the ante-room of the theatre, clad in white and scrubbing their hands when Norman Kennedv burst in upon them in a furv. '■What's the idea of ordering my patient into the theatre?"' he blazed at Bob. "I looked at the X-ray, Norman."' Bot replied quietly and mildly. "I'll be glad to assist if you want to perform the operation, but it has to be done right away." "Since when is your opinion any bettei than mine?"" "I don't say it is, Norman, but surel.\ you respect Dr. Thornton's opinion?" "I know how you love to play here." sneered Thornton, "but I didn't think you'd hide behind an old man to do it! " Bob lunged forward with clenched fists. The detective crept over, hands outstretched and fingers wide apart like claws about to clutch December 2r.d, 11/39.