佚名 /Anonymous
I was in my second year of nurse's training at Children's Hospital when I fell in love with Jimmy. His eyes were the purple of a full-moon sky.
Jimmy was in the communicable diseases wing, isolated with measles and pneumonia. He had to be enclosed in his oxygen-tent-covered crib most of the time. When he wasn't sleeping, he was crying to get out. But he always stopped crying when I entered his room because he knew I would cuddle, rock and sing to him. The Children's Orphanage had been his only home most of his f ifteen months of life. I knew he was well-tended there, but no institution care can replace a mother's love.
The door opened a crack. My supervisor hissed, “Miss White! Have you completed all of your work and f inished charting?”
“Almost, Miss Stickleby.”
“It's nearly time to go off duty. Put the baby down now. Check on your other patients, and then go help Miss Nelson. I believe she had an extra patient today.” The door closed before I could answer. Suzie Nelson did not have an extra patient. I did. Suzie was assigned as Jimmy's nurse, but I asked to have him added to my patient load. I wanted the extra time with him since I'd be on vacation the next three days.
Deliberately, I dawdled, massaging his thin little legs, playing peek-a-boo with his yellow ducky blanket, urging gurgling giggles between his raspy breaths.
A loud tap rattled the ward window. Stickleby.
Back at the nurse's station, Miss Stickleby glared as I signed off Jimmy's chart. Who was she anyway? I wondered. We students couldn't fault her as a teacher and supervisor. She saw to it that we were all as conscientious in our duties as she was. But although the hospital policy encouraged staff and students to hold, play with, read and talk to all the children in our care, we never saw her cooing over a baby or reading to a toddler.