U.S.A_ - John Dos Passos [467]
"No, I'm from Tennessee. . . . Why?"
"My mistake. You see always when I've been in a hos-pital before the nurses have been Canadians. Isn't it kinder dark in here? I wish I could tel you how it happened. Have they cal ed the office? I guess maybe I drink too much. After this I attend strictly to business. I tel you a man has to keep his eyes open in this game. . . . Say, can't you get me some water?"
"I'm the night nurse. It isn't day yet. You try and get some sleep."
"I guess they've cal ed up the office. I'd like Stauch to take a look at the ship before anything's touched. Funny, nurse. I don't feel much pain, but I feel so terrible."
"That's just the hypodermics," said the nurse's brisk low voice. "Now you rest quietly and in the morning you'l wake up feeling a whole lot better. You can only rinse out your mouth with this."
"Check."
He couldn't stop talking. "You see it was this way. I had some sort of a wrangle with a guy. Are you listenin', nurse? I guess I've got a kind of a chip on my shoulder since they've been gangin' up on me so. In the old days I used to think everybody was a friend of mine, see. Now I know they're al crooks . . . even Gladys, she turned out the worst crook of the lot. . . . I guess it's the hang-over makes me so terribly thirsty." The nurse was standing over him again. "I'm afraid
-370-we'l have to give you a little of the sleepy stuff, brother.
. . . Now just relax. Think of somethin' nice. That's a good boy." He felt her dabbing at his arm with something cold and wet. He felt the prick of the needle. The hard bed where he lay awake crumbled gradual y under him. He was sinking, without any sweetness of sleep coming on, he was sinking into dark. This time it was a stout starched woman standing over him. It was day. The shadows were different. She was poking some papers under his nose. She had a hard cheer-ful voice. "Good morning, Mr. Anderson, is there any-thing I can do for you?" Charley was stil down in a deep wel . The room, the stout starched woman, the papers were far away above him somewhere. Al around his eyes was stinging hot.
"Say, I don't feel as if I was al there, nurse."
"I'm the superintendent. There are a few formalities if you don't mind . . . if you feel wel enough."
"Did you ever feel like it had al happened before?
Say, where, I mean what town . . . ? Never mind, don't tel me, I remember it al now."
"I'm the superintendent. If you don't mind, the office would like a check for your first week in advance and then there are some other fees."
"Don't worry. I've got money. . . . For God's sake get me a drink."
"It's just the regulations."
"There must be a checkbook in my coat somewhere. . . . Or get hold of Cliff . . . Mr. Wegman, my secretary. . . . He can make out a check for you."
"Now don't you bother about anything, Mr. Ander-son. . . . The office has made out a blank check. I'l fil in the name of the bank. You sign it. That wil be two hundred and fifty dol ars on account."
-371-"Bankers' Trust, New York. . . . Gosh, I can just about sign my name."
"The questionnaire we'l get the nurse to fil out later
. . . for our records. . . . Wel , goodby, Mr. Anderson, I hope you have a very pleasant stay with us and wishing you a quick recovery." The stout starched woman had gone.
"Hay, nurse," cal ed Charley. He suddenly felt scared.
"What is this dump anyway? Where am I? Say, nurse, nurse." He shouted as loud as he could. The sweat broke out al over his face and neck and ran into his ears and eyes. He could move his head and his arms but the pit of his stomach was gone. He had no feeling in his legs. His mouth was dry with thirst.
A new pretty pink nurse was leaning over him. "What can I do for you, mister?" She wiped his face and showed him where the bel was hanging just by his hand. "Nurse, I'm terribly thirsty," he said in a weak voice.
"Now you must just rinse out your mouth. The doctor doesn't want you to eat or drink anything until he's estab-lished the drainage."
"Where is this doctor? . . . Why isn't he here now? . . . Why hasn't he been here right along? If he isn't careful I'l fire him and get another."