Home Front Girls

were beginning to panic.
    ‘It’s ruddy enormous! We’ll never find our way round ’ere,’ Hilary whispered to Annabelle. The wards were full of men with injuries ranging from broken limbs to burns and bullet wounds.
    ‘Poor bugger,’ Hilary muttered to no one in particular as they passed a bed where a man lay with his face covered in severe burns. A QUARNN was dressing them for him with the curtains partially open around his bed so they couldn’t help but see. ‘I hope he ain’t got a wife or a sweetheart waitin’ at home for him, else she’s in for a shock.’
    After a tour of the wards they were shown down into the cellars.
    ‘When the sirens sound we bring the patients who are able to be moved down here for safety,’ the nurse explained to them. ‘Unfortunately, some of the patients are too ill to be moved so they have to stay on the wards and take their chance. We also have operating theatres down here and part of your job will be keeping them as spic and span as the ones upstairs. Cleanliness is of major importance. If the patient should pick up an infection through lack of hygiene during an operation it could be fatal.’
    The girls all nodded solemnly, suddenly understanding that although they weren’t fully qualified nurses, they still had an important part to play in the welfare of the patients.
    Once the tour was over the QUARNN regarded them all seriously as she advised, ‘I suggest you spend the rest of the day getting to know your way around the place. It’s vitally important to know where you are going, as you will probably be somewhere different every day to start with, especially if we have an emergency and there’s an influx of patients. Madam won’t be thrilled if she has to waste valuable time sending out search parties for you. But don’t look so worried.’ She smiled at their expressions. ‘You’ll find your way about a lot quicker than you think. It always feels a bit daunting when you first start. Now I advise you all get over to the mess first for something to eat, and be sure to get a good night’s sleep. You’ll all be on the wards tomorrow.’
    Annabelle felt a bit shaky at that thought. It had been fine practising resuscitation and bandaging up people who weren’t really injured during her training, but it would be different doing it on real patients. Still, it was too late to back out now so she would just have to get used to it. And after all, what was there back at home for her now? She didn’t even have a real mother and father; it seemed as if her whole life had been a lie. Feeling very sorry for herself, she followed the other girls to the mess.
     
    The next morning after breakfast in the mess the girls were shown to their wards, and from then on Annabelle didn’t know if she was on her head or her heels. One of the QUARNNS showed her the sluice room and where the bedpans were kept, and her first job was to ensure that all the patients that needed one got one. She found herself blushing furiously for the first half of the morning as she helped the men to clamber on and off them, but by lunchtime she had gone past caring. One male bottom was much the same as another after a time. Then she was shown where the cleaning utensils were kept and soon she was busily mopping and dusting every surface in sight. The Ward Sister’s standards of hygiene were high and Annabelle soon learned that for now at least it was up to her to maintain them.
    Mid-morning wasn’t so bad when she was asked to go around the ward with the tea trolley and some of the men teased her.
    ‘New are you, love?’ one chap asked her with a cheeky wink. He had both his legs in casts suspended from an evil-looking device at the end of the bed.
    Annabelle nodded. ‘Yes, it’s my first day.’
    ‘And where are you from?’
    ‘Coventry.’
    ‘Oh, I hear they took a right blast not so long ago, poor sods,’ he said sympathetically. Now for the first time Annabelle was seeing the real results of war, and it was humbling. Here was she, feeling sorry for herself, when half the men in this ward would probably never be able to lead normal lives again. Many of them had had amputations, others were horrifically scarred and burned, and yet they still tried to be cheerful; it was really quite amazing. And then there were the ones whose injuries were not quite so bad. They would recover and return to fight again, and she wondered how they could face it.
    ‘Phew, I don’t know if I’m on me arse