Stranger in a Strange Land

for-"
                "Orderly!"
                Dr. Frame was standing in the door of the watch room; the paper disappeared into the man's clothes. "Coming, sir. I was just getting this tray."
                "What were you reading?"
                "Nothing."
                "I saw you. Never mind, come out of there quickly. This patient is not to be disturbed." The man obeyed; Dr. Frame closed the door behind them. Smith lay motionless for the next half hour, but try as he might he could not grok it at all.

    IV

                GILLIAN BOARDMAN WAS CONSIDERED professionally competent as a nurse; she was judged competent in wider fields by the bachelor internes and she was judged harshly by some other women. There was no harm in her and her hobby was men. When the grapevine carried the word that there was a patient in special suite K-12 who had never laid eyes on a woman in his life, she did not believe it. When detailed explanation convinced her, she resolved to remedy it. She went on duty that day as floor supervisor in the wing where Smith was housed. As soon as possible she went to pay a call on the strange patient.
                She knew of the "No Female Visitors" rule and, while she did not Consider herself to be a visitor of any sort, she sailed on past the marine guards without attempting to use the door they guarded-marines, she had found, had a stuffy habit of construing their orders literally. Instead she went into the adjacent watch room. Dr. "Tad" Thaddeus was on duty there alone.
                He looked up. "Well, if it ain't 'Dimples!' Hi, honey, what brings you here?"
                She sat on the corner of his desk and reached for his cigarettes. "'Miss Dimples,' to you, chum; I'm on duty. This call is part of my rounds. What about your patient?"
                "Don't worry your fuzzy head about him, honey chile; he's not your responsibility. See your order book."
                "I read it. I want to have a look at him."
                "In one word-no."
                "Oh, Tad, don't go regulation on me. I know you."
                He gazed thoughtfully at his nails. "Ever worked for Doctor Nelson?"
                "No. Why?"
                "If I let you put your little foot inside that door, I'd find myself in Antarctica early tomorrow, prescribing for penguins' chilblains. So switch your fanny out of here and go bother your own patients. I wouldn't want him even to catch you in this watch room."
                She stood up. "Is Doctor Nelson likely to come popping in?"
                "Not likely, unless I send for him. He's still sleeping off low-gee fatigue."
                "So? Then what's the idea of being so duty struck?"
                "That's all, Nurse."
                "Very well, Doctor!" She added, "Stinker."
                "Jill!"
                "And a stuffed shirt, too."
                He sighed. "Still okay for Saturday night?"
                She shrugged. "I suppose so. A girl can't be fussy these days." She went back to her duty station, found that her services were not in immediate demand, picked up the pass key. She was balked but not beaten, as she recalled that suite K- 12 had a door joining it to the room beyond it, a room sometimes used as a sitting room when the suite was occupied by a Very Important Person. The room was not then in use, either as part of the suite or separately. She let herself into it. The guards at the door beyond paid no attention, unaware that they had been flanked.
                She hesitated at the inner door between the two rooms, feeling some of the sharp excitement she used to feel when sneaking out of student nurses' quarters. But, she told herself, Dr. Nelson was asleep and Tad wouldn't tell on her even if he caught her. She didn't blame him for keeping his finger on his number-but he wouldn't report her. She unlocked the door and looked in.
                The patient was in bed, he looked at her as the door opened. Her first impression was that here was a patient too far gone to care. His lack of expression seemed to show the complete apathy of the desperately ill. Then she saw that his eyes were alive with interest; she wondered if his face were paralysed? No, she decided; the typical sags were