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Show A LITTLE BIT HUMAN By Ona F. Lathrop ,i ADGE ELLIS glanced up and Al down the corridor once more before entering the Children's Ward. She straightened her cap and apron and tucked a stray blonde curl behind her ear, but it was no use there was no young Doctor Lantz In sight. Oh well, surely he would be along soon, and today today she would try to impress on him she wasn't just another nurse In uniform-she uniform-she wanted him to think she was someone special, because she thought HE was special. She set the tray of tempting little lit-tle dishes of food in front of her little patient. "See? A little egg hiding in its shell milk that says, 'Please drink me, Hoppy." Which one first?" The dull eyes turned away uninterested, unin-terested, but Madge drew forth her newest wheedler, a Jumping-Jack Jumping-Jack from the five-and-ten. It might not be good child psychology, psychol-ogy, but is worked and It would keep the two-year-old occupied until Dr. Larry could get in to make his examination. Maybe It would even bring a smile to Larry's Lar-ry's tired eyes. "IF she gets him home," Madge . sighed. "No measures are too strenuous to get some food into that thin little body. I'd even jump over the string myself to get that trayful of food down him." "Don't worry. He's coming along. Kids bounce back. Another week and he'll be eating the flowers flow-ers off the plate, thanks to your good care. By the way, you must like children. You seem to be taking tak-ing on more and more of these little patients." "Of course I love children," she aid. "I hope to specialize in that field as I go on up the ladder. You ought to understand. Don't you love them?" She let her grey eyes widen. "I like them all right but most of all I like to see them improve and pull out of the dire things that hit kids. I like to do what has to be done, they are interesting cases to me but taking care of them day in and day out as you do that really takes patience that I wouldn't have." He was loosening the bandages on Hoppy's burned leg with deft tender hands and was able to do the dressing without with-out a single crying spasm from Hoppy who was entranced by the jumping-Jack. "You sound as if they are Just cases to you. Well, I like them because they are children," she declared. "I hope to have a dozen of my own some day," she smiled shyly. At that he looked up at her and grinned. "I hope I'm around to be their pediatrician. I could use a practice like that." "Oh, they won't need a pediatrician. pedia-trician. Mine will be healthy brats and I mean to keep them that way. I'll handle most situations myself." This time he looked deep into her eyes. "I Imagine you will, at that. You'd make a very competent compe-tent mother, I'm sure." Then they both laughed, and he went on. "But you're the kind of nurse we need too. Don't give up your career too soon." Don't worry, I haven't spotted the eligible father yet," she lied. "Wow! You gals are really designing de-signing plotters, aren't you?" he frowned. "What chance has a mere man got?" And he picked up his bag and ran. "That's not it. I want to explain. I'm not a great doctor. I lost a very important case once my own nephew. It got under my skin for a while, so then I decided never to let them touch me personallyI've per-sonallyI've tried to keep them Just cases. But you are right. They are people. I must remember that. You've dealt me a good one beneath be-neath the belt tonight, but I should thank you for it. How about a coffee break down in the cafeteria? cafe-teria? And maybe dinner tomorrow? tomor-row? I need someone like you to keep me human." |