All Clear

“Thank you,” Eileen said, and ran upstairs, pausing on the landing to shed her coat, drape it over the railing, and use her handkerchief and spit to rub the worst of the caked blood off her wrists and hands before going on up.

There was no matron on second, but a nurse came out of the first ward as she was going in. She went through her story again. “What’s the patient’s injury?” the nurse asked.

“Dr. Cross didn’t tell me,” Eileen said. “Two other firewatchers brought him in, Mr. Bartholomew and Mr. Humphreys.” She described them.

The nurse shook her head. “They wouldn’t be on the ward. No one but patients is allowed on this floor.” But Eileen went through the litany with nurses outside each of the wards, hoping one of them might know where Mr. Bartholomew was, and then went up to third. It took forever, and she felt as if she was still in the ambulance, dealing with endless detours and blocked-off lanes.

There was no sign of Mr. Bartholomew or Mr. Humphreys. Or of Alf and Binnie. They’ve probably already managed to get themselves thrown out, she thought, but as she ran down to Admitting, she thought she glimpsed them darting around a corner.

Polly hadn’t had any luck either. “The admitting nurse went to ask if anyone in the emergency ward knows anything,” she said, “but she’s been gone forever. I’m afraid she may have been waylaid to help out with patients.”

The way I was with the ambulance, Eileen thought. “The firewatcher wasn’t in the patient roster?”

“No.”

“Are you certain he was brought here?”

“Yes,” Polly said, then looked uncertain. “That is, the firewatcher I talked to said he thought they’d come here, but if the roads were blocked, they might have taken him to Guy’s.”

“No, it caught fire. They had to evacuate.”

“Where were they taking the patients?”

“I don’t know,” Eileen said. And if they set off to some other hospital, they might miss him, the way she and Polly had missed each other that day she’d gone to Townsend Brothers. “They might not even be here yet,” she said. “You may have been able to come here faster on foot, there are so many roads blocked. I’ll go check the ambulance entrance.”

If I can find it, she added silently, and set off to look for it, but before she was halfway down the corridor Polly called her back.

The nurse had returned. “I found the patient you were looking for,” she said. “Mr. Langby.”

“Where is he?” Polly asked.

“He’s just been taken upstairs from surgery.”

Eileen and Polly started toward the stairs, and the nurse moved swiftly to block their way. “I’m afraid no one’s allowed in the recovery room. If you’d like, you can wait in the waiting room.”

“Two men brought him in,” Polly said. “Members of the fire watch. Can you tell us where they are?”

And when the nurse seemed to hesitate, Eileen put in, “Dr. Cross sent me to find out. I’m his driver.”

“Oh,” the nurse said. “Of course. I’ll go and see.”

“One’s elderly and the other’s tall with dark hair,” Eileen called after the nurse, and described what she thought they were wearing.

“One’s elderly and the other’s tall with dark hair,” Eileen called after the nurse, and described what she thought they were wearing.

“And let’s hope she doesn’t run into Dr. Cross while she’s finding out,” she said to Polly.

Binnie came tearing up. “I been to all the wards, and ’e ain’t there. You want me to go look someplace else?”

“No, stay here till the nurse comes back,” Eileen said. If the nurse didn’t bring any information, they could send her to surgery. “Where’s Alf?”

“I dunno,” Binnie said. “Me and ’im split up. Do you want I should go look for ’im?”

“No.” Eileen grabbed her to ensure she didn’t.

The nurse returned. “I spoke with the ambulance driver who brought Mr. Langby in. She said only one member of the fire watch came with Mr. Langby—a Mr.

Bartholomew—and that he left as soon as Mr. Langby was safely inside the hospital.”

“Left?” Polly said, looking as though she’d been kicked in the stomach.

“Left to go where?” Binnie asked, and the nurse seemed to suddenly become aware of her presence.

“Children aren’t allowed in—” she began.

“Left to go where?” Eileen cut in. “It’s essential Dr. Cross speak with him immediately. When did he leave?”

“Over an hour ago,” the nurse said. “You’ll have to take that child to the waiting room.”

“She’s Dr. Cross’s niece,” Eileen said. “I’ll go and tell him.”

She let go of Binnie’s arm, grabbed Polly’s, and propelled her down the corridor. “Don’t worry. We can still catch him. We’ll drive to St. Paul’s,” she said. “Binnie

—” But Binnie had disappeared.

An orderly was coming toward them, looking angry—no doubt the reason she’d vanished, and she’d reappear as soon as he passed. But she didn’t.

Good, Eileen thought, steering Polly through the maze of corridors, looking for something familiar to show her they were headed in the right direction. They obviously couldn’t take Alf and Binnie with them, and this way they wouldn’t have to waste time arguing with them over their staying here.