CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE: Mary Goes to Mr Stillman

Next morning Andrew rose early, after a good night’s sleep. He felt excited, ready for anything. He went straight to the telephone and gave orders to a medical property firm to sell his practice. ‘Sell it for a fair price. I won’t accept any more than it’s really worth,’ he said. ‘The people in this area have not got much money; and the next doctor may not do as well as I have done.’ At lunchtime Christine handed Andrew two letters. They were replies to his letters to Denny and Hope. The short note from Denny read: ‘Interested. Expect me tomorrow evening.’ The letter from Hope also expressed interest, though the words showed Hope’s usual sense of fun.

After lunch, Andrew drove to the Victoria Hospital to see Mary Boland.

Sitting beside Mary’s bed, he told her about the new arrangements that he had made. ‘You’ll like the other hospital better, Mary – much better,’ he promised her. ‘Now, I don’t want to make difficulties here. So I would like you to pretend that it is your own wish to leave – say that you want to go home. Then, on Wednesday, I will pick you up and drive you to Stillman’s hospital.’

Andrew returned home with a feeling that he was beginning to correct his mistakes. That evening, in his surgery, he sorted out the patients who really were ill from those who only imagined that they were. Again and again, he said firmly: ‘This must be your last visit. You’re better now. It won’t do you any good to go on taking medicine!’

It was surprising how much comfort this gave him. After the surgery, he went in to Christine feeling several years younger.

At that moment the telephone rang. Christine went to answer it. When she returned, she looked worried again. ‘Someone wants to speak to you,’ she told him.

‘Who?’ Suddenly he realized that it was Frances Lawrence. ‘Tell her that I’ve gone out,’ he said. ‘No – don’t say that!’ He walked quickly forward. ‘I’ll speak to her myself.’

He came back in five minutes and said: ‘That’s over, too! I shan’t see her again!’

Christine smiled happily without answering.

On the following evening Denny came to dinner. He brought a message from Hope, saying he was sorry that he had another appointment. ‘He said that he had work to do,’ Denny remarked, knocking out his pipe. ‘But I believe that his appointment is really with a young lady. I wouldn’t be surprised if our friend Hope decides to marry her.’

‘Did he say anything about my idea?’Andrew asked quickly.

‘Yes – he’s interested. And so am I. I am surprised that a man with your dull brains has the ability to think of such an excellent plan! Tell me about it.’

Andrew explained his plan with rising excitement. They then began to discuss the practical details.

‘In my opinion,’ said Denny, ‘we ought to choose a town with a population of about 20,000 people – an industrial town where four or five doctors are all working against each other. In such a town, we would have the best opportunity to show the advantage of doctors with different medical qualifications working together. We might make enemies at first, but we would succeed in the end. Perhaps, after a time, we might start our own hospital. Yes, this is a good idea.’ Suddenly feeling Christine’s eye on him, Denny smiled. ‘And what do you think about it, Christine? Crazy, isn’t it?’

‘Yes,’ she answered. ‘But sometimes the crazy things are best!’

‘You’re right, Chris!’Andrew cried, hitting the table with his hand.’Our aim must be to set an example in medical practice!’

They talked until such a late hour that Denny missed the last train home and had to spend the night with Andrew and Christine.

On the following Wednesday – by which time a Dr Lowry was on the point of buying his practice – Andrew went to the Victoria Hospital to take Mary Boland away. Everything had worked out just as he had planned. No objection was raised to Mary’s leaving the Victoria, and at two o’clock Andrew arrived with Nurse Sharp to pick her up.

Nurse Sharp was in a bad temper because Andrew had just told her that he intended to close his office in Welbeck Street and had given her a month’s notice. She sat with Mary in the back seat of the car and did not speak a single word during the journey.

They reached Stillman’s hospital at half past three. As soon as Mary was in bed, Stillman went to her room to examine her. When he and Andrew entered the room, Nurse Sharp seemed surprised and annoyed. Stillman examined Mary very thoroughly, and then led Andrew out of the room again.

‘She is very ill,’ he said. ‘I must do an operation on her lung immediately. It should have been done several weeks ago!’

While Stillman got ready for the operation, Andrew went back and told Mary of their decision. ‘It’s nothing to worry about, Mary,’ Andrew comforted her. ‘You won’t feel any pain. I’ll be in the room. I’ll see that you’re all right.’

Ten minutes later, Stillman began the operation. He worked quickly and with great skill, employing several new ideas that he had discovered in America. Andrew had never witnessed a more skilful operation.

When it was over, and Mary was back in her bed, Andrew went in to see her. ‘Well, do you feel happier now?’

She smiled. ‘You were right – it was nothing to worry about!’

‘All that you need now is rest. You’ll soon be well again – completely cured!’ he promised her.