The hospital was composed of a number of long, low buildings, all cool, clean, and quiet. There were so many buildings and wards for different ailments that Pep wondered how his master could ever remember where all his patients were. When the doctor was too busy to have him around, Pep spent his time in the dispensary, where he was a prime favorite with Captain Everts, who had charge of this important portion of the hospital. The captain was also a doctor, so sometimes his friends called him “Doc” and sometimes “Cap,” but all were very respectful.
There was a fine soft rug under a great table and here Pep would lie for hours watching the doctors and nurses come and go. Some of them spoke to him and some did not. For some of them he would grin and wag his tail, but the majority he hardly deigned to notice.
He usually went with the doctor for his morning rounds through the wards. He would follow sedately at his master’s heels from ward to ward.
When his master stopped to examine a patient, Pep stopped and watched proceedings narrowly. There were several things that he noticed his master always did. First he would say “Good morning” and “How are you this fine day?” The doctor always said that no matter if it was raining buckets full, and it was either raining or cloudy most of the time.
Then the doctor would go to the paper which they called a chart at the head of the bed and study it intently. Pep could usually tell whether or not his master was pleased with what he saw on the chart.
When he was not pleased, the doctor would take out his watch and hold the man’s wrist. He would also sometimes look at the patient’s tongue, but usually the surgeon spent his time putting on bandages, changing dressings, and doing other needful things for the poor wounded soldiers.
Some of the men would speak to Pep and for some of them he would stand on his hind legs and let them stroke his head. If he liked the soldier, he would lick his hand. So it happened that many of the soldiers came to look for Pep’s morning visit as much as they did for the doctor’s.
He would often visit at the convalescents’ ward on his own account. There the men were up walking around, or sitting in chairs. Usually they would be playing cards, reading, or writing letters home.
They often took Pep into their confidence and told him about their sweethearts at home, or that he reminded them of a dog they once knew. Several of the soldiers in this ward became very fond of Pep and he of them. He would allow himself to be stroked and petted a great deal by his favorites. He felt in some way that it helped the soldiers to pet him. He knew that he and his master were here to help the soldiers, so he would gladly sacrifice his dignity in the good cause.
He would sit gravely listening for half an hour at a time while the soldiers talked excitedly about the battles they had been in. He noted that their faces always grew grave or angry when they mentioned the word Boche. So he finally decided in his dog way, which was not quite clear as to the reasons why, that Boche meant something bad. It was probably the enemy, the thing that they were all out here to fight.