“Humph! Yes, you are pretty well tied up. That poor fellow Gedge did wonderfully well for you, considering. He attended to his ambulance lessons. First help’s a grand thing when a man’s bleeding to death.”
“Was I bleeding to death?” said Bracy rather faintly.
“Of course you were; or perhaps not. The bleeding might have stopped of itself, but I shouldn’t have liked to trust it. There; shan’t do any more to you to-day. We’ll have you to bed and asleep. That’s the first step towards getting well again. Sorry to have you down so soon, Bracy, my dear boy. There, keep a good heart, and I’ll soon get you right again.”
The Colonel was at the hospital door soon after, along with Major Graham, both anxious to hear about Bracy’s hurt.
“Bad,” said the Doctor shortly as he put on his coat. “Don’t ask to see the poor boy; he’s just dropping off to sleep.”
“Bad?” said the Colonel anxiously.
“Yes, bad, sir. A young fellow can’t have a hole drilled right through him by a piece of ragged iron without being in a very serious condition.”
“But the wound is not fatal?”
“H’m! no, not fatal. He’s young, strong, and healthy; but the exit of the missile was in close proximity to the spine, and there’s no knowing what mischief may have been done.”
“What do you mean?” said the Colonel anxiously.