“Did you?”
The close eyes shifted quickly. Her response came instantly:
“No, Doctor Harrison.”
A silence began stretching. The girl continued abruptly:
“Then I went back to my desk and finished my fever charts.”
“You did not call your supervisor?”
“No, Dr. MacArthur. I finished the fever charts and then made the midnight rounds. The patient in Bed 11 was still sleeping peacefully. I called in the rounds to my night supervisor and began studying my nursing manual. Three patients rang their bells between then and two. One wanted a glass of water and two, bed-pans. At two I gave the special medicines and then went back to my studying.”
“You did not look at the patient in Bed 11?”
“No, Dr. Harrison, she had no special medicine. At three I again made rounds and found the patient in Bed 11 was dead. I called my supervisor and failed to get her. I then called the general superintendent. She told me to draw the curtains around Bed 11 and wait further orders until Dr. Mattus came.
“He and Dr. Sterling, Junior, came within the next fifteen minutes. Dr. Sterling and Dr. Mattus rolled the bed off of the ward and into the elevator.