“You mean there’s a hospital aboard?”
“Almost inactive now. But it’ll be jammed on the return trip.”
“How do you find it?”
“I’ll take you down and show you through right after breakfast tomorrow,” he suggested.
“Oh, that would be swell!”
Nancy went to sleep that night with a feeling of eager anticipation for the morning. Sleeping was a tight squeeze amid all their possessions. Several times during the night Nancy was vaguely aware of Mabel giving her a shove and ordering, “Keep to your side, gal!” But on the whole she got the best sleep she had had in three nights.
When she remarked about resting so well Mabel said, “Yeah, I believe you could sleep through storms, fire and torpedoes.”
Nancy’s visit to the sick bay was really her first preview of the seriousness of overseas life. Here were careful preparations for looking after those who were giving their blood in battle, and must be taken home for recovery. The sick bay was really a miniature hospital.
“They’ve thought of everything that might possibly be needed to help our men,” explained Major Reed to the nurses, for Nancy had asked to bring her three roommates along. “This operating room alone seems a miracle to me.”
“Looks about like any other to me,” said Nancy.