let Marstad scare you, Cherry. Why, everyone knows you’re one of the best nurses here,” comforted Mildred. “We won’t let her fire you. She just can’t!”
Suddenly, the loudspeaker interrupted Nurse Middy’s soothing consolations. “Nurse Aimless, report to my office immediately,” Nurse Marstad’s voice barked over the intercom.
Cherry said good-bye to her chum and to her patients, expressing the hope that she would see them soon. As she waited for the elevator that would take her to the third floor and the head nurse’s office, she thought of the years of dreaming and hard work that had brought her this far. Could it be that it was all about to end?
Cherry faced Nurse Marstad with a heavy heart. She tried to explain what had happened, but the harder she tried, the more muddled everything got, until finally she burst into tears.
“Oh, I’m so ashamed!” she cried, covering her face with her hands. Nurse Marstad pulled a lavender handkerchief from her pocket and gave it to the tearful girl.
“Blow your nose, nurse,” Nurse Marstad commanded with a gentleness in her voice that Cherry hadn’t heard before. Cherry hastily wiped her tear-stained face, took out her compact, brushed her shiny nose with a light dusting of powder and put on a hint of pink lipstick.
“Feeling better?” Nurse Marstad wanted to know. Cherry just nodded, too afraid to trust her voice.
Nurse Marstad took a seat behind her stately oak desk, which was piled high with paperwork and medical journals. She motioned for Cherry to take a seat in one of the turquoise naugahyde chairs facing the desk. Cherry squirmed in the slippery chair. Just a year ago, she had sat in this very spot, convincing Nurse Marstad that she was probation nurse material. And now she feared she had made a tragic blunder!
“I feel so awful that Lana is missing!” Cherry cried. “It’s all my fault; I should never have left the ward. It’s just that when I heard a call for help, I ran out without thinking, but no one was there. Well, no one except this priest and, well, I would just hate myself if anything happened to Lana because of me.” Cherry’s voice trailed off.
“I’m worried about Lana, too,” Nurse Marstad admitted. “But I have reason to hope she’ll soon be back where she belongs.”
“I’ll do anything to make this right,” Cherry cried. “I won’t go to San Francisco—I’ll stay here and find Lana myself. I’m a pretty good detective; why, just tonight I found three clues as to her true identity!”
Nurse Marstad looked interested at the revelation of this information. “Really? What did you uncover?” she asked.
“I know that she’s married, and her initials are C.M. And she must be Catholic; why else would she get a visit from a nun?”
“You’re very observant, Cherry. That’s a fine quality in a nurse.” Nurse Marstad pulled her black book from her uniform pocket. Cherry bit her lip. Once she counted all the mistakes Cherry had made that day, she’d surely fire her!
“Let’s see,” Marstad said, flipping through the pages. “A—Aarnes … ah, here you are. Aimless, Cherry. Hired July 5, 1958, with highest recommendations from Nurse Shirley Stern, Stencer Nursing School, Clearwater Falls, Idaho.”
Cherry was surprised to hear a good review from her old teacher. From the way she had always singled her out in class, Cherry had assumed Nurse Stern hadn’t liked her one bit.
Nurse Marstad continued. “My reports indicate you are a thoughtful and efficient nurse. I was pleased tonight to see the nice manner in which you handled Miss Bee. All your patients give you high marks.” Nurse Marstad closed her book. “Now, I hate to see a good nurse lost because of one blunder. You shouldn’t have left the ward, Cherry, and my guess is that you’ll never make that mistake again.”
Cherry shook her head. “Never,” she said solemnly. “I’ll do anything to keep my job,” Cherry added earnestly.
“Of course you’ll keep your job.” Nurse Marstad seemed amused.
“You mean you’re not going to fire me? I can stay?” Cherry squeaked, her voice cracking with emotion.
“The other nurses would have my head if I let our most popular nurse go!” Nurse Marstad replied.
Cherry blushed. She had had no idea she was so well-liked. She just did her best to work hard, be cheerful and keep her uniform clean and starched.
The head nurse looked sternly at Cherry. “I know I’m hard on you nurses, but this is a difficult job. Our patients really need us; this isn’t a fancy private hospital for spoiled rich people.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Cherry said solemnly. Nurse Marstad nodded. Cherry’s dedication was apparent to all who worked with her.
“I meant what I said about canceling vacation plans to stay here and find Lana,” Cherry repeated earnestly. “You saw how many clues I dug up tonight. I know I can do it! First I’ll find Lana and then I’ll find out who she is!”
Nurse Marstad shook her head. “While your dedication is laudable, we here at General Hospital don’t believe in working our nurses to the bone. I really think you should take that vacation, Cherry. Besides, weren’t you also going home to Idaho? Won’t your mother be awfully disappointed?”
Cherry was amazed that Nurse Marstad knew so much about her plans. “I didn’t tell her I was coming. I wanted it to be a surprise,” Cherry said. “I’m sure I can find Lana. I’d feel so much better knowing that I didn’t leave you in a jam.”
Nurse Marstad looked thoughtful. “Actually, Cherry, you could do me a really big favor. I need to get a package to a friend of mine in Oregon—and soon. Are you staying long in Idaho?” When Cherry replied that she intended to visit her family for no more than a day on her way to San Francisco, Nurse Marstad continued.
“Since you’re going in that direction, you could drop it off. It would just be a few miles out of your way. It’s very important, and there aren’t many people I’d trust with it. But I know I can count on you, Cherry.”
“Even though I seem to be imagining things?” Cherry fretted.
Nurse Marstad laughed. “You’re just overworked, Cherry. Why, you’re a splendid probation nurse!”
That was high praise coming from the strict head nurse, Cherry thought. Her bosom swelled with pride. “Why, I’d be honored to deliver a package for you, Nurse Marstad. What is it?”
Nurse Marstad seemed flustered by Cherry’s inquiry. She quickly regained her composure and answered, in a casual manner, “Oh, it’s a special experimental medication, and it’s very fragile. You’d need to watch it along the way; don’t leave it in your car unattended. Take it with you wherever you go. It’s very rare. When you get to Oregon, deliver
