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g to someone else。 Later on today she must send them a telegram of love and good wishes。 Years ago she had always said that as soon as Adam was on his own and self…supporting she would quit nursing； but she never had； and now retirement would e soon enough without hastening it。 She put the letter and photograph back in her uniform pocket and reached for the pen she had laid down。 Then in careful script she added to the chart： 〃Slight vomiting with diarrhea。 Dr。 Reubens notified。〃
In Obstetrics； on the fourth floor； there was never any time of day which could be predictably quiet。 Babies； Dr。 Charles Dornberger thought； as he scrubbed alongside two other obstetricians； had an annoying habit of ing in batches。 There would be hours； even days； when things would be orderly； quiet； and babies could be delivered in tidy succession。 Then suddenly all hell would break loose； with half a dozen waiting to be born at once。 This was one of those moments。
His own patient； a buxom； perpetually cheerful Negress； was about to deliver her tenth child。 Because she had arrived at the hospital late； and already advanced in labor； she had been brought up on a stretcher from Emergency。 While he was still scrubbing Dornberger could hear part of her duologue outside with the intern who had escorted her to Obstetrics。
Apparently； as was normal for an urgent case； the intern had cleared the passenger elevator down below on the main floor。
〃All them nice peopl' movin' out of th' elevator fo' me；〃 she was saying。 〃Why； ah nevah felt so important befo' in all mah life。〃 At this point Dornberger heard the intern tell the patient to relax and the answer came back； 〃Relax； sonny？ Ah am relaxed。 Ah always relaxes when ah has a baby。 That th' only time there's no dishes； no washin'； no cookin'。 Why； ah look forward to in' in here。 This just a holiday fo' me。〃 She paused as pain gripped her。 Then； partly through clenched teeth； she muttered； 〃Nine children ah've got； and this'll be the tenth。 Th' oldest one's as big as you； sonny。 Now you be lookin' fo' me a year from now。 Ah tell you； ah'll be back。〃 Dornberger heard her chuckling as her voice faded； the delivery room nurses taking over； while the intern went back to his post in Emergency。
Now Dornberger； scrubbed； gowned； sterile； and sweating from the heat； followed his patient into the delivery room。
In the hospital kitchens； where the heat was less of a problem because people who worked there were used to it； Hilda Straughan； the chief dietitian； nibbled a piece of raisin pie and nodded approvingly at the senior pastry cook。 She suspected that the calories； along with others； would be reflected on her bathroom scales a week from now but quelled her conscience by telling herself it was a dietitian's duty to sample as much as possible of the hospital fare。 Besides； it was somewhat late now for Mrs。 Straughan to be fretting on the subject of calories and weight。 The accumulated result of many earlier samplings caused her nowadays to turn the scales around two hundred pounds； a good deal of which was in her magnificent breasts…twin Gibraltars； famed through the hospital； and which made her progress not unlike the majesty of an aircraft carrier preceded by an escort of twin battleships。
But； as well as food； Mrs。 Straughan was in love with her job。 Glancing around her with satisfaction； she took in her empire…the shining steel ovens and serving tables； the gleaming utensils； the sparkling white aprons of the cooks and their assistants。 Her heart warmed at the sight of all of it。
This was a busy time in the kitchens…lunch was the heaviest meal of the day because； as well as patients； there was the full hospital staff to be fed in the cafeteria。 In twenty minutes or so the diet trays would be going up to the wards； and for two hours afterward the service of food would continue。 Then； while the kitchen help cleared and stacked dishes； the cooks would begin preparing the evening meal。
The thought of dishes caused Mrs。 Straughan to frown thoughtfully； and she propelled herself into the back section of the kitchen where the two big automatic dishwashers were installed。 This was a part of her domain less gleaming and modern than the other section； and the chief dietitian reflected； not for the first time； that she would be happy when the equipment here was modernized； as the rest of the kitchens had been。 It was understandable； though； that everything could not be done at once； and she had to admit she had browbeaten the administration into a lot of expensive new equipment in the two years she had held her job at Three Counties。 All the same； she decided as she moved on to check the steam tables in the cafeteria； she would have another talk with the administrator about those dishwashers soon。
The chief dietitian was not the only one in the hospital whose thoughts were on food。 In Radiology； on the second floor； an outpatient…Mr。 James Bladwick； vice…president of sales for one of Burlington's big…three automobile dealerships…was； in his own words； 〃as hungry as hell。〃
There was reason for this。 On his physician's instructions Jim Bladwick had fasted since midnight； and now he was in number one X…ray room； ready for a gastric series。 The X…rays would confirm or deny the suspicion that flourishing in the Bladwick interior was a duodenal ulcer。 Jim Bladwick hoped the suspicion was unfounded； in fact； he hoped desperately that neither an ulcer nor anything else would conspire to slow him down now that his drive and sacrifice of the past three years； his willingness to work harder and longer than anyone else on sales staff； were at last paying off。
Sure he worried； who wouldn't when they had a dealer sales quota to meet every month。 But it just couldn't be an ulcer； it had to be something else…something trivial that could be fixed up quickly。 He had been vice…president of sales only a matter of six weeks； but despite the high…sounding title he knew better than anyone that retention of it depended on a continued ability to produce。 And to produce you had to be on the ball…tough； available； fit。 No medical certificate would pensate for a declining sales graph。
Jim Bladwick had put this moment off for some time。 It was probably two months ago that he had bee aware of distress and a general aching in the stomach region； had noticed； too； he was burping a lot； sometimes at awkward moments with customers around。 For a while he had tried to pretend it was nothing out of the ordinary； but finally he had sought medical advice； and this morning's session was the oute。 He hoped； though； it was not going to take too long； that deal of Fowler's for six panel trucks was getting hot； and they needed the sale badly。 By God； he was hungry！
For Dr。 Ralph Bell； the senior radiologist…〃Ding Dong〃 to most of the hospital staff…this was just another G。I。 series； no different from any of a hundred others。 But； playing a mental game he sometimes indulged in； he decided to bet 〃yes〃 on this one。 This patient looked the type for an ulcer。 From behind his own thick…lensed； horn…rimmed glasses Bell had been watching the other man covertly。 He looked a worrier； Bell decided； he was obviously stewing rig