"There is nothing to do."
But that, it seemed, was wrong. For suddenly Sidney's small world, which
had always sedately revolved in one direction, began to move the other way.
The door opened, and the staff came in. But where before they had moved
heavily, with drooped heads, now they came quickly, as men with a purpose.
There was a tall man in a white coat with them. He ordered them about like
children, and they hastened to do his will. At first Sidney only knew that
now, at last, they were going to do something--the tall man was going to do
something. He stood with his back to Sidney, and gave orders.
The heaviness of inactivity lifted. The room buzzed. The nurses stood by,
while the staff did nurses' work. The senior surgical interne, essaying
assistance, was shoved aside by the senior surgical consultant, and stood
by, aggrieved.
It was the Lamb, after all, who brought the news to Sidney. The new
activity had caught Dr. Ed, and she was alone now, her face buried against
the back of a chair.
"There'll be something doing now, Miss Page," he offered.
"What are they going to do?"
"Going after the bullet. Do you know who's going to do it?"
His voice echoed the subdued excitement of the room--excitement and new
hope.
"Did you ever hear of Edwardes, the surgeon?--the Edwardes operation, you
know. Well, he's here. It sounds like a miracle. They found him sitting
on a bench in the hall downstairs."
Sidney raised her head, but she could not see the miraculously found
Edwardes. She could see the familiar faces of the staff, and that other
face on the pillow, and--she gave a little cry. There was K.! How like him
to be there, to be wherever anyone was in trouble! Tears came to her
eyes--the first tears she had shed.
As if her eyes had called him, he looked up and saw her. He came toward
her at once. The staff stood back to let him pass, and gazed after him.
The wonder of what had happened was growing on them.
K. stood beside Sidney, and looked down at her. Just at first it seemed as
if he found nothing to say. Then: "There's just a chance, Sidney dear. Don't count too much on it."
"I have got to count on it. If I don't, I shall die."
If a shadow passed over his face, no one saw it.
"I'll not ask you to go back to your room. If you will wait somewhere
near, I'll see that you have immediate word."