Page 100 of Sisters Under The Rising Sun

Ah Fat translates; Seki’s response, as usual, is long-winded and pompous. Ah Fat’s translation is more succinct.

‘No.’

Ray has heard this exchange and calls out, ‘It’s OK, Sister. I’ll be OK.’

The nurses stand on duty in whatever shade they can find. Throughout the morning, Norah, Margaret and several other women bring them water when the soldiers’ backs are turned. As the sun hits its zenith, it becomes clear Ray is in trouble.

Mrs Hinch and Dr McDowell plead with the guards to let her go. Their pleas are refused.

Watching as Ray stumbles, regaining her feet only to stagger again, has every woman crying out, ‘Let her go.’ It is not long before Ray collapses and it is clear she will not be getting up.

‘Go and get her!’ Mrs Hinch yells as she storms towards the unconscious nurse.

Every nurse is running now, along with Dr McDowell. The Japanese guards standing nearby, bayonets drawn and pointing at them, realise they are outnumbered and allow the women to push past them. Dr McDowell briefly examines Ray before telling the nurses to pick her up and take her back to their hut.

‘I’ll go with them,’ Jean tells Nesta. ‘You look after Val.’

Valerie stays standing, surrounded by her friends throughout the afternoon until the sun has set.

‘Come on, enough, let’s get her,’ Nesta says, rushing to grab Val, who collapses in her arms.

By the time they get Val back inside the hut, she is unconscious. Nesta and Vivian tend to her. Jean has taken Ray to the hospital, as it’s serious enough that she wants Dr McDowell to look after her.

Margaret knocks on the open door, peering inside. ‘I know it is a stupid question, but is there anything I can do?’

Nesta stands and waves Margaret over to the comatose nurse, where wet cloths cover her entire body and head, only her face exposed.

‘Thank you, Margaret. Other than arranging to get us all out of here,’ she says sardonically, ‘there’s not really much to do. We will look after Val. Her pulse is coming back nice and steady, although, besides the sunburn, she will need a few days to recover from the heatstroke.’

Margaret’s eyes fill with compassion. ‘And what about Ray?’

‘Jean has taken her to the hospital. She’ll spend the night there.’

‘Norah and her team are preparing the evening meal for you all, so you don’t have to worry about lighting a fire and cooking. They’ll be here shortly.’

‘Oh, Margaret, I never even thought about food for the nurses.’ Nesta’s face twists in exhausted pain. ‘What is wrong with me? I’m meant to be their leader.’

Margaret squeezes Nesta’s arm. ‘Sister James, you are a fine leader. I’m sure none of your friends have thought about themselves today either. Dinner will be here soon.’

‘Well,’ says Norah to Audrey, ‘I think something has shifted.’ The women are walking to the water pump a couple of weeks after the planes first appeared in the sky.

‘I think so too,’ Audrey says. ‘The soldiers are spooked, which is good and bad.’

‘Bad in that they’re more likely to lash out at us.’

‘And good,’ Audrey adds, ‘because we might be rescued soon.’

‘At least the air raids are only happening at night now.’ The women have reached the pump and Norah fills her bucket. ‘Which means we’re free to walk to the pump in daylight.’

Mrs Hinch is informed that there is mail for some of the women. Hearing the news, the nurses agree it will be very unlikely that there is anything from home for them. Instead of all of them lining up with everyone else to see if there is an envelope with their name on it, Nesta offers to go on their behalf.

The process of waiting for the soldiers to sift through the mail with Mrs Hinch’s help takes a long time, or it just feels like a long time in the midday heat.

‘I’m here to see if there is any mail for the nurses.’ Finally, Nesta has made it to the front of the long queue.

Mrs Hinch smiles warmly. ‘There’s mail for Betty, Wilma and Jean. None for you, I’m afraid, my dear.’

‘Thank you, I’ll go and fetch them,’ Nesta says, her eyes brimming. What she wouldn’t give to hear from her mum right now.