George's Memorial Roll - Last Post : A Requiem by George

This is believed to be the last story that George Wrote before his death in November 2007.

Here’s another short one from me based on a true account but embellished with poetic license and story tellers largest.

Early in 1990 just before I retired as a nurse I was doing my rounds of my unit late one night. We had a female patient in who was due for major surgery the next day. It was to be a touch and go job. No one including the patient was absolutely confident that she would be alive the next night. I’d spoken with her on a few occasions and on this night felt that I should spend sometime with her. She’d been moved into a bay by herself so staff could support her through the night.

We got chatting and during this chat she said that apart from being in hospital for her children until now at 70 she’d never been in hospital. She smiled quizzically. “It was very different when I was having my children” she said. “How I asked?” She smiled and said, “You’re a nice young man so I’ll tell you so long as you don’t get anyone into trouble”.

The second night after her first baby had been born was the start of events. The time was the period between VE day and VJ day, so middle 1945. Her husband had been injured in Europe but not in action. He’d been sent home and the pregnancy was the result. Her husband had since return to his unit.

She’d gone for a walk up the ward. She saw a young trainee standing guard outside a side ward door. The trainee beckons her forward and at the same time puts her finger to her lips to be quiet. The women approached and they both looked in through the window. Another young nurse but one that had been in training a while was bent over the bed being held down by two other nurses. The amusing thing, (the patients words) was that her dress was up and her bloomers where down and the elderly sister was slippering her. The patient watched until the end and the nurse straighten up and pulled up her bloomers. The trainee nurse outside then pushed the patient away into another area so the sister who was now leaving didn’t see her.

The female patient explained that her father worked nights all his life. Before he went to work he’d bath. She and her brother would then be bath in that water and put to bed, and then their mother would bath. She’d asked if she could have a bath at nighttime rather than during the morning but was told no by the sister. A few nights after the slippering the nurse who’d beckoned her said that sister wasn’t on and that she’d arranged for the female patient to have a bath. Although tied the female patient didn’t want to say no so want with the nurse.

The nurse ran the water and the patient stripped off. She climbed in and the nurse helped her wash. Suddenly the doors burst open and two student nurses where dragging in another younger student. Another student nurse who seemed in charge and was familiar in some way followed this group.

The lead student was surprised at the bathroom being occupied and said sorry, but seemed then to be puzzled as to what to do. “Oh don’t worry” said the nurse bathing the female patient, “Margaret here saw your bottom roasting the other night so can keep a secret.” Then turning to the female patient said, “Can’t you?”

That seemed to settle it. “Fine” said the lead nurse then turning to the struggling girl, “Strip her, naked, like Margaret here”. Looking at Margaret the patient directly and obviously noting her nakedness. Margaret covered slightly at this.

The nurse struggled valiantly but with the trainee who’d been helping Margaret bath now helping the others strip the poor nurse the fight was very one sided. Soon she was stripped. The leader had moved to the other bath and had filled it with water. Margaret said she noted that she hadn’t been to the boiler so the water would have been freezing. They picked the nurse up and dumped her in. She screamed but the others silenced her with their hands. After they ensured she’d been truly dunked they’d let her up. She was obviously freezing, shivering; she got out and went to start to dry. The lead nurse stopped her and made her stand hands on head then turn so Margaret could see her. They then let her dry collect her things and leave to dress elsewhere.

The trainee then turned to Margaret and said to get out of the bath. Margaret stood hesitantly all eyes on her and stepped out. The trainee told Margaret to put her hands on her head. Margaret obeyed instinctively and then slowly turned around. After this Margaret dried and dressed and went back to bed. She left the hospital with her newborn son a few days later.

Fast forward to 1947 Margaret back in hospital having her second son. On the night of her giving birth a new night staff nurse is on. When she walks onto the ward Margaret recognise her straight away. The staff nurse acknowledges the former meeting and she is very professional about the birth. The next night a student nurse, who says that staff had said that Margaret preferred a bath at night, approaches Margaret. Margaret says ‘Yes’ thinking how sweet it was that the nurse remembered. The student says I’ll be back for you shortly.

The student returns and begins to draw the curtains around Margaret’s bed. Margaret thinks that’s strange but thinks no more of it. The student then says she knows that what she’s going to ask next is strange but it was staff’s instructions. The nurse asks Margaret to remove her nightgown and anything else. Margaret removes her nightgown then slips out of her bloomers. The nurse gives her a towel to wrap herself in then leads Margaret out of the curtained bed space. Margaret thinks they will turn down the ward to the bathroom but instead they head up the ward to the corridor, which splits the ward in half. They cross the corridor Margaret somewhat hesitantly and walk down the full length of the other side of the ward to that bathroom.

Once in the bathroom the student asks Margaret for the towel. Now naked Margaret is fidgeting with her hands. The student smiles and says, “Are you a former nurse?” No says Margaret. The student looks puzzled and says no more other than requests Margaret to put her hands on her head. Margaret says she did because in those days you didn’t question authority. Stood there naked the student nurses fills the bathtub and says to Margaret to wait as she is for staff and leaves.

Staff-nurse comes along after a wait, not to long but enough for it to register. She circles Margaret noting well her nudity and compliments her on her shape, and hope she looks that good after two children. The staff-nurse then helps Margaret into the bath and they just chat away like two long lost friends reunited while staff-nurse washes Margaret very diligently.

After she is dried Margaret is left naked with her hands on head for the student to recollect her. This time it is a different student. She’s given a towel to wrap in and taken back to her bed.

Margaret’s lying awake wondering if the next night will be a repeat of last night. She notices that the nurses are all rather busy. She’d been moved down a few beds to make way for new mothers. She drifts off to sleep but is awoke by a student nurse who asks if Margaret would like a bath. Margaret with out thinking sleepily nods an affirmative. The nurse tells her that it’s a busy night tonight because theirs another bath to organise. She draws the curtains and Margaret gets out of bed. The student smiles and asks Margaret to undress. Margaret as noticed the absence of a towel. Margaret goes along with it and strips. The nurse leaves her there whilst she goes off for a towel she says.

Another student returns with the towel and as before Margaret wraps herself in it before being led out and up to and across the corridor. They move down the full length of the other ward, which is nearly empty, then out on to the veranda ward, which is brightly lit. The nurse shows Margaret to the veranda bathroom and leaves her their minus the towel, which she takes with her, instructing her first to stands hands on head.

After a short while the staff-nurse appears and whilst chatting to Margaret and giving her a good looking over, runs two baths. One with just freezing cold water the other with nice warm bath water. Margaret’s helped in and the staff-nurse begins to wash her. The door opens and the first student nurse is dragged in by a group of other nurses. Margaret knows what is going to happen next. The nurse is stripped and very unceremoniously dunked in the cold water. After they where satisfied that she was wet and very cold she was allowed out. After the hands on head twirl she was let go to dry and get dressed. The staff returned to finishing off Margaret and when she was done she was left stood naked hands on head.

The student nurse who’d been dunked appeared and said for Margaret to follow her. Margaret protested her nakedness and the student nurse said staff said. Margaret wasn’t really in a position to do anything about it. The left the bathroom and entered the veranda ward Margaret walked to the door to the main ward. She was reassured in this walk by the fact that the towel was hanging there. She returned back to bed.

Night three arrives, a strange night Margaret says. The routine was the same. Stripped by her bed then taken in towel to the veranda bathroom. Towel off, stand naked but this time it’s not the staff nurse who baths her but the student. After the bath the student as her do a twirl then takes her naked to the veranda ward door before giving her the towel.

Fourth night, the staff-nurse comes to her early and draws the curtains around. Margaret tells me at this point that she’d remove her bloomers earlier in anticipation. The staff nurse asks her to remove her nightgown and leaves her in bed naked. she then draws back the curtains and the nurses carry on around her doing the usual nighttime routines. When things have settled down about the normal time for the bath but just a little earlier another trained nurse comes. She draws the curtains and Margaret thinks well here goes again, no towel, so is expecting to stand their naked until one is fetched. Instead the nurse has her lay on top of the bed arms down her side, completely naked. She then puts on the overhead light so that everything’s on show. She says that since she is a honorary Florence she’s going to be treated as one. She leaves leaving Margaret very much naked and on show. Margaret says she just lays there very intrigued by all of this.

She doesn’t hear the figure approach the curtain. The first she is aware that there is someone there is when the curtain is pulled back. Taken by surprised and blinded by the overhead light she doesn’t realise for a good few seconds that the figure is a male porter. She realise soon enough when he says, “You nurses and your antics. I’ve come to take you for your bath” Margaret was recoiling to cover herself after the “You..”

Somewhat shocked she found herself being helped up and a towel being given to her. She wrapped herself in it and was led away by the porter to the veranda bathroom. Outside the bathroom the staff-nurse was there to greet them. As the porter walked away the staff-nurse quite expertly whipped the towel from Margaret and haltered and called back the porter by saying, “Here we don’t need this” he turned to have reveal for the second time in five minutes Margaret’s naked body. After this she was taken into the bathroom and the staff nurse bathed her. After she was done and dried. Staff-nurse led her from the bathroom naked. At the veranda door the staff nurse told Margaret to be quiet and just go where she led. Still naked but covering Margaret’s led up the ward and to the nurses office. Which was full of the other trained nurse and students along with another female patient. Margaret is gives her robe to wear and notices that the other female patient seems dressed likewise. She’s introduced as a nursing colleague who’s in for observations.

On the last night, Margaret finds herself stood behind the curtain naked. A student comes to her and says that they’re ready for her. No towel is forth coming. Margaret is led quite naked down the full length of her ward having been moved to the veranda across the corridor and down the full length of the next ward. She finds herself stood in the bathroom naked. The staff-nurse comes in and runs two baths. When the baths are run she strips off naked and stands hands on head and lets Margaret see everything. They then each take a bath and chat away. After sometime, a student comes in and staff-nurse asks what she wants. The student says these and before staff can do anything her clothes and the towels are gathered up and the student disappears with them.

So having no choice once they are dried both women make their way back naked. At the nurses office they are told that the staff-nurses clothes are on Margaret’s bed.