The Spinster's Club

Cass: Five

Cass was finishing up her last session's notes at the nurses' station but her mind wasn't really on the job. She still had the throbbing head from last night's girls' night out and there was a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach about the job interview from Hell. It wasn't so much disappointment about her performance any more, but fear of actually being offered the job that made her feel sick. She'd finally come to the realisation that she didn't want to work with 'Folks with Strokes' even though she'd be paid more. Her heart would always be with her 'Mums with Bubs.'
She passed a hand over bleary eyes, and tried to think of something significant to write on Mrs Miller's post partum progress. Whatever thoughts she had were interrupted by a Wooop Wooop sound, which was immediately followed by an intercom announcement. "Fire alarm under investigation. Maternity ward."
Cass rolled her eyes and put down her pen. This was all she needed today. Nurses standing nearby groaned. They hated fire drill as much as she did. Mothers appeared at open doors with worried expressions, and any minute now, babies were going to start crying . Could today get any better?
"I can't smell smoke, can you?" A junior midwife sniffed the air experimentally.
"I bet it's another false alarm," said an old hand lugubriously
"Doesn't matter!" the Nurse-in-charge snapped , appearing before them wearing her yellow Fire Warden hard hat. Someone handed her the WIP phone and she started talking to the senior warden at the other end. She raised a hand for silence. "Right. I need four of you to check the hallways for activated smoke detectors. Do you know what to look for?" she said louder to make herself heard over the noise. It was the kind of piercing sound that was impossible to ignore and Cass' back teeth clenched as it reverberated around her skull. I wish I took some paracetamol this morning, she lamented as her headache ramped up a notch.
She stepped forward. Anything to get away from the sound. "I'll go east" she volunteered and three others each picked a direction.
Cass' search for flashing lights in the ceiling proved fruitless, but one of the others hurried back. There was a smoke detector activated in the unit's northern wing.
The warden reported this latest development then listened intently to her orders. "OK, they want us to evacuate the ward."
"Where's our muster station?" Cass asked.
"The main car park."
"OK"
"Remember we have to use the stairs. So I need you all to collect your ladies and their babies and bring them back here. Make sure everyone's rugged up properly. I don't know how long we'll be outside."
Each nurse scurried off to deal with her allocated patients.
"What do you need me to do?" Cass asked when she and the warden were alone.
The warden thrust a clip board and ward list into Cass' hands. "Here, you can check off everyone's name when they get here. Don't forget to include all staff and any visitors too." Then she turned aside and started directing others to close doors once the patients' rooms had been vacated.
Despite the intense annoyance of the fire alarms, people gathered quietly and calmly, and once everyone was accounted for, they left the ward through the fire doors as a group and walked out to the carpark.

Finally in the relative quiet of the outdoors, Cass' shoulders started to return to their normal position. She was sure they were up around her ears in the ward. She stood apart from clusters of mothers, babies and staff, feeling fairly useless. Procedure dictated she wasn't allowed to leave to return to her department, and she couldn't really do much for the mothers with their babies, which left her stuck out here until the all-clear sounded.
"When can we go back inside again?"
Cass turned to see she'd been joined by her last patient, Jools Miller, who was looking anxiously back at the hospital. She was empty handed and Cass recalled that her baby was in the special care nursery, which was on a different floor of the hospital.
"I'm sure it won't be long now," she tried to reassure her. "We're just waiting for the fire department to give us the all clear."
Cass was rewarded by a weak smile and Cass' heart went out to her. It must be so difficult for a new mother to be separated from her baby like this- even if it's only for a short while.

"Where are they? I want to know what's keeping them." piped up a familiar voice almost level with Cass' shoulder.
Cass swung around in surprise. What on earth was Amy doing here? Her look must have said it all. Amy clutched her ever-present clipboard to her chest and shuffled her feet. "I was just passing by," she said sheepishly.
"Yes, but you work on the other side of the hospital."
Amy shot Cass a filthy look and Cass heard what sounded like a snicker next to her.

"Jools, meet my friend Amy. Amy appears to have a bit of a thing for firemen. Amy, this is one of my ladies, so be nice."
"I'm always nice." snapped Amy. "And I'm not doing this for me. I want to see if Romy's fireman comes along." Amy rose up on tip-toes as the sound of the fire truck approached. "Good, I'm just in time. But I need to get closer. Damn, I hate being short." And she bustled through the crowd to the front.
"Interesting," said Jools with a wry smile.

The usual boundaries between staff and patient had effectively vanished out here in the carpark, so Cass indulged in a little harmless gossip. "Well, Amy and I have a friend who recently met a really cute fireman, and she's being a bit coy about it. I mean she hasn't even told us his name."
"I wonder why," said Jools dryly.
"All we know is that he's tall – but since our friend is the same height as Amy, that doesn't really narrow things down much." Cass jerked a thumb at Amy desperately trying to peer around the crowd forming near the fire engine
Even Cass had to crane her neck to see the firefighters leaving their truck and making their way inside the building. She had to admit they made a fairly impressive sight in their protective gear.

After they'd disappeared into the building, Amy returned grinning. "Now that was a sight for sore eyes. I wonder if HE was with them. Don't you just love a man in uniform?" she beamed at Cass and Jools.
"Maybe it's the insignia you like," said Cass.
Amy mumbled something darkly about Swiss flags going where they ought not go, which earned her a funny look from Jools. "Excuse me, did you say something about a Swiss flag?"
"Yes, Why?"
"I'm Swiss!"
"No!" exclaimed Amy. "I'd never met anyone from Switzerland before this week and now I've met two."
Jools frowned. "So who did you meet? Maybe I know him – or her..." There's not too many of us Swiss here in town."

"Oh look, they're coming back out again." Cass interrupted to point at the entrance and suddenly found herself alone again. Amy had vanished in the direction of the fire truck and Jools was busy waving at the tallest fireman Cass had ever seen.
Then to her even greater astonishment, the fire fighter was waving back and grinning widely at Jools. He mimed cradling a baby and raised his eyebrows in a silent question. Jools called back to him "A girl!" Then if was possible, the fireman's smile grew even wider and he gave two thumbs up.

Moments later, Amy was back and demanding answers.
"Who is that tall hunk of gorgeousness waving at you? And HOW do you know him? But more importantly, Is. He. Married?"
"Oh very smooth," Cass wanted to die of mortification, but Amy didn't embarrass easily.
"All right, so firefighters don't float your particular boat, Cass. But this is not for me. It's for Romy."
Jools put up her hands in mock surrender. "His name is David Miller and he's my husband's cousin. And no, he's not married."
With a glint in her eye and finger tips pressed together, Amy did a passable Montgomery Burns impression. "Exccccccellent."

Jools laughed out loud at that. "I DO like your friend, Cass. She is so very entertaining." she said in her quaintly accented voice.
"I aim to please," said Amy modestly. She started to count on her fingers thoughtfully. "Now all we need is a Spanish baritone and a rough and tough bikie, and we'll have a whole set to drool over."
"And that's enough embarrassment for now, I think," said Cass turning a bright pink and shooing Amy away.

Amy just grinned wickedly as she left with the rapidly dispersing crowd.
"Sorry about that," Cass said. "She really doesn't have any shame."
"Don't be. She made me laugh for the first time since my baby was born."

Cass honestly didn't know what to say to that, but she was very moved by this near-stranger's sincerity. "Umm, It looks like everyone's going back inside now. You'll be able to see your baby in no time."

As they walked slowly back to the entrance, Jools asked, with a sly smile. "I must ask you this question, why are you looking for a Spanish baritone?"
"I'm not!" Cass blurted. "I mean, no one is. Not really. And definitely not me. I'm not at all musical"
"Ahh, so you're looking for the rough and tough bikie then? What about a policemen or a sailor." She eagerly clapped her hands. "I know, it's some kind of Village People retro thing"

Cass facepalmed. "I swear I'm going to kill Amy, " she mumbled through her hands.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." said Jools, but something about the way she said it, made a ripple of unease go up Cass' spine.