Family -- Juvenile fiction; Schools -- Juvenile fiction
"It bleeds and bleeds," screamed Shirley, and Aunt Trudy groaned
that the child would bleed to death before their eyes.
"I'll wash it and bind it up myself," declared Rosemary, distracted
by the noise and confusion. "I don't know anything about such
things, but I think I can make it stop bleeding."
"I can't help you," said Aunt Trudy hastily. "I faint the minute I
see blood. My knees are weak now. Don't ask me to hold her, will
you, Rosemary?"
"I won't," promised Rosemary, biting her lower lip to keep it from
trembling. "I can take care of her, I know I can. Hugh keeps
bandages in this lower drawer and Winnie always has hot water in the
tea-kettle."
Aunt Trudy frankly ran from the room when Rosemary returned from the
kitchen with a basin of warm water and arranged a package of gauze
and the scissors on the glass topped table between the windows.
"I can't stay--I simply can not stay," she stammered and ran
upstairs to lie on her bed with her fingers in her ears.
Her going was rather a relief to Rosemary who was sure she would be
less nervous and shaky herself with her aunt out of the room. But
before she had finished with Shirley she was ready to admit that the
mere presence of a third person would have been some comfort,
however cold.
For Shirley shrieked protestingly when Rosemary approached her to
carry her over to the table. She fought off all attempts to look at
her hand. And when Rosemary forced her to yield and gently plunged
the poor little hand into the basin of water which was promptly
stained deep scarlet, Shirley, sure she was bleeding to death,
pulled away and ran for the door.
"Oh, darling, don't act this way," begged Rosemary, catching her and
holding her close. "Be a brave little girl and let sister wrap the
hand for you; it isn't such a bad cut, dear, and after we have
washed off the blood, there'll be nothing to be afraid of."
But Shirley continued to sob and squirm all the while Rosemary cut
and wound the gauze about her hand. As nearly as the inexperienced
Rosemary could tell, the cut was not serious though it was ugly to
see. Just as she fastened the tiny safety pin in place and was ready
to pronounce her bandaging done, the familiar two honks of the car
sounded outside.
"Oh, Hugh, I never was so glad to see you in my life!" exclaimed
Rosemary, as the doctor appeared in the doorway. "Shirley cut her
hand and she screamed and screamed and Aunt Trudy cried and it was
awful."
"Must have been," said Doctor Hugh briefly. "Let's see the cut."
Shirley, exhausted from crying and struggling, made a feeble attempt
to put her hand behind her, but the doctor held her firmly between
his knees and inspected the bandage.
"Pretty neat job," he said approvingly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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