Dr. Harrison leaned suddenly forward. His voice was acid:
"Did that deranged patient see anybody else?"
The close eyes shifted quickly. Her response came instantly:
A silence began stretching. The girl continued abruptly:
"Then I went back to my desk and finished my fever charts."
"No, Dr. MacArthur. I finished the fever charts and then made the midnight rounds. The patient in Bed 11 was still sleeping peacefully. I called in the rounds to my night supervisor and began studying my nursing manual. Three patients rang their bells between then and two. One wanted a glass of water and two, bed-pans. At two I gave the special medicines and then went back to my studying."
"You did not look at the patient in Bed 11?"
"No, Dr. Harrison, she had no special medicine. At three I again made rounds and found the patient in Bed 11 was dead. I called my supervisor and failed to get her. I then called the general superintendent. She told me to draw the curtains around Bed 11 and wait further orders until Dr. Mattus came.
"He and Dr. Sterling, Junior, came within the next fifteen minutes. Dr. Sterling and Dr. Mattus rolled the bed off of the ward and into the elevator.
"I did not see the patient again. I finished my ward duties by seven, woke the remaining patients and told them that the patient in Bed 11 had been operated on in the night and removed to the Surgical Clinic, like Aunt Roenna told me to...."
"When did she tell you that?" Cub Sterling inquired.
The girl hesitated and flushed. For the moment she seemed to have lost her control.
"She didn't. I had forgotten. Miss Willis, the night supervisor told me."
"Thank you very much, Miss Kerr. Are there any questions any of you gentlemen wish to ask Miss Kerr, before she is relieved?"
"Two years and five months, Dr. Harrison. I finish in December."
"Thank you again," Dr. MacArthur said as she rose, and then finished:
"Of all the people concerned in this, Miss Kerr, you are the youngest. Please do not forget that two years ago you took an oath concerning silence."
Princeton Peters, who was sitting by the door, rose and opened it for her.
No man felt she had told the entire truth.
After her departure, they sat silently awaiting the next witness. The horror of the thing seemed to have enveloped them.