"For anything, son! And Cub ... please ... you know MacArthur and Herb admire each other. If you don't mind...?"
The clanging bell vibrated down Cub's free ear. He snapped:
"Between ourselves, Doctor. Suppose we leave it that way? Hear an ambulance now! Report to you later, sir. Not at all! 'By!"
Otto Weber flicked his towel and shouted when Dr. Ethridge Sterling, Junior, flung open the door of the telephone booth:
As the tall, angular body shot across Beeker Street, Otto plodded into the booth, picked up three nickels, stomped out the cigarette and replaced the receiver upon the hook.
Across Beeker Street two firemen were lifting the padded stretcher from a municipal ambulance. One of them ceased pulling for a second and changed his tobacco wad to the other side.
"Did you get this accident out the Lincoln Highway?"
"Yeah ... looks like them dolls in the wax-works down to Holiday Park."
Cub Sterling's left shoulder rose abruptly. His voice ascended, too:
"Be careful. Take it easy ... easy ... these steps are high!"
While the stretcher was rolling into the Accident corridor, Cub lurched into both accident rooms, saw that the tables were occupied, and turned to the internes:
"I'll take her up to Medicine Clinic, myself. Internal injuries. Just got a telephone message. Father's a friend of mine in the East. 'Phone Miss Kerr to prepare Room Two off Ward B."
Halfway up the corridor to the Medicine Clinic a student nurse and an orderly stepped briskly. The orderly gripped the handle bar of a swishing stretcher. Upon the stretcher, completely covered, lay an inert figure.
Five feet behind, his shoulders stooped, his body tense, slouched Dr. Ethridge Sterling, Junior. Upon either side of him, like stubby pencils, a fireman tiptoed. Cub bit his lips and said:
"Where? When? For what?" the one with the cud growled.
"Fellow used to do fire chasing for _The Call_. And say, Doc, he promised us a new stretcher, but he didn't say when ... if it's the same to you...?"
The student nurse and orderly pranced out of sight. Cub Sterling moved toward the fireman and said:
"It's still yours! I'm scared to move her more than necessary. Send it down in the elevator as soon as she's transferred. You wait at this door."