Franklin High School - Molecule Yearbook (Franklin, VT)

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1 a The lulling of ?ate 9 Dr, Timothy Thompson had Just been plains tennis for an hour and a Half. Now he was sitting on a benoh watohlng a s«t0 It was two o'elook, which meant that he would have to return to the hospital In another hour. As he sat on the benoh , with hie head on his hands, he thought how luoky he was0 Hadn't he been luckier than aost men? He had finished med- ical college at the age of twenty-six, and was now an Intern in the best hospital In the state, He Rad been here six months, but had performed nft operations by ftferattent by himself, although he had assisted in several. He wonder- ed howjlt would feel to be on your own in an operation» Kow nervous one aust feel; Just one little slip of the hand might mean death. He pushed aside these thoughts, and started off toward the hospital. As he walked along he thought of his mother back home,It haul meant many sac- rifices for her to help him through oollege, but some day he meant to make them all up to her. After he graduated fro» the hospital he planned to start his praotio® in his home town. He heard his name , and turning around saw Nurse Edwards coming toward him» He decided that she was Just about the prettiest girl he had ever seen, but as she approached he saw a worried look on her face. Nurse Edwards gall, Qftlck? Dr» Thompson, Thqy have Just brought into the hospital, a middle aged woman with a bad oase of ruptured ap- pends „ And vou will have to operate»M Sut where is Dr. Hill, or some of the others? Dr, Thompson asked Why I have never performed a whole operation alone In my life Dr, Bill and the others have gone to a doctors' meeting , she answer- ed, And this has to be attended to right away. Oh, you can do it „ and you must do It , They are getting her ready for the operating room now, She will be ready as soon as you ara„ As Timothy hurried along the lawn,he kept thinking of the possibil- ity of making some mistake or doing something wrong» If he only had some superior to help him! He hurried up to his room and changed Into his un- iform» As he sterilised his hands In the operating room he looked at the figure on the table, He couldn’t see her faoe, but he couldn't help thinking of how her life wan In him hands» He wondered about her family, if she had one,The nurses told him that some man had brought her but hadn't been able to stay. He started the operation, working as lfjLn a daae0 It seemed to him that his hands were mechSnloal , Yet the woman seemed to be endur.'ng the operation well. Her pulse and breathing were as even as eould be ex- pected under the conditions0 Re finally finished the operation, Although he didn't know how., What If he had done something wrong? What would It mean to him? And what a disappointment It would be to his mother' 2ven as he sat there won- dering „ Nurse Edwards came along and tried to oonvinod hlia that his fears were groundless,She had seen similar operations performed by specialists, but none of the patients had ooae through the operation any better than this woman..

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15 E® went, to hie room, and it seemed MM a® though he were bo all alone that he decided to write a letter to hi» mother, telling her about the whole thing, Still he didn't know what to writ - whether to say he was a euace»» or a failure„ While he was writing someone tapped on hie door» The nureea had Bent for hlra„ His patient was eoming out from under the ether, and Dro Hill had returned A» Thiaotfcy made hie way down the long, white corridor he thought, What if she dies? He seemed to freese in hie tracks as he entered the room, for there on the bed lay his own mother? Agony was written on his faoe, Oh. my God? he exclaimed an the situation dawned upon him,. Why did I do it? Something seemed to tell me not to do it . And now see what I hare done to my own mother. I hare maybe killed her with ray own hands? Then he became conscious of others in the rooa0 and of Dr0 Hill, coming toward him. Dr, Hill took Timothy's hand and said tfy boy, you did a fine Job? Ahy, I couldn't hare done better myself. Timothy stammered, But - but.Doctor, you don't understand This is my own mothsr. I didn't know who It was. Do you suppose I could bars dons it if I had known? Dr. Hill replied, Ho, Thompson, I don't supposs you would hars been able to do It , had you know But you did do a swell Job? tfhen Mrs0 Thompson rtgainsd consciousness and learned »11 the ds- tails, all shs said was, Yes, Ood answered my prayers. As soon as I began to be sick I knew that I would hare to hare an operation? I have been under a doctors care for nearly a year. Oh, don't look like that, Timmy If you had know it you would hare insisted .on coming home Well, any» way, Ood answered my prayers. I praysd that'anyone did hare to operate on me it would be my Timmy„ -n Years later, as lmothy was telling this story,he said that that moment was the happiest on»In his life. Phyllis Xing ’40 » ■•♦ •» »♦ • 'H » wild Fire For days, the forest had been so dry that a spark from a horae's shoe, or a carelessly snuffed cigarette butt, would hare produced a roaring inferno in a short time. Jack aarfow, the young fire ranger who was lacking a year of age be- fore he oould beoorae a oitisen of his country, was reitlese There were many reasons for his restlessness, for this was a time of trial Reason number one wasi he needed this job to sarn a living for himself and his sister.who„ a year ago, had been crippled in the airplane eraeh that had taken the lire of hlo parents Reason number two was the report that a fire maniac, who had escaped from prison a few days ago, had been seen heading toward the acres of virgin forest which was in ths oare of two other rangers and himself The other reaaonawere minor., but they all meant trouble.