The Orphans of Halfpenny Street. Cathy Sharp

I don’t mind you givin’ me a bath – if yer promise not ter look.’

      ‘I promise,’ Sally said but didn’t give way to the smile that Michelle knew was hovering. ‘Nurse might have to examine you if you’ve got sores but she’ll let you keep your underpants on.’

      ‘Ain’t got none. Ain’t got no sores neither. Me nanna made sure of that when she looked after me. I ’ad a bath only last month, afore she went in the ’ospital.’

      ‘You will have clean pants now. Your clothes need a good boil, so you’ll be issued with new things. Clothes that fit. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’

      ‘Suppose so …’ He stared at her, clearly still reluctant, but when Alice took off her apron and handed it to Sally, he submitted, asking as they headed to the bathrooms, ‘You promise you’ll give me that sandwich and a cake?’

      Michelle smiled at Alice as she flopped down in an empty chair and kicked off her shoes, sympathising with her friend. ‘Sally has a way with the stubborn ones, doesn’t she?’

      ‘He took offence when I asked him if he had lice …’

      ‘A lot of the kids think you’re looking down on them if you ask questions like that, you know. He looked scruffy but that was mainly those old clothes. I should think his grandmother kept him clean until she was taken into hospital. Is she still alive?’

      ‘I’ve no idea,’ Alice said. ‘I only know Constable Sallis brought him in. He said he’d been found wandering the streets and the magistrate said he should come here if we could take him, while they decide what to do with him. I suppose they are waiting to see if his family can be found – Constable Sallis said he has a brother but he’s gone missing.’

      ‘Probably in trouble with the law,’ Michelle said and stood up. ‘I think I’ll go and see how Sally is getting on – but first I need to look in at last night’s new arrivals. Are you coming to the cinema this evening?’

      ‘No. I’ve got the afternoon off and then I’m on again for the evening shift tonight. I wish I was coming. I wanted to see that film. I missed it last time and I shall probably miss it this time as well.’

      ‘If you want, I’ll swap duties with you,’ Michelle offered. ‘I don’t mind, Alice, honest.’

      ‘I daren’t. Sister Beatrice would have my guts for garters if she caught you doing my job. Thanks for offering though, you’re a mate. Why don’t you come round ours on Sunday? We could go for a walk in the park and have tea out. Anything to get away from our house when the kids are home.’

      ‘All right, I’d like that,’ Michelle said. ‘Cheer up, love, you did your best and some of the kids we get are that stubborn.’

      ‘That one is – he’ll end up getting the cane off of Sister if he doesn’t watch it.’

      Michelle nodded and left her. She doubted whether Sister Beatrice would have minded if they changed duties, if she’d even noticed, but Alice was too often in trouble to risk it. Shrugging, she turned her steps towards the isolation ward. She thought the elder boy, whose name was Dick, probably just had a bit of a chill, but she was glad she’d acted quickly. The last thing they needed was for an infectious disease to spread through the home. She was sure that Sally was all right; she was better at managing the children than Alice.

      Going into the ward, she checked as she saw that Sister Beatrice was sitting by the eldest boy’s bed. She was wearing a white apron to cover her habit and checking her patient’s pulse. Looking up as Michelle approached, she nodded her approval.

      ‘Well spotted, Staff Nurse Michelle. Dick has the early stages of chicken pox. I hope we may avoid an outbreak because of your prompt action, though I think his brother and sister have probably taken it from him. I’m putting you in charge of them and taking you off other duties. You can choose one of the carers to help you and you two will be the only ones other than myself to enter the ward. Remember your hand washing routine, and you must change your apron in the side room before leaving, and send your clothes to the dirty laundry, so that you do not carry the infection to the other nurses.’

      ‘Yes, Sister,’ Michelle said. ‘I don’t mind giving up my evening off if it will help.’

      ‘You may decide the shifts as you please, but no one else is to enter until the infectious stage is over. Chicken pox is not normally dangerous, but I do not want half the children in the home going down with it or the staff. We just couldn’t cope with such an outbreak. I take it that you’ve had it yourself?’

      ‘Yes, Sister. I know Sally has had it but I think she has plans for this evening.’

      ‘One of you must be around all night,’ Sister Beatrice said. ‘Take it in turns, but I expect both of you to remain here. You can get some rest in the room next door, but I don’t want this boy neglected. In his state it could be dangerous – he is seriously undernourished. He will not fight off the infection as well as a healthy child would.’

      ‘Yes, I know,’ Michelle said. ‘I am quite happy to stay this evening, and for as long as you think it necessary …’ She wasn’t sure that Sally would feel the same, but she would much rather work with her than any of the other carers.

      ‘Good, that is what I like to hear. I shall send Miss Rush to you.’

      Michelle watched as Sister left the room. Sister had been bathing Dick’s forehead, and Michelle took over, wringing the cloth out in the cool water as the boy moaned and writhed, obviously feverish and in pain. He hardly seemed aware of her, calling out and begging someone not to hit him.

      Michelle’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed. How could these people be so cruel to their children? She’d learned from the younger boy that their own father had died three years ago, and the man who had lived with them was an unofficial stepfather. No doubt their mother was under this man’s domination, powerless to stop him beating the children – but he wouldn’t do so again, because now they were here and safe. By the way the little girl wept for her mother, she at least couldn’t have been entirely bad, just weak and unable to protect her children from the unsuitable men she had living in her home. Unfortunately, it was something they saw over and over again and it never failed to make Michelle angry.

      Little Susie was whimpering again. Michelle went to comfort her and saw the telltale signs of red spots on her face. She had taken the sickness too, though it looked as if Jake was all right so far. He got out of his own bed and came to stand by the side of his sister’s.

      ‘She’s got it too, ain’t she?’

      ‘I’m afraid she has, but she isn’t quite as bad as Dick.’ Michelle looked at him anxiously, because he was the most undernourished of them all, his spirit much stronger than his poor little body. ‘How are you – any headache or feeling hot?’

      ‘Nah, I never get nuffin’ like the others,’ Jake said proudly. ‘Shall I sit wiv me sister?’

      ‘You get back in bed, there’s a good lad,’ Michelle said. ‘Would you like some comics to look at? I’m sure we’ve got some Rupert Bear copies in the cupboard somewhere, or there might be a Beano … one about an ancient caveman?’

      ‘I’d rather ’ave an adventure story,’ Jake said, ‘but if there ain’t none the comics will do.’

      ‘I’ll have a look in a minute, after I get Susie to swallow this draught …’

      ‘Wot is it?’ he asked, looking interested. ‘Susie don’t like medicine, but Ma always takes an Aspro for ’er ’eadaches.’

      ‘It’s just a special medicine we use in hospital but you can’t buy in the shops – that will stop her feeling so bad, helps to cool the fever. You can’t use Aspirin for children with chicken pox, you see.’ She held the glass to the little girl’s lips, but Susie had clamped them shut and refused to swallow.

      ‘You ’ave ter be firm wiv her,’ Jake