THE GHOST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

THIS HAPPENED OVER 58 YEARS AGO I WAS A YOUNG STUDENT NURSE WORKING THE NIGHT SHIFT, 3 MONTHLY SESSIONS. THIS PARTICULARLY NIGHT I WAS ON THE FEMALE MEDICAL WARD WE HAD ABOUT 30 PATIENTS AND ONE YOUNG NURSE (ME) WITH HELP IN THE MORNING TO PREPARE FOR THE MORNING STAFF.

THE NIGHT WAS VERY QUIET AND NOT COLD IT WAS TOWARDS THE END OF SUMMER. ONE OF OUR PATIENTS WAS A MRS.B WHO HAD VERY SEVERE PSORIASIS SHE WAS VERY ELDERLY TOO.

I REMEMBER THIS LIKE YESTERDAY. AFTER WALKING THE ROUNDS AND SEEING EACH PATIENT COMFORTABLE IN BED  ITURNED OFF THE LIGHTS LEAVING ONLY THE ONE ABOVE MY DESK. I SAT FOR A SHORT TIME FILLING IN THE REPORT AND THEN I WENT INTO THE KITCHEN TO MAKE MY SELF A CUPPA  OF TEA AND DIGESTIVE BISCUIT. I TOOK A LAST PEAK INTO THE WARD AND ALL WAS AS QUIET AS A LAMB.

THE HOURS PASSED SLOWLY AND ABOUT 3AM I BEGAN TO NOD I DARE NOT SLEEP IN CASE SISTER CROWTHER CAME AND CUAGHT YOU NAPPING AND OH DEAR ME YOU WERE IN FOR  TROUBLE THEN. MY LIMBS BEGAN TO STIFFEN AND I COULD HEAR AND FEEL EVERYTHING BUT COULD NOT MOVE AND SUDDENLY FROM OUT OF THE BLUE APPEARED A GHOSTLY FIGURE,COVERED FROM HEAD TO TOE IN A SHEET WHICH IN MY HALF SLEEP STATE LOOKED LIKE A SHROUD. "AWW!" I SHOUTED AND PUNCHED ON THE LIGHT SWITCH AND THERE IN FRONT OF ME WAS THE SMALL FACE OF MRS.B PEEPING OUT FROM UNDER THE SHEET!!!

"WHAT'S THE MATTER MRS.B, YOU NEARLY FRIGHTENED ME TO DEATH AND THE OTHER PATIENTS TOO","NURSE, I NEED SOME OINTMENT IT IS ITCHING TERRIBLY AND    WHEN SHE REMOVED THE  SHEET  THE PSORIASIS PEELED OF LIKE FALLING SNOW. "ALRIGHT,DEAR, LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO BED I WILL BRING YOU THE CREAM AND A CUP OF HOT TEA  AND YOU WILL FEEL MUCH BETTER, I CAN ASSURE YOU.'PUTTING MY ARMS ROUND HER I SLOWLY TOOK HER BACK.

I APOLOGISED TO THE OTHER PATIENTS AND TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS. THE REST OF THE NIGHT WENT UNEVENTFULLY BUT THAT IS ONE EXPERIENCE I WILL NEVER FORGET.