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The infirmary was to the east of the abbey and separated frone followed the black-robed ht of stairs into a room lined with beds Injury and sickness always depressed him, particularly when a member of his family was involved

'Your son has been taken to the dispensary,' the monk said 'Brother Arnold is in Dorchester and Sister Alice has been called She is a '

Harald s from behind a door

'Sister Alice is the new matron of the almshouse,' the monk continued 'She came as soon as she heard about the nature of the injuries'

Nature of the injuries! Harald shuddered He'd hoped it wasn't serious but they'd called in so on a padded table The boy's head athed in bandages and his arm strapped to a wooden splint A woman in a nun's habit bent over hie When she looked up he saw she was younger than hi'

He couldn't i otherwise

'Your son has had a bad fall and is suffering from concussion'

Her voice was that of a well-educated won of dilation Nor is there any discharge from the ears There appears to be no fracture of the skull but we es

'His scalp is badly cut and will need i'

Harald saw bare bone and thanked God for people like Sister Alice In an eency like this he was totally useless His father and brother ed in blood and gore They'dfroht of Willia His ambition was for his son to attend university and beco a suture of my own preparation'

She took a pair of tweezers and re liquid Harald looked the other way His son was unconscious so he wasn't in pain That was a consolation But what if he re a blow to the head Sister Alice said there was no sign of a fractured skull That didn'tup inside What would they do then? Harald doubted if there was anyone in all of Dorset who had the skill to pierce the skull and release the pressure