Vigil in the Night

When her sister Lucy's negligence results in the death of a patient, devoted nurse Anne Lee shoulders the blame to save Lucy's honor because the girl has entered the nursing profession solely to please her. Dismissed for negligence, Anne moves to the town of Hepperton, where she finds a job in a large but poorly equipped hospital. There she is befriended by Matron East, the dour but diligent matron of nurses, and Dr. Prescott, who struggles against the deplorable conditions of the hospital to relieve the suffering of the sick. One night, when Anne's quick thinking saves the lives of the victims of a bus accident, Anne and Prescott become better acquainted. He confides his dreams for a new hospital but concedes that it has little chance of becoming a reality because of the opposition of Matthew Bowley, the miserly chairman of the hospital board. Soon afterward, Bowley becomes a problem for Anne when his wife overhears him making amorous advances to her and threatens a scandal unless Anne is fired. Dismissed once again, Anne goes to London to join Lucy, who has gotten married, but upon her arrival, she learns that Lucy has left her husband and is facing charges of negligent homicide in conjunction with the death of a patient at the nursing home in which she was working. After Prescott comes to London and testifies on her behalf, Lucy is cleared of all charges. To redeem herself, Lucy then decides to go to Hepperton to fight a virulent epidemic that has broken out there. Anne goes with her and takes charge of the isolation ward. When Bowley refuses the funds for necessary supplies, Anne defies him and orders them anyway. Bowley's attitude changes when his own son falls ill and Lucy contracts the disease by giving the boy mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save his life. Lucy's death makes Anne more determined to uphold the ideals of her profession, and with Bowley's funding, she and Prescott begin to build their new dream hospital.more