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Rosalind Heywood – The Infinite Hive

After three months at Barts I was drafted to Milbank Military Hospital, and was at once put on night duty to care for a Sister who had meningitis. As for most of the time she lay unconscious I took the chance, crouched in a dimly lit corner, to read the Brothers Karamazov. All went well until I reached the argument between the sick man Ivan and the Devil, at which point, to my horror, she leapt up, pointed a trembling finger at the foot of the bed and addressed the Devil herself.

Very startled, I flung down the book and ran over to her, whereupon, to my great relief, she fell back unconscious once more. I knew nothing about telepathy but it seemed clear enough that in such situations one's mind should be kept on milder topics than devils, so rather shakily I decided to write a letter to my young sister about a new spring hat. That, fortunately, aroused no response from the sick nurse.