B (20:00)
No, he can wait. The men near the front yell in protest. They don't want to be cheated of any fresh air. Dorothy pleads with them to help their fellow captive, but no one moves. There's little Dorothy can do except keep checking the time, counting down the final minutes. Meanwhile, yet another train of Japanese troops rumbles by. And the interminable wait continues as she listens to the men whimper in the heat heat and gasp for air behind her. It feels like the guards don't care if all the prisoners make it to Los Banos alive. A nagging fear grows in the pit of her stomach. Maybe they aren't on their way to a prison, but rather a death camp. Chief nurse Laura Cobb sits on a bench near a wooden building at the Los Banos prison camp. She inhales deeply, taking in the scent of flowers and fresh bananas. Los Banos smells better than Santo Tomas did. At least. It's 7:55am On May 16, 1943, Cobb's second day at Los Banos. It's been a rough transition to her new home. After a seven hour train ride in over packed boxcars, the prisoners finally arrived at the camp. But instead of being shown to a building, everyone was forced to sleep outdoors. Mosquitoes nearly ate them alive. In the morning, Cobb and a few others confronted the camp commandant. They informed him that failure to provide shelter violated their rights under international law. And unlike Sadaki Kinishi back at Santo Tomas, this commandant heeded their concerns. The nurses were given a dorm while the men were told to sleep. In the gymnasium until the barracks were built. This left Cobb optimistic that she and the nurses made the right choice in transferring here. Plus, the campus has a real infirmary, the building behind her. At 8:00am Cobb gives a friendly wave to Dr. Charles Leach, who's drawing near. Good morning, Doctor. You're right on time. In the military, we call that five minutes late. You can't expect us civilians to keep up. You look a bit flushed. How are you feeling? Cobb stiffens. The truth is, her heartbeat's been erratic these past few weeks. She's put it down to stress and poor nutrition, but a part of her is worried it might be something more serious. Still, she doesn't want Leech to suspect that there's anything wrong with her. Oh, it's nothing. I didn't sleep well last night. You and me both. But I'm excited to see this infirmary. It will be a nice change after that machine shop at Santa Tomas. Yes, it feels luxurious. Shall we? Leech holds the door open and they head inside. But Cobb's optimism plummets upon entering the clinic. It's completely bare. Even the cabinets have been torn off the walls. All that remains is a surgical table bolted to the floor and an iron oven to sterilize instruments with steam. When Cobb opens the oven, she groans. There's crusted rice all over the inside. It appears someone tried to steam rice in there and broke it. She turns to Leech. Well, we have no medicine, no bandages, not even glasses to give patients a drink of water. Leech looks crestfallen, which is exactly how Cobb feels. If anyone falls ill or injures themselves, Cobb doesn't know how he'll treat them. Nurse Basilia Torres. Steward smooths her skirt and takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. Her fellow nurses are all standing around the infirmary waiting for her to begin. Steward worries they can see her legs trembling. She hates public speaking, unlike her husband, Jerry. He's a natural with crowds. But Chief Nurse Laura Cobb gives her an encouraging smile. Steward grabs the first item on the surgical table in front of her. An onion. And begins. This is a local remedy for coughs. It involves mixing onions and sugar. It's May 20, the nurse's sixth day at Los Banos. To everyone's surprise, the infirmary is actually taking shape, thanks to volunteers from among the prison population. An electrician fixed the steam oven to sterilize equipment. A few woodworkers have started making chairs from lumber scraps around campus. A former shop teacher fashioned water glasses from old beer bottles and silverware from corrugated tin. But the men can't make everything. The ward still needs medicine. That's where Stuart comes in. She grew up in the Philippines, so she knows a variety of local remedies. And today she's teaching the other nurses. She peels the onion and slices it. Then she drops some into a beer bottle glass and pounds the slices with a blunt dowel to free the juice. Once she has an inch in the bottom, she drops in a sugar cube and crushes it. She holds up the cloudy solution. Have patients with coughs gargle this. I know it sounds strange, but it works. After this, Stuart holds up the leaves from one of the guava trees around campus. Do you see the ridges? That's how you know it's guava. Brew them into tea. It's very good for dysentery. She shares other tricks. SAP from rubber trees can keep bandages in place. Stringy fibers from banana leaves can be woven into mosquito nets and pillowcases to fill the pillows. They can use fluff from the seed pods of kapok trees. By the time she wraps up, Steward realizes she's been speaking for an hour. The other nurses applaud. Steward blushes. She wishes her husband Jerry could see her. She's never been certain where she stands with the Navy nurses, being a civilian and the only Filipina among all these Americans. But today she feels proud. Chief Nurse Laura Cobb hears a knock on the infirmary door and braces herself. She's fearful of the confrontation she expects to occur. She's worried things could even get violent. She opens the door to find the medical officer for the local garrison of Japanese troops who are stationed a few miles from Los Banos. He sent word he wanted to see Cobb today. She doesn't hold the officer, whose name is Shigeru, in high regard. He freely admits he knows nothing about medicine. He comes from a rich family and simply wanted an easy job in the Army. So every few days he stops by to see Cobb with a list of ailments his soldiers are suffering from. He expects her to write down remedies. As usual, Shigeru starts with pleasantries. He spent time in the United States and speaks English well. You look lovely today, Miss Laura. How are you and your nurses getting along without Dr. Leech? Cobb sighs. It's August. Cobb and her crew had been at Los Banos for three months, and things seem to be getting worse every day. A few weeks ago, the U.S. government traded some Japanese captives to free Dr. Leach. Cobb was happy for him, but crushed for the camp to lose its only doctor. Now the nurses have to provide all patient care on their own. And that's far from the only problem. The camp is bare bones. Los Banos doesn't even have a good sewer system. There's barely running water here. For basic hygiene, they had to build a latrine and a sluice to flush waste out. They were promised new clothing, but that never materialized either. Some of the nurses finally found a bolt of denim in an abandoned building on campus and sewed new outfits. They tore their dingy old uniforms into bandages for patients. Prisoners have also had to throw up rickety barracks just to house people because the population of Los Banos keeps growing. On one hand, Cobb is proud of all that the prisoners have done to make life here bearable. On the other hand, they shouldn't have to be so clever. They should have proper housing, proper clothing, proper food beyond rice and sweet potatoes. And proper medicine. Basilia Torres Steward's remedies have been a godsend. The onion sugar mix does wonders for coughs, as does the guava leaf tea for dysentery. But they can't jury rig their way around every problem. Her tinctures can't treat diabetes, malaria, or yellow fever. Which is why Cobb has resolved to confront the medical officer. After their chit chat, Shigeru pulls out the list of medical complaints for his soldiers, but Cobb refuses to take it. She feels her heart fluttering in her chest. I'm not offering any more free medical advice. Shigeru looks startled. But Ms. Laura, that violates your oath as a nurse. My men need help. You have a duty to aid them. No, I'm tired of being exploited. We need real medicine here. Insulin, mercury, bichloride for infections, anesthesia for surgery, plus real bandages. You're hardly in a position to negotiate. Nor are you. If I stop helping you, you'll be exposed as a fraud. Shigeru pleads with Cobb. He says the Japanese keep close watch over medicine. It would be impossible to divert the drugs here. Cobb shrugs. Then we have no deal. Your men will suffer like ours do. Shigeru's face goes red with fury. He rants at Cobb and flings a chair across the room. Just as she feared, things are turning violent, and she knows that if he attacks her, there's no one to protect her and no hope of justice. But no matter how much he rages or how frightened Cobb feels, she won't budge. Shigeru finally exhausts himself. He scowls at her but says he'll see what he can do about obtaining the drugs. He stalks out, promising he'll return tomorrow. Cobb nods and feels her face stern and strong as he goes. But as soon as she's alone, her shoulders slump and she feels all her energy drain. She has to support herself with her hands on the nearby table. The confrontation exhausted her more than she expected, but it was worth it to help her patients. Dorothy still reads the note in her hands and feels her head swim. Honestly, she can't make out all the words. Paper is scarce at Los Banos and the notes written on the torn out page of an old book. But she can read the two most important words at the bottom. Love, Thomas. It's mid September 1943. The note is from Thomas Terrell, a civilian pilot who was working in Manila at the beginning of the war. He and Dorothy bonded over both hailing from Southern California and have become close. He's tall and handsome and sure has a way with words. Dorothy reads the note over again, feeling almost killed, giddy. Help. Help. A pounding on the door interrupts her. Dorothy tucks the note into her pocket and opens the door. She finds Shigeru, the medical officer of the local Japanese garrison, standing outside. He's supporting another Japanese man who's moaning in pain, clutching his abdomen. Dorothy helps the man to a chair, then yells out, doctor, come quickly. It's an emergency. She's yelling for Dana Nance, a physician who was part of a fresh batch of prisoners who arrived two weeks ago. The nurses rejoiced when he arrived. Not only was he a doctor, but he'd smuggled surgical tools into camp. Nance rushes in. He's a stocky man with slicked back hair. He takes one look at the groaning man and and barks at Dorothy. Lay him on the table. Shigeru helps Dorothy move the man. She notices a tear in Shigeru's eye. He wipes it away, mumbling that the man is a close friend. On the table, Nance palpates the patient's torso. The man moans softly each time except for one spot. When Nance presses there, the man howls. Nance nods. It's appendicitis. We need to operate immediately. But Shigeru shakes his head. We'll transport him to Manila. It's too dirty here. There's no time. We need to operate now. An argument ensues, but Nance holds his ground. He finally tells Shigeru he has two do the surgery now or have his friend die in his arms on the way to Manila. Shigeru stares at Nance. How do I know you won't kill him on the table for being Japanese I'm a doctor, not a mercenary. Shigeru bites his lip, wrestling with the decision. Okay, but if he dies, I'll shoot one of your nurses. Fine. Now step aside. Nurse Dorothy, scrub in and get us set up. I'm gonna summon a few more nurses to help. Dorothy stands there, stunned. She glances at Shigeru, who glares at her, then walks over to the window. In a daze, Dorothy heads to a washbasin to clean her hands. How can Nance be so cavalier with a nurse's life? Even with Nance's tools and the medicine Cobb has been able to secure, the infirmary is a risky place to perform a surgery. But she has no choice but to help. The patient's life and hers are now in the doctor's hands. Nurse Dorothy still lays out the surgical instruments on a stand next to the operating table, where an ailing Japanese man groans in pain. Pain. Dorothy knows that Dr. Dana Nance likes his instruments in a certain order. First the scalpel, then the medical scissors. Finally the forceps and retractors. But Dorothy's hands are trembling so badly that she drops a scalpel onto the floor. Nance scowls at her. Dorothy tells herself to remain calm, but given the stage stakes here, it's hard. If this man dies during the operation, a nurse will be shot dead in retaliation. It's mid September 1943, in the infirmary at Los Banos prison camp. Twenty minutes ago, a Japanese medical officer named Shigeru burst in with a friend suffering from acute appendicitis. Nance insisted on operating and brought in two additional nurses, Mary Rose Harrington and Susie Pitcher. Shigeru also summoned someone, a guard with a rifle. Dorothy glances at him now and shudders. When everything is ready, Nance turns to Dorothy. NURSE Dorothy, put him under. Dorothy grabs a can of ether and sloshes some onto a rag. Its fruity smell fills the room as she places the cloth over the patient's mouth and nose. A minute later, he sinks into oblivion. As soon as he's under, Nance holds out his hand. Scalpel. Dorothy passes him the scalpel and Nance slices into the man's torso in one smooth motion. Then Nance curses. He's bleeding more than he should be. Nurse Harrington, grab that gauze. We've got to staunch this. Mary Rose Harrington snatches the white cotton from the table and presses it into the incision to stem the flow of blood. Susie Pitcher jumps in to help her, but the gauze quickly turns bright red, soaked through with blood. Dorothy's mouth goes dry. Out of the corner of her eye. She sees Shigeru gesture to the guard with the gun. The guard moves his finger to the trigger. The room swims in front of Dorothy's eyes. She forces herself to breathe deep, but she's never been so terrified in her life. Finally, the bleeding slows. Nance snaps at Dorothy forceps. The next few minutes pass quickly. Using the forceps, Nance locates the appendix and gently brings it up to the the incision until it's sticking out. It looks like an angry red sausage ready to burst. Nance barks for the scalpel. He hands the forceps to Mary Rose Harrington, who holds the appendix in place. Then Nance cuts it free. Harrington drops it into a small bin. Nance holds out his hand. Suture. Dorothy hands him a threaded needle. He sews up the incision. Then he looks up and nods. That's it, nurses. Good work, Nurse. Dorothy gets some disinfectant on the wound and get him some fluids as soon as he wakes up. I'm gonna wash up and take a nap. And with that, he leaves them behind her. Dorothy hears Shigeru talking with the guard, who turns and marches off. Shigeru looks over his unconscious friend closely, then glances at Dorothy. Take good care of him. Dorothy nods. When Shigeru finally leaves, Pitcher and Harrington hurry over to Dorothy. Harrington wraps her arms around the two women. We're going to be okay. Pitcher steps back. Are you alright, Dorothy? You don't look so good. I'll be fine. Really good work. But as Dorothy turns to find some disinfectant, she realizes how hollow her words sound. She's not fine. She's flushed and sweaty and exhausted. She doesn't know how much longer she can handle this kind of stress, and this new doctor isn't making things any easier. Nurse Dorothy still descends the staircase of the infirmary at Los Banos, heading toward the basement. She grips the railing, feeling a bit woozy. The only food they regularly get here is rice and sweet potatoes. There's very little protein or vegetables, and it leaves DOROTHY Feeling wobbly. Dr. Dana Nance keeps a small office in the basement. He glances up when Dorothy arrives. She wants to alert him to a few things before the night shift. There are three patients with erratic heartbeats, but malnutrition might be the real problem. Nance nods. It's January 1944, four months after Nance first arrived and two years since the Japanese took control of the Philippines. After the appendix incident. Dorothy and Nance have grown to tolerate each other. He's a talented doctor, even if he can be brash Dorothy is just about finished updating Nance when she hears someone shout her name. Nurse Dorothy what the hell's going on? Dorothy turns to find her fellow Navy nurse Helen Gorzilansky hurrying down the staircase. She looks like livid. She's holding something orange and mushy and she stomps over and drops it in Dorothy's hands. Do you know what this is? It looks like a half eaten papaya. Where did you get this? On Jimmy Callaghan's bedside table. Dorothy remembers him. He was admitted for dysentery last week. Fruits, like papayas, are the worst possible thing he could eat. A real danger. But Dorothy doesn't understand why Gorzalanski is so angry with her. I have no idea how he got hold of that. One of the orderlies you trained gave it to him. Dorothy cringes. A month ago, Dorothy approached Chief Nurse Laura Cobb about training men as orderlies to help with routine tasks like feeding patients and emptying bedpans. Dorothy did so because they're just too many prisoners arriving at Los Banos, including women and children. The infirmary is constantly full of patients. The nurses need help. Cobb approved the idea and Dorothy agreed to teach the first class. Unfortunately, the orderlies have been making too many mistakes. Like last Thursday when an orderly put iodine on a rash and caused chemical burns. Dorothy looks sheepishly at Gorzalansky. Which orderly? I'll talk to him. That's not the point. This is the fourth incident. Your poor teaching is endangering lives. Dorothy bristles at this. She instructed the orderlies properly. It's not her fault if they forget. Gorzalansky appeals to Dr. Nance, who shrugs. I'm not military, but hospitals also have a chain of command. This is on you, Dorothy. Dorothy fumes. It's the end of her shift anyway, so she storms upstairs without a word. Outside, she sees her boyfriend, Thomas Terrell, approaching. They had plans to meet up after her shift. He greets her with a kiss, but she's already grumbling. As they walk, she unburdens herself about the incident with Gorzalansky, as well as Nance's refusal to take her side. She's angry at those orderlies too. Why can't they get things right? Thomas is a good listener, and as her frustrations pour out, she can feel herself relaxing. Thomas squeezes her hand. You know, my wife had a good trick for getting her way with stubborn co workers. It's amusing, actually. He launches into a story, but Dorothy barely listens. She drops his hand and doesn't even pretend to be listening. Thomas never concealed the fact that he was married. In fact, he mentioned his wife the first time he met Dorothy. But that didn't stop him from pursuing her. And Dorothy willfully let herself be pursued. She craved companionship, but every time he mentions his wife, it stabs her. The truth is, deep down, she's afraid she's fallen in love with Thomas. She wishes it weren't true, but there it is. She finally cuts off his story and thanks him for listening. And when he suggests with a wink that they find somewhere to watch the stars tonight, she says no. She needs her sleep. It's true. But she also knows that even 10 minutes ago, she happily would have said yes. And to her shame, she has no doubt she'll accept his offer. Another night back home, she remembered thinking once that women who took up with married men were so desperate. And now she's doing just that. It's just another way that camp life has changed her. Chief nurse Laura Cobb, shuffles along the grounds of Los Banos. Her knees ache, but she's enjoying a rare afternoon off work. By her side, holding her hand, walks her boyfriend in the camp, a 66 year old New Zealand Navy captain named Hugh Williams. Cobb knows that the other nurses gossip and giggle about her and Williams. While Cobb doesn't exactly like the attention, she's willing to tolerate it. It's a harmless distraction in a place where harmless distractions can be vital for morale. And she's certainly not giving up seeing Williams. It's August 1944, and Williams was recently transferred to Los Banos. He's broad shouldered and handsome and she loves watching him play with the children. Here, Williams pretends he was once a pirate. On the high seas, he always has the kids roaring with laughter. It's a rare bright spot in Cobb's life because, frankly, times at Los Banos are getting harder. Prisoners continue to arrive. The camp population is around 2000 now. Now the nurses and Dr. Nance can barely keep up. To make matters worse, a new commandant is taking over this week. He's already sent word ahead that their rice and sweet potato rations will be cut by several hundred calories per day. The very thought leaves Cobb fuming on her walk. Who could be so cruel? We barely get enough to eat as is. Williams squeezes her hand. You need to take things easy, dear. Remember your heart. Come on, let's sit. He steers her to a bench. Cobb sighs. Williams is one of the few people she's admitted her medical issues to. Cobb's heart has been beating erratically and fluttering for a while. Now she suspects it's cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle that would explain her regular shortness of breath. Her joints are sore as well. She fears she's getting arthritis from poor nutrition. On the bench, Williams massages her shoulders. It soothes her. After a few minutes, he kisses her cheek. I suppose we should head back. I fear the children are expecting another installment of the Dead Pirate Hugh tonight. Oh, don't pretend like you don't love it, williams chuckles. As they're getting up, they hear a camp gate opening a hundred yards distant. Two fences circle the camp, both topped with barbed wire. The outer fence stands 8ft tall and is covered with bamboo, blocking the outside world. When the gate opens, it's a rare chance to glimpse the world beyond the camp, so Cobb and Williams hurry that way. Cobb suspects that more prisoners are arriving, but instead of a transport truck, a single car pulls up, and when Cobb looks closer, she sees that an unusual number of guards have gathered at least half of the 200 here. They're milling around as if nervous. When someone shouts something in Japanese knees, they all snap to attention. Cobb grabs William's arm. I bet the new commandant is here. Let's size him up. By the time they arrive, several Japanese guards have rushed forward to open the commandant's car door and help him out. When she catches a glimpse, she freezes in her tracks. She's staring at the commandant, his thin mustache, his crooked smile, his stained teeth, and, as always, the bottle of sake. He catches Cobb's eye, looking amused. But Cobb isn't laughing. Their new commandant is none other than their old commandant at Santo Tomas, Sadaki Kinishi. Panic surges through Cobb and her heart flutters in her chest wildly. This is her nightmare.
