He felt them place his legs over the stirrups and quickly arrange a sheet so that even if he moved his head, he could not see his lower half.
When they had finished, he saw her come from somewhere behind him and walk down to the foot of the table. She lifted up the sheet.
He felt a moment's embarrassment at the impersonal manner in which she scrutinized his private parts.
After five wives, countless mistresses and more than forty children that he was sure about, only eight of whom were the result of his marriages, it seemed strange to him that anyone could look at him in such a detached manner.
So much life had sprung from that fountain.
She let the covering fall around him again and looked up.
A glint of humor flickered in her intelligent gray eyes and he knew that she understood.
She came around to the side of the table and reached for his pulse.
He looked up at her as she studied her watch.
"Where's Dr. Colton?"
"He'll be along in a minute. He's washing up."
She let go of his wrist and said something to someone behind him.
He rolled his eyes back and caught a glimpse of another nurse. Feeling the prick of a needle in his arm, he turned his head back quickly.
Already, she was taking the small hypodermic out of his arm.
"Hey, you're fast," he said.
"That's my job."
"I am, too."
Again that smile in her gray eyes.
"I know. I read the papers."
Just then, Dr. Colton came in.
"Hello, Mr. Standhurst," he said in his jovial manner.
"Did we pass any water today?"
"Maybe you did, Doc, but you know damn well I didn't," Standhurst said dryly. "Or they'd never have got me back in this slaughterhouse."
Dr. Colton laughed.
"Well, you've got nothing to worry about. We'll have those kidney stones out in a jiffy."
"All the same, Doc, I'm glad we've got a specialist doing it. If I left it up to you, God knows what you'd cut out."
His sarcasm didn't disturb Dr. Colton.
They'd known each other for too long. It was Charles Standhurst who'd advanced him most of the money to start this hospital.
He laughed again.
The surgeon came in and stood beside Dr. Colton.
"Ready, Mr. Standhurst?"
"Ready as I’ll ever be.
Just leave something for the girls, eh, Doc?"
The surgeon nodded and Standhurst felt a prick in his other arm.
He turned his head and saw Jennie standing there.
"Gray eyes," he said to her.
His second wife had had gray eyes.
Or was it his third?
He didn't remember. "I suppose you wouldn't take your mask off so that I could see the rest of your face?"
Again he saw the glint of humor. "I don't think the doctors would approve," she said. "But after the operation, I’ll come visit you.
Will that do?"
"Fine.
I've got a feeling you're beautiful."
He didn't see the anesthetist behind him nod.
Jennie leaned over his face.
"Now, Mr. Standhurst," she said, "count down from ten with me.
Ten, nine, eight- "
"Seven, six, four, five, two, nine." His lips were moving slowly and everything seemed so comfortable and far away. "Ten, eight, one, three… six… four… one… two…" His voice faded away.
The anesthetist looked up at the surgeon.
"He's under," he said.