Act 1, Scene 3 Summary

A student nurse, Barbara calls for a page for Ferguson. Nearby, Mr. and Mrs. Smith worry about their daughter, Dorothy. Dr. Cunningham comes in. The Smiths tell her that their daughter has collapsed and he does a quick examination ignoring Barbara's attempts to give him information and telling her to take the Smiths outside. She does and when she comes back Cunningham orders an insulin injection. Barbara tells him that Ferguson ordered no more insulin and Cunningham tells her to take orders from him.

As Barbara is preparing the injection Ferguson comes in. He and Cunningham argue about whose diagnosis is correct. Cunningham tells Ferguson to leave but Ferguson grabs the hypodermic, squirts out the insulin, tells Barbara to prepare the patient, and shouts down the hall to another nurse for a syringe of glucose. Barbara says that she's already got...