The passage to be analysed from “A Farewell to Arms” by E.Hemingway

Please don't Let Her Die

Chapter 41

Frederic and Catherine have escaped to Switzerland. She is now in the maternity ward of a hospital in Lausanne where she has just lost her baby. Frederic has just left the hospital to take a short break and is eating in a cafe.

(...)

I ate the ham and eggs and drank the beer. The ham and eggs were in a round dish - the ham underneath and the eggs on top. It was very hot and at the first mouthful I had to take a drink of beer to cool my mouth. I was hungry and I asked the waiter for another order. I drank several glasses of beer. I was not thinking at all but read the paper of the man opposite me.       It was about the break through on the British front¹. When he realized I was reading the back of his paper he folded it over. I thought of asking the waiter for a paper, but I could not concentrate. It was hot in the cafe and the air was bad. Many of the people at the tables knew one another. There were several card games going on. The waiters were busy bringing drinks      from the bar to the tables. Two men came in and could find no place to sit. They stood opposite the table where I was. I ordered another beer. I was not ready to leave yet. It was too soon to go back to the hospital. I tried not to think and to be perfectly calm. The men stood around but no one was leaving, so they went out. I drank another beer. There was quite a      pile of saucers² now on the table in front of me. The man opposite me had taken off his spectacles, put them away in a case, folded his paper and put it in his pocket and now sat holding his liqueur glass and looking out at the room. Suddenly I knew I had to get back. I called the waiter, paid the reckoning³, got into my coat, put on my hat and started out the door. I      walked through the rain up to the hospital. Upstairs I met the nurse coming down the hall.

'I just called you at the hotel,' she said. Something dropped⁴ inside me. 'What is wrong?'

'Mrs Henry has had a haemorrhage.'

'Can I go in?'

'No, not yet. The doctor is with her.' Is it dangerous?'

It is very dangerous.' The nurse went into the room and shut the door. I sat outside in the hall. Everything was gone inside of me. I did not think. I could not think. I knew she was going to die and I prayed that she would not. Don't let her die. Oh, God, please don't let her die. I'll do anything for you if you won't let her die. Please, please, please, dear God, don't let her die. Dear God, don't let her die. Dear God, don't let her die. Please, please, please don't let her die. God, please make her not die. I'll do anything you say if you won't let her die. You took the baby but don't let her die. That was all right but don't let her die. Please, please, dear God, don't let her die.

The nurse opened the door and motioned⁵ with her finger for me to come. I followed her into the room. Catherine did not look up when I came in. I went over to the side of the bed. The doctor was standing by the bed on the opposite side. 45 Catherine looked at me and smiled. 1 bent down over the bed and started to ay.

'Poor darling,' Catherine said very
softly. She looked grey.             

'You're all right, Cat,' I said. 'You're going to be all right.' 'I'm going to die,' she said; then waited and said, 'I hate it,' I took her hand.(...)'You'll be all      right, Cat. I know you'll be all right.' I meant to write you a letter to have if anything happened, but I didn't do it.'

'Do you want me to get a priest or anyone to come and see you?' 'Just you,' she said. Then a little later, 'I'm not afraid. I just hate it.' 'You must not talk so much,' the doctor said. 'All right,' Catherine said.

'Do you want me to do anything, Cat? Can I get you anything?' Catherine smiled. 'No, Then a little later, 'You won't do our things with another girl, or say the same things, will you?' 'Never.'

'I want you to have girls, though.' 'I don't want them.'

'You are talking too much,' the doctor said. 'Mr Henry must go out. He can come back again later. You are not going to die. You must not be silly.' 'All right,' Catherine said. 'I'll come and stay with you nights,' she said. It was very hard for her to talk.

'Please go out of the room,' the doctor said. 'You cannot talk,' Catherine winked⁶ at me, her face grey. 'I'll be right outside,' I said. 'Don't worry, darling,' Catherine said. 'I'm not a bit afraid. It's just a dirty trick⁷. You dear, brave sweet.

I waited outside in the hall. I waited a long time. The nurse came to the door and came over to me. 'I'm afraid Mrs Henry is very ill,' she said. 'I'm afraid for her.' 'Is she dead?'

'No, but she is unconscious.'

It seems she had one hemorrhage after another. They couldn't stop it. I went into the room and stayed with Catherine until she died. She was unconscious all the time, and it did not take her very long to die.