Cassie DePeckel

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 Leach.

Well, we have no medicine, no bandages, not even glasses to give patients a drink of water.

Leach 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 20th, the nurse's sixth day at Los Baños.

To everyone's surprise, the infirmary is actually taking shape, thanks to volunteers from among the prison population.