I do not own anything as Doc Martin is owned and produced by Buffalo Pictures!
Chapter One: The Family
Louisa and Martin's house was large and hidden behind the tall trees of the driveway. They had been living there for around twenty years now and couldn't think about ever moving. It was perfect, four bedroom, two reception rooms, a large kitchen and a double garage.
It had room for everyone. They had been married for twenty years now and Louisa had managed to convert Martin into a more appealing man than he used to be.
She had convinced him to do many things that she knew he would eventually like. He had now started to wear more casual clothes; he got a more of a family size car as well as his loveable silver one. The most important thing of all that Louisa was proud to have persuaded him to do, which did result in him be overjoyed about was to have a family together. Having a son and two daughters made them both so happy. Samuel, Emily and Anna all looked like similar to both Martin and Louisa. The children were all clever just like both their parents. Samuel was in university in London training to be a surgeon and his surname was giving him priority because of Martin's success in that field.
Emily and Anna were both attended a private secondary school near Wadebridge. It was a journey to get there, but they were able to get a certain bus that would take them to and from home.
Martin although not admitting it couldn't be happier at how things were going. He was still the local GP and Louisa was still Headmistress, however they knew that they would have to take a step down soon as they were coming into their late fifties. Louisa still looked the same she did as when Martin first moved to Portwenn and he also still looked similar although here and there were some wrinkles, but it made him look more experienced.
"Hello!" Emily shouted as her and Anna came home from school.
"Hello!" Louisa called back, "I'm in the kitchen!"
They walked in and Louisa had all types of paper work laid out on the table.
"What are you doing?" Anna asked while getting a drink
"Oh I offered to do a Summer Fete for the school next week" Louisa explained
"Really? Cool!" Emily smiled
"Isn't it half term next week?" Anna quizzed
"That's why I'm organising it for then, that way you two can help. Also Sam is coming down for the week, which I am looking forward to"
"Dad will be pleased then!" Anna said
"I know, I haven't told him yet" Louisa said, "I was thinking of making it a surprise, you know, he could come home one evening and Sam could be helping me cook or something"
"That is a good idea" Emily continued, "But I don't think he will help with the cooking"
Emily and Anna laughed
"Probably not, neither have any of you ever offered to help me," Louisa said
"Well it's not something that is that interesting Mum that's all" Anna said
Louisa returned back to what she was doing.
Later on that evening they were all sitting round the kitchen table eating the meal Louisa had prepared including Martin.
"How was your day?" Louisa asked Martin
"Still getting time wasters!" he sighed, "They cannot accept that they are fine!"
"Maybe they're worried for their health?" Emily said
"Well do you call a paper cut an emergency?" Martin asked
"No…" Emily replied
"Well then! Stupid person accidentally cut themselves on a piece of paper and called Pauline for an emergency. She was no help of course by saying that the patient hadn't stopped bleeding after a deep wound" Martin moaned
Anna laughed a little and then looked down at her dinner in embarrassment.
"How was your day?" Martin asked the same to Louisa
"Oh well it went OK actually, I'm organising a fete for the half term next week" Louisa explained, "There are going to be all sorts there, I just need to ring around and ask different people what they can do"
"Oh… sounds good" Martin said
"Can I do hair and make-up?" Anna asked happily
"If you don't mind the occasional head lice Anna" Martin grunted
"Err! Maybe not!" Anna pulled a face at the thought
"He's right, many youngsters do carry head lice. I keep trying to inform parents to check their children's hair." Louisa said
"Can we stop talking about his please?" Emily pleaded disgusted
"Have you heard from Sam?" Martin wondered
All three of them looked at each other and Louisa finally said
"He phoned today to say that he's OK and finding the books useful that you brought him, Martin!" Louisa smiled
The girls knew not to say anything about him coming home the following week.
"Oh good"
Louisa sighed in relief that nobody mentioned anything.
The half term came quickly and Louisa was preparing the fete on the school playground with Emily and Anna.
"Mum!" Anna called, "Where shall I put this?"
She was carrying a table with one of her friends.
"Over there by the gates!" Louisa pointed
Emily was setting up a cake sale with the cakes she had made and others as well. She was raising money for the RNLI Lifeboats.
Shortly, people started arriving most of which headed straight over to the small merry go round that was set up. Mrs Tishell arrived with some cakes.
"Here we go Emily some to add to the collection" Mrs Tishell handed two tins over
"Oh thank you, that is very kind!" she smiled
"Well anything to help the doctor out," Mrs Tishell gazed in front of her, "Such a lovely, handsome man our Doc is you know"
Emily was horrified, "Yes, well thank you Mrs Tishell"
She knew that the chemist could be a bit strange sometimes and jealous of Louisa, so just ignored it.
A villager walked passed the cake sale and said, "I hope you do give that money to the lifeboat! Unlike your grandfather!"
Emily gave an evil look and felt hurt by what someone had said to her. She didn't understand why he said such a thing and kept it in the back of her mind and would ask Joan because she would tell her the truth.
"Auntie Joan!" Anna shouted as she gave her a hug
"Hello!" Joan smiled, "Where's your mother?"
"Oh she's in her office collecting some things" Anna replied
"Alright, I'll wait until she comes back, don't want to disturb her!"
"Dad's coming later, he's shutting surgery early"
"Oh good, that's nice of him. Never thought he'd do something like that!"
The fete was officially in full bloom. There was the merry go round, candyfloss stall, craft and art stalls, the cake sale, a band playing, Pauline was doing her usual hair braiding and henna tattoo's although she was now in her fourties she couldn't give up. Everybody was enjoying themselves that could be told on the look of people's faces. They also relied on Louisa to organise these events even before she was married she did such a good job and now married with three children she was still doing marvellous. Bert was selling alcohol with Al they had stopped doing it for a while.
"You know what Dad, I've missed this" Al said, "We haven't done something together for a while"
"Well you went off and married Pauline!" Bert said
"You was more than happy for me to though!" Al replied
"I was, but I still haven't got any grandchildren!"
"I'm still trying to convince Pauline!" Al stated
"Well hurry up!" Bert smiled, "To be honest boy, I missed this too!"
"We stopped after displaying Louisa giving birth over the microphone, remember that!" Al laughed
"That wasn't us it was Pauline!" Bert said, "The Doc weren't happy about that when he found out"
"Certainly wasn't!" Al said, "I thought I'd never see the day when the Doc got married after the disaster of the first attempt! Then having an unexpected child, finally resulting in having another two!"
They both laughed as they thought back on the memories in the past.
Martin walked in and was looking for Louisa, but got distracted by Pauline.
"Doc!" she shouted, "Do you want a henna tattoo!"
"Don't be stupid Pauline!" he said
Pauline felt amused that she could still get on his nerves. He still couldn't find Louisa so went over to Emily.
"Hi!" she beamed, "Do you want to buy a cake?"
"No thank you" he said looking around
"She's over by the school entrance talking with other staff," Emily informed
"Thanks"
"Thank you for helping me. It's OK Emily I'm more than happy to support my daughter. Oh thank you Daddy, you're very kind. Gosh!" she said mimicking a conversation between her and Martin doing a deep voice for her father.