Taking Care

by robspace54

Note: This story contains SPOILERS for Doc Martin Series 7. If you don't want to be surprised, STOP READING!

The characters, places and situations of Doc Martin, are owned by Buffalo Pictures. This story makes no claim of remuneration or ownership, nor do I make any attempt to infringe upon any rights of the owners or producers.

Thank you for reading and reviews are much appreciated.

After the end of Series 7…

Janice was finishing feeding James when we went in to our kitchen and fortunately didn't ask any questions, she just slowly said, "Doc."

I turned away from her not able to bear any probing questions.

Louisa spoke up. "Martin is fine, Janice. I'll… uhm, tomorrow then. Same time in the morning?"

Janice picked up her handbag. "Sure. G'night." She went out the door as Louisa turned her face to mine and winced when she saw the look on my face.

Then she pushed our kitchen door closed and I nearly jumped at the sound as it hit the doorjamb and the latch clicked into place. "Sorry Martin," she said as she leaned back against the door. "You must be…"

I sagged onto a kitchen chair to remove my scuffed and muddy shoes.

"Exhausted," she finished for me after turning the latch and pushing home the security bolt. "Stay right there." She marched from the room and I heard her rattle the front door and then by degrees check all the window latches on the first floor.

I watched James Henry's head swivel around as he followed the sounds as Louisa made the rounds. He finally turned to face me and gave me a four-toothed grin. I started to reach for him but stopped, staring down at my dirt-encrusted hand. "Hello James. Sorry. Let me wash."

At the sink I had a good scrub as I heard Louisa lift the phone in the other room and make a call of some kind. I dried my hands then released James from his highchair. When I lifted his warm and chunky body he clutched at my suit lapels and pushed gooey lips to mine.

Louisa came back finding me leaning back against the sink, cradling James. "Ah," she said.

Suddenly my eyes got very wet and I had to blink them rapidly.

"Oh," moaned Louisa as she ran across the room and put her arms around me and James. "Martin," she whispered, "and James, my two men." She kissed James' head and then my cheek.

She was startled at the wetness she felt there. "Martin?"

I couldn't trust myself to speak only reveling in the feel as she held me while James' little hands circled my neck.

I saw her run her tongue over her lips then she brushed my cheek with her hand. "You're crying."

I nodded. Yes, Louisa, I'm crying and not without good reason.

"DAMN THEM," Louisa hissed. "Penhale ought to lock them up!"

I sighed and shook my head. "They need…"

"A jail cell!"

"Uhm, perhaps… there were… mitigating…"

Louisa hugged me tighter. "No Martin! Don't say it. Those two. Ooooh! I ought to…"

"What? Mrs. Witten was only…"

"Only threatening my husband. Honestly Martin you can't forgive that!"

I tried to shush her.

"Don't shush me Martin… don't do that! Let me be angry for both of us."

I bobbed my head not wanting to move. "Right."

I don't know how long we stood like that, but it was long enough for me to tell that James needed a clean nappy and he was starting to fall asleep.

"Here," Louisa said. "Let me have him. You're hungry; you must be."

I shrugged, too tired to care.

"Look, let me see to James and then I'll fix us something."

"Okay."

She kissed me. "You able to wash-up by yourself?"

"Yes."

I plodded up the stairs and stripped off my filthy clothing, while Louisa changed James. Then I took a quick shower and had a shave. Lord knows what pathogens I'd picked up at the Witten house.

I was sitting on the bed pulling on socks when Louisa brought James in. She set our son on the bed where he scooted over by me and started tugging on my arm. "Hello James. I'm…"

"Your daddy's home now, isn't that nice?" She ruffled James' hair then knelt on the bed and hugged me. "I was so worried."

Once again I could not speak but I put my arm around her.

She turned her face and kissed my hand. "Oh my GOD!"

"What?"

"Look at the marks on your wrists!"

I shrugged. "The knots were too tight. After I got the gag off I couldn't untie them using my teeth. That Witten boy pulled them very tight."

Louisa sagged against me. "That must have hurt."

"Not really."

She chuckled. "Trussed up like a pig and tied to a bed."

"Mrs. Witten used pain-killers which she dosed me with last night," I said.

"And they drugged you as well?" Louisa said through gritted teeth. "Well don't you worry. Let's feed you up, I'll bathe James and we'll have a quiet evening."

"I heard you use the phone."

"I called Penhale and told him that he was to keep watch outside the house tonight from down the hill. I don't want anyone disturbing us and if you don't swear out a complaint against them then I will."

"Fine. Yes. Right. So you've locked our doors, barred the windows and set the local constabulary to stand guard," I grunted.

She smiled at me. "Better yet. Joe said he's got Buddy with him and both will patrol."

I could only shake my head. "Portwenn. They're all mad."

Louisa chuckled. "Janice thought the Beast of Bodmin got you, but it was only loopy farmers."

"Loopy farmers. That about sums it up. But she was only doing right by her husband."

Louisa ran a finger along the red line on my wrist. "I'll never let you go you know," she said but she was smiling.

"Good. Me too." Looking back it all seemed a horrible dream. I took her fingers in mine and smiled at her.

"Dinner?"

"Yes. Famished."

She fed me a nice chicken casserole and salad, with pears for afters. We didn't say much as we ate, while James crawled about on the floor making gurgling noises and offering up toys for our inspection.

Louisa tried to stop me from doing anything that evening but we bathed James together and then I read him his bedtime story. Tonight was the one about the rabbit who traveled to the moon.

After he got his night bottle he rapidly fell asleep in my lap so I carried him to his cot and tucked him in. I stared down at his sleeping blonde head for long minutes. "G'night James Henry," I told him. "I was afraid…"

I heard Louisa cough and she was standing in the door. "I'd have been scared stiff," she said when she came to my side. "Guns and all that."

"That's not what I meant. But Louisa I recall it was you who brandished a shotgun on our wedding night and today you were the one who hid a penknife."

She hugged me. "Martin I couldn't let them hurt you."

"Ah."

"No I mean it. You and James; you're all I've got." Suddenly she was squeezing me while her lips pressed against mine. "And I'd have done whatever it took to keep you safe; protect you."

I smiled for I knew it was the fierce lioness that guarded the cubs and did all the hunting. "Watch out for the wrath of Louisa Glasson," I murmured into her hair.

"Louisa Ellingham," she corrected me. "And don't you forget it. Oh and Ruth; we've got her."

I looked down at her shining eyes. "And we don't need Dr. Timoney."

"No. We'll sort it. You and me. Just have to take care."

When I was restrained I thought about Louisa and James. She'd be worried for I'd missed our planned dinner. When the chance came to get away I had and nearly had made it. I sighed.

"Were you scared?" she asked.

I looked at her more closely. "Yes, the guns and such but I was more scared that we might not get back together."

She nodded. "Me too. But we are; together."

"I was concerned that you would be worried."

"I was." She drew me out into the hall and swung James' door closed but for a crack. "I didn't think you'd bug out like that. I was certain you hadn't."

"Bug out?"

"Means run away. I tried to talk to Ruth why you might be missing but she dropped a lot of psychological stuff on me about fight or flight but that's not your way."

"Ha. You ought to have seen me run across the moor."

"That's not what I mean. It took a bit to stir up Joe Penhale but he did help. So we had to find you. Beat the bushes as it were, but there you were." She peered at me and asked, "Penny for 'em?"

"I can't believe you just marched up and knocked on the door."

She chuckled. "They had you, my husband, and I wasn't gonna let anything or anybody get in the way. It's my job to keep you safe Martin – to take care of you. If it took facing down a madwoman then so be it."

For a long time I felt that I had been trying to take care of the village for I was their GP. I had a duty of care. It was my job to take care of these fools who disregarded medical advice, dabbled in near witchcraft, and would rather tie a salted cod around an ailing toe instead of taking their gout medication. But as I held Louisa and I heard our son mumble in his sleep from his cot, I realized I'd got it wrong. Every time I was taking care of them, they were taking care of me.

"Martin?"

I closed my eyes. "Louisa thank you for coming after me."

She smiled and drew me into a deep and satisfying kiss. After we broke for air, she whispered. "We've got a bloodhound at the door, the local knight is patrolling the battlements, and the gates are up and locked. So Martin, what shall we do now?"

"Uhm, perhaps we should… practice… those hugging exercises that Dr. Timoney gave us?"

"I love you Martin."

"And I love you Louisa."

She smiled and drew me into our darkened bedroom.

THE END

A huge thanks to Snowsie2011 for our little chats about the plotting of S7! And I borrowed one of your behind the scenes ideas.

Thanks for reading,

Rob