Hi! I'll be updating quite frequently for now as I have about 18 chapters written at the moment, but then I will slow up a bit after that. I plan to write about 20 chapters, so let me know if you want the rest of the chapters all put up in the next couple of days or a couple per week!


Chapter 3

As Carole walked towards the Regnery house, which was where she was certain that Mrs Reg was, she began to wonder how Alex had got Meningitis in the first place. That was when a thought struck her and she quickened her pace from a leisurely walk and ran towards the house.

Once inside the house she headed for the kitchen and it was there that she found Mrs Reg reading a book on horsemanship. Mrs Reg looked up when she heard the kitchen door open and when she saw Carole standing in the doorway she smiled.

"Hello Carole, what can I do for you?"

"Mrs Reg," Carole asked tentatively "Is Meningitis like Mumps?"

"In what way do you mean Carole?"

"I mean that you can be carrying the virus and not know that you are, then spread the virus to others before you start feeling sick or showing any symptoms?" asked Carole nervously.

"Not that I know of. Why?" asked Mrs Reg, confused as to why Carole would ask a question like that.

"Oh good. I was afraid that Lisa would get sick to." Said Carole and as she spoke her face flooded with relief. Mrs Reg was about to go back to her reading and this question had caught her completely off guard. She looked at Carole utterly confused.

"What? Lisa? Oh, do you mean about the vaccinations? No, you, Lisa and Phil should be fine."

"Thanks Mrs Reg!" Carole said with a smile creeping its way onto her face. No matter what the problem was Mrs Reg could always make her smile. "What's good for treating shock?"

"Ah." Mrs Reg said with a smile. "A rest in a clean stable, some red rose remedy and rescue remedy mixed in with some nice warm bran mash."

"No Mrs Reg," Carole said while trying to suppress her giggles "I meant in people!"

"Ah," said Mrs Reg, who by now was also laughing. "Well that's much different then. Let me see, sit them down."

"Done that," Carole muttered under her breath before asking "What else?"

"Well that depends on whether you are dealing with a child or an adult."

"What if it's a child?" asked Carole inquisitively.

"I'm sure a steaming hot mug of hot chocolate should do the trick. That and a lot of comfort and sympathy but that depends on how bad the shock is." Mrs Reg answered, going back to her book.

"Thanks Mrs Reg. Can you help me make some of that 'steaming hot' hot chocolate you mentioned?" Carole asked now with quite a large smile on her face.

"Of course I will Carole," said Mrs Reg. Still with most of her attention on the book she was reading. "So I'm guessing that you weren't speaking hypothetically then. So who's in shock?"

"It's Lisa."

"Lisa!" Mrs Reg closed her book with a snap and Carole now had her full attention. "What happened?"

"Nothing since you left Mrs Reg but it's what you told us about Alex." Carole replied.

"But why would that affect Lisa more than you or Phil?" asked Mrs Reg while adding the hot chocolate powder to the milk that she had just heated.

"Do you promise not to tell anyone what I am about to tell you?" Carole asked Mrs Reg with a smile creeping onto her face.

"I promise." Mrs Reg held one hand over her heart and the other in the air at shoulder height to indicate that she wouldn't tell a soul.

"Well," Carole looked around to make sure that nobody else was in the room before turning back to Mrs Reg and saying "Lisa is going out with Alex so it would be hardest on her."

"Oh poor Lisa!" Mrs Reg commented, her face full of concern. "Well, that's the hot chocolate. I'll be around in about five minutes to help."

"Thanks Mrs Reg." Carole said. She was very grateful that Mrs Reg was willing to help. "Phil and I might be able to calm her down but if you could think of a way to cheer her up or take her mind off it for a while would be really helpful!"

"I'll see what I can do." Mrs Reg replied with a wink.


So? I don't have a clue if anything referring to treatment for shock in this chapter is correct, I just made it up as I went along!