Title: An unexpected gift of fate 7/11
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries
Author: Ceindreadh
Type of Story: multi-part
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Lucien Blake, Charlie Davis, Jean Beazley, Mattie O'Brien
Rating: 15
Summary: An apparently minor incident has major consequences for Lawson
Genre: Hurt/comfort, romance (pairings to be revealed later), friendship
Word count: ~
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Thanks to Tina for all her help and input

Previously - Lawson collapsed in front of Mattie with acute appendicitis and underwent emergency surgery. After being discharged from hospital, he returned to Blake's house to recuperate.

Chapter 7 – Convalescence


Jean balanced the breakfast tray in one hand as she knocked on the door with the other. She waited for a 'come in' before opening the door.

"Good morning, Matthew," said Jean, bustling round the room with brisk efficiency and setting down the tray on the bedside table before pulling open the drapes.

"Good morning to you too, Jean," said Lawson, sitting himself up in the bed.

"How are you feeling today?" asked Jean as she poured him a cup of tea.

"Better than I did yesterday," said Lawson.


It had been three days since Blake had brought Lawson home from the hospital, and the household had quickly settled into a routine around their convalescing guest.
Jean brought Lawson his breakfast in the morning, along with the daily newspaper. Once he'd finished the paper and listened to the wireless for a bit, he was allowed out of bed for a few hours, which were usually spent resting in either the living room or the sun room. It was frustrating for Lawson to be idle for so long, but at least it was a bit of a change in the scenery.

He took lunch with Jean, and sometimes Mattie and Blake as their respective schedules allowed. If the weather was fine, he was allowed out into the garden in the afternoon, with strict instructions not to exert himself. By the time dinner was served in the evening, Lawson was usually tired enough that he was grateful to spend the rest of the evening in his room with the wireless and a few books for company. He had the occasional visitor, but for the most part Lawson's time was spent solely with members of the Blake household.
Still, it wasn't all bad, thought Lawson, as he stretched out on the couch one afternoon. Even if his movements were almost as restricted as they had been while in the hospital, the very fact of being in a proper bed and a proper home, had him feeling much better. Or maybe it was just Jean's cooking that was doing the trick thought Lawson with a smile. All in all, he was grateful to Blake for putting him up during his convalescence.


The responsibilities of being a good host were on Blake's mind as he knocked on Mattie's door.

"Is dinner ready?" asked Mattie, looking up from her books in surprise. "I didn't hear Jean calling."

"No, it'll be another ten minutes," said Blake. "I just wanted to ask a favour of you."

"Of course," said Mattie, "What do you need?"

"Well, you know the lecture at the art gallery that we were all going to go to tomorrow night?"

Mattie nodded as Blake continued.

"I know we've been looking forward to it, but I really would prefer not to leave Matthew here alone, and he's not really fit enough to come with us...not that it'd really be his cup of tea at all. And I know it's a bit of an imposition..."

"I don't mind staying home," said Mattie. "And to be honest, art isn't really my thing either." And neither was being a gooseberry while Jean and Lucien were dancing around each other, thought Mattie, wryly. "I'll look in on him, make sure he's okay." She smiled, "And then you and Jean can have the evening to yourselves."

"Mattie, you're an angel," said Blake, smiling back at her.

"Just be sure and behave yourself with Jean," said Mattie, with a wink.

"I'll be the perfect gentleman."

"I wouldn't go quite that far!" said Mattie, who had heard all about the kiss at the doorway.


Jean had told her all about it a few days later. "And then the phone rang," said Jean, "And a part of me was annoyed at whoever it was that had needed to get in touch at that hour."

"That was probably me," said Mattie, looking gloomily at the cup of tea on the table in front of her. "I think I dialled the house about a dozen times that night."

"Oh Mattie," said Jean, patting Mattie on the hand. "I didn't mean..."

"It's all right," said Mattie, pulling herself together, "Come on, you can't stop there."

"Well, as I was saying, a part of me was annoyed at the interruption...but another part of me was almost, well, relieved."

"Relieved?"

Jean nodded, "Yes. It just all seemed to have happened so fast. Maybe he just got carried away by the movie and the romance of it all. I just didn't want him doing something that he, well, that both of us might regret the next day."

"And how has he behaved since then?" asked Mattie.

"That's just it; he hasn't behaved any differently than usual." Jean took a drink from her cup before putting it back down on the table. "I mean, I know with what's happened with Matthew, obviously Lucien has had other things on his mind. But I admit it's a bit of a bruise to my self-esteem that he hasn't even mentioned it."

"Well like you said, he's been worried about the Superintendent," said Mattie. "Maybe you should say something to him."

"Oh I couldn't," said Jean. "What if he feels it was a mistake, and just wants to let it all blow over."

"What if he's waiting for *you* to say something? Maybe he just doesn't want to embarrass you by bringing it up if you don't want to take it further." Mattie paused for a few seconds before asking, "Do you want to take things further with Lucien?"

Jean sighed, "He is a lovely man...when he's not being his usual impossible self that is. I care about him as a friend, a dear friend, and I don't want to spoil our friendship if things don't work out." She toyed with her teacup. "I should just let things lie, there's no point in rocking the boat."

"Sometimes you just have a take a chance on things, Jean. Maybe it won't work out, but if you don't try, you'll never know."


"You and Jean have a good time," said Mattie, as she tidied away her books. "I'll look after Matthew."


"I do hope Matthew will be all right," said Jean as Blake drove into downtown Ballarat. "Maybe we shouldn't have left him."

"He'll be fine," said Blake, "Mattie will keep an eye on him; if there are any problems, she has the phone number of the gallery. And let's face it, she's already shown she can keep her head in an emergency situation."

"It's keeping her temper I'm more worried about," said Jean. "You know how fired up she can be when she gets an idea into her head. I don't want her starting an argument with Matthew over the death penalty or prisoners rights. He needs to be taking things easy, not getting wound up."

"Oh I'm sure Lawson would give as good as he'd get from Mattie," said Blake with a smile. "Besides, what would they have to argue about? It's not like he's beaten up any prisoners in the past week."

"Lucien!"

"Sorry Jean," said Blake, with not a trace of remorse. "Look, I think you're worrying unnecessarily. After all, they've been breaking bread together for the last few days and it's all been quite pleasant, smiles all round." He glanced over at Jean. "I know you're just looking out for Matthew, we all are. But we can't keep him wrapped in cotton wool. In any case, I'd be almost happy if Mattie *did* manage to get him wound up. He has been pretty subdued since his operation. Yes, I know," Blake added quickly, to stave off Jean's interruption, "It is hardly surprising after all he went through."

"I was going to say that I'd noticed that as well," admitted Jean. "The last time I saw him like this...well it was just before he was called to that disciplinary hearing and he was bottling up all his concerns."

"I'm sure that once he's feeling better, he'll be back to his old self," said Blake as he expertly pulled in to a parking space. "Just wait until he's back on his feet, back at work and yelling at his coppers for not doing things the way he likes them. He'll be fine. Anyway, there's nothing we can do about it tonight, so let's just have a good time." Blake smiled at Jean.

Jean returned the smile. "Lucien is right," she thought as Blake took her arm and escorted her across the road. "Matthew just needs some rest and Mattie certainly wouldn't do anything to impair his recovery." With that thought, she put the matter from her mind.


"Oh! You are the most impossible man I have ever met," said Mattie.

"I hardly think that's fair," said Lawson. "Blake's far more impossible than I am!"

Mattie couldn't help but laugh, "All right, maybe you're not the *most* impossible man...but you're certainly the most impossible patient. And here was I thinking that Doctors made for bad patients!"

It had all started an hour earlier, when Mattie, acting in her capacity as Lawson's hostess for the night, had brought him his evening tea and some biscuits on a tray. To save herself having to make a few journeys back and forth to the kitchen, she'd brought her own cup as well, intending to return to her room with it as soon as she'd tended to Lawson. To her surprise, and possibly his own as well, Lawson had asked her to join him in listening to the wireless.

Mattie had only briefly hesitated, before smiling warmly and sitting down in the armchair. "Just until I finish my cuppa," she said, "I do need to get back to my books. My exams will be coming up before I know it."

"You've got a heavy workload," said Lawson. "Full time job, and all these extra hours studying as well."

"Not to mention Lucien dragging me along whenever he needs a 'girl Friday' to help him investigate!" said Mattie.

"He got you doing any of that recently?" asked Lawson, an innocent expression on his face.

"Well actually..." Mattie looked at Lawson, "Oh no, we are *not* discussing police business. Charlie told me that Jean chucked him out of your hospital room when she caught him doing that."

Lawson was taking a drink of his tea and as he started to laugh, he nearly choked on the beverage.

"Matthew, are you all right?" asked Mattie, putting her cup down quickly, ready to go to his aid.

"I...I'm fine," said Lawson, putting his cup down as well and coughing to clear his throat. "Just went down the wrong way is all." He took a deep breath, "Ah, that's better."

"Good, because for a minute there I thought it was going to be the second time you'd been sick after I'd made you a drink. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my tea making skills!"

"Nothing wrong with the cuppa, Mattie," said Lawson. "Only thing that could improve it might be a drop of whisky." He smiled at Mattie, "I'm sure Blake wouldn't mind."

"Sorry," said Mattie, "I don't know where he keeps it."

"Not to worry," said Lawson. "I'm a police officer; we're very good at finding things that people have hidden." He made as if to get up from the bed.

"Oh no you don't!" said Mattie, "I am *not* letting you go hunting round Blake's study. And besides, even if you *did* find it, you shouldn't be drinking while you're still on medication."

"I won't tell him if you don't!"

"Oh! You are the most impossible man I have ever met," said Mattie.

"I hardly think that's fair," said Lawson. "Blake's far more impossible than I am!"

Mattie couldn't help but laugh, "All right, maybe you're not the *most* impossible man...but you're certainly the most impossible patient. And here was I thinking that Doctors made for bad patients!

They chatted amicably for a while longer before Mattie looked at her watch and sighed, "It's getting late," she said as she stood up. "I really should get back to my books." Tidying up the tray, she carried it to the door. "Goodnight Matthew."

"Goodnight Mattie," said Lawson. After the door shut behind Mattie, he turned off the light and was soon asleep, a smile on his face.


to be continued