Doc Martin and all recognizable characters belong to Buffalo Pictures. This is a work of fiction and is for entertainment only. No copyright infringement intended.

Author's Note: To all of you - I now consider you part of my "family tree," - thanks so much for the words of encouragement. Any more reviews are always appreciated!

Chapter 10

Louisa walked quickly toward Martin. She did not quite know what to do. Her immediate thought was to hug him but she was unsure if he would welcome physical contact. Sometimes that seemed to close him down. But, heaven knew, she needed a hug herself because she was so glad to see him. Finally she decided to try to hug him and just see what happened.

She got close enough and began to hold out her arms, looking him straight in the eye. Martin moved just a step closer to her and that was all of the encouragement she needed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close, breathing in his scent, feeling his strong heartbeat against her body. He was so tense. What could have happened, she thought? How am I going to get him to tell me?

She continued to hug him for a moment more and then stepped back and looked up at him. She decided that perhaps the best thing she could do right now was to just care for his physical needs and worry about the talking later. "Martin," she said. "Do you feel like you can walk down to the surgery now or should we wait a bit? I can wait as long as you need because I have someone covering my work for the rest of the day. What would you like to do?"

Martin hesitated. He knew he was about to cry of all things. He hated for anyone to see him like this, most of all Louisa, for whom he felt he needed to be strong. He certainly didn't want to go back to the surgery and have Morwenna see him like this. He would never hear the end of the speculation about what was wrong with the Doc now. "Let's just walk a bit Louisa, if you don't mind."

"All right Martin, if you feel okay," Louisa said.

"Yes," he replied and began to walk around the cliff, not too close to the edge, but in the direction away from the surgery. Louisa kept silent and just walked beside him for a while and then, to her surprise, he took her hand. His felt clammy to her touch, but at least he was no longer vomiting. They walked in quiet and she sensed that he relaxed the tiniest bit.

Finally he led her around in the other direction, toward the surgery and said, "Let's go home, Louisa," in a very tired, quiet voice. She looked into his face and saw that the redness around his eyes was fading and he seemed more in control of his emotions, at least outwardly. They walked in silence down the hill and she noticed Luk walking quickly away as soon as they came into his view. Martin did not seem to notice him; at least he said nothing.

When they arrived at the door, Louisa told Martin to go up to bed and she would see to Morwenna. He nodded his head and walked in and straight up to their bedroom. Morwenna was just finishing a phone call as they arrived so could not question him anyway. Louisa walked over to the desk. Morwenna looked up and straight into Louisa's eyes and asked, "Is the Doc all right?" She lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "Only, before he went down to the pub someone called on the phone and he was shouting. And I swear he said something about his parents dying, Mrs. Ellingham."

Louisa's eyes widened for a moment and then she closed them and thought. She opened them back up and looked at Morwenna. "Morwenna," she said, "I think it is time you called me Louisa, and now I have to ask you a big favor. Two big favors actually. One is not to mention to ANYONE what you think you heard. I can't imagine that being true. I think Martin would have called me, so I am sure you misunderstood; and the second favor is, will you please go down to Anne's around four and get James Henry and bring him home? I will see to the phone while you are gone."

"Sure,... Louisa. I thought I must have misunderstood. I'm sure you're right - he would have called you if something like that had happened," she continued with a question remaining in her voice.

Louisa turned, took her bag, and went upstairs. She heard Martin brushing his teeth. "Martin," she called softly. "May I come in? I'm worried about you."

"No Louisa. I will be fine in a moment. I will be right out and then I think I will go to bed," he called out.

Louisa sat down on the bed in total shock. He was going to bed? Bed? She waited, chewing her lip.

At last he came out of the bathroom and she stood up. "Can I get you anything Martin? Some water maybe? Or just ice?" she asked.

"No Louisa, but thank you," he said. "I think I would just like to try to sleep now if that is all right."

"Sure Martin but...um...sure," she finally said. "I will be in James' room in case you need me. In case you feel sick again." Then, because she couldn't resist any longer she asked, "Martin is there anything bothering you or have you just gotten a flu bug or something?"

"I'm fine Louisa. Fine. I just need to rest. You don't have to stay up here. Go ahead downstairs and take care of your marking or other work," he said.

"Martin. It's me Louisa. Remember? I am the one who loves you. You are obviously ill. I will be in James' room," she said softly as she walked over and closed the blind and then turned off the light.

Louisa went in and sat down in the rocking chair that was kept in James Henry's room. She was worried. She had never known Martin to just stop and lie down like this in the middle of the afternoon. Could his parents have died? Would that make him this upset? She thought back to the night that Martin had told her about his mother and how she had not wanted him. He had apologized to her, she remembered. Was it possible for him to ever understand that the flaw was in his mother, not in him?

And where did his father fit in? Louisa knew that he used harsh punishments but that was about all she knew about how he acted when Martin was young. When they had begun to share bank accounts and financial information right before their wedding, Martin had told her about giving up his flat to his father so that Joan wouldn't lose her home. She remembered that day - she had hugged him and kissed him and told him that knowing his generosity just made her love him all the more. He had been embarrassed but had eventually returned her kisses with enthusiasm.

But they were divorcing weren't they? Why would they both be dead? Morwenna MUST be mistaken. Or perhaps someone was trying to extort money from Martin? Oh, now I am thinking mad thoughts for sure; too much television, she thought. She picked up her bag and began to get out some paperwork she needed to finish. She had to get her mind off of this or she would go crazy. Martin would surely tell her what was going on when he felt better.

In their bedroom, Martin lay staring in the direction of the window, but not really seeing it. He could hear the voice of Fells, or Phipps, oh whoever - in his head - saying that his parents had been killed. Over and over the word was in his mind - killed…..killed. Gone. They were gone. Why should that upset me, he asked himself. They haven't been a part of my life since their last visit. And even longer before that. For God's sake, he thought! Then he turned off those voices, closed his eyes, and found himself falling asleep from pure emotional exhaustion.

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After supper and James' bath, Martin and Louisa went through his bedtime routine together. Louisa noticed that Martin seemed to be absent in a way, not meeting her eyes, but he did give James a kiss and hug before giving him to Louisa to rock for a while.

Louisa went down to the den after the baby was asleep. Martin was sitting on the couch, elbows on his thighs, fingers steepled in front of him, deeply in thought. He was holding a small piece of paper which she recognized as one of the message slips that Morwenna used. She went in and sat down beside him and placed her hands on top of his. "Martin," she said, "Are you ready to talk about what happened today?"

"Yes, I suppose I must. I have embarrassed myself." He sighed, drew a deep breath and began speaking. "Today around half eleven, the phone rang and a gentleman named Judson Phelps was calling. He said…. well he said that he was planning to marry my mother after she got divorced, but Mum was in Kensington two weeks ago with Dad to see a solicitor….and they were both killed in a car accident."

On hearing this, Louisa drew in a deep breath and made as if to speak but Martin held up a hand gently to stop her. He needed to finish this. "She had always told him not to call me if she or Dad died - there was no need she said - and his friends couldn't be bothered either so I am just now finding out. Mum was cremated, Dad buried, and Ruth doesn't know either."

By now, Louisa's eyes were full of tears and she moved toward Martin to hug him. "And you decided to try to go on with your lunch because it didn't matter, am I right Martin?" she asked.

"Well yes, if you must know. It won't really make any difference I suppose except a bunch of bloody paperwork. We now own, or we will soon, two more homes - my old flat in Kensington and the villa in Portugal. I guess I need to call Ruth. And I am going to have to call this man Phelps back. I told him I would," he finished.

"Oh, Martin," Louisa said, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "I am so sorry, just so, so sorry."