Disclaimer: Doc Martin is the property of Buffalo Pictures. I own nothing.

Chapter Fourteen

Bert caught Chelsey automatically, settling her on his hip as if she was a toddler. She buried her head in his shoulder and Bert patted her back soothingly, saying,

'There, there. What's the matter? You tell Bert what's wrong.'

Chelsey whispered something and Bert bent his head to listen and then winced as his back protested,

'Hang on a minute. Let's get comfy and then you can tell me all about it.'

Bert sat down on the nearest chair, pulling Chelsey on to his lap. As he did, he realised that Chelsey was shivering. Touching her hand and finding it icy, he said,

'You're frozen! Al, fetch my spare jumper from the kitchen.'

Al went into the kitchen and got Bert's spare tank top and Bert slipped it over Chelsey's head. It was huge on her, covering her from shoulder to knee but it was warm and Chelsey snuggled gratefully into its warmth. Seeing Chelsey sniffing, Sally passed her a tissue. Chelsey wiped her eyes and blew her nose, curling up gratefully in Bert's lap. After a couple of minutes, Bert said,

'What happened?'

'I was asleep and I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I was back…there…you know…under the rubble again…alone with Jack and Laura and Miss Glasson… only this time Miss Glasson really was dead…and…and when I woke up it was dark and when I called nobody came…and…and…I thought it was real. I was so scared…And then I was in the middle of the street and I didn't know how I got there.'

'Well, not to worry, you're safe now,' said Bert, looking helplessly across at Paul.

'The important thing is that you're not hurt and you know it was only a nightmare, don't you?' said Paul.

'Yes,' said Chelsey, doubtfully, 'but why didn't Dad or Emily come when I called?'

'Something must've cropped up,' said Bert, 'Why don't I get Al to give your Dad a ring and find out what's what?'

As he said it, Bert nodded to Al, who disappeared into the kitchen. Bert calmly sat and waited and Chelsey relaxed, comforted by the sense of safety his size and gentleness gave her.
A couple of minutes later, Al came out,

'The lights fused so your Dad and Emily went down the cellar to fix it. That's why no one heard you. And why it was dark.'

'So they didn't leave me?'

'Course not. Your Dad would never do that.'

'No, Mum would kill him.'

Bert smiled and Chelsey smiled back, releasing her hold on him and sitting up. Encouraged, Bert said,

'Mum at work tonight?'

'Yes, she's on nights all week.'

Chelsey shivered again and Bert said,

'Why don't I get you some hot chocolate?'

'Yes, please.'

Chelsey slipped off Bert's lap and stood, hesitantly looking over at Paul and Sally. Sally immediately said,

'Why don't you sit on my lap? You could have my coat on your lap to warm you up.'

Chelsey nodded and when her father and sister arrived, she was sat happily on Sally's lap, sipping hot chocolate.

'Chelsey, what happened?' asked Emily.

'I had a nightmare and when I woke it was dark so I thought it was real.'

'Why didn't you call us?'

'I did!'

'Well, I didn't hear you.'

'But weren't you in the cellar?' intervened Bert, hastily.

'Yes, Dad needed me to hold the torch so he could change the fuse.'

'Most likely you wouldn't have heard Chelsey then. Sound don't travel well through those old walls.'

'True,' said Emily, mollified.

Ian Baker stepped forward and took Chelsey from Sally's lap, standing her on the floor. Putting his hands gently on her shoulders and looking her in the eye, he said,

'Your Mum and I would never leave you alone. You know that.'

'I was just so scared when I woke up and it was dark.'

Ian Baker nodded and picked her up, holding her as easily as if she were a tiny baby. He turned to Bert, saying,

'Thank you.'

'It's no problem at all. It took me back to when Al was a nipper. If ever he had cheese for supper, he used to have the most terrible nightmares. Took the missus and I ages to figure it out. Went to the doc in the end. Doctor Sims, of course, not Doc Martin. Anyway, he made us write a food diary and there it was, clear as day, whenever Al had cheese on toast he had nightmares.'

Ian Baker gave Bert a slightly puzzled look but didn't say anything, knowing that his rambling was virtually random. As Ian turned to go, he noticed that Chelsey was wearing one of Bert's tank tops,

'Give Mr Large his top back, Chelsey.'

Chelsey started to wriggle out of it but Bert said,

'No need, it's my spare.'

'Are you sure?' asked Ian.

'Yes, she can bring it back tomorrow; it's bitter out.'

Ian nodded and gave Chelsey a discreet nudge,

'Thank you for lending me your jumper and for the hot chocolate, Mr Large.'

'That's all right, sweetheart. You can come and have hot chocolate anytime. And Emily too.'

Chelsey beamed and Emily looked pleased.

After the Baker's had gone, Paul paid the bill and he and Sally left the restaurant. Sally refused to let Paul walk her home so they said goodbye at the top of the stairs. Paul was relieved to see that the earlier constraint had vanished and that Sally was treating him like a friend again.

The next day Chelsey told all her friends how kind Mr Large and Mrs Tishell and Doctor Milligan had been and Bert told all of his friends about the fright that Chelsey had had and how glad he'd been to have back up from Sally and Paul. By the end of the day, everyone in Port Wenn knew that Sally and Paul had had dinner together and someone had decided that something should be done about it.

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