Chapter 54 – Road ahead

I held Martin's hand on our way over to his car. He looked nervously at me when he held the open door as I slid into the seat. "Problem?" I asked.

He sighed. "I hope you're not planning on clutching my hand all the way back to Portwenn."

I chuckled. "We'll see, won't we?"

He dipped his head to the side as he helped me scoot further into the car. "Make sure your seat belt is well placed below your, uhm, tummy," he cautioned. "Across the pelvic bones."

"Yes, Martin," I replied testily.

"Louisa, I am only…"

"Yes, I know, Martin, but I am perfectly capable of putting on a seatbelt." I looked up at his surprised face. "I am not a child, nor am I impaired. Right? I am pregnant; not ill."

He winced. "I'm… only showing… my concern."

I smiled and touched his hand. "I and your son appreciate it; we do. But give me some credit."

He nodded. "Fine. Okay. Good." He closed the door, walked around the care, and got in behind the wheel. "I…"

Changing the subject I touched his elbow. "Oh Martin we're going to have a boy."

"Yes," he grunted.

"Isn't it exciting?"

"Babies are generally male or female except for rare…"

"Stop!" I commanded. "I do not want to hear a soliloquy about genetic disorders."

He nodded. "Right. Sorry."

"I really hadn't planned on asking about the baby's sex, but," I shrugged, "now we know. Takes some of the surprise out of it."

He buckled his seat belt and started the car, then released the brake and slowly backed from the parking spot. "Need anything while we are in town?"

I patted his elbow. "Got you, so no."

He glanced at me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know; you, me – stuff."

"What stuff?"

I sighed at my ever literal Martin. "Nothing Martin."

We rode most of the way back to the village in companionable silence, but for when we hit traffic. In Cornwall the word traffic meant livestock on the road.

"God!" Martin expounded. "Must they move sheep in the middle of the day?" He blew the hooter at the sheep which blocked the road from side to side.

A farmer on our left lifted his battered hat to us, and then whistled, urging the animals to come faster. The road was narrow and he was moving a flock of a hundred or so sheep from one field to the other. Each field was enclosed with low walls of gray stone, so to me it was a very idyllic, very iconic of this part of my world. The blue sky above, green grass and gorse below, and the woolly backs of the sheep as they made their way across the road and through a gate.

The shepherd stood by an open gate, holding his staff, lightly touching the backs of animals that were timid at the opening in the wall. A black and white dog ran to-and-fro at his command, herding the animals forward and keeping them bunched together.

"That's what I need in the schoolyard sometimes," I murmured.

"What?" Martin replied.

"A border collie or maybe a Sheltie. To urge the students back into the building after recess."

He shook his head. "Children aren't animals. Well, I mean they are, but with a sense of reason. Mostly."

"Is that all we are Martin? Animals?"

The road was still blocked and Martin shook his head. "Come on!" he yelled out the window. "These sheep are a nuisance."

"Oh? You have wool jumpers and blankets and you do eat mutton, Martin."

"But they're blocking our path!"

I chuckled. "No rush is there? Just enjoy it. It's a beaut of a day."

He looked at me for a few seconds but then seemed to relax.

"What?" I asked.

"You – no, we're not animals, that is, we are mammals. But we build, reason, think, and plan. None of those sheep ever read a book or wrote one."

I took his hand. "And remember."

He looked down where I was stroking his left hand, and then he slowly interlaced his fingers in mine. "Louisa, I do remember."

"What?"

"If that Lolly person," he waved his right hand, "the uhm, with the back injury."

I racked my brain. "You mean my friend Holly?"

"Holly. Right. The cellist. Okay. If she had not injured her back." He lifted my hand as if to say none of this would have happened.

"I'm not sorry, you know. Not the teeniest bit." The day she gotr hurt was the day we got engaged, and that night we slept together for the first time.

"What?"

I pulled his hand towards me and pressed it palm down against my blown-up belly where inside our unborn son was doing somersaults. "This. Him. You and me. I'm not sorry we're together and making a baby."

He pursed his lips. "Ah. You have said that once or twice."

"And you?" I asked.

He wrinkled his nose. "If it makes you happy."

Hm. "Does it make you happy, Martin?"

He dipped his head to the side, in that way which he seemed to show doubt or uncertainty. "Louisa, it's not a matter of happy; it just is."

I held his hand firmly against me. "He's right in here, Martin, doing jumps on my bladder. We just can't see him. A lot more than just is, wouldn't you say?"

He looked from my face to my belly then back up to my eyes. "Yes. Louisa… I want to say… ought to say… actually…"

Ahead of us the sheep were finally clearing from the road. The collie ran another circuit, nipping at stragglers, until they were all through the gate. The farmer doffed his hat to us and waved us through with a big sweep of his arm but Martin was still staring at my face.

"The road ahead is clear Martin," I told him. "Move on."

His eyes whipped ahead then back to me. "Louisa…"

A loud horn behind us started to blare, so Martin had to drive forward.

He sighed, "Always something."

Another mile passed under our wheels. "I don't want Dr. Montgomery to be my doctor anymore," I said.

He nodded. "Right."

"I suppose you told Chris Parsons about the machine mix-up."

"I did."

"I imagine Chris was not pleased."

He nodded. "Correct."

"Something they will have to sort."

"Indeed."

"Take action."

He harrumphed. "The problem with people like Edith Montgomery is they think they can swan along making a mess of things and get off scot free."

"But you fixed it, Martin. You were there to catch her mistake."

He wrinkled his nose. "Just doing…" he stopped. "But what if I had not been there, Louisa? That woman managed to scare the dickens out of you as it was, plus God knows how many others."

"I suppose that is true."

"So no need for you to defend her. It's in your nature to want to take pity on people; to help them, but Edith, erh, Dr. Montgomery is a grown woman. She can stand up and take punishment for her lack of care." He shook his head.

That settled her hash then. "Martin, I… I was in the elevator back there and I heard some things. It was gossip, but it was about us, really." I bit my lip suspecting he'd explode.

"What's this?"

I told him about the two nattering nurses - giving a general overview of what I'd heard - omitting the juiciest bit at the end.

"Gossiping about us?" he practically screeched. "Good GOD!" Suddenly he jerked the wheel and the car swerved to the right then back into the proper lane.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Badger in the road." He nervously looked in the rear view mirror. "Stupid animal."

I craned my head backwards and saw the creature successfully run from roadway to the grassy verge. "She's safe."

"How do you know it's a she?" he scoffed.

"I don't. But she made it across the road." It wasn't an argument but it nearly felt like one. "Well, anyway, one of the things I did hear was…"

"Nearly home," he blurted out and with swift movements of wheel and throttle steered the Lexus up Rosscarrock Hill to the surgery. Before I could say more, he put the brake on, threw open the door and sprang forth.

Luckily I was on the downhill side of the car side so could slide out without needing a stevedore. Martin rapidly was right there at my side to help me get steady on my feet.

"Careful Louisa, that stone is a bit loose," he pointed down.

He was practically holding me in his arms and it felt good.

He cleared his throat."Ah, I want to tell you something."

"Doc! Hey Doc!" a man's voice yelled at us.

"Oh God," he muttered. "What?" We turned to see Chippy Miller limping uphill.

Chippy smiled. "Doc! Louisa, sorry. Uhm, see, I got this thing with my ankle, or maybe my knee, or hip? I'm not sure. Was wondering if you could look at it?"

"No!" Martin yelled. "Surgery is closed. Have you fallen? Is this an emergency?"

"No, not actually," Chippy, "but if I'm disabled, then I need a letter for the Relief Board."

Martin looked him up and down. "I see you managed to practically run up here and quite rapidly. I think you can wait. Now go away!"

"But Doc?" Chippy moaned. "It hurts."

Martin bristled. "No! Apply ice, take paracetamols and elevate the limb. Call for an appointment!" Assuming that Chippy would heed him, he turned back to me. "Louisa, as I was saying…" he started to whisper.

Chippy persisted. "But Doc!"

I intruded. "Chippy I'm sure Dr. Ellingham will be glad to see you, only make it tomorrow. Right?" I smiled at Chippy and he rewarded me with a grin.

"Okay. Thanks anyway." Chippy turned around and began to limp away while Martin sighed at the man. "I hate that."

"Oh, Chippy is alright," I answered.

We watched as Chippy stumbled away, none too steady on his pins.

Martin took my hand. "Louisa, I was going to say, uhm, tell you, that is - I will tell you…"

"Go on. What's this about?"

He pursed his lips and then took a big breath. "In hospital, out in the hallway, when Edith, uhm, took me out to have a chat, I gave her back her poorly written manuscript. I then informed her I would no longer be collaborating with her in any way."

"Collaborating? What's that mean?"

Martin seemed very nervous now. "Look Louisa, I know this, our pregnancy, this baby boy, was not planned. I also know that I've been – difficult – with you while living in the surgery. Now that I'm staying... in Portwenn..."

"Yes?"

He cleared his throat. "So… uhm, well the fact of the matter…"

"Right." I sighed guessing what he wanted. "You want me to move out. Me and the baby will make it too cramped. Right. Can do." I said the words but I didn't mean it, only guessing his drift, while my eyes got very wet.

"No!" he hissed. "Good God! No, please, just wait Louisa…"

"Yes?" I felt my blood pressure going up as well.

"Please Louisa, I want to be with… you and only YOU. When I told Edith that I wanted to be with you and not her, that's when she slapped me."

All my pent up anxieties flew off on the wind. "Oh Martin!" I kissed him deeply. "Oh I want you too! You and me and our son!"

He nearly smiled as he threw his arms around me and pressed his cheek against mine.