Chapter 190

As soon as we got home, I parked directly in front of our cottage, not giving one iota about the parking restrictions. I instructed Louisa to go to bed immediately, but that's when she started to be difficult again.

"Martin, it's early afternoon!" Louisa protested.

"You heard Dr. Green. You've got to rest. Now." I insisted and now I had the sick note to prove my point.

"Yeah, Martin. I've heard Dr. Green, but you've obviously not been listening."

"Louisa," I tried to keep my voice level despite my frustration boiling over. "Dr. Green was very strict..."

I was interrupted by my wife taking my outstretched hand in hers and squeezing it. "...that I take the weight off the uterus. Yes." She interrupted me gently. "I'll do that on the couch. Here."

I gasped, wracking my brain feverishly to state my point, while leading my wife towards the sofa against my better judgement. I arranged some cushions behind her back, against my better judgement. Something within me insisted that it would be a better idea for her to go upstairs, but I couldn't think of anything to prove my point. A reclined, lying position is a reclined lying position after all, no matter where.

Although it was too late to interfere anyway, as Louisa was already lying on the couch in the lounge, I cleared my throat.

"Louisa..." Just then the bloody doorbell rang. I watched the door angrily, hoping to growl the intruder away through the closed door by sheer willpower. I shook my head slightly, trying to focus on my wife again.

"You bare your teeth when you're annoyed, you noticed?" My wife informed me lightly.

"What?" I was momentarily distracted by Louisa's comment. "Never mind..."

"Actually, I don't."

"Louisa..." Now an insistent knocking at the door interrupted me.

"I guess it would be easier and quicker if you'd just answer it." Louisa advised calmly. "It seems whoever's out there is quite persistent."

"Go away!" I shouted in the direction of the door.

There was another banging at the door.

"That doesn't seem to work." Louisa stated irritatingly quiet.

"DOC!" The exclamation accompanied the next attack on our door's wood, followed by the ringing of the bell. It sounded as if the intruder was actually leaning on it.

"Seems to be Joe." Louisa informed me unnecessarily.

"Idiot!" I grumbled.

"As you keep calling him. Whatever you call him, he seems to be eager to talk to you. Besides, dear husband, when the police is knocking at your door, you'd better open it."

Begrudgingly I went for the door. I flung the door open. "WHAT?!" I confronted the policeman.

"Ah, Doc. I'd doubted you'd heard me." The idiot grinned.

"Hardly, given that you almost smashed our door and you were leaning on the bell." I grumbled.

The local PC grinned dimly in response. Hooking one thumb in his belt he used his other thumb to point over his shoulder towards my car.

"Sorry Doc, but you need to move it. It's blocking the road according to the Road Traffic Act 1988."

"What's the matter, Joe?" I heard my wife shout from behind.

I turned around quickly and gestured in the general direction of my wife, although I didn't see her. "Don't get up." I turned back to the moronic intruder. "Move."

"Can't do. Not before you've moved the vehicle."

"What's the matter, Martin?" My wife shouted from inside.

"Don't worry yourself." I tried to console her.

"I'm not worried, just curious." Louisa shouted from within.

"Hello Louiser, how are ya?" Now Penhale was shouting into the darkness of our hallway.

"Stop shouting and leave immediately. Louisa needs rest." I was about to slam the door shut, but Penhale slipped into the hallway before the door fell into the lock.

"Gawd." I groaned.

"Over here." Louisa directed our uninvited visitor.

Penhale made his way into our living room and there was nothing left for me but follow.

"Hello Joe, so nice of you to drop by. Excuse me for not getting up, but my doctor...well, doctors more like, strictly forbid it. Isn't that so, Martin?" Louisa asked over the shoulder of the local PC.

"She needs rest." I tried to emphasise the word so that Louisa as well as Penhale would stop this social visit.

"You and your..." Penhale gestured up and down my wife's body, which made my blood boil, "you're OK?"

"Just a bit of a fright, is all." Louisa smiled.

"It wasn't just a bit of a fright, it's a genuine condition that needs following strict rules." I clarified.

"Doc, Louisa...if you need anything... you know...I'm always...I mean 24/7...just..." The incomplete syntax was followed by a sign with his extending thumb and pinkie to indicate that we should just call.

"Treat yourself to a verb!" I admonished our uninvited guest.

"Eh, Doc! You know what I mean." Penhale gave us a goofy grin. "Anything I can do."

"You can leave." I informed him flatly, earning me an annoyed look from my wife.

"Can't do." Penhale hooked both thumbs in his belt and whipped back on his heels. "Your car's still blocking the road."

"I need to fetch James but I cannot leave Louisa alone." I said through gritted teeth. "As soon as I have found someone to stay with Louisa..."

"I can stay." Penhale announced happily.

"Someone responsible." I added.

"Yep, the Dynamic Duo back in action again." Penhale beamed.

I sighed.

Louisa intervened, of course not in the way I would have preferred.

"That's a good idea, Joe. Martin can fetch James and all will be fine, won't it, Martin?"

I sighed again and I surrendered to my fate. After instructing Penhale not to let Louisa get up unless she needed the loo, take care that she'd be reclined on the sofa at all times, and not to leave her alone, I got into my car and started on my way to the Fenns to fetch James.

To be continued...