Chapter 19 – Teacher IV

Penhale grabbed me in a full body hug. "The Dynamic Duo does it again!" he shouted, so loud he nearly broke my eardrums.

"Oh, gawd, get off!" I yelled and pushed him away.

"Seems to me the Doc did most of the work, Joe," Al protested.

Penhale looked at the villagers crowded around with an uncomfortable grin, "I… I was… the… the Constable on Scene," he replied. "Organizing the rescue and all that."

"All the same, let's hear it for the Doc!" Al shouted so then he led the assembly in three cheers of "Hurray!"

All I wanted to do then was to exit the scene as rapidly as possible. I caught Louisa's eye where she stood at the edge of the mass and sent her pointed directions with my eyes to head for the Lexus. She smiled more broadly and headed away towards my vehicle.

I pushed people out the way, until I was stopped by one of the search team. The man was togged out in coveralls, climbing gear, knee crawlers, heavy gloves, and a safety helmet. He also was festooned with a radio, rope, and various canvas pouches.

"Dr. Ellingham, I presume?" the man asked me.

"Yes," I told him wearily.

"Right, let's get away form this lot and you can describe where you found the boy?"

"My car is just there," I pointed.

"Good," he said then followed me towards my car. "Name's David Phillips," he added.

All I wanted to do was to sit down then, for I was hungry, thirsty, dirty, and unkempt, plus knackered, so I answered, "Yes," automatically.

Louisa was already by my car, and she said, "Well done." She held out her arms as if to hug me, but I shook my head.

"Best not. I am absolutely filthy."

"Right," she replied stepping back.

"But thank you," I told her.

"Frank okay? His mum was frantic, but when she heard he was coming up, she calmed down. Poor woman."

"Frank will be, in fact I should call Bodmin and give them my verbal evaluation."

She got my mobile from her handbag and handed it to me.

I stripped off the now tattered gloves and speed dialed hospital A and E, navigated my way thru the bureaucratic claptrap until I reached the proper desk. "This Dr. Ellingham, Portwenn GP."

A tired man's voice replied. "Oh, yes, Ellingham. I hear ambulance is bringing in one of yours." I recognized the man's voice. It was one of their better doctors there. Kernow or Chernow, something like that.

"Listen carefully. Patient is a ten-year-old boy. Frank Marrak. Em ay arr arr ay kay. Child entered a disused mine on a lark, stumbled and fell. Not down a shaft, but from his feet. Minor bump, left side of the cranium, wrenched or sprained left elbow, and has a deep cut across the left palm. Bandage applied but there has been blood loss and when I examined the wound could identify one or more tendons. That will require carful suturing."

"Right, right, did he lose consciousness?"

"I am unclear if that occurred. But he was foggy; complained of headache, dizziness, had minor word slurring. Some shivering, but that may be due to slight hypothermia. The boy also reported seeing spurious lights." At the last word I saw Louisa startle.

"Ah, sure. Full workup then. MRI and x-rays, the lot. And we have a good hand surgeon available. Dr. Speedwell, you know her?"

"No. Just make bloody sure that he's completely checked out. Oh, and his mother will be coming in with him. When the eval is done, contact me." I rattled off my mobile and the surgery number. "Got that?"

"Yep. We'll take good care of him," Kernow answered.

"See that you do," I snapped and rung off.

Louisa asked me next, "Martin, are you alright? You were down there over three hours. I can't believe you went down into a mine."

"Uhm, there was no other option." I looked back towards the mine mouth where there appeared to be a party breaking out. "Gawd." I looked at my watch, now covered in rock dust and rust, and yes it was late afternoon. "I had no idea it had gotten so late."

Phillips, the rescue man, opened a large sort of map and draped it across the hood of my car. "As you can see this is a diagram of Wheal Bal mine. Here's the main shaft you went down and came back up."

My tired fingers traced spidery lines on the paper. It was a three dimensional sketch map, showing the main tunnels each labeled, and other numbers were superimposed.

"I went…. ah! This tunnel, here, the center one, which led to this angled shaft. The boy was down this shaft around 80 feet or so, in a side tunnel, just…"

Phillips pointed. "Here? How you get to him?"

"I climbed down and then up the man engine, which was lying there."

Phillips gave me a long look. "Bloody hell! That was… well… really dangerous. You should have waited for my team to arrive."

"Your help was not available when needed," I told him.

He cleared his throat. "Yes, we were engaged." He looked at the mine diagram. "So, you found him down at the 210 feet level."

I saw the number twenty-one printed there. "Just so."

"Hm. And you saw lights?"

"I said that the boy reported he saw lights. He has a concussion."

The man stared at me. "Sure. But you found him in this side tunnel?'

"Yes."

"This one?" he pointed to the map once more.

"I already told you. YES!"

He pulled off his helmet and scratched his head. "And… how did you get him up?"

"I carried the boy on my back using a converted backpack."

Phillips was small but looked wiry. He looked me up and down. "I'm guessing you must work out. Weights?"

"No." I sighed. "Are we done here?'

He shook his head. "I am amazed that both of you didn't come to harm."

I stared down at the wreckage of my suit coat and trousers and the deep scratches on my shoes. "It did my clothing no good."

That made him laugh.

Louisa pushed in, "Mr. Phillips, perhaps you can do a debrief with Martin… that is Dr. Ellingham some other time?"

He nodded. "Sure. Sure."

"Call my surgery and make an appointment," I told him. "Now if you don't mind?" I started to step around him.

"Marvelous work, Doctor," he told me. "I'll be in touch."

I fixed him with a stare. "Goodbye."

I made for the driver's door, but Louisa blocked the way. "Nope. I'll drive."

"Louisa, I am perfectly capable…"

"No, no, and no, Mar-tin! You are practically dead on your feet. Now off you go – other side." She smiled. "And I have you keys anyway."

I had given them to her for safekeeping, had forgotten. Meekly I did as she directed.

In the car I watched as she manipulated the seat, adjusted the steering wheel, and the mirrors without my saying anything. She buckled her seat harness, put hands on the wheel. "Now, Martin, shall we?"

I sighed. "Lead on MacDuff."

"Shakespeare. Good, Martin." She started the motor, disengaged the brake and she made a turnabout to go to the village. She slowly drove over the gravel until we got the lane and found macadam. "Nice car, drives well," she told me, as she gave me a glance.

"Yes." I was wary having her drive my car. "Louisa, please watch the road…"

"Mar-tin, I do, know how to drive. Just don't have a car anymore."

"You sold it."

"I did, I did."

"And used the money to finance your move to London."

She sighed. "Now I would not have much use for a car in London, would I? The traffic there is awful – day and night both."

I sighed again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with irritation.

"Louisa I am merely… er, nothing."

She patted my knee. "Now you rest."

"Both hands on the wheel!"

"Fine."

We rode in silence for a few minutes and then I was driven to ask her the question which was eating at me. "Louisa, when I said…"

"Yes, Martin?"

"I… mentioned… that Frank saw lights, you were startled."

I saw her bite her lip. "I suppose I was."

"Why's that?"

"Oh… nothing."

"And that man back there, the rescue chap…"

"David Phillips."

"Right. He was also interested in lights."

She took a deep breath. "Look. Let's get you home. You get cleaned up and I'll fix dinner for you. You must be famished."

"Oh, no, really, I couldn't accept."

"Martin, you have food at the surgery, and a functioning kitchen?"

"I didn't get to the co-op today. You know that. We were coming out here."

"Got eggs? Bacon? Tomatoes? And bread? I'll make you a breakfast supper." She smiled. "Settled then."