Chapter 1
Louisa suddenly felt sick and made a dash for the bathroom. She dry-heaved and sat on the floor. "Must have eaten something off," she thought. Going downstairs she was struck by a realisation! Turning around Louisa went back upstairs where she retrieved her diary from her handbag. Flicking through, she couldn't find it. Then going further back she saw she was now nearly two months late.
When she went into the kitchen, Martin was sat eating his breakfast. Knowing that she couldn't delay any longer she said "Martin, do you have a pregnancy testing kit in the surgery?"
He said "I expect so, " before the penny dropped and he looked at her wide-eyed. "Are you pregnant?" he whispered.
"That's why I need the test," she revealed. "I think I'm more than six weeks late…."
Martin sat as if transfixed before rising and saying "I'll just go and get one." He went into the surgery and shakily opened cupboard doors until he found the test kit. His mind was in turmoil before he sternly ordered himself to calm down and at least get the test administered, before going into panic mode!
Returning to the kitchen he handed the kit to Louisa, together with a small basin. "If you would, erm collect some urine in that and then come into the surgery, we can look at it together?"
Louisa looked at the kit, then at Martin. "How long will it be before we know?"
"Shouldn't take too long, about 10 minutes I would think."
Louisa took the basin and went to the patient's toilet under the stairs. She managed a small amount of urine and took it into the surgery. She opened the kit and took out the test slab and pipette.
"Now draw up a small amount of liquid in the pipette and drop it onto the white area there." Martin directed. "If you're pregnant two pink lines should appear, but if you're not then only one will show. We'll have to wait for a few minutes for the result."
Louisa looked at Martin and could see that he too, was nervous. "If I am, how do you feel about it?"
"Let's not make any assumptions before we see the result. Even if it does show a positive result you will need to take a confirming test as well. Occasionally you get a false positive result because of an underlying condition." Martin had gone into medical mode, his fallback position whenever he was unsure of what to say.
They waited for the required time to elapse and then both looked at the test, together. Two lines had appeared, Louisa seemed to be pregnant! Her face lit up and she beamed at Martin. "I'm pregnant, Martin, isn't that wonderful?"
"It's good if you are indeed, pregnant." he replied. "As I said, you now have to get a confirming test. Louisa, there's something you must understand. I can no longer act as your doctor, because we're married. You'll have to transfer to another GP."
Louisa looked taken aback at that. "Why, Martin? Why can't you be my doctor? I'd much rather have you, than some stranger."
"Under the General Medical Council guidelines, it is forbidden for doctors to treat immediate family members, unless it is an emergency. For very good reasons, I might add."
"Oh," said Louisa. "I didn't know that. I guess I'll have to register at Wadebridge, then?"
"If that's what you want, then that will be fine, er good. Dr Lewis is at least, competent. Will you ring his surgery and do a telephone registration, and then if they are agreeable arrange an appointment for say, Friday afternoon? Is that convenient for you? If they take you on, we'll send your notes through to them."
"Gosh, that's fast! I could ask for an hour off so that we could perhaps make a 4:00p.m. appointment? Afterwards we could have dinner in Wadebridge – to celebrate?" Louisa smiled hopefully up at him.
"That would be good, but Louisa, try not to get your hopes up too high," he cautioned "the pregnancy-test we've just done must be confirmed properly. Especially when you will be classed as a geriatric mother-to-be!"
"Martin! I'm not that old," she complained.
"No, no, no it's just what pregnant women over 35 are called. Extra care needs to be taken, and you will be monitored closely to make sure there is nothing amiss. I would be doing just the same, if you were my patient."
This pacified Louisa, to a certain extent, but she was still a bit disgruntled at the appellation, 'geriatric'.
They finished breakfast together and Martin went through to the surgery to prepare for the day ahead. His thoughts turned to this very unexpected news. He hadn't really imagined that conception would happen so quickly, especially as he was closer to 50 than 40! Also, they had used contraception but evidently at some point it had not been effective. As he pondered this state of affairs, he worked out that it must have happened on one of the first few occasions that they had made love. A faint smile crossed his face as he recalled those first joyous encounters.
He heard his receptionist enter and then her cheery "Morning, Doc" reverberate through the surgery. He listened as she took off her coat and switch on her computer. Then her clip-clopping footsteps as she went to the kitchen for her morning cup of coffee.
As she made her way back to her desk he called out "Pauline, cancel my appointments from 2:30 p.m. onwards on Friday." He heard her ask "Why, what are you doing?"
He bristled and said "None of your business. You can then take the rest of Friday off after you've filed all the notes and yes, you will be paid up to 5:00p.m." Martin countered any potential refusals and waited for the first patient notes.
