Chapter 29

The Plot Thickens

"Once you chose hope, anything's possible"

~Christopher Reeve~

It is mid-afternoon, and I have finished with the last of the patient notes, the chime of the hour pulls my attention from the cards in front of me; Louisa will be here soon for our trip to Truro.

Pulling together the patient's notes, I open the door and step into the hall with all thoughts on getting away with Louisa even for just the afternoon. I notice she is sitting at our old kitchen table sipping tea and can see she is physically upset.

"Morweena, when did Louisa arrive?"

"Just after your last patient went in your consulting room, she and Melanie came in together but Louisa went straight back to the kitchen. Melanie said she heard the latest rumors."

"Did Melanie say what the latest rumor was?"

"I didn't ask and Melanie didn't say."

I shuffle the patient notes in my hand, slowly going over the babble the patients made today, and can't recall anything unusual. They are always muttering nonsense – nothing sticking out in my mind to provide an answer.

"Ahh, Doc," Morweena startles me. "Al and I overheard a few things last evening in the pub… that… interest you," she says in an unsure voice.

At first, I thought just the usual until she looked towards the back hall, she moved closer and lowered her voice to almost a whisper.

"Doc, you know I'm not one for gossip but rumors are starting up again about Louisa and Danny. With a notion that everyone thinks your children are not your children if you know what I mean."

A thunderstorm of anger crosses my features. All I wanted to do was explode loudly… but just at that moment, the front door opens.

The sight of a medium-height man, vaguely familiar, walked through the door. The interruption gave me time to rein in my anger.

"Doctor Ellingham," the man says as he walks toward me with his hand extended. "Doctor Ledford, Jim Ledford."

My mind flashes to the memory of the man from a year ago.

"Good to see you again, but I won't need your help until later in the month," I say.

"Yes, I know. I was visiting a friend and thought I would do a bit of sightseeing, walk the coastal path, and meet some of the villagers before I start. I was hoping I could drop a few things off upstairs."

I am caught off guard, doesn't he have another locum job? I thought Chris mentioned it during our last phone call.

The sound of the chair scraping across the stone floor interrupts my thoughts… Louisa.

"Morweena, call Joan and relay what you heard. Tell her we will see them later for dinner at our house."

I turn to Doctor Ledford, "I won't be here this afternoon but Morweena will be. My car space should be available to unload your things. I would like to sit down with you tomorrow if you are available. Morweena can set up a time convenient for us both."

"Thank you, I will see you tomorrow Doctor Ellingham."

I hand Morweena the patient notes and turn to see Louisa coming toward me from the kitchen.

Behind me I hear Morweena's voice, "I'll take care of everything Doc, don't worry."

I don't notice anything but Louisa standing just outside the door frame with a thoughtful look.

"Martin, are you ready to go?"

"Yes," I say but I want to say more but there are too many ears in the room.

ME/LE

The trip to Truro is quiet, more quiet than usual. I chose piano sonnets for our music and it plays softly in the quiet background but it doesn't relax Louisa one bit.

I look over at Louisa, "Louisa what's wrong?"

"Have you heard the latest gossip?"

"Louisa, you know I don't listen to gossip. If whatever is said is important Morweena will inform me. She was about to tell me something, she heard at the pub when we were interrupted by Doctor Ledford."

Louisa smiles and turns her head to the side passenger window before she softly states.

"You do believe me when I say that our children are yours?"

If she was looking at me that very second, she would have seen the antipathy on my face regarding the lies of the latest gossip.

"Who implied that they are not my children? That sounds like that Moo woman, Danny's mother trying to get even with you or one of his minions," I growl.

"I was standing on one side of the vegetable table and overheard some of the village women this morning talking," Louisa says in a soft whimpering voice.

I reach across the seats to take her hand. My heart is tight in my chest as if invisible straps are squeezing tightly around my heart; lost in my overwhelming love for this woman, always having to defend herself to this village when I realize she is continuing to confess what she heard.

"It has to be true, announced Mrs. Trevorrow, since she heard it from Mrs. Liddicoat in the chemist shop just a bit ago. No matter what the Doc says Louisa got herself pregnant by Danny. They did the deed when he was here in January," Louisa mimics the voice of the woman.

I can hear the soft sniffles as she finishes.

"Louisa I know they are our children and I don't care what other people say. All that matters is I love you and trust you as I know you do."

"Martin, I know you understand but the gossip can't help my situation with the school governors or the parents of the school children. And more importantly, if this continues our children will hear these hurtful words… I… I wanted to find out who was starting these rumors so I went over to the chemist shop. Melanie tried to stop me but I needed to know, Martin. You know I don't like going into that woman's shop but I needed to discover the person behind these words," she babbles on.

"I looked through the windows and saw Mrs. Tishell holding court with Olivia Gilbert and Rhone Chapman – three of the biggest gossipers of the village and only slightly less than Bert Large. Melanie stopped me from storming in; she thought she could get them talking, so I stayed out of sight outside. Close enough to hear but not be seen by those busybodies. Melanie played her part perfectly and got old lady Chapman into a flat-out lie. I walked in and Melanie asked Rhone to repeat what she just finished saying. Of course, she wouldn't and Mrs. Tishell starts with if I hadn't disappeared after our non-wedding, only to return pregnant, the village wouldn't speculate. She added that I threw myself at Danny again this past winter, then left again for London only to return pregnant again."

The tears are running down Louisa's face. I can't stand it and quickly find a place to pull off the road. I throw the sifter into park and adjust the steering wheel as far up as it will go. Snapping the release button on my belt, I find myself awkwardly pulling Louisa into my arms and burying my face into her neck as I whisper my words of love and encouragement. I clench my eyes close holding in my tears caused by her pain.

Through another sob, I catch Louisa saying, "But I told them that their libelous falsehoods need to end and end now. I asked them why they hated my association with you."

Suddenly the memory of Mrs. Tishell's rude comments upon her return to Portwenn pregnant with Phillip, over a year ago, comes to mind. The hateful words are spoken and then the smooth change to concern when Joan interrupted her spiteful speech.

"Martin, I believe Mrs. Tishell is jealous of me because she is in love with you, and that is why she hates me. Every rumor points back to her."

"I have never given her a reason. I can't stand the woman."

Louisa is wiping her cheeks dry with my handkerchief and calming down before she continues with her thoughts.

"Martin, since day one in this village Mrs. Tishell has tried to grab your attention. What with those medical bulletins or baking cakes, and insisting to everyone that she is your equal in medicine and the only one in the village smart enough for you? When the village was angry with you those first weeks, she told everyone that you were better than old doctor Simms and only needed a good Cornish woman to straighten you out – and she meant herself. God Martin, before we started dating she was nasty to me because you were paying attention to the wrong Cornish woman."

"But she is married. Louisa, I don't understand."

"Clive is never here longer than ten days at a time every three months for the past fifteen-plus years and he isn't the sharpest tool in the drawer, Martin. She is better educated than most of the village and in the medical field so in her mind you are perfect. I need to talk to Joan but it is starting to make sense."

I look closely at my wife just a moment ago she was a sobbing mess and now she is my strong Louisa once again. How do I deal with a pregnant woman with raging hormones, a bad combination for any man but especially for me to deal with in the middle of nowhere?

"Does this mean I can crawl back onto my seat of the car and proceed to Truro for your appointment?" I ask with my familiar raised eyebrow for good measure.

"Yes, Martin, my hormonal breakdown is over. Thank you, Luv for the hug, hanky, and your concern," she kissed me for good measure.

The rest of the trip is anything but calm in my mind. Question upon question and I couldn't put an answer to any of them. Why should a married woman want me; me, the least sociable grump this side of Cornwall? It just wasn't logical. What did I know of this woman… nothing because I wasn't interested in any woman except for Louisa?

ME/LE

Doctor Ledford pulls into the car space next to the surgery just as Al climbs the last few steps from the restaurant. Casually Al walks towards the surgery as Jim Ledford pulls a few items from his car. They reach the steps of the surgery at the same time, not realizing their destination is the same door.

"Here let me help you," Al says has pushed the door open.

"Thank you."

The two men walk in, as Al walks over to Morweena's desk, Doctor Ledford proceeds up the stairs to the private rooms above.

Al watches with interest until he notices Morweena come through the rear hall from the kitchen.

"Does the Doc have someone staying because a guy just went upstairs carrying a suitcase and an oversize backpack?"

"Yeah, that must be Doctor Ledford, he'll be covering the weekend Doc and Louisa are off celebrating their first anniversary, and afternoons until Louisa has the babies then he'll be full time till the New Year when the Doc returns."

"Never thought the Doc would stop working just for a baby, he never takes any time off."

"Al Large, do you think it's easy taking care of a baby but we aren't talking about a single baby, no Louisa is having two and they have Phillip to worry about also."

"No, that's not what I meant. In the four years the Doc has been here he never took time off. I mean he worked the morning of his first wedding."

"And you see how that turned out."

"I just never thought the Doc's life would turn upside down in just a year."

They could hear the locum, Doctor Ledford unpacking and moving about above them as the clearing of a throat with the sound of the surgery front door closing, pulled their attention to a woman walking into the surgery reception room.

"Sorry, the surgery is closed for the afternoon, if it is an emergency you need to go to Wadebridge, or I can set up an appointment for tomorrow afternoon if it can wait."

The crash of something heavy dropping onto the floor could be heard above them.

The woman looked toward the ceiling before she said, "If the doctor is upstairs then I would like to see Doctor Ellingham now."

"Doctor Ellingham is not in the surgery at present but I can schedule you at three p.m. tomorrow."

Looking towards the ceiling again as footsteps continued across the floor above, suddenly a malodorous look set on her face as she lowered her eyes on Morweena, "I'll take that appointed time."

"Your name?"

After some hesitance, she says, "Margaret… Jenkins."

"Got it and please arrive early to fill out the new patient form and the doctor will see you at three tomorrow afternoon."

The woman was almost to the door before Morweena finished her sentence.

Al and Morweena look at each other, thinking the same thing; probably some London uppity up suffering a hangnail.

Footsteps on the stairs told them the locum was done upstairs.

"Doctor Ledford, Doctor Ellingham has a break tomorrow at eleven if that is satisfactory."

"Eleven will be fine. See you then," he says.

ME/LE

The slow walk from the carpark to Doctor Gee's office served to make Louisa's muscles go ridged as she feared bad news coming her way. She had to remind herself that in the last twelve weeks she had gone from intense pain with movement to pain-free walks on the always challenging hills in and around Portwenn. She had done everything the doctor asked of her, so she set her mind straight, 'only good news is coming my way today'.

After the quick greetings, Louisa finds herself in a hospital gown, laying on her side on the examination table, and looking into her husband's beautiful concerned eyes. His words of comfort helped to force all the doubts out of her mind and her muscles began to relax. She knows what is to happen, ''I've been through it before' she thought, 'just relax'.

Doctor Gee's light touch startles her, even though he just said he would be touching her. 'Louisa get ahold of yourself'.

With the light press of his fingers as he examines her, the lack of pain from his pressing digits, she slowly relaxes even more. As she let her mind wander over the scenes in the chemist shop, she once again is startled when the cold gel touches her lower back. The feel of the wand across the back just above her derriere cheeks returns her to the present. Martin's movement as one of his hands leaves hers causes fear to reign again. Their conversation in medical jargon didn't help to relieve her anxiety. It wasn't until Martin's face came into view and the smile displayed in his eyes did she know all was good.

Doctor Gee's final words came to mind as they walked out of the hospital. 'Take it easy. Everything is healed – no swelling – the coccyx is situated straight and not pressing on the sciatic nerve, but she could have difficulty during labor and delivery with his recommending a cesarean section when the time comes, but not medically necessary. He would be speaking with Doctor Rawle with his recommendation.' She and Martin had spoken about the cesarean birth for the twins and knew of their decision.

ME/LE

Dawn broke, with hues of gold and peach as the morning sun broke over the earth, secured in the warmth of her husband, Louisa recalled their night of intimacy, the first since her injury. His hands worshipped her with such reverence causing her body to sing. They, each whispered as their bodies twined together. His ardent aroma that can only describe him wafted through her senses as she remembered her touches as she tranced over his body, trying to remember every ridge and valley of his strong frame.

She knew this was just the beginning, or she should say a restart to their love life; the planned return to the cottage, a continuation of their last time there… where she got pregnant. She lovingly caresses her oversize tummy as the twins move and kick at Martin's arm that is encompassing her.

Startle out of my sleep by the hard thumping on the underside of my arm, I open my eyes and inhale deeply, I discover the wonderful scent of Louisa mixed with the pungent scent of sex, so it wasn't a dream. A smile escapes my lips and soon I realize the thumping is one of the twins or possibly both are pushing their extremities hard at my arm that is pressing down on their tight space. Untwining my arm from around Louisa, I place a kiss then another on her abdomen and murmur good morning to my children before raising my head and passionately placing my lips on my wife.

"Good morning, Luv," Louisa says as soon as the kiss ends.

ME/LE

The last of the expresso dribbles into my cup as Morweena fills me in on the morning appointments.

"You should be finished by eleven and Doctor Ledford will be here for your meeting."

"What is the afternoon schedule like?"

"Currently only four patients are scheduled with the last one at three, but she is a new patient."

"Right, don't schedule anymore. I would like to go home early today."

"Doctor Ledford moved his stuff in yesterday; maybe let him take the afternoon appointments. You have pulled several long days since the last locum killed himself falling down the stairs."

Morweena turned her head slightly as she remembered his body tumbling down the stairs and the sound it made when he hit the wall. She closed her eyes trying to remove the memory from her vision.

"Who besides the new patient, is scheduled this afternoon?"

"Bert is at half twelve for his back, Paula Highglass for her monthly blood pressure check, and George Hocking complaining his grout has returned ."

"What is the new patient's complaint?"

"She didn't say. She came in yesterday and left upset that you weren't available. She thought you were upstairs when she heard bumping sounds."

"Bumping?"

"Doctor Ledford dropped some books and was moving around upstairs when she was here. You know you can hear everything when someone is moving about in the bedroom," she says with a wide doe-eyed innocent look that told him more than he wanted to know.

ME/LG

At exactly eleven the consulting room door opened with the last morning patient walking out holding a script in his hand and a scowl on his face, he gave a slight nod towards Morweena as he stormed by.

I spent the next hour talking to Doctor Ledford, updating him on some of the more difficult patients. Instead of putting it off any longer, I ask,

"Doctor Ledford…"

"Please call me Jim."

After a bit of throat clearing, I stumble over not using his surname in my request,

"Ji…m, would I be imposing if I ask you to cover the surgery afternoon appointments today? I asked."

"Ahh… no… I believe your receptionist, Morweena, and I can finish the surgery hours today."

With more throat clearing, "Thank you and yes Morweena will help you keep the time wasters under control. Speaking of a time waster – Bert Large is the first-afternoon appointment and I understood he is complaining about his back again."

"Don't worry Doctor Ellingham, as I recall Mr. Large from last year, he came in for a new complaint on a daily bases if I remember correctly."

"Yes, that would be him."

With nothing more to discuss, Doctor Ledford went to the kitchen to make a sandwich from the bags he brought in earlier that morning.

I finish the last of my patient notes, handing them to Morweena to file. Bidding her goodbye as I leave just before Bert's arrival; making my day all the better.

One of my stops before going home is the chemist's shop. I pause at the window noticing three customers, along with the Tishell's at the counter. Squaring my shoulders, I quickly push the door open, walk past the women only partly hear the conversation, and pull a package of large nappies off the shelf.

"Ohhh, Doctor Ellingham, how can I be of service to you?" asks an over-excited Sally Tishell as she scurries towards me.

Her words flash awful thoughts to mind after my discussion with Louisa yesterday.

"Put these on my personal account Mrs. Tishell," I say as I try to evade her and open the door at the same time.

"I have a new bulletin and freshly made scones Doctor, maybe we could go upstairs to discuss it over tea and scones. Clive can handle any non-medical customers," she says as she reaches to touch my sleeve.

"No, thank you Mrs. Tishell, I want to get home to my wife."

I must have hit a nerve as her face soured with my reply. As the door swung shut I could hear her express some exasperated words about her husband's inability to remember the price of the large bottle of mouthwash.

I make one last stop to buy some fish before heading home.

Unnoticed by Martin on Church Road, a woman steps out of a sedan and pauses as she watches the tall man in a suit walk towards Roscarrock Road towards the surgery.

ME/LE

At a quarter till the hour of her appointed time the woman, who called herself, Margaret pushes open the surgery door. Morweena shifts her eyes from the computer screen to see the woman from the day before.

"Hello, Ms. Jenkins. The doctor will be right with you."

She looks around the room, finally deciding on the padded chair by the wall, and sits down. Not long she notices the sound of a door opening somewhere behind her, looking in that direction a woman and man come through the doorway and walk over to the reception desk where the young woman is sitting. After some words are spoken, nothing she could hear, the man takes a file from the receptionist and turns towards her.

"Margaret Jenkins," he calls as he walks towards her.

"Yes," she replies.

"I am Doctor Ledford, please come this way."

"You are not Doctor Ellingham. I have an appointment with Doctor Ellingham," Margaret says with a raised voice but not quite yelling.

"I am sorry Doctor Ellingham had business out of the surgery today and I am covering for him."

"I had an appointment to see and speak to Doctor Martin Ellingham, I don't want to see you," her face takes on the appearance of pure disgust.

"I am a licensed GP, anything you thought Doctor Ellingham can do I also can. What is the problem?"

"I don't want to see anyone but him," she says as she stands up to walk out the door.

"Ms. Jenkins, do you want to reschedule your appointment," Morweena asks.

The answer was not verbally given but the sound of the door slamming behind the woman was well received as a no.

Doctor Ledford and Morweena look stunned and were unable to speak for several minutes.

"Has this ever happened before with a patient?" asked the doctor.

"Can't say that it has ever happened before Doctor Ellingham saw a patient but I can remember many times the sound of the door slamming after they see him and don't like what he says," Morweena says with a cheeky grin.

With the cancellation of the appointment, Morweena quickly finished her duties at the surgery and headed to the pub to meet a few friends before her date with Al.

She settles in a booth with a few girlfriends until Al walked in and joined them an hour or so later.

Later that afternoon, Morweena and Al walk along the lane towards his dad's restaurant their conversation switch to her day at the surgery with Doc Martin.

"Dad said he had an appointment this afternoon; did the Doc finally give in a write him a script?"

"No, to the script; your dad saw the locum, Doctor Ledford. He told him to lose some weight just like Doc mentioned in his notes and to use a heating pad at the end of the day to loosen his muscles from standing at the restaurant all day and paracetamol."

"Why was there a locum today, I thought he wasn't coming until next weekend?"

"Doc and he had their meeting this morning and the Doc asked if he would cover so he could spend time with Louisa. But the interesting part of the day arrived with the last patient. You remember that woman from yesterday?"

Al nodded that he did.

"She arrived and discovered that she was not seeing our Doc and blew her top and stormed out."

"Wait, you mean the woman didn't want to see any old doctor but our Doc."

Morweena shook her head to answer his question as they turned to go down the steps leading to the restaurant.

"What did she say her name was again?"

"Margaret… starts with a 'J'… oh I can't remember but the first name was defiantly Margaret. Why do you ask?"

"You may think I'm crazy but that woman could be the one I told you about; the one that called the farm looking for Joan. She didn't give a last name, only her first." After a few seconds of head shaking, and then nodding… "I need to call Joan or Ruth."

"Why don't we go to the farm and together explain what we know about this woman after we go look up her name in the appointment book? Come on," she says grabbing his hand and pulling him back up the stairs and over to the surgery.

ME/LE

Louisa woke early, the sun rising with its rich warm colors coming through the lace curtains, giving her husband's face a warm glow. The wrinkles from the stress of his past life have slowly softened and in the morning light, as he sleeps those stress lines have become almost none existent. So much of his life changed this past year; discovering fatherhood at his backdoor, their marriage, the death of his father, and the addition of more children. Surprised he is taking it so well but is he? Is he really happy with all the changes? He worked so hard to get over his haemophobia and return to surgery, only to turn the chance down to stay here and be a simple GP. He has so much to offer the medical world and he chose to stay in this small village with her.

The tightening of arms, along with the nuzzling of his face into her neck brings her out of faraway thoughts to the present.

"Good morning, Luv."

"Mmm…" the rest is muffled with the sound of lips performing other things than allowing words to pass by them.

"Martin, are you happy?"

All movement stops; his lips, his hands, if I thought he could stop breathing I would say he stopped that also. After several seconds,

"Why do you ask, Louisa? Have I given you a reason…?"

She places her hand over his lips and makes a quiet shushing sound.

"I was just thinking… I made you change your life. I knocked on your backdoor and from that moment on your life, changed."

"Louisa, why ask this now? I thought you were happy this past year with me; with us?"

"Oh, Martin, I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. This morning lying here with you wrapped around me, my thoughts but mostly my worries… I think they got the best of me. Then there are my hormones which are constantly fluxing and making me worry all the more. Do you understand what I am trying to say?" she asks with her bottom lip pulled so fiercely by her teeth.

I pull myself up onto my elbow to look at her more closely, eye to eye.

"Louisa, I wouldn't change anything that has happened since that night at my backdoor. I only wish I was brave enough to stop you from going down that damn hill six months earlier. I know now that I was scared."

Blowing out an air of frustration at myself, I continue to try to explain.

"Scared that a beautiful woman wanted anything to do with me, scared that I would live up to the expectations that my parents always said would happen. There were many days I watched the path of the sun across the sky, when the sun began to set it was no longer an attraction but a blaze of glory followed by the descent into obscurity. I had no future until that night at my back door. You provided a future by giving me a son. No matter what happens now in my life, I will continue through Phillip and my other children. All because you love me and I didn't listen to my parents."

"Wait, what expectations?"

I drop my eyes and blow out the air that I suddenly realized I was holding when Louisa started speaking.

"Their expectation was I would not keep a beautiful wife and for that wife to love someone like me and marry me was never in my future. Those were the parting words from my father when he last visited the village. He and I were walking up from the pub and he said I was just like Mark Mylow. All evening he was flirting with that woman Mark wanted to marry and Mark didn't even realize that my father was assessing his worth, my worth as it turned out. That is why I didn't show up to our wedding. Everyone in that church knew I wasn't man enough for you because of what I show on the outside… But you,"

I kiss her forehead; kiss her cheeks, and finally her lips. Oh, those sweet lips,

"Saw through my faulty walls and broke them down. You make me a better person, and I can't go back to what I was. Louisa, I was so lonely and unloved, but not anymore. I have you, Phillip, and these two, along with my aunts to keep the bad behind me and all the good in our future."

Her lips pounce on me, hard and demanding with a revelation that more is to come… until my mind registered the sound of footsteps… Footsteps – What?

The giggle should have announced who was walking about my house, but my brain argued against it. Phillip, why was he staring at me in our bedroom, at our bed?

"Dada, up."

Louisa and I look at each other.

"Dada, up!"

Phillip, what do you say when you want something?" Louisa cooed in her motherly voice.

"Dada, up. Pwease." He states as he bounces on his toes.

"Come to the other side of the bed," I say as I roll to my side of the bed and swing my legs out from under the covers.

The scurry of feet I heard earlier repeats as he comes around in an excited hurry.

"Phillip, why aren't you in your bed?"

"Illip see Dada. Cimb up."

"It seems our son is turning into a monkey," Louisa giggled as she watches me lift Phillip onto the bed and he crawls over to her.

"Our son is not a monkey," I state clearly to my wife.

"What book did you read to him last night, dear?"

Searching back to last night, it was one of the new books we picked up with his dragon… Ohh, no… no… now he thinks he is the monkey in the book. I start to recall the different scenes. He is climbing the gates of the castle to rescue his friend," I proclaim as I look at Louisa with a concerned look.

"We talked about changing him into a toddler bed after the holidays but maybe we should do it sooner. I don't want him falling; we were lucky this time."

"Where did we pack the baby monitor after we decided we didn't need it?"

"I put them in the twins' room with all the other baby items. Martin what are we going to do with the stair gate and Phillip? I don't want him climbing over it."

"We will start by buying another gate for his bedroom door along with a toddler bed and putting the monitor back in his room to alert us. Today Phillip and I will talk about the climbing out of his crib."

"He is too young to understand, I am not sure talking to him will work…"

The odd idea that Phillip would understand his parent's discussion wasn't so odd – the entire time his parents continued to talk, Phillip listened and followed the conversation moving his head from one parent to the other; almost like watching an interesting tennis match.

My discussion with Louisa is abruptly stopped as a smell wafts past my nose, one look at my son and I know Louisa and I needed to finish our talk later. I turn and get out of bed and turn towards my son,

"Phillip let's take care of your nappy and fix your mum's breakfast," I say holding out my arms to lift him.

Giggling as he crawls towards my arms, murmuring "Mum, mum."

ME/LE

Later that morning I walk into the surgery and notice as I open the door an envelope on the floor. I pick it up and walk towards my consulting room passing Morweena and her cup of tea coming from the kitchen.

"I left your personal correspondence on your desk, Doc."

"You missed this," I hold up the envelope.

"No way, Dave brought them in and set them in my hand at my desk," she says clearly upset that the Doc thought she wasn't doing her job.

I look more closely at the envelope and realize that once again the 'Shakespeare lover' has left me a love quote. I stuff it in my desk drawer to read later with Louisa.

"Morweena, were there any problems yesterday with Bert and the other patients?"

"No, Doctor Ledford let Bert lead himself into his own trap and nicely told him to stop wasting our time. Paula Highglass checked out fine and I scheduled her for next month, and George Hocking had too much to drink at the pub is why his grout returned. The doc gave him a script for medication. The new patient didn't let Doctor Ledford examine her; she didn't stay longer than a few minutes. She was upset you were not her doctor and just rudely left after yelling at him."

What she didn't say was everything that was discussed at the farm about this Margaret person.

"Let me see what you do have on her."

"We didn't have time for any information other than her name. She wouldn't provide anything," she says as she lays the appointment book on his desk.

"Margaret Jenkins… I don't recall any patient by that name. Did you go through the records in that bottom drawer for inactive patients from Doctor Sims time?"

"No, I didn't know we had any inactive files. I'll go through them today and let you know what I find," she says and walks back to her desk to set up for the start of the day.

End of Chapter

Phillip's great escape is the portrayal of my youngest child adventures climbing out of his crib. Usually it was to play in the middle of the night on the floor and when he got tired and couldn't climb back up, there were many mornings I found him under the crib with his blanket pulled through the bars tightly held in his tight fist as he slept. He was in a bed by 18 months with portal sides (closer to floor if he climbed out) and pillows spread out along the floor (just in case).