Chapter two

We got to our plane barely in time.

Our flight plan to Sydney included a quick stop in Los Angeles. Much to my surprise after landing in L.A., we were told that our seats had been sold twice because of some computer bug. I started hyperventilating, assuming my mom would throw a very public fit, but they headed her off, kindly solving everything by giving us first class tickets. Reclining in my spacious, leather seat, my expectations about the next sixteen hours or so had increased quite a bit.

A few minutes after take-off, Mom finally broke silence. "This has to be a sign, sweetie, that everything is going to be alright for us now!"

"They already are, Mom," I told her. Maybe if I repeated the words in my head things would truly be better.

The flight attendant approached us. "Good afternoon. I´m Ashlee and I will be at your service for this flight. Can I offer you something?"

"Sure, I'll have a glass of champagne."

I glanced at my mother with a very I'm watching you expression and said in a soft voice to Ashlee, "Nothing for me. Thank you."

She returned soon after with my mom´s champagne.

"Like I said earlier, if you need anything, I'm at your service," she reassured us.

"I understand now why AirMore is so well-ranked internationally. You can really feel the five star treatment, honey."

"It's first class, Mom!"

I took my book out of my bag, Saramago's Blindness, and started reading. From the corner of my eye I could catch glimpses of my mom sipping her champagne slowly. She closed her eyes, gave a small sniff with her nose almost completely inside the fancy glass and smiled, just for a second, for the first time in over a month. The reappearance of a little colour in her face was starting to show. I felt she would be okay. And without doubt, she would be more careful next time handling her own heart. I refocused on my book, and led myself to the world of blindness and despair that viciously mixed with light and hope. There was still love and compassion left in the world, just maybe not for you, I thought to myself, adding optimistically, At least for now.

After dinner was served I spent a few hours fully submerged in the world of the blinding light. Everyone quieted down, and the few sounds in the background were the timid roar of the plane's engines and the occasional whispers of passengers with the attendants. Suddenly I was forced to focus my attention elsewhere when Ashlee the flight attendant called out from a few rooms ahead of us.

"Is there a doctor here?"

Oh my, here we go again.

I unfastened my seatbelt, stood up and looked beside me; Renée was sleeping, unaffected by the inquiry. I went down the aisle to the flight attendant, never gladder for the space first class offered. Walking down the narrow corridor of economy class could be quite the adventure for me and my often clumsy feet.

"I'm a doctor," I nearly whispered. "What can I do for you?"

"This gentleman here," she said, blushing a little while pointing to a seventy-year-old man sitting beside her, "nearly fainted."

I looked briefly at his face. He seemed worn out, like someone who had lived through too much. He was pale and looked like he had recently lost some weight.

"How do you feel, sir?" I asked him.

"I'm alright now. It was just a little scare for Ashlee here. Nothing to worry about, really! She is just being overzealous," he told me with a perfect British accent. He gave the attendant a stern look while saying, "That will be all for now."

"Certainly, Your Grace," she said politely before walking away.

"Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

"No. I was walking to the bathroom and I had to hold against the door for a second when I was about to open it. Ashlee saw me stumbling and helped me to get back to my seat to rest a little."

"Do you have a heart condition, Mister…?"

"More, Henry More. And no, no heart condition. I forgot to eat for a few hours."

"Are you a diabetic?"

"Yes."

"It's very irresponsible of you not to eat…"

"You see, I'm very scrupulous with everything regarding my diet, Doctor…?"

"Swan, Isabella Swan." I blushed, not yet used to being called 'doctor' and embarrassed that I sounded like that line from the movies, Bond, James Bond. "Nothing from their menu pleased you?" I asked, pointing to one of the flight attendants passing by. "I didn't complain…"

"Oh, well, Doctor Swan…"

"Bella, please call me Bella."

He smiled. "Bella, then…" His look of amusement faded when he continued. "Truth be told, I just prefer the homemade food that my Mary used to cook for me." He smiled gently but his eyes remained distant, as if remembering something. Oh, he must be a widower, I thought. Perhaps he was married for fifty years to the woman he loved. That would have explained his thinned aspect. It is very common for an individual (usually the widowed husband) to disregard his own well-being when the usual caregiver (normally the wife) was no longer able to do so.

I knelt in front of him to take his pulse and ascertain that he didn't have an arrhythmia. I felt kind of naked without my stethoscope. Note to self: start bringing one along, always! Knowing that my mother had high blood pressure, I had tried to pack it along with my sphygmomanometer, but she had insisted, "Leave Doctor Swan in the U.S., honey!" I had reluctantly agreed, even though she didn't quite grasp the idea once a doctor always a doctor.

"Please, have a seat here," the gentleman said, pointing to the empty chair close to his own. "Why did you kneel? You shouldn't do that for anyone…Well, for the Queen of England maybe, but Her Royal Majesty surely deserves the respect."

I noticed that his pulse seems to be alright while sitting next to him.

AN:

Disclaimer: I don't own twilight or any of its characters (SM does, obviously) but this little thing called "The Heiress of Henry More" is mine.

My Beta reader Scooterstale is BRILIANT and made this story a lot better than it was when initially posted. Thank you so much!

I'm m.d. so I'm a little prone to make certain comments that may not be understandable to everyone but I'm trying to keep the medical terms minimal and simple. If you have any questions or want to know more about something please PM me;)