Chapter 35
January rolled on slowly, with rain deluging the village, keeping many people penned up indoors. In school, the children were boisterous because a lack of outdoor activity meant that most had no other way of letting off steam. Louisa found it to be challenging trying to funnel their energy into their lessons.
In the surgery, Martin noticed a distinct lack of the usual malingerers and an increase in the requests for house calls. He assessed each case on its merits, but gave priority to the elderly and those with a pre-known on-going illness.
The severity of the storms on occasions even kept the fishing fleet in the harbour resulting in more fist-fights in and around the pub.
Al's ribs continued to heal well. Mrs Godfrey-Carstairs phoned to say that her skin was very itchy under the plaster cast, and could she have it removed? Martin sighed as he explained the reasons why that wasn't possible. Bert had been in hospital for two weeks now and was beginning to chafe at the rules of "gentle exercise and no sweets" regime that his doctors had ordered for him.
"Here Doc, can't you tell them to let me go home? Al and Pauline can look after me."
"No Bert, Al's ribs are still healing and he couldn't move you around if you got into difficulty, and Pauline is working." Martin was firm in his resolve to keep Bert under close watch.
Martin went along to the children's unit where Janice Porter, the scald victim, was still undergoing treatment, and at that moment was sleeping. "Hello Mrs Porter. How is Janice coming along?"
"Hello Doc, she's improved a lot in this last week. Dr Franklin says she might be allowed home if the blisters dry up some more."
Martin nodded. "Yes, she's been lucky that the second degree burns on her arm and chest are not very extensive. Obviously, they are big enough to warrant the stay in hospital, but she does seem to be making good progress."
"Dr Ellingham, will you thank your wife for sending the reading books from school for Janice? She loves being read to and I can't always get to the library." Mrs Porter smiled up at him and said, "and thank you for telling me about the wet tea towel. Dr Franklin said that her burns would have been worse if you hadn't told me to do that."
Martin agreed to thank Louisa, but deflected the praise for his own actions as "just doing my job" in his usual manner.
He told Mrs Porter that Janice would require some physiotherapy to enable her to move freely again, but the hospital would ensure that there would be good instruction as to how this should be carried out. "If you have any questions, then either talk to Dr Franklin, or if you prefer, I can deal with them."
Mrs Porter smiled at him and said she would be grateful if he could spare the time, later.
Returning home, he was grateful that his normal day was over and that hopefully there would be no emergencies to deal with, overnight.
"Louisa, are you there?" Martin shouted as he came into the kitchen.
"Yes, I'll be down in a minute" she replied from upstairs.
Martin looked around at the kitchen and could see the oven was on and various pans bubbling away on top of the stove.
"Ah, there you are. I've been to the hospital to check up on a few of my patients. Mrs Porter said to thank you for the books you sent for Janice." At that he bent and kissed her thoroughly. "I've added my own thanks too, into that!"
Louisa twinkled up at him, "I did wonder what she'd said! For that little demonstration, I mean"
"What's for dinner? It smells good."
"Cod mornay with cooked veggies. It will be ready after you've washed up."
Martin went upstairs to clean himself up before returning to his dinner.
"You're due to go to Wadebridge for your check-up on Friday. They've scheduled 4:00 again. Is that alright with you?"
"Yes, I can see Joanna and get the time off. Do you think I should tell her why I need it now?"
"Well, you are now over the 12-week mark and so if you want people to know, you can do. It's entirely up to you. I daresay you will be the highlight of the week, but what's new there?"
She sighed as he pointed out these ramifications, but was forced to agree with him. She knew she would rather tell people herself rather than let the nosey busybodies do it for her. "I know; however, Joanna will be leaving next month and I'd feel mean about not telling her."
"As you wish. Will you tell her tomorrow? If you do, I'd know to brace myself for the sudden rise in plague victims in the waiting room!" His smile to her belied his inner qualms about having everyone know about his impending fatherhood.
The rest of the evening passed away quietly as Martin had hoped and they made an early night of it.
The next day Louisa asked for an appointment to see Joanna. She was given the time of 1:15 which was just after lunch finished.
Squaring her shoulders, she knocked on the Head's door and was called in. "Hi Louisa, what can I do for you today?"
"Well, there are two things, Joanna. The first is, I'd like to leave early on Friday to visit my doctor in Wadebridge." Joanna looked at her and said she was sure they could accommodate that.
"The second thing you should know is that the reason I need to see my doctor, is that I'm 3-months' pregnant."
Joanna's face lit up in genuine delight. "Really? How marvellous. Congratulations!"
"I wanted you to know before you left. Now that I'm over the initial trimester I'm happy for other people to know."
"When are you due? Sometime in the summer?"
"Yes, about the middle of July, we think. Give or take a couple of weeks."
"I'm really pleased for you Louisa. I expect that is why you didn't apply for my job? We were surprised not to get an application from you."
Louisa nodded. "It was a hard decision, but in the end my desire to be at home for the first year was more than my desire to be Head."
Joanna agreed that it would not have been an easy decision. "I'll inform the Governors of your condition and your request for the full maternity leave. I can't see any obstacles to your situation."
"Thank you, Joanna. I wish you well in your new life, too." Louisa got up to leave.
"Between you and me, Louisa, would you have applied for my job?"
Louisa was pensive. Then she nodded, yes.
"There will be other occasions in the future, Louisa. You've made the right choice, I think."
Louisa brightened to receive this approbation and left with a lighter step.
At break-time she was on duty in the yard when Pippa came over to talk to her. "Hi Louisa, how are you today?"
Taking the bull by the horns she said "I'm well, Pippa. Actually, there's something I need to tell you."
Pippa looked at her and raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"
With a deep breath, she said "I'm three-months' pregnant."
Pippa's shock couldn't have been more evident. "Really, Louisa? I.. I.. I mean congratulations! When are you due?"
"About the middle of July, actually."
"How's the Doc taken it, Louisa?"
"We're both delighted, obviously. I'm going to take my full leave so that I can be at home with the baby for as long as possible."
"Do you know what you're having. Boy or girl, I mean?"
Louisa shook her head and explained that she wanted to be surprised. "We talked about using the scans to find out, but then decided to wait. Martin said he was happy to go along with whatever I wanted."
Suddenly realisation dawned for Pippa. "That's why you didn't apply for Joanna's job?"
Louisa admitted as much and then said it had been a tough choice, but one she was glad she'd made. "I need to be at home to see the baby and watch it develop."
As the bell went to end the break, Pippa said "Congratulations again, Louisa. I'm very happy for you! By the way, does everyone know or do you want it kept secret?"
Louisa said that only Joanna knew at the moment, but it wouldn't be long before everyone knew.
Pippa looked delighted at this and was just waiting for her chance to disseminate the latest gossip.
Louisa swiftly phoned Martin to let him know the news was out. He groaned and said "I'll wait for the onslaught then."
He was down to the last few patients when a wail from Pauline interrupted the proceedings. "Doc? Doc, why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That you and Louisa are having a baby!"
"None of your business," was his brusque reply.
"I'm only your practice manager, you could have told me," Pauline harped on.
"Next patient, Pauline" was his only comment.
From then on, the first words out of every patient's mouth were "Congratulations, Doc." Some then added "didn't think you had it in you."
"Thank you, and what seems to be your problem today?" became his standard response.
He heard the phone going several times and knew that the next day's surgery was going to be full of gossip-hungry morons eager for the latest tidbit.
Once the patients had gone, Martin rounded on Pauline. "I'd be grateful, Pauline, if you didn't discuss my private life in front of the patients. Not only is it none of their business, it is none of yours either. Do I make myself clear?"
Pauline looked sullenly at him. "Yes Doc. I was just saying that you could have told me."
"My private life is just that, Pauline. Not up for discussion by anyone." He turned on his heel and went back into his office.
He heard the words "spoilsport and tosser" behind him, but just ignored them. She'd get over it when the next piece of gossip came in.
He tidied up the room and then went to the kitchen where Louisa was laying the table for dinner. Going over to her he swept her into an embrace and then said "I wish this next fortnight would go quickly!"
"What, has it started for you already?" Even Louisa was surprised at how rapidly Pauline had found out.
"Martin, as you say we will be subjected to scrutiny for a while until the next incident happens. Please try and be calm, most of them wish us well."
Martin grunted. "If you say so. I'm going to go and get washed before tea." He left and went upstairs.