Chapter 45
The next morning, he was up early to get ready, and then to put breakfast on. He heard Louisa moving around and shouted up to her to ask if she wanted any help?
"No thanks Martin, I feel a good bit better than yesterday." A short while later she came down to the kitchen and looked appreciatively at the porridge waiting for her.
"You can have some toast afterwards, if you want?"
"No thanks, this will be fine. I don't want too many empty calories as I'm hoping Joan will bring some cake with her." She laughed when she saw his frown.
"I'm going to cancel your scan with Dr Lewis and rearrange it for next week. I expect you are a little bit tired of having them done?"
"That's a good idea, Martin. You're right, it did seem like too many over these last couple of days."
He left for the surgery while Louisa washed up their breakfast dishes. She laid the table for lunch and then resumed her reading. A morning cup of tea was made and she pottered around trying to make the place a little tidier, although to be fair to Martin, there wasn't much wrong with it. The strong smell of the hyacinths pervaded the house, not just the living room.
A knock on the window heralded a visitor and she looked up in some surprise when Bert popped his head around the door. "How are you, Louiser? Thought I'd return the visit." He laughed and waddled in to stand near the table, where he put a carrier bag down. "Thought I'd bring you some dinner, as I know what those hospital dinners are like. (Awful!)" he added conspiratorially.
"Bert! How good to see you. Are you sure you should be walking this far, and carrying that?"
"Now then Louiser, don't you be a'fretting over me. My Doc said I had to do gentle exercise to help get my weight down, and this is what I'm doing. I'm not running a marathon!"
"Thank you, Bert. What's in the carrier bag?"
"I looked up a recipe and made a fish chowder. It's got all sorts of fish in it, as well as some veg, so you don't worry about it being too full of fats or anything."
"Thanks, Bert. I'm sure we'll enjoy it."
"Enjoy what?" came a voice from the hall way.
"Martin, Bert's brought us some chowder for tea. Isn't that kind of him?"
"Yes, thank you, Bert. I can see you've lost some weight so you are doing the right thing walking about as much as you can. You're not doing any heavy lifting, though, are you?" Martin eyed the restauranteur suspiciously.
"No Doc, just trying to get my mild exercise in. Right, I'll be off then. Let me know if you need anything, Louiser." With that he let himself out and went back home.
Martin went over to the bowl of chowder and dipped a teaspoon in it before tasting it. He was pleasantly surprised by the rich aroma, and flavour. "Tastes good, Louisa," he said.
"I'll look forward to it at dinner time, are you going to put it in the fridge?"
Martin took the bowl over to the fridge and put it in there. He picked out a plate of foil-wrapped sandwiches leaving them on the table. "Turkey and salad," he answered her unspoken question. "I got some turkey when I went for the groceries."
"Thanks, Martin. What time is it now?"
He looked at his watch and said, "Joan will be here in about fifteen minutes. Just gives you time to use the bathroom if you need to, and I'll put the kettle on."
Joan appeared and, after removing her coat, wanted to know how Louisa was feeling today, whether any new bruises had appeared and just how she felt, generally?
Louisa laughed at all the questions and said that she was feeling a lot better, although obviously sore along her back. Her hands were healing and she'd not felt any new lumps or bumps.
Joan's eyes teared up as she relived that horrid time. "Oh, Louisa! I don't think I've ever felt so terrified, or useless."
"It's OK Joan, I felt pretty useless myself, for being so idiotic."
"Well, you weren't to know there was a cyclist coming. I didn't even hear his bell." Joan made the point that bicycles should carry a warning bell which should be sounded near pedestrians.
"No, sorry Joan, but that requirement was ended in 1999. A pity, because it might have saved me a stay in hospital and none of these scrapes and bruises."
"Really?" gasped Joan. "I was convinced he should have had a bell." She looked annoyed, and remarked "Trust the Government to remove something useful from the Highway Code!"
Louisa decided to change the conversation. "Tea or coffee, Joan?"
"Tea for me please, dear. I took the liberty of bringing some chocolate cake, which I made earlier this morning. Is his nibs coming to join us?"
"Hello Auntie Joan." Said Martin, from the hallway. Yes, I'm coming in for lunch. What's that about cake?"
She looked at him in an exasperated fashion. "What is it with men who can hear like bats when it comes to anything remotely enjoyable, but turn into posts if you ask them to do something?" she grumbled.
Louisa leapt to his defence. "To be fair, Joan, Martin does do a lot for me. He is only thinking about me when he mentions calories, etc. Not that I eat too many empty calories. I try to be good most of the week!"
Joan laughed. "These sandwiches look tasty. Did you make them, Martin?" She tried to change the subject and partially succeeded.
"Yes, I got some fresh turkey yesterday."
"Those hyacinths really cheer the place up, don't they, with that beautiful smell?" Joan sniffed appreciatively. She'd hoped that now the sandwiches were finished, Martin would go back to work, but he didn't so she resigned herself to some more comments about sugars and fats as she retrieved the cake from her bag.
"Oh Joan, that looks wonderful!" Louisa at least, was happy with the slices of cake laid out on the plate.
Martin looked at them and appeared to debate with himself before saying, "May I have a slice, please?"
You'd have thought aliens had landed when Martin made his request. Both Louisa and Joan looked thunderstruck.
"It's just I remember how tasty it was from when I was a boy at the farm, Joan." He explained.
Joan quickly handed him a slice and then gave one to Louisa. She took the last one for herself. She poured more tea for herself and Louisa, but Martin declined.
"Joan, it was as I remembered, thank you."
She blushed and said, "You're welcome."
He got to his feet and said he was away back to work. "Take it easy Louisa, remember you are still healing."
Louisa nodded and said "See you later," before blowing him a kiss. She laughed when the tell-tale red stole up his cheeks.
When Joan had gone, Louisa washed up the few pots and decided a nap was in order. She'd just got herself lowered onto the couch when there was a rap at the door and Joe Penhale came in.
"Afternoon, Louisa. Good to see you up and about."
"Hello Joe. Have you come for my statement?"
"Yes, that is, if you are up to it?" Joe was careful to make sure she would not be overdoing it by talking to him. He'd seen Martin upset before, and didn't wish to incur the Doctor's wrath, himself.
Louisa waved to the chairs by the table, "Have a seat Joe and you can rest your notepad on the table."
"Thanks, Louisa. That's ideal." He took out his notepad and pen and commenced the interview.
"Name?"
"Louisa Roberta Ellingham," came the reply.
"Address?"
"Fern Cottage, Roscarrock Hill, Portwenn."
"Why were you in Wadebridge on Tuesday?"
"Do you really have to know, Joe?"
Joe shrugged and grinned gormlessly at her. "Not really, but it adds a bit of colour?"
Louisa sighed. "Joan and I went to do some shopping."
"Now, can you tell me about the incident, please?"
Louisa related her sorry tale for the umpteenth time, ending by saying she'd been in hospital for a day, and had arrived home yesterday.
"Are there any more questions, Joe? I was just going to have a lay down."
"No, Louisa. What you've said agrees with the statement the cyclist made, and as he doesn't want to press charges, I think we can say that it's over and done with."
Louisa nodded and asked him to close the door on his way out.
Joe stood to go, "Louisa? I'm glad the baby is safe."
"Thank you, Joe. See you later." She settled herself on the couch and within 10 minutes was fast asleep.
When Martin came in an hour later, she was still asleep. He decided to rouse her as he knew she wouldn't sleep properly that night. He ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. "Louisa, time to wake up."
Her eyelids fluttered and she was soon looking up at him, nearly awake, but just sort of on the edge. "Hm, I was just dreaming about you. I dreamed you had a slice of Joan's chocolate cake."
"You're not going to let me live that down, are you?"
Her eyes widened. "You mean it wasn't a dream? You did eat some?"
He sighed, "Yes Louisa, I did have some. It reminded me of when I used to go to the farm, during the summer holidays. Anyway, I don't expect to be eating cake more than twice a year so I'll be fine."
He turned away and went to get himself some water. "Do you want tea?"
"Yes please."
He made her a cup and set it down on the coffee table close at hand. She swung her legs off the couch and sat up straight. There was only a small twinge as she moved.
"Joe Penhale's been by to get my version of events. He said the cyclist isn't going to press charges against me, so that will be an end to the matter."
Martin was incredulous. "The cyclist's not pressing charges? He's bloody lucky that you aren't pressing charges against him! Running down a woman in the street…"
Louisa held her hand up, "Calm down Martin, I'm afraid it was my fault. I should have looked before stepping off the pavement."
"Huh. If that had been me on the bike, my father would have made sure I couldn't sit down for a week! The man's been let off lightly as far as I can see." Martin continued to mutter to himself as he went back to work.
She smiled as she listened to his voice fading away. He was only thinking of her and the baby, after all. She went upstairs to the bathroom and decided as she was up there to re-arrange her wardrobe again. Her well-fitting clothes were now too tight and she needed something looser to wear as her abdomen size increased. Another couple of months and she'd have to start thinking about maternity dresses and trousers, she mused. At least it would be summertime and the clothes would be light and airy.
Bert's chowder proved to be very tasty and filling. Martin was impressed and wondered from where, Bert had obtained the recipe. He did not really want to rely on Bert's culinary skills, as he wasn't overly enamoured by the state of the restaurant's kitchen.
After a quiet evening they went to bed. To Martin's surprise Louisa was the first one to drop off to sleep. "Must be the growing baby tiring her out," he thought. A very short time later he too was asleep.
His phone ringing at 4:00 a.m. roused him from a deep sleep. "Ellingham."
The raspy tones of Malcolm Raynor came down the airwaves. "I've found a lump Doc, On me chest. I'm sure it must be the Big C and you'll need to get me to hospital immediately!"
Martin got out of bed and went across to the nursery. "Mr Raynor, do you know what time it is? Why on earth are you calling me to discuss a lump, which in all probability will turn out to be benign?"
"But Doc, on the internet it says you must see your GP as soon as possible if you find a lump. That's why I'm calling."
Malcolm's voice grated on Martin's nerves. "Immediately in this case means within a few days. It does not mean within a few minutes. Ring the surgery later on and make an appointment! Now go back to bed. I'll see you sometime today."
"Dratted imbecile." Martin climbed carefully back under the covers and was settling down when Louisa asked him if he was going out.
"Thankfully no. Just some idiot who thinks it's fun to disturb my sleep on a flimsy excuse."
"Never mind Martin, snuggle into me and you'll soon be back to sleep."
He did as he was told, and sure enough, went back to sleep.