Chapter 65
Martin and Louisa stayed behind with Joan and Annie to help with the washing up, and to stack the chairs back at the side of the room.
"Dr Ellingham, those were very shocking figures you gave for the costs of home accidents." Annie remarked.
"Yes, and there has been a worrying trend in Portwenn over both the number and severity of accidents. I felt that a small talk on this problem would make people think a bit more. Next year's figures might not be so bad!"
Louisa smiled up at him. "I thought it was a good idea, Martin. I'm taking some of the less gory posters into school and I'll encourage the other teachers to have a children-appropriate talk about safety in both the school and at home."
Martin nodded. "Good plan. I hope the children are more receptive than some of the grown-ups will be, if I know them."
At this point Annie said farewell and Louisa asked Joan if she wanted to come for tea? "Chicken casserole," she tempted her.
"Yes please, in that case. I'd love to. I'll get my truck and meet you at the surgery, after I've locked up."
Martin and Louisa went home to start the dinner preparations. Louisa put the casserole back in the oven to warm through, while Martin prepared the vegetables.
Before long Joan came in and was offered a cup of tea. They sat down in the lounge and discussed the afternoon events. "What gave you the idea of the talk, Martin?" asked Joan.
"Actually, it was the scalding case of the young girl over Christmas. Happily she has responded well to treatment and has regained much of the use of her arm, as well as the scarring not being too deep. The scars will fade over time. Auntie Joan, I must ask you not to repeat this to anyone else, please."
Joan agreed, and said thoughtfully, "Will you be doing any more talks?"
"I've not planned anymore, why?"
"Well several people thought that it was a good speech and highlighted the problem very nicely. A couple of folk from Delabole were in and they thought it would go down well over there. Especially as most of them rely on either yourself or Dr Lewis for medical treatment. For them, it is reassuring to be able to offer assistance immediately rather than waiting too long for either one of you two to arrive." Joan explained.
"I'll think about it. Perhaps Dr Lewis would like to join in, as well?" Martin was wondering out loud.
Louisa got up to check the veg and then asked Martin to transfer the casserole pot to the table. She served the vegetables onto the plates and asked the others to serve themselves.
The talk moved on to the happenings in the village and life in general. Eventually, Joan said she must go and see to the chickens and took her leave of them. As he walked her out to her truck, Martin thanked her again for helping out.
"Not a problem, Marty. It is good for the townsfolk to see you in a slightly different light as opposed to your sitting behind a desk, glowering at them!" she joked.
Martin indignantly said, "I don't!" But then amended it to "Only at the idiots who won't follow my instructions," he grumbled.
She patted his cheek, climbed into her truck and went off down the hill.
He returned to the kitchen to do the washing up, telling Louisa to go and rest on the couch.
Once he'd finished, he made a drink and then went to sit beside her.
"Louisa, I know you can travel in an airplane, but can you travel on a ship, or boat?"
Louisa looked at him in astonishment. "What's brought this on?" she asked.
"Please answer the question, and then I'll tell you why."
She thought about it. "I've been on a fishing boat a couple of times, and I also went by ferry on a trip to France while I was at college. Is that what you meant?"
"Yes, those are good examples. Were you OK, I mean not sick or nauseous even?"
"No, I was fine, although a few of my college friends were." She looked at him for further clarification.
He looked down at his hands, wrapped around his cup. Raising his eyes to her he said, "The Easter holidays will be here soon and I wondered if you would like to go away for a couple of weeks, with me, on holiday? Once Junior has arrived, we'll never get away again, just the two of us, for the foreseeable future."
Louisa was astonished. She'd not given a single thought to a holiday, and was amazed that he had.
"Martin, that's a wonderful idea, but what about the surgery? Isn't it too late to get a locum?"
"I've already spoken to Chris, and he's agreed that I can shut the surgery down, for two weeks. It's easier doing it that way than trying to get a stand-in. Obviously if you hadn't agreed to go with me, I'd not have gone through with closing down," he explained.
"Oh, that's such a good idea. Where do you want to go that involves flights and boat trips?"
He smiled at her. "Well, as long as you haven't already been there, I thought you might like a visit to the Isles of Scilly? We could fly there from Newquay, but mainly, to get around the islands you have to travel by boat," he explained.
Her eyes got misty as she looked at this incredible man. "Martin, that's a lovely idea, and no, I've never been there. When will we go?"
"We could go the Saturday after you break up from school for the holidays. We can be back here two weeks after that. I've tentatively made bookings for the flights there and back, as well as renting a cottage for the two of us."
"Oh, Martin. That is wonderful. You are a dark horse. I had no idea you were doing this. Thank you." She eased across the couch to give him a kiss.
He looked into her eyes and could see the genuine delight at this unexpected treat. Pulling her closer, he said "it will be like a second honeymoon, for us." Then he returned the kiss, passionately.
The rest of Sunday night passed in a very predictable, but thrilling way.
The next morning, before the first patient arrived, Martin confirmed all the bookings and had the acknowledgements back. He nodded to himself, done! Now he could look forward to two blissful weeks away with Louisa.
His first patients were Mr and Mrs Young. Martin go up and moved a second chair in front of his desk for Mr Young.
"Thank you for coming in so promptly. I have to tell you that your biopsy did indeed prove positive for cancer."
Mrs Young dropped her head in her hands and began to cry. Mr Young swallowed convulsively and asked "What's going to 'appen, Doc?"
"In the first case Mrs Young, I think you are in the early stages of the cancer and therefore have a greater chance of surviving it. I'll refer you to an oncologist (cancer specialist) who will do more tests and determine a suitable course of treatment. It may be that a radiation treatment followed by tablets will prove sufficient to defeat the cancer. However in some cases a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the womb) may be deemed more beneficial. I know this is a lot to take in at the moment, but please do not hesitate to come back and see me if you need further information."
Mrs Young asked, "Does this mean I won't be able to 'ave no more kids?"
Martin gently replied "Yes, I'm afraid it does. However, as I said, you have a very good chance of surviving this, because you came to see me straight away and didn't try and ignore it. The specialist I'm referring you to, is a very competent and knowledgeable doctor. You will be in good hands."
Mrs Young didn't look too convinced about her future and Martin hoped that the specialist would reinforce her survivability chances, even if she had to have the hysterectomy. Her husband helped her to her feet and led her from the room. Martin sighed and picked up the phone to arrange for an appointment with the oncologist at the Truro hospital.
At break time Martin phoned Chris to confirm the surgery would be closed over Easter. "I'll put notices up now and then just before I go, I'll put a voice message on the phone directing people to Wadebridge, or phone an ambulance if it's an emergency."
"I hope you have a good time, Mart. That was one thing Carol and I made sure to do before our first was born. Let me know when you get back."
"Thanks Chris, will do." Martin put the phone down and set about making the notices to go on the door and window of the surgery.
When he went to get the sheets, Pauline's whining voice said, "What about me? How do I cope with no work for two weeks?"
"You will be paid as usual, Pauline. You won't have to come into work, I'll open back up after Easter, as you can see on this message. I'll expect you back then."
"Gee, thanks Doc! I'll have a holiday too. Wait until I tell Al, he'll be so surprised!"
Martin had only wanted to pay her at half her wages, but thought that as it was so close to the holiday, that would not be fair. Also, he couldn't put up with the whinging in between times!
He still had to put up with the whining of his patients, though. Quite a few moaned that it was a long way to Wadebridge, etc. Only a few wished him and Louisa a good time, especially as he had rarely taken any time off at all, since he'd arrived in Portwenn.
In school, Pippa was pleased to hear about Louisa's trip to the Scilly Islands. "I've not been there, myself, but they say it is a very lovely place to visit. You'll have to take plenty of pictures and tell us all about it, Louisa!"
Louisa nodded. "I've not been, either. It will be quite an adventure for me. I've not been to many places in the UK. Had a couple of trips up to Bristol, and obviously London when I was doing my degree."
"I do hope the weather stays fine for you. I've heard that it is generally warmer than here on the mainland." Pippa commented.
"Warmer where?" asked Tricia, who'd not heard all the conversation.
"I'm going to the Scilly Islands at Easter," admitted Louisa.
"You lucky thing! I've always wanted to go there." Tricia was envious to hear Louisa's news.
"How did Dr Ellingham's talk go, Louisa?" asked Tricia.
"Quite well, actually. There were at least 50 people there, and quite a few of them took leaflets away with them. That reminds me, I was wondering if the staff would co-operate on a few safety lessons suitable for the children, next term? I've got some age-appropriate posters we could put up. What do you think?"
Pippa nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me. I'll put some ideas together and we can talk about it next week with the rest of the staff."
Louisa was pleased that her idea had landed in fertile ground and went back to her class, newly energised.
Later on in the week she was talking to Martin and reminding him she was due for her check-up on Friday. He'd been called out a few times and was quite busy catching up with the subsequent backlog of patients. "I'd remembered, Louisa. There were more than a few moaners complaining about all the time off I've been taking."
Louisa was outraged that people begrudged them their family time. "How many times has your life been disrupted by people too bloody lazy to come to the surgery, even?" she blazed.
"Calm down, Louisa. It's not good for Junior for you to be getting excited like that. Water off a duck's back to me. I'm used to it, so don't fret."
"That's my point, you shouldn't have to suffer the moaning at all." She wasn't going to be persuaded easily to give up her argument.
Martin distracted her by pointing out that at least she would have a clean bill of health to go on holiday. She took that idea on board and brightened up.
"Well as far as I know, everything is as it should be. I've not had any aches or pains. At least not if you don't count the various small kicks I've had!" she smiled at him.
Martin came closer and hugged her. "That's good news, indeed."