Chapter 38 – Care

After Joe and Clair left to take Molly to hospital, the Doc excused himself, went outside to put his medical bag away, and then walked back in to the restaurant carrying a small hold all. I watched as he walked straight to the loo. "And I figured dinner was ruined – what with Molly getting sick on him."

Louisa was helping James Henry, cutting up chicken so he could chew it easily. "These sorts of things happen, so I suggested to Martin that he carry a change of clothes in his car. Hence the bag he brought in."

Al grunted. "Good idea. It never ceases to amaze me how the Doc can…" he waved his free hand, "you know. Just launch himself into the medical fray like that!"

Louisa put butter on a piece of roll and gave it to James who stuffed it into his mouth. "He's like that, Al. Always…" she paused, "springing into action."

I piped up with, "Gee, Al, sorta like when Caroline go shocked on the beach and you had to get the AED."

Al nodded. "But, Louisa, the Doc - always?"

"Well, when it's warranted, like the thing with the girl. Martin saw that she was quite sick; rapidly assessed the situation."

I muttered to Al, "A little slow on the uptick with some things, I imagine."

Louisa must have heard me, for she stared at me and said pointblank, "But it's the outcome that's important."

Soon the Doc returned to table, wearing a light-blue shirt with a dark blue tie, the white shirt and red having gotten ruined. He sat down, adjusted his plate, took a large drink of water, and without a word returned to eating his meal.

"Shame that's gone cold," the waiter was suddenly standing at his elbow after cleaning up the sick on the floor. "Anything I can do, and what just did happen?"

The Doc grunted. "That young girl is my patient, and she is ill. Her mother and the man took her to hospital."

The young woman brightened. "I did see your bag – so you are a doctor."

"GP," Martin said, with irritation. "Now if you don't mind?" He went right back to eating.

"Desserts and coffees are on the house," she told him brightly as she walked away.

"Humph," Martin said.

"Humph?" Louisa asked him.

The Doc shrugged.

Louisa gave me the look (the one that I think means this is Martin being Mar-tin). She touched his left hand then went back to her meal.

Al sighed. "Right."

I tried to start a conversation about the weather, if only to fill the dead air, but to no avail. So we just sat there and ate.

Finally Martin broke the awkward silence. "Why in God's name didn't that woman take better care of her child? Hm? Didn't she notice the girl's leg was swollen? Or that she was unsteady? Bacteria run rampart just like that." He snapped his fingers.

"It's that serious?" Al asked.

The Doc glared at him. "Yes. Unchecked staph infections lead to an amazing number of injuries and death. When I was a young surgery registrar we had a patient who had suffered a slight injury while cycling, then totally ignored the wound. Only when he could not move his leg at all did he even consider coming to hospital."

"What happened to him, Martin?" Louisa asked.

Martin said flatly. "We saved his life but he lost a good chunk of a major thigh muscle plus a testicle."

Al winced. "Owww."

In two bites the Doc finished his fish and rice then put his fork on the plate. "Yes, Al. Ow."

Louisa grimaced. "So pay attention to cuts and scrapes."

Martin nodded. "But back to parenting…" he turned to look at me and Al, "Your child will get injured, and sick; it will happen. Just have a care – pay attention – don't let…"

"We get it Doc. Things fester, so don't wait too long," I answered him.

Doc blew air from his nose slowly. "Right." He turned his head to inspect James who was smashing veg on his tray. So he calmly took a paper tissue and began to wipe up the mess. Just like the Doc, always cleaning up other people's messes.

A lot had been said and unsaid right there. I'd heard a few things, rumors really, about the Doc's upbringing. Louisa always called them cold, and with his dad was dead now, and his mum off who knew where, there weren't any grandparents about for little James Henry. And Louisa, her dad in the clink, and mum off in Spain. But James had Ruth Ellingham for a great-aunt, and of course Bert always said James Henry was like a grandson, being he'd helped to raise Louisa.

I felt Al's hand in my lap so I took it and held it firmly. His fingers stroked the back of my hand as I gave him a little grin, and he smiled back at me. Care – it was about caring, wasn't it? The baby kicked down there and oh dear we had to start at least thinking about names. But as for the caring bit, I turned to glance at the Doc, as Louisa gave her man a sweet half-smile. His mum and dad were rubbish, I knew; they must have treated him terribly. Was that why he blew up at people who made a mess of things with their kids? Was he trying, in his rubbish way, to stop happening to them what had happened to him? In those few seconds I think I actually understood our Doc, Martin Ellingham. Poor man.

Al nodded to the Doc. "Don't you worry, Doc. We will, uhm, take care of our baby."

"See that you do," the Doc replied.

"Now, who wants a dessert course?" Louisa asked in a delighted way.

The Doc groaned as only he could.