Six months later:
Lucien had taken Jean's mind off the sale of the farm by various means. He had decided she should be a partner in the business and persuaded her to take courses that would mean she could administer the clinic. She could deal with regular child check-ups, a kind of baby clinic, arrange vaccinations and referrals to the doctor and follow up appointments when required. He, himself, had taught her to take blood pressure readings and record them for patients such as Agnes Clasby and prepare repeat prescriptions for his signature, she became a kind of practice nurse. At one point she had wondered if it were too late to train as such.
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She was passing the farm again on the way back from seeing one of Lucien's patients. A woman who had given birth a month ago but wasn't attending clinic. This was one of Jean's duties, as it were. Some of the female patients were reluctant to discuss their worries with a man, even if he was a doctor. Jean knew what it was to be a first time mother with no one to advise and support so Lucien had asked her to attend some of these mothers. She had attended a mother who was struggling to feed her child herself. Tearful and frustrated Jean saw herself with her firstborn and told her she wasn't a bad mother, the first fear, and that it would soon get easier. She had taken some bottles and formula and shown her how to prepare the feed if it all became too much and not to feel a failure. After tea and help to get the child to latch on Jean had left, feeling she had been useful and had made a difference.
She slowed as she passed the turning. Dare she drive up and past the entrance? It would be a long diversion if she did, and the fuel gauge was too low for that. The sign had gone, which was good, but she couldn't see anything else. She decided that she had better get back and prepared to move off. She did everything right, indicated, looked all around and slowly pulled away when it appeared clear, it wasn't a busy road. She had barely moved when there was a crash, she was thrown forward on to the steering wheel, and the car lurched to a halt. She fell back against the seat and through a haze of dizziness saw a car roar away from her down the road.
She couldn't clear her vision or the dizziness, and there was something warm running down her face. She vaguely heard a voice from afar,
'Hey!' It shouted, 'are you alright?'
Then the door being wrenched open and,
'Bloody hell, Mum?!'
It was a dream, the dark hair and blue eyes, they couldn't be there. Where was Lucien, she needed Lucien.
'Mum!' Insistent now , Mum!'
'Not now Jack, mummy's tired.' she managed to mumble.
She felt herself being lifted out of the driver's seat and she nestled against the strong chest.
'Lucien?' She questioned, weakly as the cool air of the late afternoon wafted over her.
'I'll get him when we get to the house.' The familiar voice soothed.
He kicked the open door wide, and took her into the bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. He ran to the phone in the hall, and dialled the doctor's number,
'Blake surgery.' Lucien's voice answered,
'Doctor,' he said, breathless, 'can you come out to Dempster's farm? It's... it's your wife, she's been in an accident.'
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'I'm on my way.' Back in the house he cursed that Jean refused to let him buy her a small car to run around in, now he'd have to call Matthew and an ambo, a taxi wouldn't be fast enough.
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She looked so pale as she lay on his bed. He pulled a blanket over her and went to get water and a clean cloth to bathe her forehead. The blood was beginning to dry on her face and it looked like her face had been slashed open.
He cleaned her face as gently as he could and was glad to see that it was a cut to her forehead and not a split down her face. How many times had she bathed his knees and elbows in this very room when he was a child, now he was repaying her.
He'd not wanted her to know he was back in town, not until he'd started to make a success of the farm, and he was sure he could, by hook or by crook, he would. He's spent the time since their last meeting; when he'd let her down so badly and left her with Dr Blake; jealous that someone could try to take his father's place in his mother's heart. But time had healed that anger, that hurt and strangely, when his brother had called to say that she was marrying Blake he had been glad, even happy for her, laughing at his brother's suspicious attitude. He'd teased Christopher about only wanting a nursemaid or babysitter when it suited him. Marriage suited her, even in this state she looked happier, younger than he remembered.
A knock on the door and a voice interrupted his thoughts, he stood up and went to the bedroom door,
'In here, doctor.' He called.
Lucien looked at him and stopped momentarily.
'Jack?' He questioned, but this was no time for idle chit chat, he went into the room and was shocked to see Jean so pale and unmoving.
'What happened?' He asked, as he started to examine her.
'I'm not really sure.' He admitted, 'I was just checking the peach trees and I heard a crash and roar of an engine. When I got there the car was half in the ditch. By the look of the side of it, it had been hit pretty hard.'
Jean started to come round, she moaned and turned her head towards the voice. She blinked and put her hand to her head, which hurt.
'Jean,' Lucien called, softly, 'Jean, look at me, please.' He gently took her hand away from the cut on her forehead.
She turned her head to the other voice.
'Lucien?' Barely a whisper.
'Hello, sweetheart.' He soothed, 'are you hurt anywhere other than your head?'
'Hm..?' She thought her way down her body, 'My neck's sore.'
Lucien put his hands carefully under her head and gently probed , hearing her wince. 'We'll get that x-rayed back at the hospital.' He smiled at her. 'Try not to move your head.'
Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to keep them open. She was so confused, the room seemed familiar and she was sure that was Jack at the other side of the bed. She started to cry.
'Hey, come on love.' Lucien reassured, 'you'll be fine, I'm sure.' He stroked her head, 'the ambo'll be here soon.' Though where it had got to he didn't know.
'Jack.' She hiccupped.
Jack looked over at Blake who nodded, letting him know he had to assure her she wasn't dreaming. Her confusion was frightening her.
Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, taking her hand. 'Hello mum.' He squeezed her hand, 'it's ok, you're not dreaming.'
The ambulance finally arrived, as did Matthew who had been at the car. He passed Jean's bag to Lucien and said he'd see him back at the hospital and would also see that the car was towed back to the station.
'Thanks, Matthew.' Lucien turned to Jack, 'come over in a couple of days, she'll be at home then, I hope.'
'Ok, I'll ring later, see how she is.' Jack watched them go, his mother wrapped in a blanket on the stretcher with Lucien walking beside her, holding her hand.
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It was just luck, he told himself, good or bad, he wasn't sure. He'd wanted to get the farm up and running properly before he let her know he was in the area. He hadn't even told Christopher. All he'd told him was that he had bought a property and was setting up a business. After leaving the farm he'd struggled to understand what, or who, he was. The wider world had caused him nothing but irritation and confusion, which was why, he decided, he'd gone off the rails and let his mother down so badly.
After roaming about he had decided he was a farm boy at heart and that was when he knew he had to somehow get enough funds together to find a property that would serve his purposes. He'd not planned it would be the family farm that was just the way the dice fell, but it was going cheap because of the recent history. That history had meant the developers didn't want it anymore, either.
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Jean's x-rays showed nothing untoward, and after putting a collar on her to keep her neck still she was allowed home to be nursed by her husband. Lucien would have liked her to stay in overnight, but the idea only upset her so he agreed on the proviso that if she didn't begin to recover properly she would be back in hospital.
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He'd made her comfortable on the couch and went to make her some tea.
He took the tray in a was relieved to be greeted by a small smile. He smiled back and sat down with her, pouring her some tea then helped her to sit up.
'Can you remember what happened?' He asked, gently. 'Matthew will want to know.'
'I think so.' She furrowed her brow as she went over the incident in her mind, 'I'd stop to look at the farm, I was wondering if I dare drive past, but I decided I'd have to make it look as if I was just driving past but it's the long way home and I was concerned I'd run out of fuel. So I decided to come home. ' She turned to look at him, 'Lucien, I did everything right, I indicated, I looked and I pulled away slowly. It's not a busy road, really. Then there was a huge crash and I felt the car stop hard, then I suppose I must have banged my head. I saw a car, I think, speeding off but I don't know who it was.'
'Hm...' he thought, 'somebody didn't want to get caught, or was trying to get away from some other misdeed, perhaps.'
He put his arm round her shoulders and kissed her head.
'Lucien, why was Jack there?' She looked worried.
'Not sure, but he said something about hearing the crash while he was checking the peach trees.' He also had wondered what Jack was doing there.
'There are no peach trees on the farm.' She looked puzzled. 'There were apple, pear and plum trees, but no peach.'
'Well let's not worry about it shall we?' He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, 'He said he'd ring later to see how you are.'
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Lucien wouldn't let Jean make the dinner, she was to stay on the couch until bedtime. Charlie was home in time to cook and although Jean didn't really feel like eating much she insisted she sit at the table. They were half way through dinner when the phone rang. Lucien answered it, it was Jack.
Lucien assured him his mother was ok, in a little pain but that would pass. He smiled when he listened to Jack say something to him, a smile of relief. He waved the receiver at Jean and she indicated she would like to speak to her youngest son. Lucien moved his chair closer and helped her move over.
'Hello, Jack.' She said, quietly and apprehensively, 'how are you?'
There was a pause while she listened to the answer, and she smiled at it.
'I'm ok. Sore and my neck's stiff. Lucien's making me wear a collar.' She told him. 'Jack, why were you there?'
She listened to the answer, smiling, looking happier than she usually did when anything concerned Jack.
'I'd like that.' She replied to his question, 'and perhaps when I'm allowed to cook again you could come over for dinner.'
'Bye, Jack.' She smiled at Lucien as she put the receiver down.
'You don't mind if he comes to see me, do you?' She asked him as he helped her back to the table to finish her dinner.
'Of course not.' Lucien pointed at her plate and looked at her. 'He's welcome anytime.'
'Did he tell you why he was there?' She asked starting to eat again, she felt a little hungrier now.
'Just said it was ok, he wasn't in trouble and hiding out.' Lucien grinned.
'He's bought the farm.' She told him, smiling, 'he's decided he's a farm boy at heart and is going to try to make it into a fruit farm. That's why he has peach trees.'
'That's wonderful, darling.' Lucien said as he got up to take the plates to the sink, now hers was clean.
'It is, isn't it.'
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Lucien settled Jean in bed telling her to get some sleep.
'But I'm not tired.' She pouted.
He sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at her. He knew that look but not so soon after a head injury, he decided.
'My darling, Jean,' He leant forward and kissed her, 'much as it would give me great pleasure to ravish you senseless, you need to rest. That was a nasty bang on the head, so we need to be sensible.'
She pouted again, knowing full well he was right. 'Alright, if you say so, doctor.'
'I do. Now rest.' He picked up her hand and kissed it, 'I'll be through soon.'
He was pleased to see she was asleep when he returned. She had this particular way of wriggling against him that usually led to all sorts of shenanigans! Not that he was complaining.
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There will be at least one more chapter after this. We need to find out who crashed into Jean, and why they drove off. Also, what effect Jack's return has on everybody.
Thank you for the lovely reviews.