Disclaimer: Doc Martin is the property of Buffalo Pictures. I own nothing except my imagination.
Birthday Boy - Chapter 12
July 14th - Luke's first birthday. Louisa could hardly believe it, their baby boy was one year old. They'd decided that after all the organising and excitement of his Christening party and then the Midsummer Ball, they would just have a simple family birthday tea party. It was the first day of the summer holidays, that was how the term dates had worked out this year.
Luke was almost walking now, standing by himself, and taking a step or two into their waiting arms, thinking himself very brave. As his birthday was at the start of the summer holidays, Louisa hoped that he would take his first proper steps for her at home. She would still send him to the nursery for some of the time that she was off, it was a full time, all year round day nursery to cater for all working parents, not just school teachers. She didn't want to lose her place, or to have to get Luke used to it all over again in September when the new term started.
Luke had just had his first haircut, it had really only been a few blonde wispy bits of hair that had grown quite long. Martin had been adamant that he should look like a boy, and not have girly long hair. Louisa had carefully kept these first hair cuttings, putting them into his baby record book.
She was so glad that they'd finally reached the end of term, she was exhausted and felt very tired from working full time and looking after Luke, she was more than ready for a break. When she thought back over the past year, she could hardly believe how different her circumstances were then to now. At that point in time, she had never imagined for one second that this is how things would turn out. She was mightily glad that they had, but it had certainly been a roller coaster of a year.
Martin went and got Luke up in the morning as he usually did, letting Louisa stay in bed for a few more precious minutes. Luke was awake, chattering and babbling, standing up and holding on to the bars of his cot, shaking them because he was impatient to be picked up. His face lit up as he saw Martin, holding his arms up and excitedly saying 'Dadadada'' and chuckling.
Martin proceeded to change his nappy and dress him in the outfit that Louisa had left out for ready for him – it was a very cute denim dungaree outfit. He was a dab hand at it now, another task where practice makes perfect.
Task done, he handed Luke to Louisa before disappearing to quickly shower.
"Hello birthday boy," she cooed at him "Presents after breakfast hmm, and then it's your party this afternoon, isn't it?"
"He doesn't understand about birthdays or parties yet Louisa," Martin reminded her. As usual, he'd been less than enthusiastic about a party, even a small one.
"Of course he does, because you're so clever aren't you?" Louisa nuzzled and kissed Luke as she said this, making him collapse laughing and giggling.
"Hmm. Better get on with breakfast, some of us still have to go to work today," Martin pointed out as he got dressed.
They sat together at the kitchen table, Luke sitting in his high chair, plastic bib complete with sleeves on as well as his scoop bib because he got in such a terrible mess, happily banging his spoon on his tray, occasionally dipping it into his porridge as Louisa tried to feed him with another spoon. All Luke managed to do was flick porridge everywhere, but he loved having his own spoon.
"Right, if Luke's finished his breakfast we'd better give him his presents before you disappear off to work," Louisa told Martin.
She wiped all the excess breakfast from Luke's face, hair, and hands, then took him down from his highchair. That would need a good clean later too.
They went into their lounge, where Louisa had put the presents for Luke. The main present for Luke was a push along toy car walker that he could also sit on. It had come in a big cardboard box, and Louisa had wrapped it up, despite Martin telling her that it was a waste of time.
They helped him to unwrap it and take it out of the box, Louisa taking lots of photos. Finally they pulled it out of the box.
"Luke, you can hold on here and walk with it," Louisa tried to show him. But he was far more interested in scrunching and tearing the wrapping paper. Martin sat Luke in the big box, with the wrapping paper – Luke loved it and happily sat in there for ages, completely ignoring his new toy.
"We know what to get him for Christmas then," Martin told Louisa, kissing them both before disappearing off to work.
"Don't be late back this afternoon, at least not without a very good reason," Louisa shouted after him. They'd agreed that he wouldn't try to come home at lunchtime, instead he would work through in order to be back a bit earlier than usual.
"I won't," he replied as the door slammed behind him.
xXx
Louisa enjoyed pottering around at home in the morning, relishing the start of the school holidays. She got a few chores done as best she could with Luke around – he wasn't going to nursery today. It was just luxury for her not having to rush off to work or anywhere else for that matter. Joan was coming over in a little while to spend the day with them and help prepare the birthday tea.
Louisa was still in her dressing gown when Joan arrived, she'd waited until she came so that she could mind Luke while she had her shower. She'd tried having him in the bathroom with her while she speedily washed in the shower cubicle, but had stepped out to find that he'd managed to prise open her cupboard and had had great fun ripping open all her tampons - he'd cleared out a whole box full last time, it was no wonder that he'd been so quiet.
Once Louisa had had a quick shower and got dressed, Joan gave Luke his present from her, and helped him to unwrap it. It was a little set of drums and a pretend guitar that played music.
"You know how he loves playing with the saucepans as if they were drums, so I thought he could have his own little set," Joan explained helpfully
Louisa knew only too well about Luke playing with the saucepans. He made a terrible racket with them, sometimes using a wooden spoon as well, and he'd dented the pans into the bargain. He'd been very upset the other day to find that they'd now put a special catch on the cupboard door to stop him constantly pulling the saucepans out, and had spent ages determinedly pulling at the door trying to open it anyway. They'd been thinking about having a new kitchen fitted, but had decided that it was probably a good idea to put it on hold until Luke was a little bit older.
"Thank you Grannie, perhaps you can keep the drum set at your place for when he comes to you," Louisa suggested, equally as helpfully.
xXx
Joan and Louisa took Luke out for a walk in his buggy, setting off for the playground, where he loved the swings. As they walked through the village, they met quite a few people who remembered that it was his birthday, and made a fuss of Luke in his buggy.
Bert Large was just opening up his restaurant as they walked by, and he invited them to come in on their way back.
"Stop by on your way back for a spot of lunch ladies, on the house, for this young lad's birthday. Can't let a special day like this go by without making a fuss, can we eh?" Bert said as he tickled Luke under his chin and laughed at him, leaning right into his buggy. There was something about Bert's huge face with his silly woollen hat, and his rotund frame that was almost clown like, he looked rather like a character from one of the books that Louisa read to Luke at bedtime sometimes, so Luke didn't find him scary, but very funny instead.
Bert loved the fact that Luke laughed with him, and looked forward to them coming to the restaurant and spoiling them.
"At least that boy isn't a miserable bugger like his Dad," Bert told Al, "A little lad to be proud of, he is."
They spent a happy time at the swings with Luke, there were lots of other children there for him to watch, which he loved.
Joan couldn't help herself, she was trying very hard not to be nosy, but she couldn't resist bringing the subject up.
"He does love other children doesn't he?" she said.
"Yes he really does, I'm sure being at nursery and mixing with all the other children helps him to be more sociable too," Louisa agreed.
"So... might it be nice for him to have a little brother or sister?" Joan casually brought up.
"Maybe, one day, who knows?" Louisa knew exactly what Joan was fishing for but much as she loved Joan now, she didn't want to be asked every month if there was any news, which if she gave her the slightest hint that they might sometime try for another baby she had a feeling would happen.
Joan had to be content with this answer for now. The last thing she wanted was to fall out in any way with Louisa, so she wisely said no more on the subject.
xXx
They stopped by Bert's restaurant on the way back as invited, and Al helped to carry the buggy down the steps. It was still quite early for lunch, so if Luke had something to eat now, he could have a nap when they got back. Louisa always took Luke's baby bag on the back of the buggy with them wherever they went, so she had a spare bib with her to put on him, and wipes to clean him up afterwards.
Louisa found that she was starving hungry and ordered a tuna salad, Joan had soup, and Luke had a little bowl of pasta that he insisted on feeding himself using his fingers.
As Bert put the tuna salad in front of Louisa, the strong smell of it hit her, and she nearly gagged.
"Oh I'm so sorry Bert, I think I've changed my mind, could I just have some pasta like Luke?" she said, thinking 'thattunasmellsverystrong,Ithinkitmightbeoff,I'mnotchancingit'
Finally they headed back home, where Joan volunteered to get Luke changed and put him down for a nap. Louisa gratefully accepted her offer and sat down for a few minutes in the easy chair in the lounge. She suddenly felt really tired after their walk, she supposed that her busy term at school was still catching up with her. Once Luke was settled, Joan joined her as they planned the finishing touches for the tea party. Joan had made another of her beautiful cakes, this time in the shape of a number one, made with a special cake tin. Then she'd decorated it and piped 'Happy Birthday Luke, 1 year old' onto it. Otherwise they were going to have traditional sandwiches and finger foods.
They weren't having too many people coming round. Jenny was popping in while her boys were at football club, Pauline was going to call in after work, but Roger Fenn couldn't make it because he was working. Louisa understood, they had recently seen everyone at the Christening anyway.
They decide to get the food done while Luke was still napping, it would be far easier. Finally everything came together, Luke woke up, Jenny arrived, then Pauline, and so it was really just Martin they were waiting for – she hoped that today of all days there would be no emergencies.
xXx
"Ellingham," Martin sighed as he answered the phone.
He'd thought they were done for the day, and had let Pauline go early because she wanted to get changed before coming up to the house. Lord alone knows why, a one year old wasn't going to notice what she was wearing after all, he thought to himself. Martin didn't understand that women dress for other women a lot of the time, and Pauline wanted to look her best in front of Jenny and Louisa.
"No, that doesn't count as an emergency, call back tomorrow and make an appointment with my receptionist." Martin was brusque to the point of rudeness on the phone, but he really wanted to be home on time today. Whatever impression he may have given Louisa, he didn't want to miss Luke's birthday party. He quickly locked up, took his things to the car, and drove the short distance home before any other village idiot could make it to the surgery.
xXx
Martin got home to find everyone in the garden – it was a lovely sunny day for a change.
"Make sure Luke has his sun protection cream properly applied and put his sun hat on," Martin sternly told Louisa.
"He has got sun cream on, but you try getting him to keep his hat on," Louisa replied. Even with it done up under his chin, Luke pulled at it until it came off, he didn't like the feel of it at all. It was a shame because it looked very sweet on him. But he was having none of it.
"We'll just stand in the shade instead, suits me better anyhow," Louisa told Martin. The hot weather was making her feel quite queasy, maybe it was something she had picked up at Bert's, curse the man. The last thing she needed was a tummy upset, having managed to avoid them at school all term.
Martin brought Luke's playpen out into the garden, and put it in the shade so that he could go in it for a while. He put some of his new toys in it too.
"He'll be happy in there for about, ooh, five minutes, tops, I should think," replied Louisa.
"Well five minutes is all I need to just say hello to you," Martin replied. "Then I expect Joan or Jenny or Pauline will be happy to hold him for a while. We can't let him loose in the garden, he'll either eat half the flowers or start digging them up."
"That's our boy," Louisa agreed, giving Martin a hug and kiss.
"I'll be back in a minute, I'm just going to get changed," Martin told her, disappearing into the house.
Sure enough, Luke very soon got bored in the playpen, so Joan and Pauline picked him up, and then helped him to walk around, holding onto both his hands, which he loved.
"It is his birthday after all, so I think we can spoil him a bit today," Joan declared, happy to devote herself to keeping him amused.
Louisa and Jenny were chatting about holidays, Jenny was telling her about their holiday home in France that they'd bought, when Louisa said,
"I think maybe I'm going to go indoors for a minute, it's a bit hot out here for me, and I feel a bit rough actually. Blast Bert's restaurant, bet he gave us leftovers because it was on the house"
"Are you alright, I'll get Martin..." Jenny said, concerned.
"No! For goodness sake don't do that, he'll only make a fuss, and actually it's probably more to do with me being due on any time now. I've told him that this is how I get when it's my time of the month, and that it was nothing to do with the IUD, but of course he wouldn't listen, as usual," Louisa grumbled as she headed indoors, annoyed at feeling crap for Luke's birthday party.
She was stopped in her tracks by Martin re appearing from the house.
He was wearing a very smart, short sleeved, open neck shirt, in white but with a slight grey stripe to it, with no tie, and a pair of very smart but casual cotton chino trousers in grey. To complete the outfit he had a pair of Navy deck shoes on. It all fitted him perfectly. He still looked very smart, but much more relaxed. However he seemed a little self conscious to Louisa.
Louisa went up and kissed his cheek.
"Wow, you look fantastic," she told him, running her hands across his shoulders appreciatively.
"Really, you're sure?" Martin asked her, rather embarrassed. His tailor hadn't seemed at all surprised by his request for some suggestions for more casual attire, and had immediately suggested the outfit he was now wearing. He'd been rather surprised by the chap saying "I'm sure that Mrs Ellingham will like it" but then he supposed that he'd noticed his wedding ring.
The tailor had been more than helpful when Louisa had rung them explaining her dilemma. She'd got the name of the tailor from Martin's suit label, and then she'd looked them up on the internet.
"What sort of outfit had you in mind for Doctor Ellingham, Madam? We usually find that, in most cases, if the wife is umm... appreciative of the new image, the gentleman concerned will soon accept the changes, and in fact embrace them whole heartedly."
Louisa had pretty much described the outfit that Martin was now wearing, she'd felt that it was a reasonable compromise for him to accept initially. The fact that it came from his usual tailors meant that he knew the outfit would be of excellent quality and fit, making it easier for him to accept. If she'd bought him something from a high street store, chances are it wouldn't have fitted his big frame, and he would have instantly rejected it. So although she had no doubts that the price of this outfit would make her eyes water if she knew, she thought it was worth it. After all, he very rarely bought new clothes.
The tailor had been delighted, Doctor Ellingham been easy to convince in the end, and what with the new suits, shirts, ties, underwear, white tuxedo and the new casual outfit, the bill was more than the normal amount that he spent. And there was the strong likelihood of more orders to come, because he was pretty certain that Mrs Ellingham would be able to persuade him to order at least some of the other colour combinations for the casual clothing that she had mentioned to him.
xXx
Everyone gathered in the kitchen for the birthday tea, Luke in his highchair, enjoying feeding himself with all the different finger foods that he was allowed to have, just dropping the food he wasn't so keen on over the side of his tray onto the floor.
Finally, it was time to light the candle on his cake, and sing 'Happy Birthday' to him, which he thought was very funny, Mummy sung to him a lot anyway, and he liked her voice so he joined in by banging his spoon on his tray. He didn't understand why he couldn't touch the pretty candle, or why everyone blew at it and it disappeared. He very much enjoyed eating a small piece of cake though, and managed to get it in his eyelashes, and eyebrows as well as his hair this time.
xXx
Finally Jenny and Pauline made a move to go home, it was Luke's bath time, which he was badly in need of. Martin and Louisa both joined in with his bath time, as a special treat for the birthday boy, while Joan cleared up downstairs. She was happy to leave them to be together, she had spent all day with Luke after all.
Finally, Luke was tucked up in his cot, soon asleep after his busy, exciting day.
They went back downstairs, and cuddled up together on the settee.
"He is a very special little boy, isn't he? I think we were very clever indeed to make him," Louisa told him. Martin always felt like a big bear to her, and it was lovely being in his arms where she felt all cosy.
"I suppose you could say that," Martin agreed.
"And I love your new clothes, but I think that maybe I'll have to test them later," Louisa told him.
"Test them?"
"Yes, to see how easily they come off," Louisa hugged him tighter as she said this.
"Oh right, I see. Well I shall be complaining to the tailor if they fail your test," Martin told her slyly, cuddling her back. She always felt so soft, and fitted into his arms perfectly he felt.
Joan came into the lounge a little bit later to find them both fast asleep on the settee.
"They're never going to have another baby if they carry on like this, working too hard and not even making it to the bedroom," she sighed to herself,
xXx
The following morning, as they all sat down to breakfast, as Louisa was feeding Luke his porridge, she suddenly felt a bit sick and rushed to the sink just in case, heaving.
"Are you alright?" asked Martin, wondering what the matter was.
Louisa was still heaving into the sink, so he surmised that the answer was 'no'. She couldn't really be sick as she hadn't actually eaten anything yet.
Finally the sensation passed, and as she sat back down, Martin checked her over despite her protests that she was OK.
"Bloody Bert, must have been something I ate there, I didn't feel right yesterday either," she said as she sipped the glass of water that Martin had fetched for her. "But then I had the same pasta as Luke, so why isn't he ill too?"
"Well, I shall certainly be checking out the hygiene standards at his restaurant," Martin stated angrily.
"God, the last time I felt this rough was when I was… pregnant ..." Louisa looked up at Martin, a sudden shocking thought crossing both their minds at the same time.
"Could you get your oh so wonderful spreadsheet and bring it here?" Louisa asked Martin, trying to remember exactly when her period was due and if she was actually late.
Louisa tried to give Luke the rest of his porridge, but the smell of it just made her heave again. He didn't mind for the moment, he was happily dibbling his spoon and fingers in it, and she gave him a piece of her toast to chew on too.
Martin returned with a print out of the menstrual cycle spreadsheet, and put it on the table in front of them both.
"Well, with a 28 day cycle, your period would have been due on the 11th, but as your cycle varies between 28 – 32 days, you might only have been due yesterday or today. That's why neither of us has picked up on you being late yet."
"I can't be... we've used a condom every time since I had the IUD removed,, although of course there have been quite a few times if you think about it, especially at the ball when you were so..., but even that time after the Ball, you know... in the morning... when we were half asleep and nearly got carried away, we did still use a condom when I reminded you. No, it must just be a tummy upset or me feeling queasy because my period is due," Louisa tried to reason.
Martin studied his spread sheet further.
"Well you most likely would have been ovulating at around the time of the Midsummer Ball if it was a 28 day cycle, so I suppose it could just be possible...nothing is 100% safe after all," he pointed out, looking up at her. "So...umm... best we find out one way or the other, pregnancy tests are very accurate from a very early stage these days. Would you rather come up to the surgery for me to do a test, or shall I bring one home at lunch time?"
"Well I'm dropping Luke at the nursery today, so I suppose I could call in on the way back, but aren't you fully booked Martin?"
"As the doctor's wife you get priority treatment over all other patients. My surgery, my rules. I'll tell Pauline she's to send you in next when you come, and err, I'll need a urine sample obviously," he said, handing her a sample bottle that he fetched from his medical bag.
Having assured himself that Louisa's sickness had passed for now, and leaving her munching on a piece of dry toast with strict instructions to contact him immediately if she felt any worse, or didn't feel able to make it to the surgery, he headed off for work.
"Don't fuss Martin, I'll be fine," she told him.
xXx
"When my wife comes to the surgery in a little while, please ensure that she is the next patient you send in. Whoever happens to be next can wait. And hold any calls, no interruptions whatsoever whilst she attends. And if she phones, put her through to me immediately, is that understood?" Martin barked at Pauline as he walked through to his surgery, completely ignoring the waiting patients as usual.
"And Good Morning to you too, lovely little birthday party for Luke wasn't it?" she called out to him, but Pauline was already talking to a closed door. 'Hereallyoughttolearnsomemanners.Iifhecanbecivilathomelikehewasyesterday,thensurelyhecanbecivilatwork.MaybeheandLouisahavehadarow,andthat'swhyhisfacelooksevenmorelikethunderthanusual'she thought to herself, sighing loudly.
xXx
Louisa felt better once she was outside in the fresh air, pushing Luke in his buggy to the nursery. She couldn't believe that maybe, yet again, they had had a contraceptive failure – wasn't she ever going to be able to choose exactly when she wanted to get pregnant, was the decision always going to be made for her? But at least this time it would be very different, she was with Martin now, he would be there for her however things turned out.
Louisa dropped Luke off with the staff at nursery and wished them good luck with his stubborn streak – he had not been at all happy just now when she'd stopped him from pulling the loo roll in the downstairs cloakroom- she hadn't realised that the door wasn't closed properly and he was in there in a flash while she was getting the buggy ready. He'd thought it was a wonderful game, giggling and laughing to himself as he quickly pulled out yards of it, it was now all over the floor, and she would have to try to rewind it when she got back.
"Hi Pauline, thanks for Luke's birthday present and card, it was really kind of you. He'll have great fun learning to do the shape sorter," Louisa smiled at Pauline as she walked into Martin's surgery.
"That's alright. So, what brings you here today then that the Doc couldn't do at home?" Pauline asked her, with everyone else in the waiting room listening for her answer. Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to come to the surgery, Louisa thought, but she just wanted to know, and Martin couldn't always be sure to get back at lunchtime if something else cropped up.
"Oh… umm..just a bit of a check up, that's all," Louisa replied evasively.
Luckily just then the surgery door opened, and Mrs Poustie came out, with Martin shouting after her,
"Pauline, take the usual bloods for Mrs Poustie."
Pauline jumped up, and nodded to Louisa.
"You can go in now," as she ushered Mrs Poustie to her Phlebotomy 'clinic'.
Louisa walked in, closing the door behind her.
"How are you feeling?" Martin asked, as he took her pulse and then her temperature.
"Better now, having a walk in the fresh air helped I think," Louisa told him.
"Well, all seems normal...so have you got your sample?" he asked her.
"I sure have," Louisa told him, handing it over from her bag and biting her lip nervously.
She watched intently as Martin did the test, and then they both waited, looking at each other, and then back at the test. Eventually it was ready.
"It's negative," Martin told her.
"Negative! I'm not pregnant then?" Louisa said to him, surprised.
"Well, it is possible to get a false negative but tests nowadays are pretty accurate even before a missed period, so I'd say it's unlikely you are pregnant, but we can do another test in a couple of days to check again if your period still hasn't started. In the meantime I think we'd better assume that you have a bit of a tummy upset and I'll give you something to ease those symptoms," Martin told her.
"Oh. Right. I see." Louisa wasn't sure what she felt now, she'd been convinced she was pregnant and had been feeling rather cross about it.
"So if I can, I'll pop back home at lunchtime and see how you are then hmm?" Martin suggested. His face gave away no indications of how he felt, relieved or otherwise as far as Louisa could tell, but she was aware of his waiting room full of patients, so she knew that this was not the time to quiz him.
"Yes, OK, see you then hopefully." Louisa kissed his check, but it felt strange kissing him when he was being the doctor in his surgery, it was almost as if it was a 'forbidden' area.
Louisa walked back out through the waiting room, managing to avoid Pauline's eye, and hearing Martin call out,
"Next patient!" in his usual abrupt manner.
About an hour later, Pauline rang through to Martin and told him,
"Mrs Ellingham on the phone for you."
"Right, put her through, and you, just shut up a minute," he said, putting his hand up to stop his patient who was in the middle of a very long winded explanation of his very minor symptoms of indigestion.
"It's OK Martin, we won't need to do another test, false alarm, I've just got my period, that's why I felt so grotty I guess. Sorry for all the unnecessary drama," Louisa told him, knowing that he wouldn't be able to say much as he was with a patient.
"Ah right, well, that's that query solved then. OK, See you later," he replied succinctly.
xXx
Martin walked into their kitchen at lunch time, expecting to find Louisa in the kitchen, busy working at the table as usual. But instead he found her in the lounge, curled up on the settee, looking at the photo albums of Luke when he was a new born baby.
She looked up at Martin and burst into tears.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think I wanted another baby yet, but then when I thought I was pregnant it didn't seem so bad after all, and now that I'm not pregnant I wish I was...all in the space of a morning, and I'm not making any sense at all am I? I'm being all hormonal and illogical...you must think I'm crazy."
Martin had sat next to her and pulled her close to him so that she was crying and talking into his chest.
"Actually, I think I sort of feel the same, if you can believe that," Martin told her, hardly believing it himself. He'd been surprised at just how disappointed he'd felt at the negative test.
Louisa pulled away and looked up at him in shock.
"What, you mean, you'd have been pleased if I had been...?"
"Well if you recall, I did suggest that we should just 'go for it' didn't I? So I thought that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing if it had just happened anyway," Martin tried to explain.
"How many condoms have you got left, Martin?" Louisa asked him.
"Quite a few, you talked about waiting until next year after all," Martin replied, wondering why she wanted to know.
"Well perhaps you can take them into your surgery and hand them out to all the horny young teenagers that come to see you instead," Louisa told him. "Be a shame to waste them, because we aren't going to be needing them from now on."
"Oh...right... I see." Martin wasn't quite sure what he was letting himself in for, but he thought that it might be fun along the way anyhow – more baby making practice was what came to hismind in the first instant.
xXx
That afternoon when Martin returned to work, Pauline was pleased to see that the thunderous look seemed to have lifted from Martin's face after his visit home at lunch time.
"Aww they must have made up after their row, now maybe he'll be back to his normal rude self rather than the extrahorrid, rude version we had this morning," she thought to herself, wondering how on earth Louisa put up with him.