Disclaimer: Doc Martin is the property of Buffalo Pictures. I own nothing except my imagination.
Make hay while the sun shines - Chapter 22
"Mmm... Martin, that was really pretty amazing, wouldn't you agree?" Louisa said as she cuddled up to him in bed just after they had made love. She was wearing a very satisfied smile as she kissed his cheek and ran her hands over his chest.
"Yes, I think I have to agree with you," Martin said, also wearing a big smile. Making love to Louisa had certainly felt more wonderful than ever to him too.
"Do you think it was because it's been a while, it was just so...very intense?" Louisa asked him.
"Possibly. You may also be experiencing heightened sensations due to an increase in hormone levels and a higher blood flow to your pelvic region," Martin informed her.
"Well whatever the reason, I'm not complaining," Louisa told him as she relaxed with a contented sigh and settled down to sleep.
xXx
Now nearly 15 weeks pregnant, Louisa was feeling on top of the world. Having had the all clear at her 12 week scan, she felt a bit more able to relax and look forward to their baby. Also her sickness and exhaustion had magically stopped.
"It's as if someone has flicked a switch, I feel so much better now," she told Martin happily.
"I'm glad to hear it, but it still doesn't mean that you should overdo things," Martin warned her.
"Oh don't worry so much, I'm fine, that's what Mr Stewart said after all," Louisa reminded him.
"Hmm... yes and he said that you need careful monitoring as well if you recall, exactly as I've been telling you," Martin pointed out. He'd been very pleased and reassured that Charles Stewart had picked up on exactly the areas of concern that he himself had.
Louisa felt able to tell the School Governors of her pregnancy now. She'd been worried about their reaction to her having another baby so soon after Luke. Although legally there was nothing they could say about it, she was worried that they might put obstacles in her way. So she had worked out some proposals that she felt might ease her announcement. Although Mr Strain had eventually been retired on medical grounds, he'd not been a popular Head Master in any case. He'd been very old fashioned and unwilling to push forward with any changes for the school, but at the time their choice of suitably qualified candidates had been limited as they had had to find a replacement at very short notice when Louisa had left for London in such a hurry after the non wedding. Then they had had to find another stand in at short notice when Louisa had decided to take longer for her maternity leave than she'd originally planned, and although initially Neil Godwin had seemed ideal, it later transpired that he didn't actually do very much of the paperwork and administration that makes up a large part of the head teachers role.
So Louisa knew that the Governors would not be thrilled at the prospect of having to find another acting head. Therefore she was going to propose that Emma Greenway should take over as acting head, and that they employ a teacher on a fixed term contract to take over her classroom duties for the duration. She was going to suggest offering the position to Roger Fenn first, he was finding the travelling to Truro for his current job a bit too much. If it transpired that he wasn't interested, there were many other highly qualified teachers who undertook this kind of temporary work to fit around other commitments, so there should be no trouble in finding a suitable member of staff, especially as Louisa was giving them plenty of notice this time.
However Louisa foresaw that she was going to have a battle with Martin about when she proposed to go on maternity leave. She told him that she wanted to work right up to the Easter holidays, meaning that she would only have a couple of weeks off before the baby was due.
"For God's sake Louisa, surely you can't be serious, there's absolutely no need for you to work virtually until the baby comes. What if it comes early like Luke, you'll be exhausted, especially with a toddler to look after as well. Why do you always have to push yourself so hard?" he asked her in frustration. "Why don't you give up work at Christmas, give yourself plenty of time to rest and get ready for the birth?"
"I worked right up until the day I gave birth last time if you recall and I was fine, and anyway I'd be bored at home, especially with Luke having his place at nursery, which he loves now," Louisa told him.
"Well if I had had any say in the matter you wouldn't have worked full time right up until Luke was born, as you well know," Martin pointed out. "It's not as if there is any financial need this time, nor was there last time if you had taken up my offer of financial support, which I tried to sort out with you several times."
Martin still felt resentful of the fact that people seemed to think that he'd been mean and tight fisted towards Louisa, making her stay at the pub when she'd first returned, and having to work because he wasn't supporting her. Those had been her choices over which he had had no control.
"Well I'm not the kind of woman who likes to be kept, nor did I expect the state to look after me while I lounged around at home and claimed benefits," Louisa told him, aware that this conversation had the potential to escalate into a very nasty full blown row full of recriminations and 'what if's'. She very sensibly decided to change tack, there was nothing to be gained by re-opening old wounds, what was done was done after all.
"Look how about we compromise? Suppose I give up work at the end of February half term, that's ages before the baby's due, and then I'll stay at home, put my feet up and let you pamper me to your heart's content," Louisa offered, now putting her arms inside his jacket and around his waist to cuddle up to him. She felt so happy at the moment, the last thing wanted to do was argue with Martin. He was just so old fashioned in his protectiveness, but she remembered Joan's wise words about letting him help her and needing to look after her. She knew that she shouldn't feel guilty about leaving her job when she was giving them plenty of notice to make arrangements this time, and she could always pop in when dropping Luke at nursery after all...
"Really? That sounds more reasonable I suppose," Martin was pleasantly surprised at Louisa's offer, he'd fully expected her to insist on working to the bitter end, and so was relieved at her change of heart. He held her tightly as she nestled against him, thanking his lucky stars that things were so different this time, that he was finally being allowed to look after her.
"But no sneaking into work when you're taking Luke to nursery." Martin had quickly figured out how Louisa's mind was working, and spotted the loophole in her proposal.
"I don't know what you mean," Louisa said as she kissed him, realising once again that he was nobody's fool and actually knew her pretty well by now. However she had always intended to go on her maternity leave at the end of February, but she'd known that if she had suggested that straight away, Martin wouldn't have agreed as easily as he had now. She knew him pretty well too.
xXx
The School Governors offered their congratulations and accepted Louisa's proposal, they all agreed that it offered the best way forward. They did not want to lose their fantastic Head Mistress who had made their school one of the best in the country, so were prepared to be very flexible regarding her maternity leave, much to Louisa's relief.
Emma Greenway was delighted to agree to step up as acting head once Louisa went on maternity leave. There was no formal deputy head position at such a small school, so this was a fantastic opportunity, with plenty of time for a thorough hand over, with Louisa nearby if she needed any further advice. The next step was to approach Roger Fenn to see if he would be interested in the temporary role, which Louisa was given the go ahead to do.
So on the last day of school before the October half term, a news letter went home with the children containing the announcement of Louisa's pregnancy and the arrangements that would be put in place. She hoped that by the time the children came back to school it would be old news.
Of course the news spread like wildfire throughout the village.
"I could hear the jungle drums beating from my surgery the second the school doors opened," Martin grumbled later to Louisa.
Pauline came storming into his surgery in between two patients within ten minutes of the newsletter being handed out, waving one in her hand.
"Is it true, you're having another baby?" she asked him incredulously. She didn't think he had it in him, to ...you know...it was a bit like thinking of your parents doingit, as far as she was concerned.
"No, I'm not, that would be medically impossible," Martin replied, writing up his notes and not looking up at her.
"Oh you know what I mean, Louisa's having another baby, that's what this school newsletter says," Pauline said irritably. She thought that he might have told her first, surely as his right hand person she was entitled to know such a juicy piece of gossip before the rest of the village.
"Well if that's what it says, it must be true then." Martin was giving nothing away, much to Pauline's frustration.
"Next patient!" he shouted out, glaring at Pauline to leave his consulting room as the next patient made their way in.
He groaned out loud as the first thing his next patient said to him was,
"Is it really true then, you're having another baby?" as she waved a school newsletter at him.
xXx
"Did you really have to broadcast the news of your pregnancy in your blasted newsletter? Every single patient for the rest of the afternoon wanted to know all about it," Martin complained bitterly to Louisa that evening as they sat together with Luke having their supper. He had known of her plans to make the announcement, but naively hadn't anticipated the extreme level of interest it would create.
"Once the School Governors knew, everyone was going to know in any case Martin, and I wanted to get all the arrangements agreed in plenty of time so that I could relax and get on with training Emma for an easy, well organised handover this time. You keep telling me that stress is bad for me in my condition after all," Louisa told him.
"Hmm, I suppose so. Seems I get the stress of all these wretched nosy villagers wanting to know our business instead," Martin continued grumbling.
"Don't worry, it'll soon be old news, especially as they won't be gossiping outside the school gates for the next week anyway as it's half term," Louisa reassured him, knowing how intensely he resented any kind of intrusion into their personal life.
They had been so busy discussing their day that they momentarily took their eyes off Luke, not noticing that he had managed to get hold of his bowl of food. They were disturbed from their conversation by the sound of his bowl dropping on the floor, with the entire contents now spread all over the floor. Luke looked over the edge of his highchair.
"Oh no," he said in his little baby voice, shaking his head and pointing his finger as the mess.
"Oh yes young man, I'm afraid your supper is all over the floor," Louisa told him with a resigned sigh. This was the second time this week he'd done the same thing, trying to feed himself.
"He's so determined to do it by himself and be independent, he doesn't want any help," Louisa said crossly.
"Hmm. Can't think who he takes after there, can you? Frustrating, isn't it?" Martin told her pointedly with a smirk on his face.
xXx
"So what do you reckon about the Doc and Louisa then eh Dad? I always thought he was a bit of a dark horse, you know, behind closed doors and all that."
Al chatted to his Dad as they were working together in the kitchen of their restaurant the morning after the school newsletter had gone out. It had been the main topic of conversation of most of their customers the previous evening.
"Well my boy, to tell the truth I was a bit surprised to hear about another baby on the way, I thought maybe they was gonna be a bit like that old joke," Bert replied.
"What joke's that then?" Al asked.
Bert replied "You know the one that goes...
'Man says to the woman, 'Would you like a drink?'
She replies 'No thanks, I don't drink, I tried it once and didn't like it'
Man says to the woman 'Would you like a cigarette?'
She replies 'No thanks, I don't smoke, I tried it once and didn't like it'
Woman says to the man 'I have to go and meet my son now'
Man says to woman 'Your only child I presume' "
They sniggered together before Al said to his Dad
"No, I think you've got them all wrong, I reckon the Doc and Louisa are quite partial to a bit of the old humpty-rumpty, all that sneaking off home at lunchtimes, I told Pauline before about them having a bit of 'afternoon delight', but she wouldn't hear a word of it. She seems to think that he's above such things, just because he's the Doc, as if that means he isn't a normal bloke underneath it all. She probably thinks this latest one is a test tube baby or something."
"No, I'm sorry, putting the 'Doc', and 'normal bloke' together in the same sentence is just one step too far my boy. You must be a bit Bodmin yourself if you really believe that," Bert told Al, looking at him now as if he was completely mad.
xXx
Martin took a deep breath before entering Mrs Tishell's Chemist shop. She always tried to engage him in some pseudo medical conversation, claiming to be a fellow professional. But ever since that horrendously embarrassing episode when she'd managed to plant a kiss on his lips, he'd avoided going into her shop if at all possible, sending Pauline in to collect his supplies instead. And as for that appalling personalised yellow jumper that she'd presented him with – even the dustman had refused to take it, throwing it out of his dustbin, saying that it should be put in the clothes recycling.
But now he had no option but to go into her establishment – he'd promised Louisa that he would pick up some more nappies for Luke, they had very nearly run out, each thinking that the other was going to buy some more and the mini market had run out of the size they needed.
"Oh hello Doctor Ellingham, I've been hoping you'd call in, it's been quite a while," Mrs Tishell gushed at him and smiled in what she thought was an enticing manner.
"Nappies, those one's there please." Martin pointed to a large packet as he took his wallet out to pay.
"I heard about your news...another baby," Mrs Tishell said in a loud whisper, shaking her head sadly.
"Nappies please Mrs Tishell," Martin prompted her.
"You do know that I always stock a full range of condoms, femidoms, spermicides, birth control pills, morning after pills. You know you didn't have to be caught out in such a way, if you really couldn't resist... I'd always open up my shop for you, I'm always here for you," Mrs Tishell told him mournfully. In some ways she blamed herself, maybe she'd originally put the idea in Louisa's head about seducing Martin when she'd told her:
'Allmenarethesame.Theycan'thelpit,ifit'sthrowndownonaplateinfrontofthem,theygrabaknifeandfork'
Of course that was when they'd been talking about Carrie Wilson, but now look what had happened. That Louisa Glasson had trapped the poor Doc, he was a man after all, with a man's' needs, she knew all about that from Clive. Fancy getting herself pregnant not just once but twice now. She'd noticed that the Doc hadn't been in to her shop much recently, he obviously felt just as strongly as her after their kiss, he couldn't trust himself near her. He was such an honourable man, trapped with that harpy now - what a waste.
Martin lost patience with Mrs Tishell, who was now just staring at him with a faraway look in her eyes, so he grabbed a packet of nappies, saying,
"Just put these on my personal account," as he disappeared out of the door and strode off down the road.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow," she murmured to herself, as she watched him go.
xXx
"Mrs Ellingham for you," Pauline told Martin as she put the call through. She had been told countless times by Martin that any call from Louisa was to be put through immediately.
Luckily Martin was between patients at that moment.
"Louisa – what's the matter?" Martin asked anxiously. Louisa hardly ever rang him during surgery hours knowing how busy he usually was, so he assumed that it must be important. She was at home at the beginning of half term, having taken Luke to nursery today so that she could get on with some jobs without having to watch Luke the whole time as he could be such a pickle - he was a very inquisitive little boy. After today she planned to spend more time with him though, once her jobs were out of the way.
"Nothing, I was just wondering if you would have time to come back during your lunch break, I need you for something," Louisa explained.
"What, what do you need me for? Are you unwell?" Martin quizzed her.
"No I'm fine, just if you've got time, can you come home, that's all, I'll explain then," Louisa told him brightly.
"Barring an emergency, I should be back at around one, but I wish you'd tell me..."
"Bye Martin, see you then," Louisa said as she hung up the phone.
xXx
Martin let himself in through the front door, and called out when he didn't immediately see Louisa.
"Louisa, where are you, are you alright?"
"I'm up here," Louisa called to him from their bedroom.
Martin ran up the stairs, really worried now that something was badly wrong if she was in bed.
As he walked into their bedroom, he was met by Louisa, wearing just a silky little dressing gown with nothing on underneath. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, and then started pulling his jacket off.
"Louisa, what are you doing, I thought you were ill..." Martin was struggling to comprehend what was going on.
Louisa started loosening his tie and murmured in his ear.
"I told you Martin I need you," as she now unbuttoned his shirt.
"You mean...you want to...now?" Martin was finally getting the picture as Louisa's dressing gown came undone, revealing her fuller curvier figure. She didn't have a proper pregnancy bump yet.
"Yes, I want you to..." She whispered in his ear just exactly what she wanted him to do.
"Louisa! I'm not sure..." Martin was rather shocked by how she was acting and what she had just said. However when Louisa turned her attention to undoing his trousers, she knew that he didn't really have any doubts by his very evident response.
"Martin, it's your duty to attend to my needs, and it seems that being pregnant has increased my ...needs... in certain areas. I can't help it, it must be my raging hormones, as you keep telling me," Louisa now pushed him back towards their bed.
"Well.. err.. there are a number of reliable studies showing that during the middle trimester of pregnancy a woman's libido can temporarily increase significantly." Martin found himself now getting into bed with Louisa, his remaining clothes having been quickly discarded.
"There you are then. Medical fact. I needed a home visit from my doctor," Louisa told him as she kissed his neck and ran her hands through his hair.
Martin thought he might as well 'go with the flow', because he knew that this phase wouldn't last for long. Who was he to argue with his pregnant wife when she demanded that he attend to her urgent medical needs?