Mary woke up in the middle of the night to a burning sensation in her arms. She realized that it was William whose fever had not subsided but gone higher since. She was alarmed and carried him quickly to her parents' room to ask for help.
"Mama," Mary called out as she shook her. "Something's terribly wrong."
"What's the matter?" Cora asked, suddenly seeing that William was in Mary's arms.
"His fever is higher now," Mary said. "This can't be because of his teething."
"I'll have someone fetch Clarkson," Robert said as he got out of bed. "I can't believe he got it wrong again."
"Robert, you remember how the girls were when they were babies," Cora reminded him. "They were slightly feverish when they were teething."
"But it's obviously more than that," he said angrily.
"Please papa now isn't the time to debate this," Mary begged. "And I agree with mama, William was not as lethargic or warm earlier."
After a short wait, Clarkson arrived. He did notice the same thing Mary did and knew that William may be fighting an infection which could easily be cured. He prescribed some medicine and instructed Mary on how to administer it to the boy.
"You must try to get him to drink water as much as possible," Clarkson suggested. "I'll check back in an hour."
Mary was slightly relieved that Clarkson had volunteered to stay and check on William through the night. She saw Cora take charge of finding him a room to stay in.
"Try to get some rest," Robert suggested, knowing it would be a long night.
"Thank you papa," she said and watched him leave. She turned her attention to William, trying to coax him to take the medicine and drink water. "Please my darling, please get better. I can manage your papa being away only because I have you." She was quite pleased when he responded by taking his medicine.
"Lady Mary," Clarkson announced himself from the door. "I'd like to apologize for thinking his fever was simply due to his teething."
"It's alright Dr. Clarkson, I'm sure it can easily be overlooked," she said, trying to assure herself more than him.
"I'll be here and check back a little later."
Mary watched the doctor walk back out. "Oh Matthew, I wish you were here because I need you right now."
...
Matthew woke up suddenly covered in cold sweat. He wondered why he would be sweating being in such a cold environment. When the haze of sleep dissipated, his first thought was that something was wrong back at Downton.
"Mr. Crawley, is everything alright?" Molesley asked, turning on the light when he saw Matthew sitting up on his bed.
"I don't know," Matthew admitted, still trying to think clearly. "I had a sudden feeling of dread and thought I heard Mary calling for me."
"Should I call the doctor?"
"No, but can you please call home and find out what is happening there? Just be careful not to give us away."
"Of course, sir," he replied, hoping he could count on Anna one more time.
...
"Hello Mary," Cora greeted her when morning came. "Have you gotten any sleep?" She was worried for both her and William.
"A little," she said, touching her son's cheek. "But William has been strong and is trying to get over this." She was truly proud of him given he was so very young.
"What did Clarkson say?"
"He's cautiously optimistic that he's getting better," she said, wondering if she was mistaken in seeing some color back in his face. She remembered being terrified when she saw him pale the night before. "He's running some tests right now to be sure."
"Mary," Isobel called out from the nursery door. "I came as soon as I heard."
"Isobel," Mary greeted back and gave her a quick kiss. "I'm so sorry we didn't call you."
"It's alright," Isobel said. "You had other things on your mind. How is he?"
"Dr. Clarkson thinks he's fighting an infection," she said.
"Children catch things easily and it's not for lack of care," Isobel said, trying to console her. "So how are you?" She noted that Mary looked tired. She was quite upset that Matthew wasn't there for her.
"I'll be fine," she replied weakly.
"Why don't you take a rest," Cora suggested. "Isobel and I can watch over him while you sleep."
"Yes, you need your rest," Isobel seconded, preventing Mary from objecting. "We can't have you getting sick, too."
"But he's my son," Mary insisted on objecting.
"And he's our grandson," Isobel reminded her.
"Go on Mary, go get some rest. Isobel and I have enough experience raising children to know what to do." Cora was quite proud of Mary but also knew she needed a break.
"Alright, if you're sure," Mary agreed. "But you will fetch me if anything changes." She watched both grandmothers nod in emphatic agreement.
...
"How is he?" Edith asked when she saw Mary in the hallway. She showed genuine concern for her nephew and godson.
"He's getting better," Mary said softly. "I'm going to bed for a little bit."
"If you like, I'll watch over him for you," she offered, knowing that Mary had been up all night.
"Mama and Isobel are already watching over him. But perhaps you can make sure they don't argue over the better way to look after him." Mary appreciated Edith's offer and soft laugh at her attempt to joke.
"I'll make sure my godson is well cared for," she promised.
"I'll see you later then."
"Oh Mary, Rose and I will be going to London tomorrow. Would you like us to get you something?"
"Not unless you can find Matthew for me," she said sadly before heading to her room.
...
Anna had just returned downstairs after taking breakfast to Mary. Mary looked tired but was heartened by Clarkson's news of improvement in William's condition. This also brought relief to her because she felt bad for not being there for Mary the night before.
"Anna," Carson called out to her when she passed by his office. "You have another telephone call. I hope this isn't going to be a recurring thing." He didn't mean to pry but also didn't want to tie up the line in case the family needed it.
Anna quickly picked up the phone and guessed correctly who was on the other end.
"Hello Anna?" Molesley greeted her. "I need your help again."
"What can I help you with?" she acknowledged.
"Mr. Crawley had a fitful night last night and thinks it has something to do with home," he tried to explain. "I wondered if you might let me know if anything was wrong."
"Well, Master William is sick," she revealed, astonished that Matthew was in tune with events at Downton. She heard Molesley react to the news and hoped Matthew wasn't within earshot.
"How bad is it?" he asked when he finally found his voice.
"Dr. Clarkson thinks he's on the mend but we don't know for sure yet."
"Can I call back tomorrow to get word?"
"Mr. Carson isn't quite pleased with me getting calls," Anna warned. "Perhaps you can call during breakfast service and I'll try to be here to answer the call."
After making plans in case the first call failed, Anna put down the phone and went about the day.
...
"Dr. Duke-Elder," Molesley called out to him when he saw him. "Can I ask a question?"
"Certainly," the doctor replied.
"I'm afraid I've received a bit of bad news from home and I worry that it might affect Mr. Crawley badly."
"Is it life-threatening?"
"I don't think so but it's about his son." He proceeded to tell the doctor about William's illness.
The doctor pondered for a moment before responding. "If Mr. Crawley cancels the surgery, it might be difficult to get another chance with Dr. Gonin. He's quite busy and only accepted Mr. Crawley as a favor to me. But if he goes on with the surgery, the worry about the news might affect his recovery."
"What would you recommend I do?"
"You said you would be calling tomorrow to get word right?" he tried to confirm. "You'll see that things will be better then so I'd hold off telling Mr. Crawley. In my experience, babies commonly recover from fevers quickly and I believe Dr. Clarkson is on top of things."
Molesley decided to do just that and prayed that he had made the right decision. He felt that they've come this far and they might not have another chance again since he felt for sure Mary would never let Matthew to slip away ever again. He slowly walked back to their room.
"What news from home?" Matthew asked when he heard the door, guessing it was Molesley.
"I couldn't get a hold of Anna," he lied. "I'll try again tomorrow."
...
Mary woke up with a start and realized it was late in the afternoon. She heard the door open and saw Isobel and Cora come in.
"Look who's feeling much better," Cora said, carrying the little boy into the room.
"He's been quite a good patient," Isobel beamed. "He's much better than Matthew was when he was young and sick."
Mary gladly accepted her son from her mother and confirmed that he was looking quite well.
"Is Dr. Clarkson still here? I'd like to thank him for taking care of William."
"Clarkson has gone back to the village. I'm sure he's quite glad that William has recovered but he said he'll stop by later to check up on him."
"I'll ring for Anna to bring you some food," Cora offered.
"Why didn't you wake me up for luncheon?" Mary wondered.
"We wanted to let you rest for as long as you needed," Isobel explained. "And you've already done a marvelous job that he was on the mend when you left to take a nap." She was clearly proud of her daughter-in-law.
"I'm glad he's much better," Mary said with relief. "I don't think I could forgive myself if he got worse."
"I'm just disappointed that Matthew chose this time to be away," Isobel said sadly.
"I'm sure he has us in his thoughts," Mary defended her husband.
...
Anna brought up a food try for Mary and found her cooing at William. She set the tray down and asked if Mary needed anything else before she went downstairs.
"Can you stay for a while?" Mary asked, wanting the company.
"I can hold him while you eat," Anna offered. She gently took William from Mary's arms and smiled back at the handsome boy looking up at her.
"Do you plan on having one?" Mary asked as she picked up a sandwich to eat.
"I hope so," Anna said with a wide smile. "Perhaps you can give me some pointers when I have one."
"I most certainly can," Mary said with a smile, having just survived a frightening night for any parent.
"Master William has the bluest eyes I've ever seen," Anna observed. "You can easily get lost in them."
"I find myself doing just that when I look into them. He reminds me so much of Matthew."
Anna looked up at Mary at the mention of Matthew. She knew how much Mary missed him. She wondered if she should mention Molesley's most recent call. She opted to keep silent since she didn't want to lift Mary's hopes needlessly.
"Anna, I think I'll skip dinner and spend the time with William," Mary said.
"Would you like me to bring something up?"
"No thank you, I'll be fine. William and I will manage won't we?" She stood up and picked up her son.
...
Matthew woke up the following day and sat quietly waiting for the time to come for his surgery. He held on to the toy dog for some moral support. He thought about how brave Mary was to have faced her own surgery all alone. He drew strength from her and hoped for the best.
"Are you ready Mr. Crawley?" the nurse asked. She wheeled him out of the room when he nodded.
"I'll be right here," Molesley said, wishing Matthew all the best. And then he remembered he needed to make a call to get an update so he hurried off to make it.
"Molesley?" Anna replied when the phone rang. "I have some good news for you. Master William has recovered and everything is well."
"So Lady Mary is in good health then?" he guessed correctly that she cared for William personally.
"Yes, everything is fine," she assured him. "What about Mr. Crawley, how is he?"
"I'm not quite sure," he let slip.
"Isn't he with you?" she asked, concerned because she caught that slip. "Molesley, Lady Mary is counting on you to keep Mr. Crawley safe." She had to take that opportunity to remind him.
"I will," he promised, realizing he had to stop before Anna got more information out of him. "I have to get back to Mr. Crawley now. Thank you very much Anna."
Anna replaced the receiver on the candlestick phone and prayed that he will keep his word.
...
After several days have passed, Dr. Clarkson gave William a clean bill of health. It brought relief to not only Mary but the entire family and servants.
"He's quite a fighter," Clarkson noted.
"Of course he is, he's a Crawley," Violet said confidently. "From both sides."
"Thank you Dr. Clarkson," Mary said gratefully. She escorted the good doctor out when he took his leave.
"I'm so glad that they both got through this," Robert said quite relieved. "Now if only we can find Matthew and bring him home, everything will be as it should be."
"Don't remind her," Cora warned. "We must keep her busy with other things until we do."
"Has there been any progress in the search?" Violet asked.
"Unfortunately it hasn't been that easy and I really think Mary let an opportunity slip by when she didn't get Molesley to tell her where Matthew is."
"Robert, that's not fair. You must support her decision and help her get through this. We all do." Cora knew he was right but supported Mary on her choice.
...
"Mary!" Rose called out, running towards her in the garden. She was quite excited and couldn't wait to share her news.
"Careful Rose, granny might see you," Mary teased. "She dislikes seeing a lady running remember."
"I don't think she will mind if she knew what I have to tell you. I think we know where Matthew has gone to."
"What? How did you find him?"
"Well, you know Edith and I went to London yesterday right? We asked the station master here and in London to see if they noticed Matthew. We retraced his steps and we may have found him."
Mary listened impatiently hoping Rose would give a condensed version of her report.
"We connected the dots and asked the taxicab drivers at the station in London to find who might have driven him. We found him and he told us where Matthew went."
"Where?" she prompted Rose, eager to hear where they've tracked him down to.
"Moorfields Eye Hospital," Rose revealed excitedly.
"Moorfields," Mary repeated. She was kicking herself for not thinking of that. She couldn't quite remember the doctor's name but did recall he mentioned that they might be able to help him there. She would have insisted on summoning the doctor than have him travel but knowing her husband, he would have gone to India if it is what it took to see the doctor.
"So, will you go there and find Matthew?" Rose asked.
"Of course, we wouldn't want to waste your excellent investigation," Mary said. "You've been reading Sherlock Holmes again haven't you?" She teased her young cousin.
Rose's smile widened. She was quite pleased she could help by piecing clues together.
"Would you like to come with me to London?" Mary offered.
"I wouldn't miss it!"
...
Mary and Rose arrived at Moorfields Eye Hospital and waited on a bench. The wait was too long for Mary but she endured it.
"I wonder what's taking her so long," Rose said finally, wondering where the nurse who greeted them had gone off to.
"It is a big hospital," Mary noted. "She probably had to go to the other side of it to get information."
"Lady Mary," the nurse greeted her when she returned. "I'm so sorry to keep you waiting but I had to find our head nurse who will be here shortly." With that said, the nurse was off again leaving Mary and Rose to wait more.
Mary wished she had agreed to let her father accompany them to cut through all that waiting. She knew he was more impatient than she was and would've insisted on an answer straight away.
"Lady Mary," an older nurse greeted her. "What can I do to help you?"
"I'm trying to find my husband," Mary replied, thinking how foolish that may have sounded. "I have heard that he has come here to see Dr. Duke-Elder."
"Ah, Mr. Crawley," the nurse said, scanning the register. "I'm afraid he is no longer with us."
"What?" Mary exclaimed, feeling panic rise in her.
"He has been discharged," the nurse informed her, oblivious to the effect of how she delivered her previous statement. "He left a while ago."
"Do you know where he went next?" Rose asked, hoping to find the next clue to Matthew's whereabouts.
"I suppose he's gone home," she replied quite dismissively.
"Is Dr. Duke-Elder available?" Mary asked, hoping the doctor had better bedside-manners and more information.
"I'm sorry but the doctor is on a medical mission in Geneva. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No, you've been most helpful," Mary said sarcastically.
"She was no help at all," Rose whispered when the nurse left them.
"At least we know that Matthew was here but we don't know where he is now."
"Don't give up Mary, we'll find him."
...
"How was your trip to London?" Robert asked when Mary and Rose joined them for dinner. They took the last train and barely made it to dinner with the family.
"He was there but we missed him," Mary said sadly.
"For someone who can't see, Matthew seems quite capable of eluding people looking for him," Violet noted.
"It's just a matter of time before we catch up to him," Rose said as she took a seat at the table.
"Aren't you joining us for dinner?" Cora asked, noticing that Mary hadn't taken a seat.
"I'm worn out," Mary replied. "I'll just ask Anna to bring something up later."
"Mary, we will find him," Robert assured her.
"I doubt it because he apparently doesn't want to come home just yet." Mary allowed visible signs of her disappointment of not being reunited with her beloved Matthew to show in front of her family before seeking refuge in her room.