See Chapter 1 Disclaimer, which applies to every chapter.
Chapter 2:
The rapping continued, becoming more insistent with each repetition.
"So much for peace on Earth!" cried Louisa, sad that her Christmas Day was to be interrupted. Martin scowled and shouted, "Someone had better be dying!" The knocking continued. Martin proceeded to the surgery door under a full head of steam, with a practiced tip of the head to fit under the door frame.
He opened the door vigorously. "What?" he bellowed to PC Penhale.
Joe stood sheepishly but firmly at the door. He was dressed in civilian clothes, with a heavy jacket in light of the cold weather. "Sorry to bother you on Christmas Day, Doc, but Janice is really sick. She's been hurling and hurling and can't seem to stop. She wants to blame my Christmas Eve dinner but I know I didn't fix anything unusual and we both ate the same things."
Martin sighed and shouted out to Louisa, "Louisa, I'm going to Penhale's. I don't expect to be too long."
Joe followed up with his own shout, "Merry Christmas, Louisa. You too, James, and Mary too, as if she knows anything about Christmas yet, right? A little young for all that." Joe had his usual somewhat simpering smile.
"Penhale, if it's an emergency, there's no time for chitchat. Is there a problem or no?"
"Just being polite, passing on the Christmas spirit. I've got my truck outside and we'll be there in a tick," Joe said, with a tone of disappointment.
Joe put on the lights and drove at a fast clip to the station where Martin did indeed find Janice as Joe had described. She was still in her night clothes, and looked quite pale.
Martin asked Janice, "When did you start to feel ill?"
She replied, "Well, throwing up started today, but, well, that's not the only thing."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
"YES? As in, yes, what's the other thing?"
"Oh, well, Doc, it burns to pee. And I feel as if I always have to go, even when I just went. Ooooh, move out of the way," Janice urged, as she headed back to the toilet to be sick again.
Martin stated, "It sounds like a urinary tract infection."
Penhale smiled broadly and called out after her. "See, Janice, not my three alarm fire chili after all."
Janice emerged, drooping, and wiped her mouth. "Doc, I really feel sick." If anything, she looked even more ill than before.
Martin replied, "I'm guessing that the burning when urinating has been going on for several days and you've been ignoring it?"
"Yeah. Wow, you can tell that just by looking at me?"
"No, don't be stupid. It just seems like something you'd do. I think you have pyelonephritis caused by your UTI. An infection has spread to your kidneys, leading to nausea and vomiting. Lay down on the couch, I'd like to examine you."
Janice lay down on the couch and Martin proceed to palpate her flank. "Hmmm, you don't seem to have pain. I want to check if you're febrile too."
Joe said, somewhat sharply, "She's definitely not febrile, Doc! Janice is one of the strongest people I know. She's kind and loyal and -"
"Shush. I said febrile, not feeble. She doesn't have a fever. I would have expected additional symptoms if she had pyelonephritis. Janice will be safe here while you take me back to the surgery, Penhale. I'll give you a prescription for antibiotics, as well as a few to get you started until Mrs. Tishell opens up tomorrow. I'll also give you rehydrating salts. Janice, take all the antibiotics just as I've prescribed. If you aren't feeling better in 48 hours, make an appointment. Penhale, drive me home."
Joe drove Martin back to the surgery. Louisa, James, and Mary had finished with breakfast and Louisa had gotten herself and James into their clothes for the day. Martin's egg and toast looked less than appetizing an hour after being cooked to perfection, so he had some fruit and cheese to fill the hole. James was on the floor with some Christmas gifts, building complicated structures with a motorized construction kit he had received. Mary was busily bouncing in a walker, on the verge of learning to walk. It made for a crowded space, so Louisa had retreated to the living room sofa, where she could curl up but still watch the children.
"Is everything okay, Martin?"
"Other than disrupting Christmas morning with something best addressed several days ago, you mean?" Martin said, with more than a dose of sarcasm.
Louisa sighed. "I guess that means Janice ignored something she shouldn't have and no, Martin, I'm not asking for more details. I'll just assume things are sorted for now. On a different subject, had you heard that Mark Mylow was back in town?"
"Mark Mylow? The last I saw of him, he was being released from hospital after being hit by a tractor. Does that mean that imbecile Penhale has finally been recalled for incompetence? He showed no signs of packing up at the station just now."
"No, not at all. When they were looking through Mark's medical claims for his recent hospitalization, they discovered he had failed his military physical way back for a reason that should have invalidated him for police work all along. So they've pensioned him off quite generously, given he could have had a pretty bad time of things had his policing required more strenuous exertion. I haven't spoken to him yet, but that's what I hear in the village anyway."
"That figures," Martin said. "The village gossip chain has every little detail already spread far and wide. Who knows how much of that is actually true."
"Martin, people are just curious and concerned. It can be irritating to you but as you already know it is sometimes useful. Although in this situation, I guess it just is the rumor mill, really." Louisa looked a little sheepish with that admission.
"It's a shame Mark won't be the constable instead of Penhale. Mark might be neurotic and gullible, but he was diligent, knew the law, and genuinely seemed to care what happened to the village miscreants. Is he working at something else?"
"Apparently, he's a trained plumber, something he learned after the disastrous situation with Julie Mitchell. Do you remember how he went off the Hawaii alone on his honeymoon, then went off to Poland?"
"No. Why would I know that?" Martin asked.
Louisa let out a big breath. "Right. No, Martin, you're right. You are consistent at least. You don't approve of the village gossip and nor do you partake. Mark studied plumbing in Poland. Anyway, apparently he has partnered up with Mike Pruddy in some sort of business that they've called M and M Home Services, providing plumber and electrician services. It seemed smart to me. There really hasn't been good help since Bert and Al moved on and Bob Jackson retired."
"That should at least cut down on injuries from idiots trying to do repairs they have no business even attempting."
At that point, Mary started to fuss, having gotten herself tangled up in the kitchen chairs. Louisa went to her rescue while Martin excused himself and went into his consulting room.