Page 54 of A Helpin g Hand for the Village Nurse

‘I’ve been better,’ she replied. ‘Didn’t sleep very well. What’s on this morning?’

‘Sorry, but if you were hoping for an easy one then I’m going to have to disappoint you. It’s rammed. If you’re really not well I can call some of them to see if I can reschedule.’

‘No.’ Ottilie shrugged off her jacket. ‘I can manage.’

‘Are you really all right?’ Lavender asked, looking more closely at Ottilie. ‘It’s only a bad night’s sleep and nothing more serious?’

‘I hardly got a wink, but don’t worry, I’m OK.’

Ottilie gave a strained smile in a bid to reassure their receptionist. A bad night’s sleep was perhaps an understatement. She’d spent hours tossing and turning and thinking about what Heath had said to her before she’d stormed off. Why did it matter? She’d told herself not to take any notice, that nobody else in the village was thinking such awful things of her, but still she couldn’t get it out of her head. She wanted – needed – to settle here; she’d wanted to fit in, to find a home and a new start, and the notion of having to leave because people didn’t trust her or like her was one that filled her with trepidation and pained her more than she could say. Her whole working life – her life before that – had been a journey to be the very best she could be, to care for others, to make a difference where she could. To have anyone suspect that her motives were less than pure cut deep. Then she got to wondering if Heath had aired those suspicions to anyone. Had he mentioned them to Flo herself? It didn’t seem likely – at least, Flo had given her no cause to think so – but she couldn’t discount the possibility.

‘I’ll bring you a coffee through. A two-scoop Lavender special. Just ask Dr Cheadle – one of my two-scoop specials would bring the dead back to life, so it ought to keep you awake for the morning surgery.’

‘Thanks,’ Ottilie said, trying to smile again, this time at Lavender’s joke, but failing to produce anything that looked convincing.

As she went through to the treatment room that also served as her office, Ottilie could hear the first of the morning’s patients being greeted by Lavender. Mr Hodgkins and his dressings. She couldn’t help but let out a groan. If there was one day where she didn’t need him and his complaining, this would be it.

Morning surgery had been every bit as trying as Ottilie had feared, but she’d got through it at last and made her way to the kitchen for the daily lunch get-together. Lavender was unwrapping a plate of what looked like mini pies while Fliss was sitting at the table bent over a printout.

‘Change of plan – I know I said I was going to bring quiche, but I saw these ham-and-egg pies in the bakery and they looked too good to leave behind.’ Lavender turned to Ottilie as she came in. ‘Fliss has brought some leafy stuff – did you bring the potato salad?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Ottilie said wearily. ‘Totally forgot it this morning – meant to say something but haven’t had a chance. Do you want me to run home and get it?’

‘I’m sure we can do without. We can have it tomorrow.’

Fliss looked up at Ottilie and frowned. ‘Lavender says you didn’t sleep well. You look like someone who hasn’t slept well.’

‘I’ll survive,’ Ottilie said, flopping into a seat.

‘Should we reduce this afternoon’s clinic for you?’

‘God no, it will only make it worse for another day. Honestly, I can cope. What’s that?’ Ottilie added as she caught sight of a name on the printout Fliss had been reading.

‘Corrine’s biopsy results.’ Fliss held the page out and Ottilie took it, her breath catching in her throat as she read the summary.

‘At least we’ve caught it early,’ Fliss said grimly. ‘Gold star to you for that.’

‘Poor Corrine.’ Lavender brought the plated pies to the table and sat down. ‘And poor Victor. Corrine’s his life – he’ll be worried to death.’

Fliss turned to the receptionist. ‘Could you do the necessary? Get them down to see me as quick as you can.’

‘Isn’t the usual course to refer them to the consultant to go through diagnosis and treatment options?’ Ottilie asked.

‘I’d rather talk to them first,’ Fliss said. ‘I feel a personal obligation, and that’s the way I like to do it. The consultant will be a stranger to them – it’s much easier to hear this kind of news from a trusted face.’

‘In that case, could I continue to be involved somehow?’ Ottilie asked, completely forgetting that only a few hours before she’d vowed to keep out of any business in the village except that which she’d been employed to get involved in.

Fliss nodded. ‘I think that would be welcome. I know they’re very fond of you already and it might be good for you to see them every now and again and keep their spirits up, perhaps provide reassurance or explain things they don’t understand or that are worrying them. We all know how hard it is to get answers from the consultant sometimes, so I don’t want to leave them at the mercy of an overstretched department.’

‘I’ll make sure I keep an eye on them,’ Ottilie said. ‘By the way, have we had anything back for Florence yet?’

‘Not yet,’ Fliss said.

‘Want me to chase it?’ Lavender asked.

‘If you get time.’ Fliss took a pie and added it to a plate that already contained a mountain of salad. ‘Though I’m not overly worried about her at the moment.’

Being in a converted house, the surgery still had a working doorbell, and it rang through into the kitchen.

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