Page 107 of A Helpin g Hand for the Village Nurse

‘Look at you all!’ Stacey cried as she dashed over, Chloe following at a slower pace. ‘You look amazing!’

‘So do you both,’ Ottilie said.

‘Last-minute change of plan,’ Stacey said. ‘I had this in from some Halloween or other and I thought it would do.’

‘Who’ve you come as?’ Lavender asked Chloe.

‘High School Musical,’ Chloe said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world who she was.

As Ottilie hadn’t seen it, and Lavender looked as if she was clueless too, she just smiled.

‘Who are you meant to be?’ she asked Ottilie.

‘Princess Leia,’ Stacey answered for her. ‘Doesn’t she look spot on?’

Chloe frowned. ‘Who’s that?’

There was quite comical consternation amongst the group at this bombshell.

‘You don’t know who Princess Leia is?’ Charles almost choked on his beer. ‘Star Wars?’

‘Star Wars? Is that a film?’

‘You don’t know…’

It was lucky Charles was leaning against the timbers of the cinema, because he might have fainted away if not.

‘I suppose sci-fi isn’t to everyone’s taste,’ Ottilie said.

‘I don’t watch sci-fi,’ Lavender replied, ‘but I know the Star Wars films. Everyone knows what they are, even if they haven’t seen them.’

‘Well I don’t,’ Chloe said. ‘I suppose you all think I’m stupid for not knowing.’

‘Not at all,’ Ottilie said. ‘You watch what you watch, and why would you be interested enough to take notice of something when it’s not to your taste?’

‘I think we all just feel really old,’ Charles added. ‘To know there’s a generation who don’t necessarily know who Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are. Next you’ll be telling me you’ve never heard of John Lennon.’

‘Who?’ Chloe looked round at them, and Ottilie tried not to laugh at the existential look of devastation on Charles’s face.

Lavender giggled. ‘I think you’d better sit down,’ she said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Ottilie turned to Chloe. ‘How are you doing? You can’t have long to go now.’

‘Three weeks,’ she said. ‘I wish it would come sooner; I’m sick of peeing every five minutes and my fingers puffing up. I can’t even do my jeans up.’

‘I think she looks lovely, don’t you?’ Stacey asked. ‘Blooming.’

‘Blooming massive,’ Chloe said.

Ottilie gave a grimace of sympathy. ‘At least you’re nearly there, and I bet you snap right back to a size eight as soon as you’re out of hospital.’

‘Knowing my luck, I’ll be fat forever.’

‘You’re not fat – you’re pregnant!’ Stacey sighed. She looked at Ottilie. ‘I keep telling her this.’

Ottilie started a reply, but then noticed Stacey was suddenly distracted by another figure at the gate. Then she looked at Ottilie with a sly grin.

‘Oh.’ Lavender laughed, nudging her husband again. ‘Here comes my free pass!’

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