Page 13 of A Helpin g Hand for the Village Nurse

‘Not even the grandson you’re so fond of?’

‘Oh…’ Flo waved a dismissive hand. ‘He’s got enough on his plate without racing up and down after me.’

‘Maybe after we’ve been to the surgery you can give them a call and fill them in? At least they’ll know something’s going on. Might persuade them to make time to visit a bit more often, mightn’t it?’

Flo was silent for a moment. Then she gave a slow nod. ‘I suppose that’s true. Right…I’ll have a go at walking now.’

Ottilie took the basket and offered her free arm for Flo to take hold of.

‘You’ll have to direct me,’ she said.

‘Thought I might.’

Ottilie grinned. She’d met her match here.

The receptionist at the surgery looked up from a computer with a weary greeting as Ottilie approached, Flo leaning on her arm.

‘Hello, Flo. What brings you here?’ she asked, glancing with some curiosity at Ottilie.

Flo nodded at her support. ‘I’ve been told to come by the new nurse, who’s decided to start work straight away.’

‘Oh!’ The receptionist stood up, looking suddenly brighter. ‘You’re the new nurse?’

‘Ottilie…’ She gave her best and most disarming smile. It was prudent to get along with the reception team right from the start if she was going to get anything useful done. Besides, Ottilie liked to build good relationships with her colleagues. As far as she was concerned, people spent far too long at work to make enemies of their co-workers. It wasn’t productive and it wasn’t nice.

‘I’m Lavender. Nobody told me you were coming in today or I’d have tidied your office…’

‘Lavender…what a lovely name. And don’t worry, I’m not coming in officially. I’ve only brought Flo because I think Dr Cheadle might need to take a look at her. Would that be possible?’

Lavender looked doubtful. ‘I can ask, but she has a full clinic.’

‘I said it would be a waste of time.’ Flo gave Ottilie a look of triumph. ‘I said she’d be too busy.’

‘Yes,’ Ottilie replied, unperturbed. ‘And Lavender said she could ask. She hasn’t asked yet. You never know – we might get lucky.’

Lavender gave the room a quick sweep. There were four people in the waiting area: a woman with a teenage girl, another in her sixties and a man who was perhaps late thirties to early forties at a wild guess. Without waiting to hear more, Flo disengaged herself from Ottilie’s supporting grip and went to sit next to the lone woman.

‘Oooh, Janet…How are your migraines?’ she asked.

As they launched into a conversation about Janet’s ailments, Ottilie gave Lavender a secret smile.

‘Yes,’ Lavender said quietly. ‘She’s always like this.’

‘Well, I really think she needs to be seen, even if she doesn’t, so I’d really appreciate you having a word with the doctor. I mean, I could see her and explain, if it helps.’

‘I could take you through when she’s finished with this patient if it’s urgent?—’

‘That’s all right – we can wait. There are people here with appointments, and as Flo seems to be getting back to herself, I don’t suppose there’s any rush. As long as we see her before the end of surgery, I think that would be fine. Are the people here the last appointments?’

‘For this morning, yes. Afternoon surgery is in a couple of hours. Dr Cheadle needs to have lunch and write up her notes and all that sort of thing before we get the next lot in.’

‘I understand. But if she could spare five minutes that would be great. I’d like to introduce myself before I officially begin work anyway, and as I’m here, there’s no time like the present.’

Lavender nodded. ‘I’m sure that would be all right.’

Ottilie glanced back at the waiting area to see that Flo had finished her enquiries after Janet’s migraines and had moved on to the woman who was waiting with the teenager. Ottilie took a wild guess that this might be Geoff’s sister and her daughter, and this was confirmed as Flo greeted her.

‘Hello, Stacey. How’s Geoff?’ She nodded at the younger woman. ‘Here for a check-up, love?’

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