Page 52 of A Helpin g Hand for the Village Nurse

‘And God knows I’ve tried to get plenty past her over the years. So could you help a guy out?’

‘Since you put it like that, I don’t suppose I can refuse.’

‘You could, but I’m sure you must have worked out by now how much grief that would cause me.’

‘Go on then – just this once. And only to save your neck. It’s really not far, though. By the time we’ve both thought of the right kind of small talk to make we’ll be at my door.’

‘I don’t really do small talk, so that’s all right. I meant it earlier, though. I’m not so pig-headed that I don’t realise I owe you an apology.’

‘For what?’

‘For the way I spoke to you when I came to help you get Gran down the hill. I was having a bad—It doesn’t matter. Whatever kind of day I was having doesn’t excuse it; I realise that now.’

‘Do you?’ Ottilie shot him a sideways glance. ‘Or did you only realise when Flo told you off?’

‘OK.’ He chuckled softly. ‘That too. She rules with a rod of iron, does my gran.’

‘I guessed that. You’re close; you and her?’

‘We used to be. Maybe not as close these days, and I feel guilty about that. My gran and grandad were always more…well, let’s just say that sometimes they felt more like parents than my parents did.’

‘When you say used to, what’s changed?’

He gave a vague shrug. ‘Life. I’m not proud of the fact that I often let other things get in the way. I ought to see her more but…’

Ottilie nodded slowly. At least he recognised that.

‘How did the tests go?’ he asked.

‘At the hospital?’

He gave a short nod.

‘OK,’ Ottilie said. ‘Pretty much as you’d expect.’

‘When will you have the results?’

‘They’ll go straight to Dr Cheadle. I’ll only know what’s in them if she needs to let me know. Like if I need to be a part of Flo’s care.’

‘So you think there’ll be something in them that means she needs care?’

‘I didn’t say that. None of us know what’s going to come back at this point. I only mean that I won’t find out unless I have to be involved.’

‘But you could find out if you chose to, regardless?’

‘Well, yes.’

‘Could you find out and let me know?’

Ottilie frowned.

‘I know,’ he said, with some humour in his tone again. ‘Patient confidentiality. Could you at least give me a clue?’

‘Sorry,’ she said, ‘unless your gran chooses to share what she knows, I really can’t. I’d be breaking about a million rules and if I got found out?—’

‘I wouldn’t tell anyone.’

‘I’m sure you wouldn’t, but that’s not how it works and that’s all I can say about it. I really am sorry. If it helps, she seems fit enough to me. I don’t think I could have stood even one minute in that pool, let alone the time she swam about in it, so she’s probably healthier than I am.’

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