Page 12 of New Dreams for the Village Nurse
People demanded to know what the reason was, and as Lavender and Ottilie assumed Fliss wouldn’t want the villagers knowing her personal business – and because they didn’t know all that much themselves – they couldn’t tell them, and the secrecy hardly helped. It wasn’t until someone had rushed in wanting to know why there had been an ambulance outside Charles’s cottage all morning that Ottilie realised the cat would soon be out of the bag whether Fliss liked it or not.
It was a relief to finally close for lunch, though lunch itself was to be a sombre affair. Without Fliss’s larger-than-life presence and the banter they usually all shared, Lavender and Ottilie ate the food she’d left in the fridge when she’d thought she’d be there with them. Lavender took a moment to fill Ottilie in on the drama that had unfolded while she’d been up at Hilltop Farm.
‘It all happened so quickly,’ Lavender said as she made a pot of tea. ‘One minute it’s business as usual, Fliss laughing and joking about trying to book a holiday to Austria and almost booking Australia instead, and the next she’s running out, white as a sheet.’
‘And you don’t know what’s wrong with Charles?’
‘No, but it must be bad for her to take off like that. I’ve tried to call her but I’m getting no reply.’
‘So what did she say exactly?’
‘That he was being rushed to hospital and she didn’t think she’d be back today. I’m guessing she had a good idea what was wrong with him or she wouldn’t have been so certain about that. I really hope she returns my calls later because I don’t know what to do about tomorrow’s sessions.’
‘So who’s this locum? I thought he was meant to be here by now?’
‘I didn’t book him so it must have been Fliss at some point. I’ve no idea when she sorted it out – must have been from wherever she is with Charles. First I knew of it was a call from the agency to say he’d been booked and was on his way.’
‘Do you think that means she’s expecting to be off longer than just today?’
Lavender stirred the tea and then slotted the lid on the pot. ‘I never thought of that. I suppose it’s a good guess. I wish we knew.’
‘I’m sure she’ll be in touch as soon as she can.’
‘Do you think we ought to phone the hospital?’
‘Which one? Depending on what’s wrong with him he might be at any number of centres.’
‘I suppose so. I hate feeling so helpless. I’m not even sure we’re doing the right thing keeping the surgery running. Do you think we ought to close?’ Lavender asked.
‘But what about the patients?’
‘Well, if they’re urgent we can see them, but we can’t do a lot else, can we?’
‘But the locum can. He’d be able to refer on and prescribe when he gets here.’
‘Ifhe gets here. That was hours ago and there’s still no sign.’
‘Could you call the agency?’
Lavender brought the teapot to the table and sat down. ‘I was in such a tizzy when they phoned that I didn’t take a number for them. I couldn’t even tell you what the agency is called – totally gone out of my head.’
‘Let’s see how this afternoon pans out. I think all we can do now is tread water until help comes or until Fliss calls to tell us what she wants us to do. I’m sorry I’m not more help, but I’ve never been in this situation myself.’
‘It’s not your fault.’
‘I know, but still…’
The doorbell to the front door of the surgery rang down the hallway. Thimblebury surgery occupied an adapted house complete with a front door and tiny garden. Lavender always locked up for lunch so the staff could sit together and not be disturbed, and usually she refused to answer the doorbell if it went during that time. But today she leaped up.
‘Might be our locum,’ she said, hurrying out of the kitchen.
A few moments later Ottilie heard voices travelling down the hallway. Lavender was talking to a man and he was inside. Itwas a safe bet that she’d been right – their temporary doctor had arrived at last.
The door to the kitchen opened.
‘Ottilie, this is Dr Stokes…’
Ottilie stood up and offered her hand.
