Page 19 of New Dreams for the Village Nurse
As Ottilie turned to go back to the house, she noticed the curtain moving at the front window. Perhaps Flo was only trying to gauge how much she might have ticked off Ottilie. Poor Flo – she wouldn’t have meant it. Ottilie decided she must try harder to be more tolerant. She had the feeling she was going to need all the patience and tolerance she could muster over the next few weeks.
CHAPTER SEVEN
When Ottilie let herself into the kitchen of Hilltop farmhouse the following day, there was no smell of cooking breakfast. Darryl was sitting at the table with his beloved train book, but he didn’t have his usual mug of blackcurrant cordial – his only drink of choice and something that Ottilie was trying very hard to wean him off, if only for the insane things it did to his blood sugar – and he was alone.
‘Good morning.’ Ottilie frowned as she looked for signs of his mum. ‘On your own this morning?’
He looked up from his book, but his usual recognition at the sight of Ottilie wasn’t there this morning either. ‘Yes.’
‘Where’s your mum?’
He gave a vague shrug.
‘Ann?’ Ottilie went to the door that led to the living room and called through. Getting no reply, she went to the foot of the stairs and shouted up. ‘Ann? Are you up there? Just letting you know I’m here!’
From upstairs there was a muffled reply.
‘Shall I wait down here?’ Ottilie shouted. ‘Is everything all right?’
She had no reason to believe any different, and yet she’d never been to Hilltop Farm and found Ann absent from wherever Darryl was. She watched him like a hawk, bending over backwards to cater for his every whim. To find him at the breakfast table without breakfast and without her was the thing setting Ottilie’s alarm bells ringing.
She went back through to Darryl, recalling bits of the conversation she’d had with Ann the previous day. She hadn’t been feeling quite herself – had her situation worsened?
‘Has your mum got out of bed yet?’
‘No.’
‘Have you had your insulin?’
He shrugged, which Ottilie took to mean that he hadn’t but he didn’t want to let her know that because he often made a fuss about having to take it. But she didn’t want to give him a double dose by mistake. She could check his blood sugar, but she could just as easily get the answer from Ann.
Making a snap decision, Ottilie went back to the stairs and started to climb them. With the way the last few days had gone, she wasn’t about to risk putting anyone else in danger.
‘Ann…?’ She tapped lightly at the first door, unsure if it was the right one. ‘Ann…are you in bed? Is everything all right?’
‘Ottilie…’
Ann’s voice was small but coming from beyond the door.
‘Can I come in?’
‘Yes. Sorry, I…’
Ottilie pushed open the door and peered around it. Ann was in bed, lying on her side with her blankets pulled up around her chin.
‘I feel rotten,’ she said.
‘You don’t look so good.’ Ottilie made her way over and perched on the edge of the bed, putting the back of her hand to Ann’s face. ‘Bit hot.’
‘My back…it hurts so much. Is Darryl…?’
‘He’s fine – he’s downstairs at the table. I’ll make him some breakfast. Has he had his insulin?’
‘I don’t know. I didn’t give him…’
‘That’s all right – don’t stress. I’ll see to him. I’m going to phone the doctor to come up and see you.’
‘No, I’ll be up in an hour or so?—’
