Page 108 of The Village Midwife
‘You’re still going to look after me?’ Maisie asked.
‘Of course…’ Zoe glanced around the waiting room and saw that there were already three patients seated in there. ‘Do you want to come to talk in my room for a minute?’
Maisie nodded. ‘Yes, please. I thought my mum might have upset you,’ she continued as they walked.
Zoe let her in the treatment room before following her in and shutting the door.
‘It takes more than that to upset me,’ Zoe said. ‘I didn’t take it personally.’
She’d taken it very personally, but Maisie didn’t need to know that, and it was hardly her fault.
‘Only, someone told her in the pub that Dr Cheadle said she was going to take us all off the books, like. I mean, you wouldn’t look after anyone in my family. Dad needs his diabetes meds.’
‘I don’t know where they heard that, but it couldn’t be further from the truth,’ Zoe said.
‘It would be my fault if he got ill because he had no doctor.’
‘It wouldn’t be, even if it happened, which it won’t. So you really don’t need to worry. Other than that, everything is all right?’
‘I think so. I’ve been trying to eat good food, like you said.’
‘I know,’ Zoe said wryly, recalling Bridget’s complaints only too well. ‘It’s good to hear.’
‘I’ve started to pee all the time.’
‘That’s normal in pregnancy; I wouldn’t worry about that either.’
‘Yeah, my mate said that. Are you allowed to pee in a policeman’s helmet?’
Zoe tried not to laugh, all tension leaving her. ‘Is this a bucket-list thing for you?’
‘Huh?’
‘I mean, do you have some burning desire to pee in a policeman’s helmet?’
‘No, but my mate says it’s legal to pee wherever you want if you’re pregnant, like even if you were stopped by the police and you wanted to go, you could just ask for his helmet and he’d have to give it to you.’
Zoe smiled. ‘Well, as much as I enjoy that particular urban myth, I’d say try not to. I don’t think it goes down well. Anything else?’
‘No. I’m sorry about my mum.’
‘Don’t give it another thought. But if you have any worries, or you need extra help with something, you know you can come and see me or phone me any time, don’t you?’
‘Yeah, thanks. I’ll tell Dad his meds will be all right as well.’
As Zoe walked Maisie back to reception, she saw that Ottilie was in there. She waited until the young woman had gone and then turned to Zoe, keeping her voice low.
‘What did she want?’
‘She wanted to know if she could pee in a policeman’s hat.’
‘What?’
Zoe smiled. ‘She came to apologise for her mum. It was good of her, actually – took some guts. Not sure I would have been able to do that at her age. Maybe she’ll be all right when the baby comes after all.’
‘Let’s hope so. Goes to show, sometimes the apple manages to roll away from the tree.’
‘Yes.’ Zoe nodded. ‘Thank goodness, eh?’
