Page 20 of The House at Hope Corner
‘Possibly just a bug, I don’t know, but if he’s in that much pain…’
At that moment Fraser stood up slightly, a tentative expression on his face. He looked around him, almost as if he were listening for something. ‘There, see,’ he said triumphantly. ‘It’s eased off now.’ He shrugged off Hannah’s arm, standing straighter. ‘See, I’m fine now.’
Ned exchanged a look with his mum. ‘Well, let’s give it a few minutes,’ he said. ‘Just to make sure. Maybe you should go back to the house and have a sit-down?’
‘Or I could just get on with milking the cows,’ replied Fraser, pointedly.
‘Yeah all right, Dad,’ muttered Ned. ‘I’ll get back in there in a minute. I just want to make sure you’re okay, that’s all.’
‘Well I am, so stop making such a fuss, all of you.’ He all but glared at Ned, but just as he turned his gaze away, Flora caught a flicker in his cheek, a quickly covered flash of pain.
‘Maybe you should have a break for a few minutes, Fraser,’ she said. ‘It wouldn’t hurt, surely? Ned, can you finish the milking by yourself?’
He nodded. ‘Course. Go on, Dad, she’s right. We’ve been at it since early morning, it wouldn’t hurt you to take a break.’
Flora thought he was going to argue again but, with a nudge from Hannah, he relented and began to move towards the house. As she watched, she wondered if she was the only one who could see how gingerly he was treading.
She loitered for a moment with Ned, giving Hannah and Fraser a little space, before she nodded back over her shoulder towards the milking shed.
‘How much longer do you think you’ll be?’ she asked.
‘We’re on the second batch of cows,’ replied Ned. ‘So, another half hour perhaps. But I’ve got to clean down the parlour and the holding area afterwards.’ He gave her a worried look. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can. Do you honestly think he’s okay?’ he asked.
‘I’m sure he’s fine,’ she said, trying to keep her anxiety from showing. ‘It’s probably just like he said and he’s eaten something that didn’t agree with him.’
‘Yes, but what? We’ve all had the same things today, and we feel fine.’
‘I don’t know. Perhaps it was the infamous beans on toast that did it.’ It was meant to be a light-hearted comment but, as soon as she said it, she realised that Fraser hadn’t felt right after eating them, he’d complained of heartburn then too. Which meant that he’d been suffering from it all day…
‘I’ll get back to the house,’ she said. ‘And I’ll let you know if he gets any worse. Just come back when you can.’ She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. ‘I’ll see you soon.’ She waited until he had disappeared back inside the shed again, and then she pulled her mobile from her pocket and peered at the screen, checking for signal. She opened her Internet browser and typed quickly, fingers held against her lips as she waited for the page to load. Then she absorbed the contents and hurried back to the house. It didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know.
By the time she got there the kitchen was already deserted, and she could hear Hannah’s voice from the hallway, speaking in a steady, soothing tone as she led Fraser up the stairs. Flora dithered about, crossing to put the kettle on to boil before changing her mind and taking it off again. She fetched a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. She might not gain access to their bedroom, but she could at least give it to Hannah.
She caught up with them on the landing, waiting until they had turned the corner before following so that Hannah at least would catch sight of her. Fraser was still walking steadily, but he looked like he was holding his breath, as if the slightest jerky movement might trigger another episode of sickness.
‘Come on now, let’s get you into bed,’ said Hannah. ‘Best place for you, and you can sleep off whatever has got hold of you. And don’t look at me like that, Ned will be just fine – he can certainly manage without you for a few hours.’
Flora was torn. She could see the sense in resting so maybe it was a good idea, but if she was right about what she believed to be going on, then Fraser shouldn’t be lying down at all. The trouble was, how could she convey that without alarming either one of them? She looked down at the glass in her hand – it wasn’t the perfect solution but the best one she could come up with at short notice. She hung back, letting Hannah guide Fraser into their room.
She heard the sound of boots being pulled off and a discussion over how best to get him out of his overalls, but after a few moments more, Flora decided it was time to interrupt before any further clothes were removed.
‘I thought you might like a glass of water, Fraser,’ she said, entering the room.
He was perched, somewhat hunched, on one side of the bed, while on the other, Hannah was trying to turn down the heavy eiderdown that covered it. It was the first time Flora had been in their bedroom and she was not particularly surprised to find that it was an almost exact replica of the room she shared with Ned. The same heavy furniture, similar wallpaper decorated with small flowery sprigs, and an old-fashioned brass bedstead. She had never asked, but the eiderdown was so similar to their own that she had a sudden vivid mental image of Hannah sewing them in front of the fire on long winter evenings. And fortunately, in one corner of the room, was a small pink Dralon-covered armchair.
‘I’m not sure that’s wise,’ answered Hannah. ‘He’ll just be sick again.’ She looked up, a set expression on her face. ‘Food poisoning… that’s what this is. Probably best if there’s nothing in his stomach until it passes.’
Flora ignored her.
‘You could just sip it, slowly, and it might take the nasty taste out of your mouth.’
Fraser nodded gratefully, a sheen of sweat still showing on his upper lip.
‘Come over to the chair,’ she added. ‘You might be a bit more comfortable, and you can take your time then.’
She was almost certain that Hannah was shooting daggers at her, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet her eyes and, instead, put out her free hand to Fraser’s arm. To her relief he let her take it, and allowed himself to be supported into an upright position.
‘Aye, I might be better sitting.’ He stood taller, pulling in a deep breath as he tried to push his shoulders back. He winced slightly but nodded as if to confirm he was okay, and slowly made his way across the room, where he sank into the chair with an audible sigh.
