Alison aside and warned her that the situation was fairly serious. He had prescribed the usual drugs, but he thought a nurse might be necessary, certainly a night nurse.
“But the trouble is, they’re not easy to come by these days.” He frowned and gnawed the tip of his thumb. “I think I know of one young woman who might be free, but even she might not be able to take over for a day or so. And it’s immediate nursing that is essential.” He glanced at Alison doubtfully. “Do you think you could manage?”
She answered immediately.
“Of course. If necessary, the girls and I will take it in turns to watch him.”
“The girls? Ah, yes, your stepdaughters.” He glanced at Alison sympathetically. “You seem to come in for this sort of thing, don’t you? It’s not a year yet since your husband died, and you were pretty tied to the house looking after him, weren’t you?”
Another thing that concerned the doctor was the size and bleakness of the room.
“Haven’t you anywhere smaller and cosier than this where you could put him?” he asked.
Alison at once offered her own room, but after giving the matter thought Dr. Geddes decided that that might prove too dangerous. To get the patient to walk down long stone corridors and up several flights of stairs before reaching Alison’s room might seriously endanger him. On the whole, he thought he had better remain where he was.
“Keep as big a fire going as you can,” he suggested, “and whatever you do don’t let it out during the night. Plug in any electric heat you’ve got,” glancing at the solitary electric fire, “and keep that going, too. If he wants to use the bathroom will he have to walk far to get to it?”
“No, it’s next door to this room,” Alison told him.
“Good.” But the doctor still sounded doubtful.
Charles Leydon, when informed that he would have to remain in bed for several days, looked as if he neither cared nor was particularly happy at the prospect. By that time the room was warm, Alison had changed his sheets without disturbing him too much, he had said something about getting up and shaving, and then fallen into a doze, and Alison had fetched a bowl of warm water and a sponge and dabbed at his face with it while he slept.
When he awakened and heard the news about himself he seemed, quite literally, to turn his face to the wall.
“I’m being a bit of a nuisance, aren’t I?” he said. He closed his eyes. “Do you think you’ll be able to cope?”
“Of course. You mustn’t worry about that.”
He opened one eye.
“What if I start raving, or anything like that? Will you mind?”
“You won’t, because you’re having sedatives.”
A mirthless grin creased his lips.
“Sedatives! And yesterday I was as fit as a flea! I came down here with the intention of wasting little time, and now it seems I’m going to be out of action until the doctor gives me permission to get up. By the way, I think you ought to ring old Minty and find out whether he’s under the weather, too.”
“I will,” she promised.
Later she was able to report that Mr. Minty was away from his office, and his secretary did not expect him to return to it for several days.
“He seems to be suffering from ’flu,” she said. Charles Leydon grimaced.
“He’s lucky,” he commented. “Apparently I’m well on the way to pneumonia.”
Despite the drugs, he had a very restless day, and no nurse putting in an appearance before night, Alison realised that she would have to sit up with him. The doctor looked in for a brief while when he had finished his surgery, and he offered no comment. He simply said to Alison:
“Well, it’s fortunate you’re a married woman, Mrs. Fairlie. At least you know what to do, and if you were unmarried the situation would be more embarrassing.” He went across to his patient, who appeared to be sleeping, and bent over him. “Don’t forget the two lots of capsules every three hours.”
“No,” Alison
“But the trouble is, they’re not easy to come by these days.” He frowned and gnawed the tip of his thumb. “I think I know of one young woman who might be free, but even she might not be able to take over for a day or so. And it’s immediate nursing that is essential.” He glanced at Alison doubtfully. “Do you think you could manage?”
She answered immediately.
“Of course. If necessary, the girls and I will take it in turns to watch him.”
“The girls? Ah, yes, your stepdaughters.” He glanced at Alison sympathetically. “You seem to come in for this sort of thing, don’t you? It’s not a year yet since your husband died, and you were pretty tied to the house looking after him, weren’t you?”
Another thing that concerned the doctor was the size and bleakness of the room.
“Haven’t you anywhere smaller and cosier than this where you could put him?” he asked.
Alison at once offered her own room, but after giving the matter thought Dr. Geddes decided that that might prove too dangerous. To get the patient to walk down long stone corridors and up several flights of stairs before reaching Alison’s room might seriously endanger him. On the whole, he thought he had better remain where he was.
“Keep as big a fire going as you can,” he suggested, “and whatever you do don’t let it out during the night. Plug in any electric heat you’ve got,” glancing at the solitary electric fire, “and keep that going, too. If he wants to use the bathroom will he have to walk far to get to it?”
“No, it’s next door to this room,” Alison told him.
“Good.” But the doctor still sounded doubtful.
Charles Leydon, when informed that he would have to remain in bed for several days, looked as if he neither cared nor was particularly happy at the prospect. By that time the room was warm, Alison had changed his sheets without disturbing him too much, he had said something about getting up and shaving, and then fallen into a doze, and Alison had fetched a bowl of warm water and a sponge and dabbed at his face with it while he slept.
When he awakened and heard the news about himself he seemed, quite literally, to turn his face to the wall.
“I’m being a bit of a nuisance, aren’t I?” he said. He closed his eyes. “Do you think you’ll be able to cope?”
“Of course. You mustn’t worry about that.”
He opened one eye.
“What if I start raving, or anything like that? Will you mind?”
“You won’t, because you’re having sedatives.”
A mirthless grin creased his lips.
“Sedatives! And yesterday I was as fit as a flea! I came down here with the intention of wasting little time, and now it seems I’m going to be out of action until the doctor gives me permission to get up. By the way, I think you ought to ring old Minty and find out whether he’s under the weather, too.”
“I will,” she promised.
Later she was able to report that Mr. Minty was away from his office, and his secretary did not expect him to return to it for several days.
“He seems to be suffering from ’flu,” she said. Charles Leydon grimaced.
“He’s lucky,” he commented. “Apparently I’m well on the way to pneumonia.”
Despite the drugs, he had a very restless day, and no nurse putting in an appearance before night, Alison realised that she would have to sit up with him. The doctor looked in for a brief while when he had finished his surgery, and he offered no comment. He simply said to Alison:
“Well, it’s fortunate you’re a married woman, Mrs. Fairlie. At least you know what to do, and if you were unmarried the situation would be more embarrassing.” He went across to his patient, who appeared to be sleeping, and bent over him. “Don’t forget the two lots of capsules every three hours.”
“No,” Alison
Similar Books
