was only going to be until she got back on her feet again. But she never did, not really. She seemed to lose interest in the children and put on all that weight. I started out just helping with the cleaning once a week, but when she broke her wrist I started cooking her meals.'
Sophie raised her eyebrows. 'All of them?'
'Oh, no. Only dinners.'
'This would have been about the time your mother's asthma started.'
'Yes.' Felicity blew her nose and then sniffed. 'That's when I started doing her shopping with her. I've tried to cut down—not do as many meals and things—but she gets upset and her asthma gets worse. I'm trapped.'
'You're still doing all her meals?'
Felicity nodded miserably. 'I've tried just to cook extra at home and take her some of that, but it's not good enough. She never says anything but if she likes her dinner she washes the plate. If she doesn't like it, it's sitting there on the bench for me the next day with all the food poked around and left.'
Sophie's assessment of Ruby Murdock's personality slipped a notch.
'She won't eat rice. She's got false teeth and says the bits get stuck. She won't eat salad or pasta or anything easy. It has to be meat and three veg. And something different every day. It's hard enough trying to think of what to feed Brent and the children, let alone Mum.'
'How does Brent feel about your extra workload?'
'He doesn't get on with Mum any more. In fact, our marriage isn't so great just now. It'll be the last straw if I'm pregnant. He didn't even want us to have three children and he had a vasectomy when I was pregnant with Laura, but they don't always work, do they?'
'Let's find out.' Sophie stood up and collected a specimen jar from her cupboard. 'And then we'll have a think about what to do to reduce a bit of your stress. There's lots of help your mother can get. Home help and meals on wheels and so on. It doesn't all have to fall on your shoulders, you know.'
'I've never thought of asking for help before. Especially not from a doctor. It's not as if I'm sick or anything. I only came in for a pregnancy test.'
'Well, it's a good thing you did,' Sophie said firmly. 'Sometimes asking for help is the most difficult part, and a doctor is a good person to start with no matter what the problem is. It's what we're here for. If we can't help you ourselves, then we'll know someone who can.'
Felicity King smiled for the first time as she accepted the specimen jar from Sophie. 'Thanks. I almost feel as if I can cope with this now. Whatever the result.'
'It was a negative result. She isn't pregnant.'
Sophie was sitting in the staffroom, having returned to St David's after the lengthy afternoon workshop in order to write up her notes on the consultation with Felicity King. By the time she finished it was 6 p.m. and Sophie was surprised to find Oliver in the staff-room. The other staff members had gone home. Curious to know whether Oliver's unusual mood had worn off, Sophie busied herself making a cup of coffee, and telling Oliver about the unexpected visit as she did so.
She sat at the table and put her mug down carefully. 'It's funny, isn't it? I thought Ruby Murdock was a sweet, motherly type. Seems like she's manipulating her poor daughter into a serious depression.'
'Hmm.' Oliver looked thoughtful. 'I've only ever treated the children since Laura was born. Felicity's never hinted at any problems.' He smiled at Sophie. 'Perhaps it needed the feminine touch.'
'Or maybe the pregnancy scare was the last straw.' Sophie returned the smile with relief. This was more like the Oliver she knew. As she relaxed she uncurled the tight fist her left hand made. The movement made her draw her breath in sharply.
'What's up?' Oliver's eyebrows shot up in concern.
'Oh, nothing.' Sophie felt embarrassed. She looked down at her left hand and the wad of tissue still clutched in it. Oliver followed the line of her gaze.
'What the hell...?' He was on his feet in a fluid movement. Two steps
Sophie raised her eyebrows. 'All of them?'
'Oh, no. Only dinners.'
'This would have been about the time your mother's asthma started.'
'Yes.' Felicity blew her nose and then sniffed. 'That's when I started doing her shopping with her. I've tried to cut down—not do as many meals and things—but she gets upset and her asthma gets worse. I'm trapped.'
'You're still doing all her meals?'
Felicity nodded miserably. 'I've tried just to cook extra at home and take her some of that, but it's not good enough. She never says anything but if she likes her dinner she washes the plate. If she doesn't like it, it's sitting there on the bench for me the next day with all the food poked around and left.'
Sophie's assessment of Ruby Murdock's personality slipped a notch.
'She won't eat rice. She's got false teeth and says the bits get stuck. She won't eat salad or pasta or anything easy. It has to be meat and three veg. And something different every day. It's hard enough trying to think of what to feed Brent and the children, let alone Mum.'
'How does Brent feel about your extra workload?'
'He doesn't get on with Mum any more. In fact, our marriage isn't so great just now. It'll be the last straw if I'm pregnant. He didn't even want us to have three children and he had a vasectomy when I was pregnant with Laura, but they don't always work, do they?'
'Let's find out.' Sophie stood up and collected a specimen jar from her cupboard. 'And then we'll have a think about what to do to reduce a bit of your stress. There's lots of help your mother can get. Home help and meals on wheels and so on. It doesn't all have to fall on your shoulders, you know.'
'I've never thought of asking for help before. Especially not from a doctor. It's not as if I'm sick or anything. I only came in for a pregnancy test.'
'Well, it's a good thing you did,' Sophie said firmly. 'Sometimes asking for help is the most difficult part, and a doctor is a good person to start with no matter what the problem is. It's what we're here for. If we can't help you ourselves, then we'll know someone who can.'
Felicity King smiled for the first time as she accepted the specimen jar from Sophie. 'Thanks. I almost feel as if I can cope with this now. Whatever the result.'
'It was a negative result. She isn't pregnant.'
Sophie was sitting in the staffroom, having returned to St David's after the lengthy afternoon workshop in order to write up her notes on the consultation with Felicity King. By the time she finished it was 6 p.m. and Sophie was surprised to find Oliver in the staff-room. The other staff members had gone home. Curious to know whether Oliver's unusual mood had worn off, Sophie busied herself making a cup of coffee, and telling Oliver about the unexpected visit as she did so.
She sat at the table and put her mug down carefully. 'It's funny, isn't it? I thought Ruby Murdock was a sweet, motherly type. Seems like she's manipulating her poor daughter into a serious depression.'
'Hmm.' Oliver looked thoughtful. 'I've only ever treated the children since Laura was born. Felicity's never hinted at any problems.' He smiled at Sophie. 'Perhaps it needed the feminine touch.'
'Or maybe the pregnancy scare was the last straw.' Sophie returned the smile with relief. This was more like the Oliver she knew. As she relaxed she uncurled the tight fist her left hand made. The movement made her draw her breath in sharply.
'What's up?' Oliver's eyebrows shot up in concern.
'Oh, nothing.' Sophie felt embarrassed. She looked down at her left hand and the wad of tissue still clutched in it. Oliver followed the line of her gaze.
'What the hell...?' He was on his feet in a fluid movement. Two steps
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