Read Online A Silver Lining by Catrin Collier - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Catrin Collier
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the wall in front of the window of the closed office ticked on. Five ... ten minutes passed. He shivered, realising he was in his waistcoat and shirtsleeves.
Alma had still been wrapped in his jacket when he had laid her down on the trolley.
The nurse who had greeted Trevor walked back down the corridor, smiled at
Charlie then turned a corner and entered one of the rooms.
He turned his back on the plaque and continued to pace up and down, swinging his arms in an effort to ward off the cold, and, with nothing else to do, he began to think ... and remember ...
‘It was on the point of bursting, but it stayed in one piece until I dropped it in the kidney dish, thank God. So that minimises the risk of infection. Lucky she fainted when she did, and Tony had the sense to send for me.’ Trevor handed Charlie his jacket.
‘Then she is going to be all right?’
‘Thanks to all of you, yes I think so,’ Trevor hazarded cautiously. ’Although it’s early days and the wound may get infected yet. She’ll have to stay in here for at least three weeks, and even then it’ll be a couple more weeks before she’ll be up to doing anything strenuous.’
‘That’s going to hit her hard. I’ve heard money is very tight in that household.’
‘It’s tight everywhere,’ Trevor commented philosophically as he rolled down his cuffs. ‘Want to come with me to see her mother?’
Charlie shook his head. ‘I don’t want to intrude.’
‘Then I’ll drop you off in town. Perhaps you could call into the café and tell them how she’s going. Oh, and you’d better warn Tony that he’s going to have to find a replacement waitress for a month or so, but I wouldn’t mention that until you’re half-way out of the door if I were you. You know what his temper is like.’
Chapter Four
‘You really are a terrible patient.’ Tina reached out to the bedside locker and filched a strawberry cream from the box of chocolates she had ostensibly brought for Alma.
‘How can you expect me to lie here doing nothing when there’s no one at home to take care of my mother?’
‘I told you,’ Tina gave a sigh of exasperation as her fingers strayed into the box again. ‘Mrs Lane next door is keeping an eye on her and the house. Not that it needs it,’ she added. ‘Your mother is a marvel at housework. When I saw her scrubbing your kitchen and washhouse floors I would never have guessed she was blind.’
‘You don’t understand. Even if Mam is coping at home, I still need to work. The bills won’t stop coming in just because I’m lying here.’ Alma tossed restlessly on the bed.
‘Laura’s seeing to all your bills,’ Tina blurted out thoughtlessly as she studied the illustrations on the inside of the chocolate-box lid.
‘Seeing to them! With what?’
‘Money, I should imagine. I haven’t heard of anyone taking buttons yet.’
‘And how on earth am I supposed to pay her back?’
‘By putting in extra hours at the café when you’re well?’ Tina suggested casually. ’Oh, and by the way, Eddie Powell was asking after you. I think he’s sweet on you.’
Alma wasn’t to be put off by tales of Eddie Powell. ‘I’m fit enough to leave here now...’
‘You most certainly are not.’ Trevor Lewis strode down the centre of the ward, his white doctor’s coat flapping around his lean figure. He smiled and nodded to the occupants of the other beds in the women’s ward as he headed towards Alma. ‘After three weeks of complete bed rest it’ll be as much as you can do to stagger to the bathroom.’
‘I walked there just fine this morning.’
‘I don’t doubt you did, but as it’s only one hour into the first afternoon I’ll talk to you again tonight.’
‘I still don’t see why I can’t go home. I can rest just as well there.’
‘I’ve yet to meet the woman who can rest in her own home without bobbing up and down every five minutes to see to something,’ Trevor replied tactfully. He had visited
Alma’s
Alma had still been wrapped in his jacket when he had laid her down on the trolley.
The nurse who had greeted Trevor walked back down the corridor, smiled at
Charlie then turned a corner and entered one of the rooms.
He turned his back on the plaque and continued to pace up and down, swinging his arms in an effort to ward off the cold, and, with nothing else to do, he began to think ... and remember ...
‘It was on the point of bursting, but it stayed in one piece until I dropped it in the kidney dish, thank God. So that minimises the risk of infection. Lucky she fainted when she did, and Tony had the sense to send for me.’ Trevor handed Charlie his jacket.
‘Then she is going to be all right?’
‘Thanks to all of you, yes I think so,’ Trevor hazarded cautiously. ’Although it’s early days and the wound may get infected yet. She’ll have to stay in here for at least three weeks, and even then it’ll be a couple more weeks before she’ll be up to doing anything strenuous.’
‘That’s going to hit her hard. I’ve heard money is very tight in that household.’
‘It’s tight everywhere,’ Trevor commented philosophically as he rolled down his cuffs. ‘Want to come with me to see her mother?’
Charlie shook his head. ‘I don’t want to intrude.’
‘Then I’ll drop you off in town. Perhaps you could call into the café and tell them how she’s going. Oh, and you’d better warn Tony that he’s going to have to find a replacement waitress for a month or so, but I wouldn’t mention that until you’re half-way out of the door if I were you. You know what his temper is like.’
Chapter Four
‘You really are a terrible patient.’ Tina reached out to the bedside locker and filched a strawberry cream from the box of chocolates she had ostensibly brought for Alma.
‘How can you expect me to lie here doing nothing when there’s no one at home to take care of my mother?’
‘I told you,’ Tina gave a sigh of exasperation as her fingers strayed into the box again. ‘Mrs Lane next door is keeping an eye on her and the house. Not that it needs it,’ she added. ‘Your mother is a marvel at housework. When I saw her scrubbing your kitchen and washhouse floors I would never have guessed she was blind.’
‘You don’t understand. Even if Mam is coping at home, I still need to work. The bills won’t stop coming in just because I’m lying here.’ Alma tossed restlessly on the bed.
‘Laura’s seeing to all your bills,’ Tina blurted out thoughtlessly as she studied the illustrations on the inside of the chocolate-box lid.
‘Seeing to them! With what?’
‘Money, I should imagine. I haven’t heard of anyone taking buttons yet.’
‘And how on earth am I supposed to pay her back?’
‘By putting in extra hours at the café when you’re well?’ Tina suggested casually. ’Oh, and by the way, Eddie Powell was asking after you. I think he’s sweet on you.’
Alma wasn’t to be put off by tales of Eddie Powell. ‘I’m fit enough to leave here now...’
‘You most certainly are not.’ Trevor Lewis strode down the centre of the ward, his white doctor’s coat flapping around his lean figure. He smiled and nodded to the occupants of the other beds in the women’s ward as he headed towards Alma. ‘After three weeks of complete bed rest it’ll be as much as you can do to stagger to the bathroom.’
‘I walked there just fine this morning.’
‘I don’t doubt you did, but as it’s only one hour into the first afternoon I’ll talk to you again tonight.’
‘I still don’t see why I can’t go home. I can rest just as well there.’
‘I’ve yet to meet the woman who can rest in her own home without bobbing up and down every five minutes to see to something,’ Trevor replied tactfully. He had visited
Alma’s
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