Chapter 11

Sharon walked back to her car feeling like a limp rag. The main reason was her concern for Louise. Then she had gone through the anger with the receptionist quoting the rulebook at her but she was relieved when Nurse Louise arrived and put things in perspective. She was also impressed with her professionalism and genuiness. Her Louise was in good hands.

She did not enjoy the drive home. She had to concentrate really hard and felt wobbly throughout. She walked into the house and flopped onto the sofa. She knew there were things to do including cooking herself a meal but she really could not cope. She was too washed out. All she wanted to do was to unburden herself to Richard but she could never do that. She would be presuming.

The phone rang and Sharon regarded it malevolently. "Never give you a moment's peace," she thought. "If it's a cold sale..."

She picked it up.

"Yes?" she said flatly.

"Hello, my pet! How's your daughter?"

"Richard!" she screamed. "Oh, you darling man! Were your ears burning?"

"No, should they have been?"

"Not really, I suppose. I wasn't talkin' about you: just thinkin' how much I wanted to talk to you an' then there you are. Oh, thank you for ringin'. I needed so bad to talk to someone and then it was only you I wanted to talk to an' then I didn't think it was right just to ring you up out of the blue and sound off."

"Well, I rang you so tell me."

"Well, when I got 'ome, Louise 'ad a bit of a temperature so I went an' made 'er lie down. I looked in on 'er a couple of hours later an' it 'ad gone up an' she 'ad a sick 'eadache. I thought: 'It's the wrong time of year for flu so I'm takin' you to the doctor, my girl.' So I did. 'E was ever so nice to us but couldn't nail it an' told me to take 'er up to the 'ospital and 'e'd arrange everything. 'E did and we was expected an' ever such a nice nurse, who was also called Louise, took 'er, that's my Louise, off for tests. I thought I was goin' to 'ave a bit of a barney with the receptionist who started pulling all the bloody rules and regulations as to why I couldn't stay with Louise. Luckily, this nice nurse, Louise, turned up at that moment before I lost me rag with that poncy woman in reception. She said the same as 'ow I couldn't stay with Louise but she was ever so nice and made it all sound reasonable. An' she was ever so good with Louise. So, 'ere I am: bloody bushed an' dead worried that they'll find she's got meningitis or something. Oh, Mr H, what do I do?"

"There's nothing really that you can do. Not for Louise anyway before you're allowed to go and see her tomorrow. Did you leave your phone number?"

"Yes, I gave her my mobile 'cos she said I might be on the landline if she 'ad to call."

"Good thinking! Now, as far as Louise is concerned, it may be nothing at all apart from some passing bug. On the other hand, if it is something more serious they'll be able to catch it early and so it's much less likely to be dangerous or harm her."

"That's what the doctor said but I still can't 'elp worrying. God! If anything should 'appen to my Louise I just don't know what I'd do."

Sharon could not bottle it up any longer and she began to sob and then, as that caught hold, to wail as the tears poured.

Richard waited until the storm had passed and she was just sobbing and hiccupping.

"I'll be over in twenty minutes, my pet. While you're waiting go and wash your face and put on something pretty for me."

"What?"

"You need someone with you this evening, my pet, so I'm coming over and we'll go out and find somewhere to eat."

"Ooooow!" Sharon howled before she was once again convulsed with sobs.

Richard smiled gently and put the phone down. "Poor little Sharon!" he thought. "She's carrying a lot of worry and I don't blame her. If it was my child I'd be just as upset. I've got to try and get her to calm down and eat something so that she can get some sleep because she'll need to be up to speed for her daughter tomorrow."

As he put the phone down though he had some doubts. Would he be placing Sharon in a difficult position: a man picking her up from her house in the early evening? Were either of them going to be recognised at where they ate? Being winter it was going to be dark and he imagined Sharon would be poised on the doorstep so her getting into his car would hardly be noticed.