Kayleigh sat with Katie for another ten minutes after they had settled her into his bed while Jack went downstairs to make a coffee.
While he was in the kitchen finishing his drink he heard the front door open and as he listened he realised it was Mrs Cohen.
Jack got up and went into the hall to head her off.
“Ah Mrs C” he said “a change of plan for today, the Reverend has come down with a fever”
She didn’t speak, but listened intently
“She is sleeping upstairs and will do so until the fever dissipates” he continued
“I know I haven’t done as good a job as you would but I’ve already done upstairs so can you just do downstairs this week”
“Of course dear” she replied and patted his hand.
He was taken aback, she had never called him dear before and there was even a hint of a smile about her lips.
Mrs C went about her chores and he returned to the kitchen and when he looked out the kitchen window he noticed it had started snowing.
He hoped it wasn’t going to be too disruptive as he was due at the club that evening, as he couldn’t spend Valentines with Kayleigh, as she would be with Carl.
Hannah Peters was going to come over and stay overnight to look after Katie, which given the good Reverends fever was fortuitous.
But if the snow amounted to as much as was predicted all the plans could easily go awry.
He wasn’t at all convinced that it would as the weather forecast tended to give the worst case scenario so as not to be embarrassed like they were after the great autumn storm of 88 so Jack expected the snow to be an inconvenience and nothing more.
Mrs Cohen left about 12.30 and as soon as the door closed Kayleigh appeared
“Has she gone?”
“Yes you can stop hiding now” he said and laughed
“It’s not funny she’s a very scary woman”
“Nonsense, she called me “dear”” he said
“See, I told you she was scary” Kyleigh explained
Jack left her in the kitchen and went up to check on Katie who was just stirring, he suggested soup for lunch, which he served to her in bed, though she didn’t eat much.
At one thirty Dr Anderson came through the front door
“Hello!” she called
“We’re in the kitchen Carole” Jack called back
“Where’s the patient?” she asked
“She’s in my room” he replied
“Why?” she asked suspiciously
He then told her of the events that lead to her sleeping beneath his duvet.
“Oh God” she said and rushed upstairs so he made some lunch for the three of them in time for her return.
He looked out of the window and was alarmed to notice the snow was not abating in the slightest.
He was beginning to get that sinking feeling, he had actually been looking forward to seeing everyone at the club, but with the snow falling thick and fast he suspected he was going to be disappointed.
Carole came downstairs a little happier than when she went up even though Katie’s temperature hadn’t yet broken.
She was satisfied she wasn’t getting any worse for the time being anyway, but the antibiotics she had just given her, she hoped would break the fever over the next 48 hours.
In the meantime she would spend a couple of hours sitting with her before going home, when she would have to leave for home while she could still get there.
As Carole sat with the sleeping Katie, Kaylie was making coffee and Jack was on the phone, first with Hannah who called to say she was unable to get out of Purplemere and was staying overnight with friends and then to James at the club to say he wouldn’t be paying them a visit after all and explained why and during the conversation James said that it was even worse in Purplemere.
“I’m sorry James” he said “I’ll get over and see you when the weather clears”
He was sitting in the kitchen with Kayleigh looking at the worsening weather and she said
“I really should get going”
“Do you think it’s safe?” he asked
“I don’t know but I have to try”
She always spent the important dates, Birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, New Year’s Eve, Halloween and Valentines with Carl up at Plaxton Park even if she didn’t know if he knew she was there or not because Carl was involved in a devastating car accident that left him severely, physically and mentally disabled and in need of perpetual care and had not responded to any external stimuli.
“You could get stranded,” he said not wanting her to go
“I know” she replied “but I should be there even if he doesn’t know I am, it will be the first one I’ve ever missed”
“You don’t have to miss it,” he told her
“What?” she asked
“Go, I can manage here” he assured her
“What about Katie?” she asked, “She still has a fever”
“Carole has already told me what to do” he replied “and you can phone me for an update”
“And what if she deteriorates? What then?” she asked
“I would do exactly the same thing you would if you were here,” he answered but she still looked unsure so he continued
“Carl may not know you’re there but you do, go to him, I’ll be fine”
She walked around the table and sat on his lap then she kissed him.
“You’re a good man Jack” she said “and I love you”
“And I love you too, now go” he said urgently “before I change my mind”
While Kayleigh was getting her coat on in the hall Jack took another phone call in the kitchen, this time it was from another one of the rota of district nurses who was also unable to get through to the village.
Jack decided not to share the news with either Carole or Kayleigh because they would both have stayed.
“She’s awake,” Carole said as she came down the stairs
“And would love a cup of tea”
“Ok I’ll take one up” he responded then he told her and Kayleigh to call him as soon as they got to their destinations to let him know they got there safely.
Carole left first after promising she would do as instructed and then Kayleigh did the same and then they kissed, but not a goodbye kiss, but more of an “I wish I wasn’t going” kiss, then he opened the door and she stepped out into the snow.
After he watched Kayleigh drive off into the snowy late afternoon he went inside and drew all the curtains, turned on the lights and cranked the heating up before he went into the kitchen and boiled the kettle.
He made Katie and himself a drink, but before he carried them upstairs he went into what used to be the lounge and picked up a couple of DVD’s and the Harry Potter book he had been reading to her.
With the entertainment tucked under his arm and two steaming mugs in his hand he knocked on the door with his free hand.
“Are you decent?” he asked as he slowly pushed open the door.
“You don’t have to knock” she said weakly
“It’s the polite thing to do before entering a ladies boudoir” he said gallantly
“There you are Milady” he said as he put her tea on the nightstand
“Thanks” she said “I’m really gasping”
“I bought up a couple of films” he said with a frown as he drew the curtains and noticed the snow was falling faster.
“Or we could carry on with the book” he added as he put on the bedside lamp
“Could we just have some music?” Katie said “I don’t think I can concentrate on anything else”
“Of course, do you have a preference?” Jack asked
“Something classical would be nice” she replied “no Wagner or Mahler though, something light”
“I have just the thing” Jack said as he got up and left the room.
He came back about five minutes later with his tablet and connected it to the music player.
After a moment or two a selection of John Barry tunes began to play.
While Katie drank her tea Jack settled himself into the armchair in the corner, which was probably the most uncomfortable chair he had ever sat in, though in truth he only got it for decoration.
Ten minutes later he got a text from Kayleigh to say she had made it to Plaxton safely.
“I like this” Katie said after about half an hour, though in truth she kept drifting off to sleep while he passed the time away doing Sudoku’s, then the phone rang, and he picked it up and could see it was Carole Anderson
“Hey you” he said “I was beginning to get a bit worried”
“I’m quite safe” she responded “how’s the patient?”
“Sleeping” he replied
“No I’m not” interrupted Katie
“How’s her temperature?” Carole asked
“I’m not due to take it again for another half an hour” he replied
“Well take it now while I’m on the phone” she insisted
So he did as she asked and it hadn’t changed since lunchtime.
“Should I give her, her tablets now?” Jack asked
“No the nurse can do that when she gets there” she replied
“Ah” he exclaimed
“Ah what?” she asked suspiciously, so Jack told her about the phone call he took while she was in with Katie.
“I wish you’d told me Jack” she said crossly, “I would have stayed”
“That’s precisely why I didn’t tell you” he replied
“Were you that desperate to get rid of me?” she asked sadly
“Never that” he replied
Carole eventually conceded his motives were well meaning and gave him his instructions for the evening, and promised to ring again later.
It was about 7 o’clock when he woke up in the armchair after a short doze just in time to see Katie coming out of the bathroom.
As she stood in the doorway with the bright bathroom light behind her.
“What are you up to?” he asked
“I needed the loo” she replied
“I should have been helping you” he said
“I didn’t want to wake you” she said “and I don’t need help to pee”
So he helped her back into bed.
“If you promise to behave while I’m gone, I’ll make you some supper” he said “what would you like?”
“I’m not hungry” she said
“You should try and eat something” he insisted “how about some soup?”
“No not the soup again, it gave me wind” she answered
“I noticed” Jack said
“Oh, you didn’t?” she exclaimed and blushed
“I think my fever is getting worse” she continued fanning herself at the same time.
“Could I just have another cup of tea” she asked and sank back into the pillows.
“Of course you can?” he said but he didn’t think she heard the answer.
While he was in the kitchen he made himself a sandwich and ate it at the table before he went back upstairs.
After her cup of tea Katie said she felt up to watching something so he held up the two DVDs he brought upstairs earlier and let her pick.
So they watched “The Philadelphia Story”, well in truth he watched it while Katie drifted back off into a fitful sleep.
He touched her forehead and it was still burning hot but although the room didn’t feel cold she was shivering so he pulled the throw up over the top of the duvet.
About 9 o’clock the phone rang, so he got up from the armchair and hurried downstairs.
“Hello?” he said
“Oh Jack, thank God” Carole exclaimed
“Carole? Why are you ringing on the landline?” he asked
“The network is down because of the blizzards” she explained
“And it’s taken me an absolute age to get this number, I had to phone the Club first and spoke to someone called Kylie, then she phoned Jacey, who phoned James, who phoned Elise, she then phoned Gemma who spoke to her mum then her mum phoned me”
“I’m guessing the call from her mum wasn’t a quick one”
“No, she’s a chatty woman isn’t she?” Carole said with a laugh
“Well you got me in the end” he said
“Anyway how’s the patient doing?” she said back to business
“She’s still very hot and she’s sleeping a lot” Jack explained
“But she’s not sleeping soundly and she’s not resting comfortably”
There was silence from the phone so he continued
“I think that’s a good sign isn’t it? That means she’s fighting it off” he said hopefully
“How’s her appetite been?” Carole asked avoiding his question
“Not good” he answered “she hasn’t eaten much at all, but I’m keeping her hydrated”
“Hmmm” she responded
“Is hmmm good or bad” he asked
“Neither” she said “Keep watching her closely and hopefully the fever will break by morning”
“And if it doesn’t?” he asked
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, call me if there is a change” She said, her voice cracking “I’ll get to you as early as I can in the morning”
And then she was gone.
Jack slept in the uncomfortable armchair in his room beside the bed and woke up just after 2 am with pins and needles in his arm.
He gingerly picked up his dead arm with his unaffected hand while life flooded painfully back into it.
Having successfully restored blood flow to his stricken limb he walked downstairs to the kitchen.
While he waited for the kettle to boil he looked out the window and it appeared to have stopped snowing.
He opened the back door and looked out, it had stopped and the wind had died away and when he looked up he could breaks in the cloud.
He closed the door again and made a mug of Milo and went back upstairs and Katie was still restlessly murmuring in her sleep so he settled back into the armchair from hell, drank his Milo and dosed off again.
When he came to, an hour and a half later he forgot where he was, he couldn’t see much in the darkness and there were no familiar sounds to aid him, and then it dawned on him, there were no sounds at all, and the room was full of silence.
He quickly fumbled with the light switch on the lamp and eventually switched it on to reveal there before him, peacefully sleeping in his bed was Katie.
He stood up and walked to the bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed, she was breathing un-laboured and when he touched her forehead it was cool and clammy, her fever had broken.
Jack sat there for about 20 minutes just watching her sleep then quite suddenly she licked her lips and opened her eyes and after a moment she looked at him and smiled.
“Could I have an omelette?” she said “I’m starving”
And Jack burst out laughing.
While Katie sat in bed devouring a four egg omelette he went downstairs and phoned the Doctor
“Hello” A tired voice croaked
“Carole?” he asked not sure if he had just woken some poor unsuspecting stranger
“Jack?” she replied “is everything ok?”
“The fever has broken” he said
“Thank God” Carole responded “is she still sleeping?”
“No” he replied “she’s eating an omelette”
And they both laughed
He hung up the phone and picked up his mobile and he could see he had a signal so he assumed the network was back up so he sent Kayleigh a text with the good news then he went straight back upstairs to find Katie mopping up the last remnants of her omelette with her third slice of bread.
“Was that to madam’s satisfaction?” he asked her in his pompous butler’s voice
“Lovely” she replied wiping her mouth with her serviette.
“Have you had enough?” he enquired
“Oh yes” she replied “if I have any more I won’t enjoy my breakfast”
“What about another tea?” he suggested
“Oh yes please” she replied with a grin
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