By
Jan
Chapter 8
Nikki
stood looking at Helen, a stunned expression on her face. In three weeks time Helen
would leave here and they would never see each other again. “If that’s the way
you feel,” she replied dejectedly.
No,
it isn’t how I feel but it’s the only way I can cope, Helen thought dismally
but said aloud, “It is.”
“I…er…I’ll
take the puppy back,” Nikki said softly. “I didn’t mean to hurt or offend you,
I just wanted to give the kids a present. Bad idea.” She went back into the
kitchen rubbing a weary hand across her forehead. Her head had been aching for
a few days but now it had started to throb and she felt nauseous.
Tommy
ran up to her as she entered. “We’re going to call him ‘Blackie’,” he said
excitedly.
“What?”
She looked at him but didn’t really see him. In three weeks she wouldn’t see
any of them again.
“The
puppy, we’re going to call him ‘Blackie’,” he repeated.
She
felt the blood pounding in her ears and Tommy’s voice seemed to be coming from
a long way away. “Blackie,” she repeated vacantly. “That’s a good name.” Her
knees started to buckle and she clutched at Tommy’s shoulder as she pitched
forward. “A really goo…” then she passed out.
Tommy
looked helplessly at Nikki’s prone form then ran to the kitchen door. “Auntie
Helen!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.
Helen
had just been checking up on Emma but the panic in her nephew’s voice set her
running towards the house. “Nikki!” She rushed forward fearfully when she saw
the other woman spread-eagled on the floor. “What happened?” she demanded of
Tommy as she felt for Nikki’s pulse.
“Sh…she
just fell down,” he said tearfully. “Is she going to be alright?”
Dear
God, I hope so! She thought but said aloud, “She’s going to be fine. Now, I
want you to stay with her while I call the doctor.”
After
making the call to the family doctor, Helen hurried back into the kitchen to find
Tommy sitting beside the now conscious Nikki, stroking her hair soothingly.
“I’ll take over now, Tommy,” she said gently then smiled at her nephew as he
moved away. “You’ve done a good job.”
“What
happened?” Nikki demanded.
“Lie
still,” Helen ordered. “The doctor is on his way.”
“Don’t
need a doctor,” Nikki muttered stubbornly.
Helen
frowned. Nikki was slurring her words and, if she hadn’t known better, she
would have thought the woman was drunk. “Lie still!” she repeated forcefully as
Nikki tried to get up.
“Bossy
cow!”
Helen
smiled at her words then frowned as she saw Nikki shiver. It obviously wasn’t
doing her any good lying on the cold kitchen floor. “Nikki, did you hit your
head when you went down?” she asked urgently.
“When
I went down?” Nikki smiled. “What a question to ask a lady, Miss Stewart.”
“Nikki,
be serious,” Helen said impatiently. “I need to know if you banged your head
then I know whether I can move you or not.”
“She
didn’t, Auntie Helen.”
Helen
looked at her eldest nephew gratefully. “Why don’t you take the twins and go
outside and keep Mrs Wade company?” she suggested brightly.
Tommy
put his arm around Jemma, who was still holding the puppy, and steered her
towards the door, telling Jamie to ‘come on, Jay’ as he went.
“Tommy,”
Helen called after him. “Don’t tell Mrs Wade what’s happened. We don’t want to
worry her unnecessarily.”
He
nodded then shepherded his brother and sister out into the garden.
Helen
turned back to Nikki. “Let’s get you off the floor,” she said gently.
“I’m
too heavy for you,” Nikki protested.
“I’m
a nurse, I’m used to heaving great lumps like you around,” she replied
flippantly then, with a modicum of effort, managed to get Nikki to her feet.
“Put your arm around me,” she ordered. Nikki placed her arm around her then she
felt it tighten.
“Do
you know how gorgeous you are?” Nikki said against her ear. “Please, don’t
leave me.”
Helen
turned her head and saw the pleading look on her face. “Nikki, I…” She knew
Nikki was ill and wasn’t thinking rationally but it was so tempting to agree to
what she said. “I won’t leave you,” she replied softly. Nikki’s mouth covered
hers, warm and inviting so different to the last time they had kissed.
They
drew apart and Nikki swayed unsteadily. “See what you do to me,” she laughed
shakily.
Helen
held onto her. Nikki wasn’t the only one who was feeling unsteady on her feet
at the moment and the feel of the lithe body pressed against hers was almost more
than she could bear. She was relieved when they reached the living room and she
deposited Nikki on the settee.
“What’s
going on?” Maddy demanded as she bustled into the living room a worried frown
on her face. “Young Tommy told me Nikki had collapsed. Is she alright?”
“It’s
alright, Maddy. I’ve sent for the doctor,” Helen told her calmly.
“I’m
OK,” Nikki added her own confirmation and tried to struggle to her feet but the
housekeeper pushed her back down.
“You
stay there!” she ordered.
Helen
looked on with an amused smile as Nikki sat sulkily back down. “I’d better go
and check on Emma. The children might have said something and I don’t want her
worrying,” she told Maddy in an undertone.
“No
need. I’m here,” Emma spoke from the doorway. She limped into the room, her
gnarled hand resting on Tommy’s shoulder to support her as she walked. She sank
into an armchair and smiled her thanks at him.
“Keep
an eye on the twins, love,” Helen called after the youngster as he went out of
the room.
“Maddy,
would you mind making us a cup of tea, please?” Emma asked the housekeeper
politely. Maddy nodded assent and Emma waited until she had left the room
before she rounded on Nikki. “What have you been up to?” she demanded,
regarding her granddaughter gravely. “If I didn’t know better I’d ask you if
you were pregnant!”
Nikki
burst out laughing at Emma’s remark and Helen felt her lips twitching into a
smile.
“It’s
not funny, young lady!” the old lady snapped. “You collapsed so there is obviously
something wrong with you.”
“Sorry,
Gran,” Nikki apologised meekly.
“So
you should be!” she replied sharply. “Frightening us all like that. You should
take better care of yourself, gallivanting all over the place and not eating
properly.”
“Gallivanting,”
Helen murmured softly but not softly enough because she saw Nikki pull a face
at her.
They
heard the telephone ring and, knowing Maddy was busy in the kitchen, Helen
excused herself to go and answer it.
“Is
Nikki there?” an American voice demanded.
Helen
grimaced when she recognised Marcia Taylor’s voice. “Nikki’s not well,” she
told her stiffly. “We’re just waiting for the doctor to arrive.” As if on cue
the doorbell rang. “Would you excuse me for a moment, there’s someone at the
door.” She laid the receiver down on the table and went and opened the door.
She was expecting it to be Dr Anderson, the elderly family doctor, standing
there instead it was a much younger man with blond hair and the bluest eyes she
had ever seen.
“Rob
MacDonald,” the man introduced himself. “Dr Anderson’s locum.”
“Come
in, doctor,” she greeted him pleasantly. “I’m Helen Stewart, Mrs Wade’s nurse.
Go on through...first door on the left. I’m just on the telephone.” She watched
him enter the living room then took a deep breath and picked up the receiver.
“Hello…hello…” Marcia had obviously not bothered to wait because the line was
dead.
The
doctor completed his thorough examination of Nikki and turned to Helen with a
smile. “She’ll live. It’s just a virus. Light diet, plenty of fluids and two of
these three times a day.” He handed Helen a prescription form. “And see she
gets plenty of rest.”
“I’ll
get this filled straight away,” Helen indicated the prescription then added
mischievously, “And I’ll make sure she follows doctor’s orders.”
“Have
you been working for Mrs Wade long?” Rob asked as Helen accompanied him to the
front door.
“A
couple of months. It’s only until she’s mobile again.” She grimaced. “I’m
coming to the end of my contract so I’ll be on the job market again.”
Rob
regarded her intently. “I think Dr Anderson is looking for a practice nurse if
you’re interested. Would you like me to find out the details for you?”
“Most
definitely,” she agreed eagerly. “Thanks very much, doctor.”
“My
pleasure,” Rob smiled. “I’ll give you a call and it’s ‘Rob’.”
“Rob,”
Helen repeated.
“See
you later, Helen,” he drawled with a hint of promise in his voice.
“See
you,” she replied, seemingly oblivious to his obvious attraction to her. She
closed the door and turned to find Nikki watching her from the living room
doorway.
“I’m
going upstairs,” Nikki said icily.
“I’ll
help you, “ Helen offered.
“I
don’t need your help!” she snapped. “I’m not an invalid!”
Helen
was taken aback by her coldness. “I thought you might still be a bit weak. I’ll
go to the chemist and fetch your tablets.”
“Maddy
can do it! You take care of my grandmother!”
Now
what had she done wrong? She opened her mouth and closed it again. What was the
point? She waited until Nikki had gone safely upstairs before going in to Emma.
“Is
something wrong?” Emma asked when she saw the frown on Helen’s brow.
“No,
of course not,” she replied, forcing a smile. “Dr MacDonald says he might know
of a job opportunity. He’s going to find out the details for me.”
It
was Emma’s turn to frown. “You don’t have to rush into anything, Helen.”
“I
think I’d better look for something as soon as possible, Emma,” she replied.
“It’s no good leaving things until the last minute.”
“We
don’t know when that’s going to be. I may need you for a good while yet.”
Helen
looked at Emma in surprise. Nikki obviously hadn’t told her she was leaving.
“Well, I think it’s best if I’m prepared,” she said evasively. “Do you want to
go back upstairs?”
“Would
you help me into the kitchen? I’d like a word with Maddy.” She held out her
hand and Helen helped her stand up and walk into the kitchen to where the
housekeeper was just laying a tea tray. “I’ll have my tea in here, Maddy,” she
declared, perching herself on one of the kitchen chairs. “Helen, why don’t you
go and get Nikki’s prescription?”
“OK
then. I won’t be long. I’ll just check on the children.” She went to the
kitchen door and made sure the children were playing happily before taking her
leave.
When
she returned, she was surprised to see a strange car standing in the driveway.
She went inside and had just got her foot on the bottom stair to take Nikki’s
tablets up to her when Marcia Taylor came down the corridor from the kitchen
carrying a bottle of mineral water and a glass.
“What
are you doing here?” Helen demanded.
“Nikki
sent for me,” the woman replied smugly. “Is that her medicine?” She indicated
the paper bag in Helen’s hand. Helen nodded. “I’ll take it.” Before she had
time to speak, Marcia snatched the bag out of her hand and flounced upstairs.
Helen
turned away bleakly. The sooner Rob MacDonald got back to her with the job
details the better. She would miss Emma and Maddy and…yes, she would miss
Nikki, more than anything. She realised now that, after the children, Nikki
Wade had become the most important person in her life but what chance did she
have against Marcia Taylor? She knew Nikki fancied her but how could she really
be interested in someone who had three children to bring up? She mentally
chastised herself. She didn’t begrudge the sacrifices she’d had to make but she
couldn’t expect someone else to take on the responsibility for them as well.
And Emma? How would she feel about her granddaughter becoming involved with a
woman with children? When Tom had entrusted their well being to her, he knew it
was because she wouldn’t let them down. Her happiness was secondary to theirs
and if that meant putting her own life on hold until they were all safely off
her hands then so be it. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for what
she knew she must do.