11
Stefan
After a lunchtime chat with Dr Tully on Wednesday about the sale of the Windmill Practice and cottage, Stefan felt he really could become the new owner. He could afford the property, and Dr Tully had given him a short lesson on how he had been running the business. It wasn’t as complicated as Stefan first thought. Everything really depended on Lindy settling. He knew there were no guarantees no matter where he took her, but it was still a worry and the only thing stopping him from signing on the dotted line straight away.
Early that evening whilst driving back from a house call Rose had arranged in Sandly, he noticed a man sitting by the roadside, holding his arm. He quickly pulled over to see if help was needed.
Oh, it’s the onion man .
‘Hello, Doc,’ said Ronnie. ‘I think I’ve broken my arm.’
Stefan squatted to assess the injury. ‘What happened?’ He glanced around the narrow road, wondering if Ronnie had been run over.
‘Bird attack.’
Stefan raised his brow. ‘Pardon?’
‘Swan.’
‘A swan broke your arm?’ Stefan had heard they held the power but had never witnessed such an event. He glanced once more at their surroundings, but there was no pond in sight.
‘Mrs Harris hired my cab services, you see.’
Stefan did not see. ‘To chauffer the swan?’
Ronnie’s blue eyes narrowed. ‘Why would I drive around a swan?’
Why indeed .
‘She wanted me to catch the blasted thing and take it back to her cottage,’ Ronnie added.
‘In your cab?’
‘I’m not putting that great big thing in my car. No, I was going to walk it back.’
Stefan was finding it hard to visualise. ‘So, it attacked you?’ He started to assess the arm again.
‘Sort of. It flapped overhead. I ducked, turned quickly, and fell over the wall.’ He gestured up the road.
‘And why aren’t you sitting in your car? Did you come over dizzy and fall here?’
Ronnie tipped his head up. ‘No. I’m just enjoying the sunshine.’
‘Right, well, good news, it doesn’t look broken, just sprained. However, I’ll take you to the hospital for a thorough check.’
‘No need, Doc. My Grace is on her way to do just that.’
‘Your wife?’
‘Daughter. She doesn’t live far. Waterside Cottage, along Pepper Lane. Her husband is a doctor too. He works in A&E. Charlie Wallis. Do you know him?’
Stefan shook his head as he stood. ‘No, can’t say we’ve met.’ He went over to his car to pull out the first aid kit. ‘I’ll put your arm in a sling, Mr Hadley. That will help.’
‘Ta, Doc. Let’s hope my arm heals quickly. I can’t be out of work. I wish I could retire in my late fifties, but nope. I reckon I’ll still be driving my cab when I’m seventy.’
Stefan carefully lifted the man’s arm to place in the sling. Well, now I know you grow vegetables, perhaps you could sell some while you’re healing.’
Ronnie raked his free hand through his salt-and-pepper hair as he groaned. ‘That’s not a bad idea. How many onions can I put you down for?’
Stefan bit his bottom lip as he secured the sling.
Walked right into that one .
‘How about one small bag,’ Stefan replied politely, thinking he could share some with Florence.
A car pulled up and a blonde woman in her thirties jumped out.
‘Oh, Dad, what are you like?’ She smiled at Stefan. ‘Hi, I’m Grace. You’re the new doctor, right?’
‘Yes. Pleased to meet you.’ Stefan stood. ‘Now, are you going to be okay taking your dad to the hospital, or would you prefer me to take him?’
Grace went over to open the passenger door of her car. ‘Thanks, but I’m okay. My husband is at the other end, waiting to patch up Dad.’
‘I heard he works there.’
Grace smiled at her dad. ‘My parents love telling everyone my husband is a doctor.’
He remembered when his parents used to do the same thing.
Ronnie clambered in the car. ‘Find that swan, won’t you, Doc.’ He bobbed his head up the road. ‘Mrs Harris lives just along there. Red door. Big elephant in the garden. Can’t miss it.’
Grace waved, leaving Stefan wondering if he’d heard Ronnie correctly.
He watched them drive away, then cautiously perused the fields for a certain large white bird.
Why am I even considering catching a swan?
Something white caught his eye, followed by a hissing sound close by.
Stefan jogged to the brambles to peer over, then fell back when a whoosh of feathers flapped up from the foliage, scaring him half to death.
‘Coo-ee. Dr Bedford.’
He composed himself quickly as an elderly woman waddled his way, walking stick in one hand, which she kept waving at him.
‘You got my Honeysuckle?’ she called.
Stefan glanced over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to her, side-eyeing the swan following his every move.
‘Ooh, there you are.’ She stopped at the brambles. ‘Honeysuckle likes to wander.’
‘Honeysuckle?’
She pointed her walking stick at the large bird. ‘My swan. Well, not mine technically, but lives by my pond. So, you know, family and that.’
‘Are you Mrs Harris?’
‘I am. So, be a dear and bring Honeysuckle back to mine, will you?’
Stefan widened his eyes at the swan. ‘Won’t it just follow you now you’re here?’
‘Might, but Honeysuckle is very stubborn. Best held, I say.’
I’d say not .
‘Why don’t we try walking away first. See if it follows?’
Because there’s no way I’m picking it up .
‘Come on then, Doc.’ Mrs Harris looked over the brambles. ‘And you, Honeysuckle. Follow us.’
A whistling noise shot through the air as the swan took to the sky, then landed just behind Stefan, giving him a fright.
It was the longest walk of his life. Glancing over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure his backside was safe from any wayward pecking.
Honeysuckle eyeballed him each time he looked, but all in all kept two metres behind all the way to the pond, where Stefan was somewhat dumbfounded to see a statue of a large colourful elephant in the middle of the water.
‘Thanks for your help, Doc.’ Mrs Harris turned to Honeysuckle. ‘And you can say thank you for being walked home.’
Honeysuckle honked, then went off for a swim.
Stefan went to speak but was at a loss for words. He couldn’t stop staring at the elephant.
‘I’ll give you some blueberry muffins to take home with you, Dr Bedford. Wait there.’
He moved closer to the roadside, wanting to hide from the swan in case it got any ideas.
‘Hello, Doc,’ said Nora, passing by. ‘What you doing there?’
‘Just waiting for some blueberry muffins.’
Nora crinkled her nose. ‘Better off with Joey’s ones at Edith’s Tearoom.’ She shoved a bag of wool into his hands. ‘Here, save me the trip. I was just having a catch up with Doris. Thought I’d head your way to give young Lindy some wool. I heard she’s taken up knitting.’
‘She has. Thank you.’
‘Here you go, Doc,’ said Mrs Harris on her return. She handed him a plastic container with four small muffins inside.
‘That’s very kind, thank you.’
Mrs Harris turned to Nora. ‘He brought Honeysuckle back. Walked all the way. Best friends they are now.’
Stefan glanced in the direction of the pond.
‘He’s like an uncle to my Sparkle,’ said Nora, lifting her chin.
‘Right, well, best get back to work.’ Stefan made a dash for the road, unable to wave due to the goods he’d acquired. He could hear the two women talking about what a lovely doctor he was as he headed for his car.
Entering the Windmill Practice, Stefan smiled to himself and didn’t bother to lecture Rose for booking another house call when the patient was perfectly capable of coming into the practice or speaking over the phone, offering her a muffin and a smile instead. He was starting to enjoy his job more than he’d ever done before, and as he approached the examination room, he glanced up the winding stairway, wondering what he could do with the place if it was his.
He really needed a proper talk with Lindy, and as it was her first day at the centre tomorrow, he pondered over waiting to see how she went. He was hoping their school would interest her, but small steps. At least they were heading in the right direction. Lindy seemed brighter in herself, and even more so around Florence.
He had twenty minutes until he had to start making phone call appointments to his patients, so he sent a text to Florence to see what they were up to.
Florence called immediately. ‘We’re just outside.’
That was all the encouragement Stefan needed. He quickly made a move towards the door, then slowed, trying for calm and composed.
Florence and Lindy had an easel set up by the bench and were pointing paintbrushes and pencils towards the windmill.
‘Are you going to draw the practice?’ he asked, peeping over the top of the paper to see it was blank.
‘Just in case we have to move, Dad.’
It wasn’t a pleasant thought. ‘We can talk about that at dinner.’
Lindy put her pencil down. ‘I want to stay here.’
That was good to know, but it didn’t mean she was stable in their new environment.
As if reading his mind, Lindy said, ‘I’m okay, Dad. But we can talk later.’
He glanced at Florence.
I don’t think Lindy’s told her. I’ll ask about that at dinner as well .
Florence smiled. ‘Are you looking forward to the farm show this weekend?’
His stomach flipped, and not in any good way. ‘Is that this weekend?’
She nodded. ‘Yep, end of June already. Flown by, hasn’t it?’
‘I’m not sure I’m qualified to be an animal judge.’
Lindy giggled. ‘We have Zeus.’
‘Not sure that counts.’
Florence took his hand and tugged him down to the bench to sit in between them. ‘We’ll be there to support you.’
He felt kind of chuffed about that. ‘You will?’
‘Sure. If anything, it’ll be a laugh.’ Florence nudged his arm with her own.
Stefan sighed. ‘I’m not sure I’ll be laughing, especially if I hand a rosette to the winner and the loser gets the hump.’
‘From what I’ve heard, it’s just a friendly competition.’ Florence tickled his chin with the tip of her clean paintbrush.
He quirked an eyebrow her way. ‘Really?’
‘Made you smile.’
He chuckled, moving the brush away. ‘I have a story that will make you two smile.’
Lindy shuffled on the bench to face him. ‘What is it?’
‘Just before I got back here, I saved a swan.’ It wasn’t quite true, but he wasn’t sure how else to label the odd situation he had found himself in. ‘Oh, and I accidently bought some onions.’
Florence laughed whilst Lindy frowned.
Stefan flopped back, hooking one leg over the other as he stretched out. ‘Just a day in the life of Dr Bedford.’