***
Dr Fergusonarrived shortly before lunch. Even though it was a Saturday he’dbeen at the surgery sorting through the usual backlog of paper workand prescriptions and offered to call on his way home. He’d becomethe family’s doctor soon after Anne and Jeffrey set up house inFarnham in the late ’fifties and had been a particular friend ofJeffrey’s before his death. Gemma remembered him calling aroundwhen she’d caught the usual round of childhood illnesses. Inparticular, she recalled his horn-rimmed glasses and her fathersitting by her bed as the doctor moved the cold metal disc on theend of his stethoscope and listened to whatever was happeninginside of her – the sound of her heart and lungs, she was told. Hehad looked old to her then, even though it had been his firstpractice, and she reckoned he must be well into his sixties now.Gemma greeted him with affection and told him to go straight up toher mother’s room. She said she’d have a cup of tea ready for himwhen he’d finished.
Dr Ferguson smiled ather reassuringly.
‘I know yourmother’s not a well woman, Gemma, and she does herself no favourswith her drinking and smoking, you know. And don’t you worry, youcan call me whenever you need, after all your family are just aboutmy most longstanding patients.’
As far as Markcould tell this was just about the ideal scenario. Dr Ferguson wasunlikely to have kept himself bang up to date and from what hecould tell probably had less sympathy for Anne than he would havehad for Gemma’s father, or for Gemma herself. Also, as he’d beenworking by himself in the practice for years he wasn’t likely tohave close contacts, or indeed any, with the doctors who had tendedMark’s in-laws in Brighton more than seven years agonow.
‘He’s greatGemma, just right, in fact. He’ll probably point to a generallyunhealthy lifestyle and I can hint at some possibilities to himwhich might help when he has to do the deathcertificate.’
Gemma put thekettle on and opened a packet of biscuits, knowing the doctor wouldbe happy for a natter. He came down after little more than tenminutes and deposited his medical bag on the table, a battered tanbrown, soft leather affair that appeared to Gemma to be the sameone he had brought to her bedroom when she had her bouts of measlesor mumps years ago. He offered his prognosis.
‘Well, itcould be a number of things, but she’s her own worst enemy. I evenhad to stop her having a cigarette when I was up there. Anyway, Ithink it could be a touch of pneumonia, possibly even somethingI’ve been reading up on called bronchopneumonia, so I’ll do you aprescription for penicillin.’
Mark couldn’t helphimself.
‘Well we’vebeen looking after her every weekend, but we’ve also taken her outand encouraged her to have a drink or two, just to see her enjoyherself. I hope that’s okay?’
‘I know, youtwo have been wonderful and it’s not your fault that Anne is theway she is, and there’s no harm in a few drinks as far as I’mconcerned. In fact, she said how much she had enjoyed having youaround recently. Actually, in these situations I have often foundthat the patient’s mental state is just as important as thephysical, if not more so.’
This was exactly thesort of doctor they wanted.
‘Well, I wasdoing some reading, up doctor, and I was wondering if there mightbe a touch of hepatitis there too, affecting her livermaybe?’
Dr Fergusonabsent-mindedly dipped a digestive into his cup of tea andnodded.
‘Um yes, notimpossible, but there’s not much available for treating hepatitisas far as I know.’
Mark pushedon.
‘Yes, I heardthat too and you’re right, apparently only steroids, orcorticosteroids I think they’re called. Look, I hope you don’t mindme interfering?’
‘No, there’sno harm in you taking an interest and I’ll bear that in mind too. Imust admit that it’s difficult to keep up with everything and run abusy practice at the same time. You know, it’s funny but afterbeing a doctor here for many years I’ve come to the conclusion thatthere’s often nothing much wrong with most of my patients apartfrom the fact they’re getting old.’
They saw DrFerguson to his car – just as Mark would have expected, aleather-seated Rover 3500. Gemma managed to put on her best tearfulexpression and gave him a hug.
He rolled down thewindow as he left.
‘Now you callme whenever you need, and don’t worry, none of us is getting anyyounger.’
They walked back roundthe side of the house and into the kitchen.
‘He’s brilliant, justthe kind of doctor we need.’
Gemmaagreed.
‘And he’s a reallysweetie too, he’d never believe we could be the cause. Maybe weshould really get on with things now.’
That was justwhat Mark wanted to hear. He couldn’t quite believe how smoothlythings seemed to be going; he felt almost apart from himself andwhat was happening, on a sort of roll. His excitement was almostpalpable and the words came pouring out.
‘Yes, goodidea, let’s get her down for lunch and I’ll add in a decentquantity of the castor beans. I found out last time that ricin isvery difficult to detect anyway. Then she can come up to ours nextweekend and maybe we can sort it all out for good around Christmas.I reckon ricin and maybe those mushroom bits you’ve got will helpand I’ll add in some thallium as well. You know thallium is thebest, it’s pretty common and the salt has no taste or colour orsmell and
