‘I think I must have hurt it.’ Mary looked up at her, unthinking, blank trust written on her face. It tore at Flora’s heart, and she knew that she must do everything she could to help Mary.
‘Let me massage it for you.’ It wouldn’t do her hea
d injury any good, but it would keep Mary calm, and that was important.
‘Thank you. I feel a bit sick.’
Aksel carefully moved Mary, sitting her up, and Flora grabbed the rubbish bin, emptying it out on the floor. Mary retched weakly, and then relaxed.
‘That’s better. I’m sorry...’
‘It’s okay. You’re okay now.’ Flora made sure that Mary’s mouth was clear, and Aksel gently laid her down in the recovery position. Flora was aware that John was watching them, and couldn’t imagine his agony, but she had to concentrate on Mary.
She talked to Mary, soothing her, watching her every reaction. It seemed a very long time before the door opened and the vicar ushered Charles into the room.
John shot to his feet, watching and listening. Flora carefully relayed all the information she had to Charles, and he nodded, bending down towards Mary to examine her. Mary began to fret again, and by the time he’d finished she was trying to push him away. Charles beckoned to Flora.
‘Can you keep her quiet?’
‘Yes.’ Flora knelt down, taking Mary’s hand, and she seemed to settle. She heard Charles talking softly to John behind her, and then the arrival of the ambulance crew. Then she had to move back as the paramedics lifted Mary carefully onto a stretcher.
‘I couldn’t have done better myself, Flora. Well done.’ Charles didn’t wait for her answer, turning to usher John out of the room.
The lights from the ambulance outshone the fairy lights on the stalls in the marketplace. The noise and bustle seemed to have quietened down, and many of the stallholders watched as Mary was lifted into the ambulance and Charles and John followed.
Suddenly she felt Aksel’s arm around her shoulders. As the ambulance negotiated the narrow street around the perimeter of the market square, people began to crowd around her, wanting to know what had happened to Mary.
‘I’m sorry, we can’t say exactly what’s happened, that’s for the doctors at the hospital to decide. Mary’s in good hands.’ Aksel gave the answer that Flora was shaking too much to give. Then he hurried her over to Mary’s stall.
‘Jackie, will you be okay to pack up the stall?’
Jackie nodded. ‘Yes, I’ve called my husband and he’s on his way down with his mates. They’ll be here in a minute. How’s Mary?’
‘I’m afraid we don’t know, but Charles Ross-Wylde is with her and she’s in very good hands.’ Aksel repeated the very limited reassurance that he’d given to everyone else.
‘Okay. I’ll wait for news. Carrie came and took your shopping bags, she’s taken them back to the clinic with Mette.’
‘Thanks, Jackie. Are you sure you’ll be all right on your own?’
‘Yes, of course. Look, there’s my husband now.’
Jackie waved, and Aksel nodded. He turned away, his arm tightly around Flora.
‘Do you want to go the long way home? Or take the more direct route?’
‘What’s the long way? Via Istanbul?’
Aksel chuckled. ‘No, via the clinic. I’m going to go home and pick up the SUV, then go to see Mette. I’ll either walk you home or you can come with me.’
‘I’ll come with you.’ Being at home alone didn’t much appeal at the moment. ‘Thanks for staying with me, Aksel. I know you didn’t want to leave Mette.’
‘No, I didn’t. But Mette was all right and I reckoned I might be needed here.’
‘Yes, you were.’ Flora was going through all of the things she’d done in her head, trying to think of something that she’d missed. Something she might have done better.
‘Mary’s going to be all right. Largely because of you...’
‘You’re just saying that. I’m not a doctor.’