An Irish Country Love Story by Patrick Taylor

Author:Patrick Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466889200
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

23

Cries, and Falls into a Cough

“Thank you, Nonie, for coming down early from Belfast on a Monday morning, especially coming by train,” O’Reilly said, wondering whether he should take the last piece of toast.

The kitchen where the three doctors were having breakfast was cosy and filled with the aroma of Kinky’s freshly toasted raisin bread. “Barry here told me about your possible narcolepsy. How did things go with Doctor Millar on Friday?”

Nonie sipped her coffee. “He was very understanding,” she said. “There’s no test that says the diagnosis is certain, but he had me have an electroencephalogram and a skull X-ray. No abnormal brainwaves, no space-occupying lesions, so I don’t seem to have epilepsy or a brain tumour, which,” she smiled, “I must say is a great relief.”

“To all of us,” Barry said.

“He told me that we’d have to work with a probable diagnosis of narcolepsy. I’m taking amphetamine ten milligrams every day when I wake up and we can increase the dose by ten more milligrams up to a maximum of sixty until I have the nodding off under control.”

“Does that mean,” Barry asked, “that you’ll be fit to drive, see patients?”

She shook her head. “I mustn’t drive until I’ve been a month free from uncontrollable napping, he said. He reckons if I take my first pill at eight thirty and start the surgery at nine I should be able to cope. And if I don’t do any procedures, I’d be no risk to patients.”

O’Reilly scratched his chin. “Mmmm,” he said. “So you couldn’t make home visits for a while except maybe the odd one you could walk to. Most home visits are out in the country, of course. If it’s walkable, patients usually come to the surgery. No driving means no night call too.”

“Not until Doctor Millar gives me the go-ahead to drive.”

“And that could take a couple of months.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“I’d not mind,” Barry said. “Now that Doctor Fitzpatrick’s joined the rota, it’ll still only be one in three. Although my trip—”

“You’ll still get your trip to Marseille, Barry. I’m sure Ronald and I can cope for a while.” O’Reilly saw the look of relief on the young man’s face. “I suggest, Nonie, that you continue to run your well-women clinics and take some extra surgeries. Barry and I will handle emergencies and home visits. All right with you, Barry?”

“Fine by me, although that’s easy for me to say seeing as I’ll be away for a week,” Barry said.

O’Reilly thought he saw Nonie’s eyes glisten. She sniffed and said, “I believe you are both being very generous.”

“Rubbish,” said O’Reilly. “You’re ill. It could be Barry or me and we’d have to work out a way to carry on.”

“I’m still very grateful,” she said, “and I’ll have to ask your indulgence on something else too.”

“Oh?” said O’Reilly.

“I’ve to stop smoking. I may be a bit tetchy for a few days. It’s killing me.”

“Good for you,” Barry said. “You’ll be all the better for it in the long run.”

“You two are wonderful,” she said.

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