Get It Straight, Or Say Good Night

House Calls

"Nate! What on earth are you doing here!?" Louise had opened the door expecting the postman and was immensely surprised to find Doctor Nate instead.

"Louise, who is it? Did the package come, Luv?" Ma walked through carrying Evie on her hip from the kitchen it was just after nine and they had just had a tussle with Evie winning, porridge was everywhere. "Oh, aye, who might this be? If your selling you'll need be on your way lad"

"Ma, this is Doctor Nate remember you meet when Evie was born" Louise turned and took Evie off her mother, picking a bit of porridge from the little one's hair.

"A long way for house calls don't you think" Ma muttered. Ever since she found out that the doctor had stayed overtime for free during the birth and paid Louise a free housecall, she had thought he was after something.

Something other than taking a pulse and asking her daughter to open her mouth and say arrrrrr.

"Oh, not a house call I'm afraid. I took a chance, while back in Liverpool for business, to come see my favourite patient" Nate watched a scowl appear on Mrs Harrisons face "Evie, of course"

"Of course" Ma said dourly. The words fully laden with sarcasm, she might not have liked the circumstances of John and her daughters nuptials and this silly trial separation thingy but she damn well wasn't having this young man sticking his stethoscope where he ought not. Fancy Doctor or not!

"Come in, come in. Will you stay for tea? I made some scones, fresh this morning" Louie smiled and grabbed Nates elbow all but dragging him in to the kitchen. Her mother was being overly motherly since Eve and her return and Lou was suffocating in the loving yet overloaded attention. "Sorry 'bout the mess, Evie hasn't developed very good eating skills yet"

"I'll just be up making beds if you need me" Ma pointedly glared at Nate, making Lou puzzle over the way she was acting around the good doctor. She didn't understand her mother's obvious displeasure at the doctors appearance on their doorstep this morning. "Don't forget we have to go to the shops shortly, Louise"

Louise giggled after her mother walked off muttering something about handsome stethoscopes. Handing Evie over to Nate she turned to the kettle, then turned back looking at the good doctor sitting chatting to her daughter "Sorry about Ma, I think she thinks you've come by to see me"

"And if I have...." Nate had a look on his face that Lou hadn't noticed ever before... hopes and wishes mixed with a load of sincerity.

Louise almost fell over, Nate may as well have tipped the world on it's head with what he implied...

And his voice wasn't the good doctors' bedside manner anymore, no it was that of a man, a very handsome man..wanting to be a bit closer than the bedside!
The zoo had been fun and very nice and Nate was very good with the baby but he was still the doctor and she the patient and that was all she ever thought they were.. his car too, was posh and she felt little, tiny even, in it.
Even though she knew George had grand ideas with his motors it just wasn't the same...she could throw crisp packets all about in Georges motor because it was just George.
She tinkered frantically with the cups, scones and milk trying to recover. Her composure slipping completely when she accidentally scattered most of the sugar across the countertop.

"I didn't mean to scare you"

"Oh no you didn't scare me" Louise dropped a scone on the counter "I just hadn't expected that to come out of your mouth"

"Well you're a lovely girl, Louise. I'm not really your doctor any more, you're alone at the moment and I did only come by to see you, even though Eve is certainly worth the trip for her smile" Nate grinned at her and she remembered again how wonderful he was to her in her previous condition. She smiled back, he was just being gentlemanly silly, that's all, she tried to relaxe.
Lou carefully laid out the spread of tea, scones and jam on the table, taking Evie and settling her back in the highchair they ate quietly, casting glimpses at each other as Evie chattered, well she gurgled and smacked her hands, on the highchairs small inbuilt table.