Sister's Trio Squad

Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Margaret explained what had happened and Doctor Salmon shook his head. 'He's not a young man, Margaret, and I've warned him about overdoing things, but he won't listen and having this fire hasn't helped. But let's have a look at him. Do you want to stay or shall we have a talk when I've finished?'

'We'll have a talk, Doctor. Lewis is a very private man in some respects and he'll tell you things he would never

tell me, in case I worry. I'll get Vi to make some tea and we'll have it in the dining room. I'm afraid the sofa in the parlour is rather grubby."

Twenty minutes later the doctor appeared at the dining room door. As soon as she saw his face Margaret knew there was something very wrong and her stomach turned over with fear. 'What is it?'

'I'm afraid it's his leg.'

'His leg?'

'He said he was kicked as he was getting one of the horses out.' 'Yes, but he said he'd cleaned it and it was only

bruised." 'I'm afraid it's more than that. I'm going to have to send him to hospital.'

Her hand went to her throat and her eyes widened.

'Hospital! What for?' 'I can only hope we're not too late. I would say septi caemia has set in.'

'What's that?' 'Blood poisoning. At best they may have to amputate,

at worst.

She sat down and her hands were trembling. 'Amputate?

Oh, dear God! No!'

'Has he not complained about it?' 'No. Oh, I begged him to let me look at it, but he's so

stubborn.' 'Can you get some things together for him for the

hospital?' 'Yes! Yes, of course! I'll go with him, Vi will stay with the children. Ellen is very sensible. Oh, dear Lord,

Ellen!"

'Do you want me to tell her?"

'Would you, please? But don't tell her about... what they may have to do.'

'I won't. Now go on up to him. I've already told him the truth, he'll need you, Margaret!'

Lewis was lying with his eyes closed and he seemed to have shrunk. He looked so old, so very different from the Lewis she knew. She touched his hand. 'Lewis, I'm coming with you. Everything is going to be just grand.' He opened his eyes. 'I should have listened to you,

Margaret.' Oh, don't think like that, Lewis! The doctors will know what is best for you and you're a strong man and the good Lord will look after you. I'll just get a bag packed.'

She tried to sound calm and confident but inside she was so afraid. Afraid for him, for herself, for Ellen and for little Jamie. And she blamed herself. If only she'd insisted on tending his leg herself! But she couldn't think like that now. She must get things organized. She had to be her practical self.

As they were leaving for the hospital, she kissed Ellen and hugged Jamie and thanked Vi for being so good as to stay and look after them.

Ma, is he going to ... die?' Ellen whispered. 'Don't you even think like that, Ellen Vannin! You help Vi and I'll be home as soon as I can.' She bent and kissed her again, but Ellen's grey eyes were brimming with tears and she had difficulty fighting back her own.

She'd had to wait in the large, white-tiled waiting room in

Walton Hospital. They wouldn't let her go into the ward

with Lewis. The smell of carbolic soap and ether made

her feel ill and she paced the room anxiously, occasionally

peering along the corridor, wondering what was happen

ing. What on earth were they doing? Why were they so

long? It wasn't right that a wife should be kept away from

her husband. She shuddered. There was an atmosphere of

depression about the place and she remembered that Lewis

had told her that in the old days it had been a workhouse.

Oh, what were they doing? At last Doctor Salmon appeared, accompanied by another doctor, and they spoke to the Sister. The woman nodded

and then beckoned to Margaret. She almost ran the few steps.

'Come in here, Margaret.' Doctor Salmon led her into a small office. The other doctor followed and closed the door.

She looked from one to the other and swallowed hard. 'What?'

'Margaret, if there was any other way we'd take it,

but

Fear was creeping over her: it was oozing from the pores in her skin and she felt sick. 'But... what?"

'My dear, it's too late. If he'd come in a day or so ago ... but there's nothing they can do now.' 'I'm so sorry, Mrs Vannin,' the other doctor con

curred. What were they telling her? Too late! Too late to save his leg?

'You can't save his leg?' she whispered. Doctor Salmon took her hands in his. They were ice cold. He'd known Lewis Vannin for many years. He'd brought Ellen into the world and he'd ministered to Molly and her three tragic little sons. He'd brought Jamie into the world and now . . . 'It's too late to save his life, my dear. The poison is in the bloodstream. It's only a matter of time until the vital organs collapse and fail. A day, maybe less. A less fit man would have died before this. God knows how he's kept going.'

She couldn't take it in. It was absurd! It wasn't true! He'd been kicked by a horse, surely that couldn't cost him his life? Is there. nothing?" she heard herself ask. 'No. You can sit with him. They've put him in a side

ward. Is there anything you want, my dear?'

Margaret shook her head. Doctor Salmon put his arm around her shoulder. "Come along, I'll take you to him, unless you'd like a little time to compose yourself?'

'No. I want to see him now.'

Margaret sat beside his bed, holding his hand, but Lewis had already slipped into a coma and didn't know she was there. As she looked at him she began to remember all the happy times they'd had together. But her thoughts were jumbled. She was back home, sitting beside her Pa, beside her brother. Oh, how she wished Sarah was with her. Lewis was going and leaving her alone. Sarah would understand how she felt. She would understand the fear and strange emptiness. She rubbed his hand, rough, workworn and scarred from the toil of the last few days.

A nurse brought her a cup of tea which she left to go cold, although she vaguely remembered thanking her and when the nurse returned she asked her to send for Canon Ormond. She sat, holding his hand, staring at him. His body was being poisoned and all because he'd tried to save a terrified animal. He'd tried to save something for Jamie and for her. She'd never felt so alone in her entire life.

Lewis had been given the last rites and because he was unconscious Margaret had answered for him. The priest, who had been a friend of many years' standing, stayed with him, kneeling, praying silently, until at a quarter to four in the morning, Lewis Vannin slipped out of life. Margaret knelt beside him, her cheek resting against his still warm hand and sobbed as Canon Ormond intoned the 'De Profundis' to speed the soul of his friend towards his Maker.

She'd got through it all far better than she had She had had to be strong for Ellen's sake, for Ellen was taking it hard. She hadn't cried, not one tear. She'd gone upstairs and locked herself in her father's dressing room and had refused to come out. Only when Margaret had threatened to have the door broken down did she open it and although Margaret had begged her to cry, to let loose all the grief she was bottling up inside, Ellen had just shaken her head, one of Lewis's gloves held tightly in her hand. expected, just