Summer of Love Marie Ferrarella (easy books to read in english TXT) 📖

‘Exactly. This way, any decisions that are made about the future of the practice will be his. He won’t feel as though he’s being pushed into doing something he doesn’t want to do.’

‘You’re right,’ Emma agreed, surprised by Daniel’s astute assessment of the situation. She knew that her uncle would hate to feel as though he wasn’t in charge any more, but it surprised her that Daniel had realised that too.

She turned to leave then stopped when Daniel said suddenly, ‘Oh, by the way, those test results for Alistair Grant have come back. I was in the office when they arrived so I had a look at them. I hope you don’t mind?’

‘Of course not. What did they show? Anything?’

‘According to the lab at Liverpool there are traces of pesticide in Alistair’s blood.’ Daniel shrugged. ‘It would certainly explain the wide variety of symptoms he’s presented with recently, wouldn’t it?’

‘It would. Do you think he’s been in contact with pesticides while he’s been here or did it happen while he was working overseas?’ she queried.

‘Liverpool seems to think the problem is recent. I’ve asked Ruth to phone Alistair and get him to make an appointment to see if we can find out how he may have come into contact with the chemicals. If we can’t find an answer, I imagine environmental services will need to be alerted to see if they can sort it out.’

‘Of course. If it is a local problem then we don’t want anyone else being taken ill,’ she said worriedly.

‘Exactly.’ He smiled at her. ‘I’ll mention it to your uncle when he phones. I’m sure he’d enjoy getting to the bottom of the mystery.’

‘I’m sure he would,’ she agreed quietly.

Emma sighed as she left the room. She couldn’t help wondering how one person could be such a contradiction. On the one hand Daniel genuinely seemed to care about other people’s feelings, but on the other hand he didn’t seem to care a jot about hers. Even though she knew it was stupid, she couldn’t help wishing that he would spare some of that concern for her.

The house calls had taken far longer than he’d expected so that it was after three p.m. by the time Daniel drew up in front of Niths Farm. He switched off the engine and reached for the printout that Ruth had prepared for him. According to the patient’s notes, it had been over ten years since Harold Dawson had last visited the surgery. He’d suffered an injury to his left arm following an incident with some kind of farm machinery but had refused to go to the hospital. Jim had stitched his arm, given him a tetanus shot, and that had been it. Harold Dawson hadn’t returned to have the stitches removed and had ignored several telephone messages asking him to contact the surgery. Daniel grimaced as he got out of the car. It didn’t bode well for what was going to greet him today.

He rapped on the farmhouse door, glancing around while he waited. Although the farm was large, it was very untidy. Bits of rusty old machinery littered the yard and there was a pile of stones heaped up in the corner where one of the barn walls had given way. The whole place had a pervading air of neglect that saddened him. It seemed a shame that what had been once an obviously thriving concern should have been reduced to such a pitiful state as this.

‘Aye? And what do you want?’

Daniel swung round when a gruff voice spoke behind him. He summoned a smile as he greeted the elderly man standing in the doorway. ‘I’m Dr Kennedy. You phoned the surgery and requested a home visit.’

‘I asked to see the real doctor, not some stand-in,’ the man replied rudely. He glared at Daniel. ‘Tell them I want to see Dr Haynes, no one else.’

‘I’m afraid Dr Haynes is away at the present time,’ Daniel explained quietly.

‘Then I’ll wait till he’s back.’

He went to shut the door but Daniel put out his hand and stopped him. ‘Dr Haynes won’t be back for another month. Are you sure you want to wait that long, Mr Dawson? ‘

The man hesitated while he considered the idea. He scowled as he wrenched open the door. ‘Suppose you’d better come in, then, seeing as you’re here.’

Daniel sighed ruefully as he followed the old man into a dingy hallway. Not exactly the warmest welcome he’d ever received. Harold Dawson led him down the hall to the kitchen, which turned out to be equally neglected. Daniel’s heart sank as he took stock of the piles of dirty dishes on the draining board and the inch-thick layer of grease that coated the top of the old-fashioned range. It didn’t appear as though any cleaning had been done in the place for months, if not years. Pushing aside a stack of old newspapers, he placed his case on the table.

‘So what exactly is the problem, Mr Dawson? You told Ruth it was something to do with your foot, I believe.’

‘That’s right, although I wouldn’t have bothered phoning if I weren’t in so much pain.’ The man glared at him. ‘I don’t hold with all these pills you doctors hand out. Don’t do folk no good, in my opinion.’

Daniel forbore to say anything, deeming it wiser not to get embroiled in an argument he was unlikely to win. ‘I’d better take a look at your foot.’

Harold Dawson sat down heavily on a chair and started to peel off a filthy sock from his right foot. Daniel shook his head in dismay when he saw the how red and swollen it looked.

‘When did this start?’ he asked, kneeling down in front of the old man.

‘A few weeks ago, mebbe a bit longer,’ Harold replied curtly. He winced when Daniel touched the inflamed skin. ‘It’s real tender so don’t you go poking and prodding at it.’

‘I’ll be as careful as I