Free Their Very Special Marriage by Kate Hardy Page A

you to walk on a treadmill for a little while so they can see what your heart does when you’re exercising. They’ll do some blood tests to look at your cholesterol and other blood fat, and check your blood pressure.’
    â€˜You can do that, can’t you?’
    â€˜No. I don’t have the right machinery to monitor what your heart’s doing,’ Oliver explained patiently. ‘You need to go to hospital, Alf.’
    â€˜So if it is what you say it is...will they keep me in?’
    â€˜They’ll send you home,’ Oliver said. ‘They’ll give you some medication you can spray under your tongue when you have chest pain, and some medications you have to take every day.’ Oliver decided not to tell Alf that one of the drugs was aspirin—the last thing he wanted was for the old man to self-medicate and get it wrong. ‘You’ll get a yearly check-up at the hospital, and you can come straight home again afterwards.’
    â€˜I hate hospitals,’ Alf said again.
    Back to square one. Oliver took a deep breath. He didn’t want to scare Alf into going to hospital, but what other choice did he have? Unless he took the old man himself... ‘How about if I go with you?’ Oliver asked.
    The old man brightened visibly. ‘Would you?’
    It could take hours, depending on how busy the emergency department was. It could well eat up the rest of Sunday. Oliver thought of Rachel. She wouldn’t be pleased. But she was a doctor, too—she’d understand that sometimes you had to put your patient before yourself. ‘Yes. I’ll just ring Rachel and let her know what I’m doing.’ He felt in his pocket for his mobile phone. It wasn’t there. ‘I must have left my mobile at home,’ he muttered.
    â€˜You can use our phone, Dr Bedingfield,’ Alf said.
    â€˜Thank you.’ Oliver quickly rang home. ‘Rach, it’s me. I’m talking Alf Varney into hospital.’
    There was a short silence, then Rachel said, ‘Why you, not an ambulance?’
    â€˜I’ll tell you more later.’
    â€˜Right. Any idea how long you’ll be?’
    â€˜No. Don’t hold up dinner for me.’
    â€˜I’ll feed the kids,’ Rachel said.
    There was something odd in her voice. Reproach? Maybe. But what else could he do? He was the village doctor. He couldn’t abandon his patients. Maybe he’d bring her some flowers home from the hospital. It wouldn’t make everything right, but at least she’d know he cared...wouldn’t she? ‘I’ll ring you before I leave the hospital.’
    * * *
    The wait in the emergency department seemed to take for ever, but at last Alf was checked over and everything was fine. Then, after a little intervention from Oliver, he was sent up to the cardiology department for an electrocardiogram and blood tests. Once Oliver’s diagnosis was confirmed, Alf was released into Oliver’s care. Oliver sorted out prescriptions for aspirin, beta-blockers and a GTN spray, got them filled at the hospital pharmacy, explained what the drugs did and the side-effects to look out for, and persuaded Betty to make sure that Alf took his medication.
    So much for Sunday, he thought as he drove home. He really had intended to spend the day with Rachel. Talk to her, as Caroline had suggested last night when he’d given her a lift home and ended up staying for coffee and spilling his woes to her. She’d understood, given him the physical comfort he’d needed so badly. She’d held his hand, given him a hug, made him feel accepted.
    Then he’d realised, on his way home, that he’d smelt of Caroline’s perfume. And he’d been late. Very late. Rachel had been bound to leap to the wrong conclusion, he’d thought, so he’d lied and said he reeked of smoke. He hated lying to her, but what had the alternative been? She’d be so upset if she thought