Free There’s Always Tomorrow by Pam Weaver Page B

worry about your Gary. He’ll be all right.’
    Jack took Dottie, Peaches and Gary home. The little boy kept whimpering as if he was in pain and Jack had to carry him indoors. As soon as they were safely inside, Dottie and Jack drove to the doctor’s.
    ‘You’ll wait for me?’ she asked.
    ‘Of course,’ he smiled.
    Dottie was relieved. She’d been frantic with worry. She didn’t really want to face the doctor again. Not so soon. But she couldn’t refuse a friend, could she? Not when her child was so sick.
    She drew some comfort from hearing the engine still running as she walked up the garden path to the big house. Dottie rang the doorbell and waved to Jack. All at once, he drove off. She almost panicked and ran after him, crying, ‘Come back …’ but then she realised he was only turning the lorry around. She turned to face the door. The glass panel grew dark and she knew someone was coming.
    It was Mrs Fitzgerald. ‘Dottie!’
    ‘I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs Fitzgerald,’ Dottie began, ‘but is the doctor here?’
    ‘He’s not on call today,’ Mrs Fitzgerald said crisply. ‘You’ll have to go to Dr Bailey over at Heene Road.’
    ‘Who is it?’ said a voice behind Mrs Fitzgerald.
    ‘It’s Dottie.’
    ‘It’s all right,’ said Dottie quickly. She could hear Jack’s lorry drawing up outside the gate again. ‘We’ll go to Dr Bailey.’
    Dr Fitzgerald snatched opened the door and Dottie jumped. She couldn’t look at him in the eye and was immediately tongue-tied. ‘I didn’t know it was your day off … um … I wouldn’t have …’
    ‘Is it your Reg?’ he asked all businesslike and formal.
    ‘It’s little Gary Smith,’ Dottie gabbled. ‘Peaches and Jack are really worried. We thought it was just a cold and a bit of sunshine would do him good so we’ve been to the beach all day at Littlehampton. He’s been too poorly even to join in with all the other kids.’
    ‘I’ll get the car,’ said the doctor.
    ‘It’s your day off,’ Mariah reminded him.
    ‘Don’t trouble yourself,’ said Dottie at the same time. ‘Jack’s here. He’ll run us over to Heene Road.’
    ‘I’ll just get my bag,’ Dr Fitzgerald insisted.
    Dottie hurried back up the path. She wanted to get into the lorry before the doctor suggested taking her as passenger in the car. Jack was leaning anxiously out of the cab. ‘He’s coming,’ she said, swinging open the door and climbing in beside him.
    ‘Thank God for that,’ said Jack with feeling.
     
     
    Dr Fitzgerald followed them to number thirty-four where Jack and Peaches lived. It made Dottie feel uncomfortable knowing that he was right behind them. She’d have to deal with this. She had to find a way of making it clear that his advances were totally unwelcome, and then they would both know where they stood.
    ‘You will come in with us, won’t you, Dottie?’ said Jack as they pulled up outside.
    ‘Well …’ Dottie began.
    ‘Peaches would be glad of a friend.’
    When they all got inside the house, Gary was already in bed. Dr Fitzgerald, Peaches and Jack went upstairs and while they were all gone, Dottie busied herself making some tea for when they all came down. After a few minutes, she heard Peaches cry out, ‘Oh no, no !’
    Dottie dropped the lid of the teapot and raced upstairs, her heart pounding with fear.
    Peaches was sobbing in Jack’s arms. Little Gary was lying very still on the top of his bed while Dr Fitzgerald was pulling down his pyjama top. For one awful second, Dottie feared the worst, but then she saw Gary move his arm very slightly. ‘I’ll go back home and telephone for the ambulance,’ Doctor Fitzgerald was saying.
    ‘What is it? What’s happened?’ Dottie gasped.
    ‘I’m going with him,’ said Peaches.
    ‘I’m afraid that will be impossible, Mrs Smith,’ said Dr Fitzgerald, shaking his head. ‘Not in your condition.’
    ‘But I’m his mother!’ Peaches wailed.
    ‘What’s wrong with him?’ said Dottie