Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange

metaphorical shake. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t burden you; especially not on a new guest day. Bert’s probably right, it’s just a cold.’
‘Cold or not, I think he should see a doctor. How about I get Sam to talk to Bert?’
Mabel sniffed as she picked the pen and pad back up. ‘I didn’t like to ask Sam. I know Bert would like to see him, but, well…’
Tina immediately understood Mabel’s reluctance. ‘Bert’s inside, in bed, and Sam still struggles to go indoors.’
‘Exactly. I didn’t want to put Sam in an awkward position.’
‘Why don’t we let Sam decide what he wants to do about that? Bert has done so much for him. If it wasn’t for Bert, Sam would still be sleeping in his tent every night, rather than the downstairs bedroom. Well, when we don’t have a guest in it.’
Mabel nodded as she wrote, ‘order potatoes’, on her pad. ‘Has Sam got upstairs yet?’
‘Halfway up the main staircase, but no further. The corridors upstairs are so narrow. Their enclosed nature is still a problem.’
‘But he’s getting there, and that’s what counts.’ Mabel’s eyes flashed with pride, but whether that pride was for Sam or for Bert for helping him, Tina wasn’t sure. Nor did she care. What mattered was getting a doctor to Bert as soon as possible. If Mabel was upset enough to show she was concerned, then something was terribly wrong.
‘Here you go, Mabel.’ Helen passed her a cup of tea. ‘Why don’t I go and get Tom and Sam?’
‘Good idea.’ Tina smiled. ‘Thanks to Bert, Sam can join us at the kitchen table these days if we leave the backdoor open. We can have our meeting here rather than the garden.’
Mabel looked scandalised. ‘Don’t rearrange your day for me. You have to—’
‘We have to make sure that all our valued members of staff are cared for.’
Mabel’s wrinkled hands shook slightly as she asked, ‘Have Thea and Shaun gone?’
Suddenly as concerned for Mabel as she was for Bert, Tina said, ‘About ten minutes ago. I thought they’d come in to say goodbye?’
‘Oh yes, so they did.’
Swapping concerned glances with Helen as she left for the garden, Tina turned back to Mabel. ‘Why don’t you head home? I’ll do the food today.’
Mabel stared at the pen in her hands. ‘I’m better busy.’
‘Okay. Then, let’s get this week’s meal list written.’ Hoping she sounded stronger than she felt, Tina picked up the top piece of paper from an open box file on the table. ‘Here’s the dietary requirement list for this week’s residents. We just have one vegetarian this time; and five guests over all. No allergies or intolerances.’
‘That’s nice and straightforward.’ Mabel brushed invisible crumbs off her apron. ‘I’m getting used to vegan meal and gluten free thinking, but I confess, it doesn’t come easy at my time of life.’
Resisting the urge to hug the old lady, Tina said, ‘I think you’re a marvel.’
‘Thank you.’ Mabel stared blankly at the sheet of paper. ‘So, I’ll cook the meal tonight, and then provide lunches and the evening meal ingredients for the rest of the week as usual?’
‘Yes. Apart from the bit where you cook tonight’s welcome meal. Helen and I will do that. We aren’t as good at it as you, but luckily the newcomers don’t know how good a cook you are yet, so we won’t have your high standards to live up to.’
‘But—’
‘Mabel. You have looked after the food here since before we opened in October. You have been my right hand since I started here, long before Thea arrived to help restore Mill Grange. It’s our turn to care for you. Please let us.’
*
Sam hadn’t hung around for his tea. Having checked Mabel was being looked after by his friends, and that all preparations for the guest bedrooms and activities had been done, he ran the length of road from Mill Grange to Upwich village.
It was only now he stood on the drive of Mabel and Bert’s home, Mabel’s set of keys in his hand, that he faced the fact that he would have to go inside to see his friend.
The flashbacks to his time in the army didn’t come as often as they used to. But they still came. ‘But not now. Not when Bert needs me, rather than the other way around.’
Sam spoke sternly to himself as he slid the key in the door, closing his mind to his memories of being cornered in a burning building – of being unable to save the people inside – of helplessness and… No. Not now!
Breathing slowly in the manner Bert had taught him, Sam muttered to himself as he pushed the door open.
‘I’ve been in Bert’s kitchen before. It’s safe.’ Keeping up his personal commentary, Sam ignored the perspiration that dotted his forehead. ‘Bert might want tea.’
Telling himself he wasn’t prevaricating, but was providing his friend with a drink, Sam went through the motions of beverage making, replaying Mabel’s instructions on how to find Bert.
‘Second room on the left.’
Armed with the mug of tea and his mobile phone, already programmed with Bert’s doctor’s number, Sam took a deep breath and headed into the hallway.
The old man hadn’t seemed that surprised to see Sam, but as he’d gone to speak a coughing fit had overtaken him. By the time it was past, there was a sheen of sweat on Bert’s forehead and he was gasping for breath.
Heading to the bathroom to find a wet flannel to soothe Bert’s brow, Sam forgot to be afraid of the roof falling on his head, and paused to phone the doctor. After a frustrating wait through a pointless answer phone message, telling the caller to only ring if they really needed an appointment, he eventually reached a human being. Having stressed that he was worried enough to have considered calling an ambulance, the receptionist promised an on-call doctor would be there before three o’clock that afternoon.
Texting Tina to tell her a doctor was due, Sam went back to the bedroom. His eyes