DEBUSSY POINT
MONDAY
The next day was damp with a drizzle so fine that it was more of a mist hanging in the air.
When Katie took her lunchtime walk after a morning in the lab, the Devon coast was just a grey outline. The garden was inexpressibly dismal, the battered statues sadder than ever. Katie’s mood was as flat and dull as the weather. In spite of another dose of paracetamol, her headache hadn’t completely gone. It lingered on as a low-level ache, a gentle throbbing in her temples. There was still a sore place behind her left ear. Yet her physical malaise didn’t seem enough to account for the depressed feeling that had gripped her. She’d had a great weekend with Justin and she felt sure now that this was the beginning of something good. So why did she feel so low?
She forced herself to keep up a good pace to the headland where the telescope was set up, and came back through the woods. As she walked past Gemma’s cottage, she noticed that the curtains were closed and Gemma’s Jag was parked outside.
She had been back at her bench working for around a couple of hours, and was just thinking of having a break, when Claudia came into the lab and said, “You haven’t seen Gemma, have you?”
Katie pushed her chair back so that she could look up at Claudia. “No. Haven’t seen her since... I think it was last Tuesday. Why?”
“I’m wondering what’s happened to her. We were supposed to meet this afternoon before she left for London again and she hasn’t shown up.”
“You’ve tried ringing?”
“I keep ringing her mobile and it just goes to voicemail.”
“Landline?”
“Doesn’t have one at the cottage.”
That reminded Katie. “The curtains were closed when I walked past at lunchtime. And her car was parked outside.”
“Really? That’s funny.”
They looked at each other.
“Have you asked Siobhan?” Katie said.
Claudia’s face cleared. “Good idea.” Because, of course, if anyone knew where Gemma was, it would be Siobhan.
She got her mobile out. Katie listened to one side of the conversation and saw concern return to Claudia’s face.
She hung up and said, “Siobhan saw her on Friday. She was fine then. But she hasn’t seen her today and her post hasn’t been collected.”
Katie said, “Do you think someone should go to her cottage and see if she’s alright?”
Claudia nodded. “Maybe she’s got flu or something. I’ll go.”
“I’ll come with you.”
The misty drizzle had thickened and a light rain was falling now. They huddled in their coats as they made their way to the cottage.
The curtains were still closed. Claudia rang the bell.
After a few moments Katie thought she heard something inside the house. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
“Wait.” Katie held up a hand. They listened intently, but there was nothing.
“Let’s try again.” Claudia pressed hard on the bell and they waited, but there was only silence.
“Do you think there’s something wrong?” Katie said.
“Not sure. But I don’t like it.”
They walked round the side of the building and looked in through the kitchen window. There were unwashed mugs and plates piled haphazardly on the table and the work surfaces.
“That’s not like Gemma,” Claudia said. “She’s the house-proud type.”
“Which window is her bedroom?”
“I think it must be at the back.”
They rounded the corner of the building. The bedroom curtains were drawn, but they didn’t quite meet. The ground dropped away and the window was too high to look through.
Katie and Claudia exchanged a look.
“You’re lighter,” Katie said. “I’ll give you a leg up.”
Claudia hesitated. “What if...”
Katie was wondering the same thing: what if Claudia was in bed with someone?
“Just have a quick look.”
Claudia braced her hands on the window sill. Katie cupped her hands to receive Claudia’s knee and boosted her up. A fat raindrop fell from the eaves, straight into Katie’s eye and she blinked it away.
Claudia tried to peer into the room. “I can’t see very well – it’s too dark,” she whispered. “Oh, yes. Now I can see – Gemma looks as if she’s asleep, or – she’s ever so pale, and I think that might be blood on the pillow.” She turned a scared face to Katie. “Do you think we should break in?”
Katie lowered her to the ground. “I think we should call Siobhan. She might have a spare key.” Siobhan was also a first responder if this should turn out to be a medical emergency.
Siobhan told them to wait while she came down. She was there in ten minutes. Her arrival brought comfort. There was something reassuring about her bulk. You felt that she was solid in every way and would always know what to do.
“I’d better just try the bell one more time,” she said, “before we go in.”
Once again the bell rang out and this time there was a sound somewhere in the house, though it was hard to say what it was. A faint cry, a groan?
Siobhan turned the key in the lock and opened the door. A wave of stale air came out to meet them – more than stale; there was a faint smell of vomit.
Siobhan walked in and Katie followed on her heels. The hall was dark, and Siobhan switched on a light. The house was small, a sitting room on the right and a kitchen on the left. The doors at the back led to the bedroom and what must be a bathroom.
Siobhan called out, “Gemma! Are you here? Are you alright?” There was no reply and Siobhan went to the bedroom door and opened it. The smell of vomit was stronger.
Katie followed Siobhan into the room. Siobhan fumbled for the light switch and Katie went over to open the curtains. Light flooded the room, making her blink.
She turned and saw Gemma’s face, ghastly on the pillow, her hair plastered to her cheeks – and yes, it looked as if she’d vomited blood onto the pillow. Katie went over and tried to rouse her.
“Gemma! Gemma, can you hear me?”
There was no response. Katie put her fingers on the pulse point in Gemma’s neck. There was a pulse; a bit thready, but she was definitely alive, thank God. Her skin felt clammy, but not cold.
She turned to tell Siobhan that they should ring for an ambulance, but Siobhan was ahead of her and was already punching numbers into her phone. Katie felt the relief of dealing with someone efficient and unflappable.
Behind her she could see Claudia standing wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Her eyes met Katie’s. “What’s wrong with her?” she quavered. “Is she dead?”
Katie shook her head. “No, she’s not. But Siobhan, can you tell them she’s unresponsive?”
They listened to Siobhan giving the details.
“They say it’ll be twenty minutes,” she said, as she put her phone away. “Luckily they don’t have to send the air ambulance. It’s not quite low tide, but it’s low enough.”
“Twenty minutes!” Claudia exclaimed, as though she had expected them to appear instantly as if by magic. Her lower lip began to tremble. She was on the brink of tears.
“They have to get over from the mainland. Is there anything we can do in the meantime?” Siobhan asked.
Katie thought about this. “Actually there is. We can roll her over onto her side in case she vomits again. And Claudia, why don’t you go and wait for the ambulance? They’ll need someone to show them the way.”
Claudia nodded. Katie got the impression that she was glad of an excuse to leave the sickroom. After she’d gone, Siobhan came over, and with her hands on Gemma’s hips and Katie’s on her shoulders, they gently turned her over. Gemma’s eyelids flickered and she mumbled something before lapsing back into unconsciousness.
And then there was nothing to do but wait.
Siobhan said, “It was a good idea to send Claudia away. This is very upsetting for her. She’s only young still. You dealt with that well.”
It was on the tip of Katie’s tongue to say that her medical training had kicked in, and her heart lurched as she remembered just in time that she wasn’t supposed to be a doctor. The instinct to step in and take responsibility had been so immediate and unthinking. She would have to be more careful. She mumbled something about advanced first-aid training, but now, meeting Siobhan’s level gaze, she wondered if perhaps she had already given away too much.
“Do you need me here?” Siobhan asked. “Because if you don’t, I’ll go and make sure that Claudia’s OK.”
“No, no, you go.”
After she’d gone, Katie took a seat by Gemma’s bed. She reviewed the possibilities. This was more than the standard seasonal flu, though it could have started that way and then developed into pneumonia. Whatever it was, it seemed to have had a rapid onset. Could it be sepsis? You could get very ill very fast with that. And if it was, would they catch it in time?
On the bedside table was an empty blister pack of paracetamol, and a water carafe and glass, which were also empty. On the floor was a book – something on the Arthurian legends. Was that the one Caspar had mentioned – Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur? It looked as if Gemma had knocked it off the table.
Gemma was muttering under her breath. Suddenly her hand shot out and she grabbed Katie’s arm. Katie gasped out loud. Gemma’s eyes were wide open, but she was staring past Katie, not really seeing her. She struggled to sit up.
Katie leaned forward and took her shoulders. She tried to soothe her. “It’s alright, I’m here. You mustn’t try to get out of bed.”
Gemma pointed into the corner of the room, her face a picture of terror. She seemed to see something that Katie didn’t and though Katie knew that Gemma was hallucinating, she still felt a chill.
“Sangha fever!” Gemma said. “It’s spreading. What can we do? What can we do?” Her voice rose in a wail.
“Gemma, Gemma. It’s alright.” Katie tried to soothe her.
Gemma turned her face to Katie’s. “Perhaps it’s not too late?” she said piteously. “Is it too late?”
“No, no, it’s not too late,” Katie said.
Gemma gave a juddering sigh. “It’ll be alright?”
“Yes, it’ll be alright.”
Gemma sank back on the pillow and closed her eyes. Katie sat and held her hand.
Then Gemma muttered something that Katie couldn’t quite make out.
“What was that?” she asked, bending close to Gemma’s face to catch the words. She tried not to flinch at the sour smell.
Gemma’s hand clutched hers convulsively. “Mary?” she said, quite distinctly. Her eyes opened and sought Katie’s face. “Oh, Mary!” Her face softened. “Thank God you’re here.” She appeared lucid, but Katie knew that Gemma was mistaking her for someone else, someone she needed to see.
Katie said, “Yes, I’m here.”
“I’m sorry. Truly. I’m sorry. Can you tell Mother?”
“Yes, yes, I will. I’ll do that. Try to rest now.”
Gemma gave a little sigh and closed her eyes. Her hand relaxed in Katie’s.
Katie heard the sound of an engine, and a few moments later Siobhan came in to say that the ambulance was there. The ambulance crew, two young women, brought with them an air of competence that was very reassuring. With relief, Katie handed over to the ambulance crew. Gemma had lost consciousness now and did not respond to her name. Katie, Siobhan, and Claudia watched as she was loaded onto a stretcher.
On reflection, Katie thought that it was most likely Gemma’s illness had started as flu and she had gone on to develop some kind of bacterial infection. But Katie needed to find a way to tell one of the crew that she’d had medical training and in her view they should consider that it might be sepsis. She had taken the Hippocratic Oath when she graduated from medical school and had sworn to do her duty and use her knowledge for good. If her cover was blown, so be it. But maybe, just maybe...
She touched Siobhan’s elbow and when she looked round murmured, “Can you get Claudia out of the way while I have a word?”
Siobhan nodded. In a loud cheerful voice, she said to Claudia, “Why don’t we sort out the kitchen a bit? We don’t want Gemma coming back to a mess, do we?” She steered Claudia out of the room. Katie went out just as one of the young women was closing the door of the ambulance, and managed to deliver her message. The ambulance set off, swaying on the uneven track, and she watched it until it was out of sight.
She went into the house and joined the others in the kitchen. Claudia was passing dirty cups and glasses to Siobhan, who was stacking them in a dishwasher.
“Gemma is going to be alright, isn’t she?” Claudia asked. “It’s just a bad case of flu, isn’t it?”
“I hope so.” Katie simply didn’t know and she wasn’t prepared to offer false hope.
An alarm went off on Claudia’s phone. “Oh no!” she said. “I’d completely forgotten! My culture!” She dashed out of the room and a few moments later they heard the door slam behind her.
Siobhan said, “What was it that you didn’t want Claudia to hear?”
“I didn’t want to frighten her. It was just something that occurred to me and I didn’t want to make too much of it. I wanted to ask them if it might be sepsis.”
“Is that what they used to call blood poisoning? That’s very serious, isn’t it? Do you really think –”
“I only thought of it,” Katie lied, “because a friend of mine had it. But, yes, apparently it can be fatal if it’s not diagnosed in time. Luckily they did catch it and she had intravenous antibiotics and she was fine. I didn’t want to worry Claudia when it probably isn’t that.”
Siobhan nodded and Katie thought perhaps she’d got away with it.