Riverside

Mary gets her blood test results from Dr Mahone . . .

MARY!” George cried. “Wake up!” He shook her arm gently, but when there was still no response he took hold of both of her arms and shook her again.

“Mmm,” Mary murmured gently. “Is that you, Monty Don?”

“What?” George exclaimed. “No, Mary, it’s me. It’s George!”

Mary opened her eyes and smiled at her husband.

“Sorry, love,” she said. “I was just in the middle of a lovely dream there. I must have nodded off.”

“In the middle of the day?” George said, shaking his head. “You fell asleep wearing your coat, too. It’s not like you at all.”

Mary pulled herself up from the sofa and sighed. She knew she’d have to tell him sooner or later.

“Put the kettle on and we’ll have a chat,” she said.

Moments later, George returned to the living-room with tea and biscuits. Mary had taken off her coat, smoothed her hair down and readied herself to tell George the truth.

“I’ve got something to tell you, George,” she said. “I’ve not been feeling so good lately.”

“Is everything all right?” George asked as he handed Mary her mug of hot tea. His voice remained calm but Mary noticed the look of alarm cross his face.

“Is it . . .” he gulped

“. . . women’s problems?” Mary laughed.

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” she said. “I’ve just been feeling so very tired lately. I’ve seen Doctor Mahone and had a blood test done and I have to pop in to see him this afternoon to get the results.”

“I’ll drive you up to the health centre in the car,” George said. “Why on earth didn’t you tell me you were feeling so poorly?”

“I didn’t want to worry you or Susan,” she replied.

“Well, you had me worried sick earlier when I found you flat out on the sofa,” George huffed. “I don’t think my heart’s ever beaten so fast in my life!”

****

George and Mary sat in plastic chairs inside Dr Mahone’s small room at the health centre.

“As you can see, Mrs Dougal, the test results are nothing to be concerned about,” the GP said, pointing to his computer screen.

Mary peered at the screen, trying to see what the doctor could see.

“This column here,” Doctor Mahone continued, and both George and Mary leaned into the computer at the same time, “indicates a lower level of iron than I would like, but it’s nothing we can’t fix.”

The doctor moved the mouse around on his desk, typed a few words into his keyboard and within a few seconds a prescription for an iron supplement was being printed for Mary.

“This is usually effective,” he said, handing the prescription over. “And the condition rarely causes long-term problems, but we’ll keep an eye on you with regular monitoring.

“You’ll not go wrong to include more dark green leafy vegetables in your diet,” he added. “If you see Cheryl on reception on your way out she’ll give you a sheet showing you the best foods to eat to increase the iron level in your system.”

“Is there anything else we need to do, Doctor?” George asked. “Does Mary need to relax more, spend more time with her feet up, that kind of thing?”

Dr Mahone smiled at Mary.

“You’ve got a good one there. Your body will tell you what you can and can’t do, Mrs Dougal. You might want to give exercise a miss until you start feeling less tired, but it’s up to you and how you feel as to what you do.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Mary replied.

She stood to leave and George followed her. Before they left the doctor’s room, George turned back to Dr Mahone.

“Dark leafy vegetables, you say, Doctor?” Dr Mahone nodded. “Spinach, curly kale, that kind of thing,” he replied.

George nodded and pulled the door closed behind him.

Once they were back in the reception area, George took Mary by the arm and led her to a chair by the door, insisting that she waited while he drove the car around to the health centre main door.

“I’m fine to walk, George,” Mary said. George shook his head. “From now on, I’m going to do all I can to look after you, Mary. You’ve given me a scare today. I thought I was going to lose you.”

“But George, I’m fine,” Mary said, slightly exasperated.

George raised his eyebrows.

“I’m going to look after you like you’ve never been looked after before. Once I’ve dropped you off at home, I’m going up to the allotment to pick fresh spinach.”

“Oh, George, not your spinach, please. You’ve been growing that to enter into the Ryemouth horticultural show next week.”

But George was firm. “It’s all right, Mary. I’ll be entering my leeks. Then I’ll drive to the supermarket to buy all those fancy foods from the list that Cheryl’s given us. I am going to wait on you hand and foot, Mary.”

“Well, George,” Mary said, surprised, “we might just make a new man out of you yet!”

More next week.