The Oldest Trick
Chapter Two
In the journey's of...Dave Penhaligan
Ifor Davis drove Dave and Jade back to Dave’s cottage situated four miles outside the village on a windswept hillside. Once inside, Jade began working on Dave’s wound. “Oh my! The stitches have torn through the flesh; you could really do with going back to the hospital to have it re-stitched”
“Can’t it wait until morning.” Moaned Dave. “Then I’ll get a taxi.”
“Well I suppose soooo! But it does need treating even though it’s stopped bleeding.” Jade replied with concern on her face. “And someone should stay with you; you've taken some serious blows to your head, might have even suffered a concussion.”
“Well, you heard the lady Rev…goodnight!” Pitched in Dave.
“Now hold on Davey, Jade is a busy girl and needs her rest to do her rounds in the morning, she can’t sit up babysitting you.”
“Oh! My head…” moaned Dave, hamming it up “…I think I maybe suffering from the onset of a concussion already, oh!ooh! Why are those lights flashing so fast and why did the canary just wink at me?” Ifor and Jade began laughing.
“Davey boy you could be right about the concussion, I have heard you can get hallucinations...imagining things that aren’t there.” Ifor winked at Jade. “And you Davey have never had a canary.”
“Seriously Jade, will you be alright staying with him, I don’t know what to look for as the signs of a concussion, and I can vouch for Davey being a gentleman.”
“I don’t mind Reverend, and actually it’s my day off tomorrow anyway.”
Jade saw Ifor to the door and as he left, he promised to phone them in the morning to make sure all was well with Dave. “Hey you…” Dave called to Jade. “…you’re so busy working on me you’ve forgotten your own black eye, let me get you an ice pack.”
“I can get it.” Jade protested.
“No, I insist.” With that Dave went off to get something for Jades eye. When he returned, he was brandishing a pack of frozen bacon.
“What’s that for? My eye or my stomach.”
“Well I thought I would kill two birds with one stone; use it to take the swelling down and the heat will help the bacon thaw for morning.”
“Mister, you really are making me think the blows to your head have sent you loopy.” Jade chortled.
“Ah well, give me the bacon, I’ll hold it over my eye while I make coffee, got anything else you want thawing while I’m at it?”
“Not at the moment” Dave laughed. “But the coffee would go down a treat, two teaspoons of coffee and four sugars.”
“Goodness! Surely not that much sugar!?”
“Why not” asked Dave incredulously?
“Because sugar is bad for you.”
“No Jade, you got it wrong; SMOKING is bad for you.” Dave teased back
“Yes that too, they’re both killers.”
“Well you have to die of something, might as well be something sweet.” Dave winked flirtatiously.
“My oh my, so mannish.” Sighed Jade.
“Anyway, I noticed you have a scrabble game over there on the cabinet.”
“Yep, fancy a lesson then?”
“Oh aren’t we sure of ourselves then?” Jade replied with her hands on her hips.
“Well, I don’t know about “we” but I am.”
“Okay Mister, lets. It'll be a good indicator if concussion does set in”
An hour and a half later the scores were close. Dave 348 to Jades 346 and they were both stuck for words. Dave had already checked the letters Jade had left on her rack a minute before when he asked her to get him some aspirin from the bathroom for his head and shoulder. Jade, feeling sorry for him, went and fetched them, unaware of Dave’s sneaky peak.
“Well, looks like we’ll have to count up the amount on our tiles, knock them off our main scores and see whose won, I am getting drowsy.” Yawned Dave convincingly.
“I guess you are right, you do look tired, I have “W” “D” “E” making seven, take that off my score leaving me 339.”
“Hmm!” replied Dave feigning worry. “I have “L” “U” “R” “I” making 4, knock that off my 348, that’s 344. YES! BEAT YA!”
“Oh don’t beat your chest; you didn’t beat me by that much.”
“Do I detect sour grapes? Little lady loser, anyway I would have beat you by more if it hadn’t been for my throbbing headache.” Lied Dave.
“Okay, okay. I am a sporty looser, shake hands.” Jade offered, reaching out and taking Dave’s hand in hers and shaking it. As she shook his hand something fell from his shirt cuff onto the floor at Jades feet. She bent down and picked up the familiar looking cream colored tile.
“Now what have we here Mister “winner?” She turned over the Scrabble tile to reveal the letter”Q”.
“Well, well, well…that would be another ten off your score making you 334 to my 339, so that makes me the WINNER! Now I wonder how that tile got up your sleeve Hummmm?” Jade stared Dave straight in the eyes.
Dave rolled his eyes and groaned “Oh! Oooh! I think I am getting a concussion, my memory is going…who am I?”
“I know who you are Mister, you are a low down dirty cheat. Taking advantage of your care giver! And to think, I took a black eye for you!” Jade tried to be stern, but burst into laughter just looking at Dave’s face. “Stop that, you’re making me laugh! You may not yet have a concussion, but the odds are increasing – for you to get one! The more I get to know you the more likely you are of getting one. Now! I’ll phone Mrs. Barnes my landlady and tell her what’s happening. And you – up to bed!”
“Okay.” Answered Dave, faking repentance; hiding a gleeful grin as he went off to get his sleeping bag from upstairs.
“...yes Mrs. Barnes, I’ll get a taxi back tomorrow. My car is in for it’s service and the exhaust pipe replacing. No I haven’t seen the news, or had the radio on…Oh that sounds bad…okay Mrs. Barnes, see you tomorrow, bye.”
When Dave returned, Jade looked at his sleeping bag and said “Thanks - that looks real warm, mind if I build up the fire a bit before I lie down on the couch?”
“This is not for you young lady, you’re having the bed, I am sleeping on the couch.”
“No! Dave…” Exclaimed Jade. “…you are unwell, you need a proper bed rest.”
“I don’t mind sleeping on the couch, I’ve slept on worse.” He replied, silently remembering his days in prison. “So what did old girl Barnes say when she knew you were staying here?”
“I didn’t tell her where I was staying, just that I was looking after a patient. Oh and by the way, from what she says we are in for some freak weather, the worse snow storm for forty years according to the news.”
“Oh! She always did exaggerate that old girl.”
“I’ll thank you not to talk about my landlady like that.” Jade pouted. “She has been very kind to me. Anyway, I insist you sleep in your bed and that’s an end to it.”
“I can see there’s no arguing with you, so I’ll just do as I am told nurse!”
“That’s right mister, off you go, I’ll see you in the morning, goodnight Dave.”
“Goodnight sweet angel.” Dave answered as he started upstairs.”
“Me, an angel?” Jade said under her breath. “I think he is suffering from a concussion.”
Jade got ready for bed and put on a shirt of Dave’s that was drying on a rack near the fire. The sleeves were too long and it came down to her knees but she thought it made a good nightdress.
Dave fell straight to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow; but Jade spent a restless night on the sofa. The howling wind was relentless and about two in the morning she went to the window and saw that indeed it was snowing furiously. Shivering she put another log on the fire and crawled back into the sleeping bag.
The next Morning Jade awoke startled by the beeping of her mobile phone and for a second or two wondered where she was. “Hello! Oh Reverend Davis….no he’s not up yet but I’ll check on him in a minute…Yes I saw the snow about two this morning, it was falling heavily…okay I’ll go to the window.” On drawing back the drape Jade gasped “Wow! It’s up to the window ledge, and yep it’s still coming down fast.” Ifor told Jade to put the radio on and tune into the local station to keep updated. She then made two mugs of coffee and carried one up to Dave; he was still sleeping. Something about him, trapped her there, as she stood a minute or two just studying him. He was not classically handsome she noted. But very masculine with gentle features; brown hair receding slightly and a bit of white at the temples. She thought his eyes and eyebrows reminded her of a younger Paul Newman. Noticing also the stubble on his chin had a slight dimple which she thought cute. “Hey…what you staring at?” Dave asked suddenly, looking up at her with mesmerizing blue eyes.
“OH! You made me jump, how long have you been awake?”
His slow smile was knowing, inviting…“Well I heard a phone ring and just thought I’d close my eyes when I heard you coming up the stairs, kind of surprise you.” Swallowing nervously from being caught staring, Jade rebuked him mildly. “That you did, bad man.” Poking out her bottom lip in a cute pout. “Anyway here’s your coffee, how are you feeling this morning, I can see the bruises round your temples now.”
“Well I must admit, I am feeling a bit erm…stiff.” Dave lifted one eyebrow as he said it.
“Now - now! None of your innuendo Mister!-…”
“Dave.” He interrupted, correcting her.
“-...I know your name, thank you", she returned "…and worked long enough in the men’s wards, so I’ve heard it all before, so save it. Drink your coffee and then look out the window, you’re in for a shock. If you don’t mind I am gonna take a shower.”
“Okay.” Dave replied. “Just holler if you want your back scrubbed.”
“Ha!” Jade replied sarcastically. But couldn’t help giggling to herself on the way to the bathroom.
Dave finished his coffee whilst walking to the window. On drawing the curtains he let out a shout. “Holy shit! Either I am suffering from concussion or this cottage has been uprooted in the night and transported to the north bloody pole.” When Dave entered the kitchen the aroma that had beckoned him all the way down the stairs hadn’t prepared him for the breakfast laid out before him. Bacon (Personally thawed by Jades black eye) eggs, mushrooms and his favourite, baked beans in tomato sauce.
“Jade, you are an absolute find, this smells wonderful and it’s gonna taste even better, thanks.”
“You are welcome Mister, but you’ll need a good breakfast to fuel you to clear a path through all that snow to Mrs. Barnes house.” They both laughed at the ridiculousness of such an undertaking. “Oh! I forgot to put on the radio, the Reverend told me to keep updated.”
Dave pointed to the corner shelf above the sink. “I’m afraid that’s all I have a little portable battery radio. Never got round to buying a super woofer, surround sound, state of the art piece audio technology that would be out of date next year anyhow. So, there is uncle Jethro’s transistor radio, circa…who knows when.”
“As long as it works.” Jade replied turning the on knob.
“That’s all that matters.” After a few seconds the circuits warmed up and the sound of classical music echoed around the little cottage.
“Hmm!” said Jade. “Is this your usual listening choice?”
“Usually, I put it on just to hear the news…” Answered Dave, “…but I don’t mind the classical stuff, it’s relaxing.” Just then as if on cue the newsreader began his report. “The coast of Cornwall is under several feet of snow after freak snowstorms hit most of the coast… and a state of emergency has been declared. People living in more remote areas are advised to stay indoors until aid can be gotten to them.”
“Well, looks a bit of a crappy situation Jade.”
“Yes it does, and that was the last of the bacon. There seems to be a freezer full of fries; a fridge containing mainly eggs and Guinness and a larder full of canned baked beans. Maybe I should just stoke you up on fries, beans, eggs and Guinness, then just point your butt out the door, so you can blow all that snow to the next county!”
“Dave laughed uncontrollably “Jade you crease me up, anyway that’s all good wholesome food and the Guinness is full of iron…good for the blood.”
“Oh ho ho! So it’s medicine, right?”
“Yep!” Dave just sat grinning, when suddenly the grin was replaced by a painful grimace. “What’s wrong Dave? Is it your shoulder?”
“Yes, a sudden sharp pain.”
“I better take a look.” Jade removed the dressing and recoiled at the unmistakable smell of infection. “It’s not good, is it?” Asked Dave, not really needing an answer.
“No it’s not, you need antibiotics. Didn’t they give you a prescription at the hospital as a precaution?”
“Er, yes they did…but I didn’t take it to the pharmacy, it’s there on the mantle behind the clock.”
“Men!” Exclaimed Jade. “They gave you that prescription for a reason!” She shot, growing angry, this was getting serious, and she was nervous. “Oh well, just clean it up and maybe my body will fight it off on it’s own.” Said Dave.
“It’s gonna take a whole lot more than fries, beans and Guinness to get this out of your system! Oh but I do admire your optimism.”
As Jade was cleaning his wound Dave was thinking of what needed to be done in the event that they would be cut off from the outside world for more than a few days.
He looked at the nook beside the fire and saw that the logs were getting low so he would have to take care of that. When Jade finished she rang Ifor Davis to tell him about Dave’s infection. Dave took this opportunity to go into the wood store, which luckily could be accessed through a door in the kitchen.
“…Yes at the moment he’s okay but I am worried that the infection will spread through his system.” Jade told Ifor.
“He has a prescription for antibiotics but didn’t take it in to the pharmacy, probably thought he wouldn’t need it. And with this snow…no telling when it’s going to stop falling. It said on the news that there is no sign of a break in the weather. Anyway…all I can do Reverend is keep you posted on Dave’s condition. We will…bye.”
Jade went into the kitchen to make coffee and heard banging noises coming from the wood store. “ What is he up to now?” She thought.
“What on earth do you think you are doing?!” She called to Dave as she entered the wood store.
“Dave stopped the log chopping to answer Jade. “Well, I am not sharpening pencils; that’s for sure.” He laughed.
“Dave! Do you realise the surest way to speed up the spread of infection through your system is through over activity or exercise!” She scolded.
“Well nursey, If I don’t chop logs we’ll both freeze to death, so I don’t have any choice do I love.”
She stood silent for a minute just looking at him. What a mule. Getting on with doing what needed to be done in order to increase their chances of surviving their ordeal, even if it meant putting himself at risk in the progress. A feeling came over her she couldn’t explain…as if she had always known him, after all, how else could she explain the instant attraction to him the very first time they'd met. She knew she was risking her job by getting involved with a patient, although nothing improper had taken place between them. “Yet.” She said out loud. “Yet what?” asked Dave looking confused.
“Oh nothing…just thinking out loud.” Jade felt silly.
“Anyway, if there’s wood needing chopping I’ll do it, now come in the kitchen; I made fresh coffee.”
“Well that sounds good, the coffee, but I will be coming back and doing more wood chopping.”
“That was good.” Dave said, finishing his coffee. As he turned to go back in the wood store he noticed the light was out. “The bulb must have blown.” He thought. “Jade, will you pass me a spare light bulb from the drawer by the sink, the one in the wood store just blew.”
Dave fitted the new bulb and flicked the switch. Nothing! “Jade, Jade, try the kitchen light please.” He shouted into the kitchen. “It’s not working Dave.”
After checking over the fuses he confirmed his own fears. “The power lines must be down.” Will you Ring the Rev and check.”
“Okay.” Answered Jade on her way into the living room to get her phone. She punched in the number but the display was blank. “Oh no.” She called out. “The battery is dead. Now we’re completely cut off.” She said concerned. Dave stood at the kitchen door and leaned on the frame. “Well, I better get the candles ready before the light goes.”
“My god Dave, you are sweating like mad. Let me take your pulse.” Dave’s pulse was racing.” Jade felt his head. “Man you are burning up.”
“To be honest Jade, I feel like crap.” Dave replied, now shivering. “Here, lie on the couch, I’ll get the candles. Where are they?”
“They’re in the wood store on the shelf by the old washing machine. There’s a flashlight hung by the left of the door.” When Jade came back, Dave was asleep and sweating profusely. She knew instinctively that things were going to get worse before they got better.
To be continued.