Precious Time by Erica James Read Free Book Online

Liberty, I wouldn’t dream of lying to you. I am here because you didn’t keep your appointment with me. You didn’t return to the surgery for me to check your arm.’
    ‘Very considerate of you, I’m sure. But (a) I didn’t make an appointment, and (b) you’ve wasted your time in coming here because my arm is better.’
    ‘Perhaps you would be good enough to let me be the judge of that.’
    Gabriel gave him a hard stare. ‘Persistent, aren’t you?’
    ‘Professional is how I like to view myself. Now, then, are we to conduct surgery business on the doorstep, or am I permitted to come in?’
    ‘Suit yourself.’
    Gabriel showed him through to the kitchen and realised at once that this was a mistake. He could feel Dr Singh’s dark eyes appraising the situation, and the mess seemed a hundred times worse. The bottle of Glenlivet on the table didn’t give quite the right impression either, especially as he was still in his shabby old pyjamas. Damn! He should have taken him into the drawing room. In fact, any room but this.
    He pushed up the sleeve on his dressing-gown, deciding that the sooner the infuriating man had examined his arm, the sooner he would be gone. ‘There,’ he said, removing the makeshift bandage, ‘just as I told you. Practically as good as new.’
    Dr Singh gave the handkerchief a disapproving look, but nodded at the improvement in Gabriel’s arm. ‘You’re right, it’s healing nicely. But since I’m here I might just as well apply a proper dressing, and while I do that, you can tell me what you’ve done to your eye.’
    ‘I got something in it last night,’ Gabriel said airily. ‘It’s a bit sore, that’s all. There’s no need for you to have a gawp at that too.’
    But Dr Singh insisted that he be allowed to do his job. ‘And how did you come by this?’ he asked, when Gabriel had removed the patch and the eye began to water at the sudden brightness.
    ‘A curtain track fell on top of me if you must know.’
    After pulling a small-beamed torch on him, Doctor Singh said, ‘I don’t like the look of it. You need to see a specialist. It’s inflamed and you might have damaged the retina.’
    ‘Don’t be absurd. I’ve just got dust in it, that’s all. Can’t you give me some drops or something?’
    ‘The “something” is a trip to hospital, Mr Liberty. Do you really want to risk going blind in that eye?’
    ‘God! You foreigners make me sick. You’re all the same, you come over here, you get yourselves an education at our expense, then start telling us what to do. Well, you know what you can do with your trip to hospital, don’t you?’
    Dr Singh put away his torch and snapped shut his medical case.
    ‘Mr Liberty, listen very carefully to what I am about to say. Either you do as I say or I shall inform Social Services that you are living in squalor and that you are incapable of looking after yourself. And, trust me, they will descend upon you faster than you can say Enoch Powell and you will rue the day you ever ignored my advice. So, old chap, what’s it to be?’
    Gabriel’s jaw dropped. ‘You wouldn’t dare.’
    ‘Care to put me to the test?’
    ‘Couldn’t we just try the eye drops first?’
    ‘No. Now, if you would be so good as to get dressed, I will drive you to the hospital. I was going there anyway.’
    ‘What? Right now?’
    ‘No time like the present.’
     
    ‘I don’t approve of blackmail,’ Gabriel said, as he folded himself into the doctor’s Honda hatchback. His knees were almost tucked under his chin, the top of his head jammed against the roof. Typical of the bloody Japanese to build cars for midgets then inflict them on the rest of the world.
    ‘It wasn’t blackmail,’ Dr Singh said, ‘it was a straightforward deal.
    We negotiated quite openly. There was nothing underhand about it.
    But tell me, why don’t you have any help around your mausoleum of a house?’
    ‘Who said I didn’t?’
    ‘Your standards must be low if you let a