White Death by Ken McClure Read Free Book Online Page A

completely and placed her other arm on the table while Haldane fetched a new stylet. ‘Here we go again. Tell me what you feel.’
    ‘A bit sore … Ouch! … Ouch!’
    ‘Sorry, Trish,’ said Haldane, ‘I was a bit too heavy handed there. Sorry. Okay, you can put your blouse back on. I think maybe we should refer you to a specialist skin clinic, just to see what they say.’
    ‘What do you think it is?’ asked Virginia anxiously.
    ‘In all probability the chances are that it’s exactly what Dr Gault thinks it is – just one of these unfortunate reactions we see now and then resulting from some kind of emotional stress – but there’s no harm in being absolutely sure and, as it’s clearly causing Trish some anxiety, the clinic may be able to suggest some treatment to speed up things – UV light or something like that. I’ll have a chat with Dr Gault after surgery’s over and we’ll get things moving on the referral front.’
    ‘Thank you so much, Doctor,’ said Virginia. ‘I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just want the best for Trish.’
    ‘Nothing wrong with that, Mrs Lyons.’
     
     
    ‘How did you get on with the over-protective mother?’ asked James Gault, putting his head round the door of Haldane’s office when the last patient from evening surgery had gone.
    Haldane smiled. ‘She’s not so bad,’ he said. ‘Her kid’s having a hard time at school and she feels helpless. Perfectly understandable.’
    ‘Fine, but you have to remember we’re not social workers,’ said Gault. ‘What did you think of the child’s skin problem?’
    ‘I think you’re probably right but all the same I’d like to refer her to the skin clinic just to be on the safe side. There were certain unusual aspects that I’d like checked out.’
    ‘What aspects?’
    ‘It’s probably just an over-active imagination on my part,’ smiled Haldane, getting up from his chair and giving his colleague a reassuring touch on his upper arm.
    ‘Well, if you really feel you must,’ said Gault, sounding slightly miffed. ‘Perhaps in the circumstances you’d care to do the paperwork?’
    ‘Of course. Remind me, who’s the main man at the skin clinic?’
    ‘Ray McFarlane. He’s the kind of chap who won’t thank you for wasting his time.’
    April 2007
     
    ‘Look, I’m sorry, Trish, I just don’t know what more we can do,’ said Virginia Lyons as they came out from morning surgery after getting the results from the skin clinic. ‘The specialist agrees with the other doctors. He says it’s something called vitiligo. It’s nothing serious and it’ll go away in its own good time. Unfortunately, there’s nothing they can do to speed it up so you’ll just have to persevere until it does. I know you hate it, sweetie, but hang on in there, huh? Let’s just be grateful it isn’t something more serious.’
    ‘You don’t know what it’s like,’ mumbled Trish.
    Virginia looked at her daughter with a lump in her throat. She hated seeing her so unhappy. ‘I could write and ask Miss Neilson if you could be excused gym classes until it clears up?’
    Trish nodded.
    ‘When’s your next class?’
    ‘Tomorrow.’
    ‘I’ll do it tonight. You can take the letter with you in the morning.’
     
     
    Virginia came home next evening to find Trish sitting at the kitchen table in tears. Her shoulders were heaving, her head resting on folded arms. Wrapping her arms round her made matters worse for a few moments until cuddles and soothing words finally did their job and she was able to get some sense from her daughter.
    ‘They made me do gym.’
    ‘What?’ exclaimed Virginia. ‘But what about the letter I gave you?’
    ‘Miss Neilson said there was nothing physically wrong with me so I’d need a letter from a doctor before I could be excused. Everyone was laughing at me.’
    ‘Give me strength,’ murmured Virginia, entertaining notions of flattening Miss Neilson with a hockey stick. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘If