Thank God for that, he thought with relief.
‘How much do you drink?’ she asked.
‘Err… well…’
‘Every day?’
‘You could say that.’
‘Try having a few days off, give your liver chance to recuperate.’ She smiled again, trying not to sound too authoritarian.
‘Oh, me liver and I divorced years ago!’ he laughed, trying to make light of the situation.
The doctor didn’t react.
Fletcher coughed and shut up. He watched her tap into a keyboard, then tear paper off a printer and hand it to him.
‘Here’s your prescription for the painkillers and the surgery will be in contact regarding your physiotherapist.’
‘Right. Thank you.’
‘Goodbye, Mr Hendricks. If there’s anything else, don’t hesitate to contact me.’
‘I won’t,’ he nodded, then made his way out, feeling somewhat foolish.
Lilly was in the kitchen when Fletcher returned home.
‘How did you get on?’ she asked, putting the kettle on.
‘I’ve painkillers to take and I’m getting a physiotherapist.’
‘Oh?’ replied Lilly in surprise.
‘Apparently it’s the way forward,’ he said, making Lilly laugh. ‘And I’ve to lose some weight,’ he added drily.
‘Oh dear.’ Lilly couldn’t stop laughing at Fletcher’s deadpan expression.
‘It’s not funny, woman,’ he scolded gruffly.
‘You’re right, it’s not.’ Lilly strained to keep a straight face. ‘Healthy eating from now on. I’ll make a nice salad for lunch.’
Fletcher groaned. He’d rather set his sights on a bacon butty. Then, another thought occurred to him. ‘Not a word of this to Jasper, do you hear?’ The last thing he needed was his nephew laying down the law.
Adira had parked at a campsite four miles from the heart of Edinburgh, located in acres of country estate. It combined leafy green parkland with good amenities and had excellent transport links to explore Scotland’s capital city.
The following morning, she’d taken the bus route into Edinburgh and was loving the buzz of the culture and vibe it oozed. Resisting the shops and coffee bars, Adira made the steep trek to Edinburgh Castle. She walked through the portcullis gate to the audio booth. She wanted to take her time and discover the magnificent building without being ushered along by a tour guide.
Putting on the headphones, she started her journey with the audio guide, which told her about the history of the castle and the people and events that stood out most in its fascinating past. Adira climbed the Lang Stairs, all seventy of them, which was once the original entrance to the castle. Walking along the Argyle Battery gave sweeping views over the city and towards Fife. The huge six-guns lining up against its walls provided an ideal vantage point for defending the castle.
She went to the prisons of war exhibition, where she learnt that, ‘Pirates and prisoners were held in the vaults below the great hall, among them was a five-year-old French drummer boy, captured at the Battle of Trafalgar.’ Poor little thing, Adira thought, hardly believing the cruelty of the past. ‘One successful escape attempt saw forty-eight inmates flee,’ continued the audio guide.Well, I hope that boy was one of them.
After a solid two hours of exploring, Adira went to the souvenir shops. The exclusive Edinburgh Castle ten-year-old single malt was the perfect present for her dad, while her mum got the traditional shortbread. She bought a soft, wool tartan scarf for Edie, before going into the cafe for a coffee. It was when she was sat still, sipping her cappuccino, that her phone suddenly burst into life. Adira’s chest started to thump – was this Jasper? With haste, she grabbed the phone from her bag. It was Cassie.
‘Hi, Cass.’
‘Adira, so sorry to ring,’ she sounded out of breath and frantic.
‘What’s the matter?’ Adira asked sharply.
