‘Your grandmother is very wise,’ said Clara, turning and smiling at the older woman. ‘We should carry out the first treatment now.’
‘I’ll boil the water,’ said the grandmother.
A few minutes later, between the three of them, they had created the steam tent.
‘You can do this several times a day for about ten minutes each time,’ said Clara. ‘Make sure you only use two or three drops though as it may be too strong for the little one. At night-time, prop the end of the crib up so his head is raised.’ She looked around and took a couple of books from the shelf. ‘These will do fine,’ she said placing them under the head end of the crib.
Clara spent some time with Rachel and the baby, explaining how else they could help and the best way to position the baby for sleep at night-time. She could see the worry easing in Rachel’s face with each passing minute.
Once the first steam treatment was complete, Clara was pleased to see the baby relax and nurse more easily from his mother.
‘If he doesn’t get any better or his symptoms worsen, you should try to seek help from the hospital,’ said Clara.
Richard shook his head. ‘It’s not possible.’
‘There’s only so much we can do at home,’ said Clara. Surely the hospital wouldn’t turn away a sick baby.
‘Maybe you could come again,’ said Frau Blumenthal.
‘If he gets worse,’ said Clara, knowing full well she wouldn’t refuse a request even if she tried to fool herself otherwise.
‘Your oil,’ said Frau Blumenthal, holding out the eucalyptus bottle to her.
‘You keep it,’ said Clara, fastening her bag.
‘But we cannot pay you,’ protested Rachel.
‘I don’t want paying,’ said Clara without hesitation. ‘I would rather you kept it. I can get some more.’ There was a chemist near to her apartment and she’d buy another bottle on her way home to replenish her supplies.
‘That is very kind of you,’ said Rachel. ‘Thank you.’
Frau Blumenthal kissed Clara’s hand, muttering something Clara couldn’t quite understand but it was obviously a compliment of some sort.
After leaving the apartment, Richard walked Clara to the end of the road where he needed to go a different way. ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Please be careful returning home.’
‘I’m glad I could help,’ said Clara sincerely. ‘Take care.’
She turned and headed off towards the tram. It was much later in the day than she had planned but if she was lucky, she’d be home within the next thirty minutes or so and just in time to catch the chemist located on her street before it closed.
It took a little longer due to delays with the tram, but forty minutes later, Clara hurried through the door of the local chemist, Löwen-Apotheke, two minutes before closing time.
The Löwen-Apotheke interior was all gleaming glass and dark mahogany. A single hanging light cast a warm glow over the narrow shop. The air was thick with the scent of herbs, camphor and something vaguely medicinal.
‘Guten Tag, Herr Keller,’ said Clara as she approached the counter where Herr Keller was restocking the shelves of the floor-to-ceiling cabinet displaying dozens of amber bottles of tinctures and colourful medicinal syrups.
The pharmacist turned and politely responded. ‘Guten Tag, Frau Bergmann. How can I help you?’
‘A bottle of eucalyptus oil, please?’
‘Eucalyptus oil?’ Herr Keller asked as he turned and reached for a bottle from the shelf behind him.
‘Yes, please.’
He placed it on the counter. ‘Anything else? Are you not feeling well?’
‘Erm, no. It’s for my husband,’ said Clara thinking on the spot. ‘He has a cold. Congestion.’ She quickly rummaged in her purse for the correct coins, before popping the brown paper bag containing the oil into her bag. ‘Danke.’
‘I hope your husband feels better soon,’ said Herr Keller. He gave a small smile towards Clara.
