‘Okay. Yes, I will. Thanks.’
It was the most he could do. Jem Colyer obviously needed help; his anger and grief were spilling over and tainting the rest of his life. Ben could understand that; when Emma had died his own grief had been so overwhelming that sometimes anger had felt like a relief. But he’d known that it wasn’t an answer. He hoped that Kriss would take him up on his offer and that he’d see her again.
‘Is there anything else that we can do for you, Kriss?’ Arianna’s tone was gentle.
‘No I’m... I’m grateful for what you’ve done already. I should get back to Jem, before he says something he shouldn’t to the manager...’ Kriss was gnawing at her lip now, obviously under stress, and she led the way back through Eloise’s bedroom and into the main seating area.
Jem had obviously already said something he shouldn’t. The manager was standing stiffly by the large windows, clearly looking forward to making his escape, and Jem was slumped in an armchair, seemingly alone with his thoughts. You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife.
Arianna smiled up at Ben, and the warmth in her eyes burned away all of his frustration. He took a deep breath and walked over to Jem.
‘Mr Colyer. I know that you’re concerned about your daughter and I’d like to set your mind at rest.’ He waited for Arianna to sit down and then took the seat opposite Jem’s armchair.
‘Too right I’m concerned.’ Jem smirked at Arianna, as if he imagined that she was about to get her comeuppance, and she smiled back at him pleasantly.
‘I’m not licensed to practise medicine in Greece, but I am a doctor—’
‘That’s all right. I’ll take your word for it.’
Why? Arianna was a fine doctor, and Jem was being blatantly insulting. Ben swallowed the question down.
‘Well, I’ve observed the examination that Dr Petrakis carried out today, and I concur with her diagnosis of measles.’
‘That’s pretty
obvious; it doesn’t need two doctors to tell me that. I’m a bit more worried about the medicine she gave Eloise.’ Jem jutted his chin aggressively.
‘The standard treatment for measles is paracetamol or ibuprofen, to reduce your daughter’s temperature and make her feel more comfortable.’ Ben decided to leave out the part about medicines being subject to international standards. ‘It’s exactly the same preparation as you’d be able to buy from a chemist in England.’
‘The picture on the box is the same as the one in our cabinet at home. Eh, Kriss?’ Jem looked up at his wife and she pursed her lips, clearly feeling a little impatient with her husband. ‘It might have been different, though.’
‘Yes, it might. But I can reassure you that it’s not.’ Ben resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. ‘Dr Petrakis has advised that your daughter be kept in quarantine, as measles is exceptionally infectious, but I believe she intends to exert her influence here and make sure that you’re not charged any extra for staying a little longer.’
Jem’s lip curled. ‘That’s another thing. If she’s the daughter of the bloke who owns this place she’s bound to want to keep us sweet, isn’t she?’ He turned to Arianna. ‘I can tell you now that I’ll be putting in a complaint. Like I said, my daughter’s picked this up here and we should get compensation.’
Keeping things friendly was one thing. Allowing Arianna to be bullied like this was quite another, and Ben wasn’t going to leave her to defend herself. He cleared his throat, and Jem looked back at him.
‘I’d encourage you to ask for anything you feel you’re entitled to, but I gather you’d been here for ten days when Dr Petrakis saw your daughter yesterday and she was displaying symptoms then. The incubation period for measles is ten to fourteen days, so it’s most likely that she contracted it at home.’
Jem thought for a moment. Ben allowed himself to wonder if he was struggling with fourteen minus ten, because it took his mind off the sudden need to protect and defend Arianna.
‘Yeah, okay. I see your point, doc. I just want to stand up for my rights, you know?’
Ben nodded. ‘I understand that. Are there any other concerns that we can help you with?’
‘Nah, I suppose we’re good.’ Jem stood up, making for the French windows that led out onto the patio. ‘I need a bit of fresh air. But I’ll be expecting you to come back and see how my Eloise is doing.’
‘Dr Petrakis will be coming to see your daughter again tomorrow. You have her number so you can call if you’re worried about anything.’
Jem didn’t answer, wrenching open the doors and walking outside.
‘Yes. We have your number. Thanks.’ Kriss grimaced apologetically. ‘He’s very stressed...’
‘It’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. You take care, eh? And call me if you need me.’ Arianna rose, giving Kriss a smile. The manager made for the door with as much speed as he could without breaking into a run, and ushered them out.
* * *
The manager wrung Ben warmly by the hand, before giving the room numbers for her other two patients to Arianna and hurrying away. Ben watched his receding figure, as he walked around the swimming pool and back into the hotel.