Mark sighed. ‘Holly—’
‘She’s on her own, Mark,’ Holly said firmly. ‘Her husband is never there and she has no support. I just want to talk to her and teach her a few basic massage techniques. If we can stop the baby crying it might ease her stress levels.’
There was a brief silence and then Mark gave her a smile. ‘OK. Fine. Give me five minutes and I’ll come with you.’
Holly’s eyes widened. ‘You?’
‘Why not me?’ He turned and walked back to the kitchen, making himself a coffee and dropping two slices of bread into the toaster. ‘She’s my patient, too, remember? And besides, I’d like to see how she’s doing.’
Less than an hour later they pulled up outside Anna’s tiny cottage, and before they even left the car they could hear the baby screaming.
Mark frowned. ‘That baby does not sound happy.’
Holly nodded. ‘No wonder Anna’s in a state.’
‘No wonder,’ he agreed, his mouth set in a grim line. ‘Looks like you were right to visit.’
They knocked on the door and Anna finally opened the door, still in her dressing-gown. Her hair fell limp and straggly over her thin shoulders.
She looked pale and very, very tired.
‘Oh, Dr Logan.’ She looked flustered and wrapped her dressing gown more tightly around her waist. ‘I wasn’t expecting—I mean—’
‘Can we come in, Anna?’ Mark asked gently. ‘Sister Foster promised to teach you some massage techniques and I thought I’d come, too, and see how you were.’
‘Oh.’ Anna looked embarrassed and self-conscious. ‘I’m really sorry I’m not dressed yet. I don’t know where the morning’s gone. I’ll put the kettle on for you.’
‘Don’t worry about not being dressed.’ Mark was quick to put her at her ease. ‘My sister, who has a set of twins, tells me that she’s gone through an entire day without getting dressed before now, so you don’t need to explain.’
‘And don’t worry about the kettle either,’ Holly said firmly, sliding past Mark and giving the woman a warm smile. ‘Let’s have a look at Harry and see why he’s crying.’
Anna bit her lip and walked towards the screaming. ‘He does that for most of the day,’ she told them, pushing open the sitting-room door. ‘I think that’s why my husband is out so much at the moment. He just can’t stand the noise. Actually I don’t really blame him.’
Holly bent over the Moses basket which had been placed on the sofa. ‘What’s the matter with you, little fellow? Have you got a tummyache or is it something more?’
‘Why don’t I take a good look at him, Anna?’ Mark suggested, putting his bag down on the floor and giving her a smile. ‘If there seems to be nothing wrong, we can take it from there. Has he been like this since his immunisations?’
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Anna shook her head. ‘Oh, no. He’s been like this since I brought him home from hospital.’
‘He had a very traumatic start to life,’ Mark said, undressing the baby deftly and examining him with careful hands. ‘And some babies just cry more than others, I’m afraid. It may just be that. How’s he feeding?’
‘Fine.’ Anna watched anxiously.
‘And he isn’t sick after feeds?’
‘No. Debra weighed him for me at clinic yesterday and he’s growing nicely.’
Mark rummaged in his bag for a paediatric stethoscope and listened to the baby’s heart and lungs.
‘Physically everything seems fine, Anna,’ he said finally, looping the stethoscope round his neck and lifting the screaming bundle carefully. ‘Come and have a cuddle with your Uncle Mark and tell me what’s wrong.’
Holly felt her stomach flip as she watched him with the baby, his large hands stroking the tiny frame until the screams subsided.
‘He does like to be held, but I can’t carry him around all day,’ Anna said helplessly. ‘I don’t know what to do about it.’
‘My sister had a sling,’ Mark said, transferring the baby to his other shoulder. ‘That way she could carry one of the twins everywhere she went.’