Death at Kimbal

Chapter 4

"Effie?" Ed lifted the wet towel off his sister's forehead as her eyes flickered open.

"Yes brother?" She mumbled and started to sit up.

"Hello," Luc said and smiled briefly at her.

"What happened?" Effie asked him, leaning back on her pillow and rubbing her sore head.

"You collapsed." Ed explained, sitting on the seat beside her bed, "It is nothing serious, just shock, but we brought you back to your room just in case. We have been waiting with the doctor, since you have woken up she'll probably want to check up on you." He stood up and hurried towards the door, calling out the doctors name.

"How much time has passed?" Effie asked Luc, who was sitting on the edge of her bed and smiling down at her.

"Nearly five hours." He told her, taking a small cake out of his pocket and pressing it into her hands, "Eat, you will feel better."

"Thank you." Effie grinned back at him, placing the cake on her bedside table planning to eat it later, "How is the detective doing? Burge, was it?"

"I don't know." Luc answered, "He still won't let us in. Doctor Maddock has been complaining because he will not let her study the body. I must say I am inclined to agree with the Doctor, she does need to conduct her research on it ." It was at this point Doctor Maddock entered the room, she was a small, slight woman with bushy grey hair and small glasses. Effie couldn't help but smile at the sight of her family doctor, she both respected and liked the old lady. She had boundless amounts of energy, had helped deliver both Effie and Ed and could always be counted on to make an inappropriate comment when one was needed, as well as when one was not.

"Awake are we?" She grinned down at Effie, pushing her glasses further up her nose.

"I hope so." Effie smiled back and sat up a bit more.

"Go away you," The doctor turned to Luc and put her hands on her hips, "Go bother someone else for a change."

"Of course." Luc stammered, looking quite taken aback.

"Tell you what, help me a bit," Maddock added, "Go annoy Burge for me. Get him out of that room." She shooed him away and shut the door behind him.

"So," She continued, looking at Effie, "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad given the circumstances," Effie smiled at her.

"What you mean being shut in a room with that for five hours?" The doctor joked, pointing towards the door that Luc had jut left through.

"He's not actually that bad you know." Effie laughed at her, picking up the cake and holding it out, "Look what he gave me."

"Alright," Maddock lifted both hands in the air, "He is a nice guy, but still Irish. If there is one thing I cannot stand, its Irishmen. Or Scottish." She added as an afterthought.

"Don't like the French or Spanish either then I suppose?" Effie teased her and giggled when she frowned deeply.

"Oh not the Spanish," The doctor furrowed her eyebrows and fiddled with her glasses absentmindedly, "Now they are normally quite good-looking." Effie laughed in shock and shook her head disbelievingly,

"How old are you?" She asked her, laughing loudly, "You act at least a third of your age!"

"And what, young lady, is wrong with that?" Maddock retorted, "At least I act more like a young girl than you, and I am meant to be the older one here!"

Effie chuckled and started to bite into her cake. It was wonderfully baked and still warm so had almost definitely come straight from the kitchen.

"Doctor Maddock," Luc had stuck his head round the door, "The detective is coming out now, you can go and check the body."

"Finally!" Maddock cried and flung her arms in the air, "How long was it going to take?" She hurried across the room and went straight outside.

"Wait for me!" Effie cried after her, jumping off of her bed and following her, "I am coming too."

Burge was standing in the corridor, looking serious and businesslike.

"Anything worth our time detective?" Maddock smirked, "If not, that is five full hours of all of our lives, wasted."

"Now madam, I do believe you wished to do a study of the body." He ignored her, raising one eyebrow as the only sign that he had heard her.

The doctor said nothing but stalked past Burge into the room, sending Effie a small wink before she closed the door.

##########

Twenty minutes later, Maddock left the room with a thoughtful look on her wrinkled face.

"Ah Madam." Burge rose from the seat he had been waiting in, "I trust you have some information for me."

"I do." Maddock answered, "I'm worried about the poor girl's muscles. They are tight and stiff. She looks terrified. I personally do not think that it was suicide."

"Madam, I am the detective, I suggest you let me do my own job. To consider your theory, I would need to know times and places. You do not have these."

"Ah!" The doctor let out an exasperated cry and looked like she could very easily punch Burge in the face, "If you had let me examine the body earlier, I could have told you those things!"

"Stop arguing you two!" Ed interrupted, "You act just like an old married couple!"

Both adults immediately stopped insulting each other and looked at Ed.

"We are not married!" Burge complained.

"I'm not old!" Maddock said at the same time.

Effie wasn't sure but thought that she heard Burge mutter, "Self-centered old hag."

"Thank you for your help," Effie butted in, wanting to avoid another shouting match.

"My pleasure Miss Kimbal. And my condolences." Burge bowed deeply before brushing past her and leaving.

"Bye doc." Ed smiled weakly, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm not that old am I, really?" She asked him grumpily.

"No doc," Effie told her, "You are never going to let yourself get old. You are far too stubborn for that." Luc and Ed laughed loudly and after a couple of seconds Maddock joined in, "You will outlive us all out of pure defiance."

"Well," She said eventually, "I really ought to be going now, have to get home."

"Bye doc." They all said in turn, the children hugging her. As they stood watching her walk down the stairs Effie turned and asked Luc,

"Who do you believe? Burge or Maddock?"

"I am not sure," Luc answered, "But personally sweetie, I think we should just enjoy watching them argue over it."

"Could not agree more." Effie grinned at him.

(A.N)

Me, Fishlacetwo and MadameRaveness have collaborated and are writing together!! Check us out GreekRaven2!!!