The Serving Girl // Book 2 in the Rosie Grey series

Chapter Nineteen

The influenza lasted three days. Three days of sitting in bed eating nothing but porridge and having to deal with cold water running down my face and neck, soaking through my nightdress and onto my skin.

After three days, my fever finally broke and the room no longer moved and swirled every time I sat up or made a sudden movement. My breathing still sounded a little loud, but the crackling in my chest had stopped and it no longer hurt to breath the same way as it had before. Doctor Ealing, surprised that it had cleared up as fast as it had, made me stay in bed for one more day until he was satisfied that the infection had completely passed. He didn't want me to pass it on to anyone else.

I sat on the bed, my fingers in my lap as I picked at my nailbed and waited for Doctor Ealing to say something. He had taken a seat on the chair Robert normally sat in, stethoscope in hand, having just listened to my chest to try and spot anything that might be wrong. He tucked the stethoscope into his bag and leant forward on the chair, pressing his elbows onto his knees and clutching his hands together in front of him. As he sat there staring, I bit on the corner of my thumb and chewed off a small piece of skin. It hurt slightly but I ignored it, all I wanted was for Doctor Ealing to speak, but he still sat there staring at me as though I had to be the first to say something. After a few minutes more, he sighed before finally speaking.

"There is still a slight wheeze in your chest but nothing to suggest the infection is lingering. I expect the wheeze is more to do with the added strain on your lungs than anything else, especially given the trauma you've already received," he said.

"Can I go back to work?"

"You may, but light duties only until that wheeze goes away. No dusting as well, it'll only make things worse."

"That won't leave too many options."

"We'll find something. Whilst I have you here, may I take a look at your shoulder? It's been long enough so hopefully the bruising has gone down."

"Of course."

I shifted my position slightly and turned my right shoulder towards Doctor Ealing, crossing my legs together in front of me. The sling had fallen off several days previously and I had failed to put it back on purely because I didn't want to sit up and grab it off the floor. Doctor Ealing undid the back of my nightdress and pushed the sleeve off my shoulder whilst I continued to pick at my nailbed. He poked and prodded the area surrounding my shoulder and along my collarbone, his other hand rested on my back as he pressed against it. I hardly even noticed he was doing it until I felt the pressure against my skin. It no longer hurt the way it had just a week previously.

"Well, the bruising has gone down and that is certainly a good sign. You don't appear to be in any pain when I touch it or even move it, so it doesn't look as though your previous injuries have made an appearance. The bruising and swelling must have come directly from your dislocated shoulder and there are no secondary injuries."

"I don't have to wear the sling anymore?"

"No, you can have full use of your right arm. Again, light duties only for the next few days."

"I'm already on light duties."

"Then that's been solved then, hasn't it?"

"I suppose it has." I smiled slightly.

"I'll leave you to get dressed, someone needs to inform Miss Jenkins that you can return to work."

Doctor Ealing smiled and grabbed the handle of his medical bag before leaving the room and the chair behind. I made a mental reminder to tell Miss Jenkins about it, I was certain that lifting the chair down the stairs didn't count as a light duty. Climbing off the bed, I rearranged the pillows and the blanket on the bed before crossing the room and pulling my work dress on. I folded up my nightdress and tucked it back into the drawers before twisting my hair up into a knot and pinning it at the base of my neck. I glanced in the mirror briefly before leaving the room and taking the stairs two at a time until I reached the hallway.