By choice or by force Ch. 10

Chapter Ten

With the aid of the newly arrived nurses, and Dr Phillips' Nurse -- Shirley; they used two adjoining rooms to set up a makeshift clinic in the west side of the house close to the patient's room.

The gathering of people in the house, the household staff, and immediate family and also Laurie and her family; took place in the downstairs grand hall, with the doctors standing in front of Jonathon's empty chair.

"We have good news and bad news," Dr Grey began as the gathering fell silent.

"Mr Richards is holding his own, and we have great hopes that we can cure him of his ailment... but only if we can find the right donors, to purge his system," Dr Phillips said. He waited for the sudden murmuring to stop before continuing. "Yes, that's right, and with that in mind, we are asking all members of the household to submit a sample of their blood -- the nurses will take the sample for you, and we can then test to see if you are a match."

They looked to Mathew and Michael. "As blood kin you two are our best shot, so would you both like to go first?" Dr Phillips asked politely.

As both men nodded their assent, a nurse walked up to lead them both out.

"Anyone else who is willing to be tested as a potential donor, then if you could just wait in this room until someone comes to find you."

Laurie and her father both stepped forward. "We would all like to be tested too."

Michael nodded to the small group gratefully. "Thank you," he murmured to Laurie.

It seemed that every member of the house wished to be and was tested that morning -- a sure sign of how much regard and concern was held for Jonathon Richards.

Dr Phillips and his nurse spent the afternoon going through the samples and logging down the results, and the two doctors met with Michael and Mathew and also Laurie and her kin, towards the end of the day.

"It's not the best of news, I'm afraid," Dr Phillips began sombrely to Michael. "And although both you and your uncle are genetic matches for you father; unfortunately, you are both negative for the antibodies that we need."

The colour drained from Michael's face. "Does this mean...?" he swallowed, unable to form the words.

"Now we haven't given up yet!" Dr Grey hastened to reassure.

Laurie had stepped across to Michael and she wrapped her arms around his waist as she attempted to comfort and support him.

Michael hugged her close gratefully, and looked over the top of her head, at the two doctors.

"No one else in the household staff was a genetic match, and nor did they have the antibodies either."

"So, what do we do now then?" Michael demanded emotionally.

"Well, we have been discussing this at some length," Dr Grey began cautiously. "And Dr Phillips, might have an idea."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Dr Phillips said. He sighed as he looked at the people standing around looking to him for answers. "Look why don't we all sit down and talk this thing through properly?"

The four, long sofas surrounding a massive square coffee table was the ideal place for them all to sit and talk, and Dr Phillips' nurse and another of the nurses came in with a trolley and cups and a Large coffee pot.

"We have long shifts at the hospital, and we have always found that hot beverages can aid multiple situations," she smiled as she poured out coffee and handed them out.

"Thank you, Sheila," Dr Phillips murmured as he sipped his own drink and waited until everyone else had one as well.

"Now..." he said suddenly, "as I said before, you and your uncle are not what we need to help your father... But we have here the very people who cured Mr Beaumont of his illness."

"Laurie and her family?" Michael asked.

"Yes... well the daughters actually. They are the ones with the antibodies that we need."

"Would you be willing to help my father, Laurie?" Michael had to know the answer to that before he could dare to hope for anything more.

Laurie smiled up at him. "Of course, I would Michael... as would Iris -- I am sure."

They both looked at Iris who also nodded.

"Well now... as to that... were it so straightforward then we would all be rolling on, but..."

He sighed and fell silent for a moment, and in the end, it was Laurie who sat forward and urged the doctor.

"Please Dr Phillips, just tell us... whatever it is... whatever we need to do -- just tell us."

He sighed again and looked again at Michael. "Although they carry the antibodies in their blood, they are not a genetic match for your father."

"So, what does that mean?" Michael demanded stressfully.

"Well, if we try to transfuse with just their blood then we run the real risk that we could kill your father -- or his system will go to war on any antibodies that we introduce into his body. If we transfuse using your own or your uncle's blood, then it will just flush through his system, and the viral bacteria will contaminate the fresh infusion."

"So, we are right back at square one then, no suitable donor!" Michael sat back in defeat.

"Well, no... you see the genetic match -- though very different, due to their nonfamilial relationship, they do have similar key markers. And it is really getting your father's body to identify with and accept the antibodies that we need."

"So how do we do that?" Laurie asked with a slight worry at where this was going.

"Well... We take some of your blood and some of the patient's DNA, and we mix it up with a serum, that I have concocted, and then we inject it back into the donor -- that's you," he smiled absently at Laurie, "and after an hour or so we shall put an amount into a saline solution and hook it up to the patient on a drip feed and see if his system accepts it."

"If his body doesn't reject it then we will have to keep repeating the process until his entire system has a quantity of the antibodies. Once we are sure that all the viral spores have been neutralised, then we will use Michael and Mathew's blood to flush and purge his system."

"Well I think that between me and Iris we could manage our part," Laurie said feeling a little faint at the whole idea of putting god knows what into her system just to drag it out again.

"Well as to that... I am afraid that we would have to rule your sister out, due to the early stages of her pregnancy the risks could be too great!"

The room fell silent in shock for a moment and then James suddenly shot up onto his feet.

"Pregnant? You mean we are pregnant?" he exclaimed joyfully.

Michael felt a rush of pure envy at the joy in the other man, although Iris seemed for the moment to be stunned into silence. Trudy of course was the first to rush across to hug them and congratulate them.

She looked across at Laurie and him, and then her eyes slid past them, and the colour drained from the older woman's face.

Michael turned in the direction of her eyes, to his uncle who had a look of horrified recognition on his face as he stared at Trudy.

He was frozen on her, and Michael looked again at Trudy. Her pale face was full or raw pain as she fixed on his uncle, and then quite suddenly, she just turned away again.

He looked back at Uncle Mathew who had his head down and was rubbing the back of it, right where his white streak of hair was.

He glanced up and seeing his nephew's eyes on him he smiled questioningly as though wondering why Michael was staring at him.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Laurie demanded as she moved over to hug her sister.

"Well of course they didn't know!" the nurse, Sheila was full of disapproving glares at Dr Phillips. "Her pregnancy is brand new... a few weeks, not long enough for her to even realise..."

"My period never came!" Iris after several stunned speechless moments blurted out and then blushed fiery red.

She looked so absolutely, glowingly beautiful; that every man in the room at that moment envied James.

The look James had for his wife though had every woman in the room at that moment envying Iris!

**

Although Iris was willing to take part, she was outvoted nine to one against.

The doctors and Sheila all absolutely refused quoting their, "do no harm -- risk no harm" oath.

Her father and James both went down the, "I forbid it" route -- and that almost had open rebellion in the room along with sheer violence.

Laurie calmed her sister and dragged out her maternal big sister personality as she bravely told her this was Laurie's battle and she was big enough to fight it herself -- by herself... with her big sister's moral support that was.

Trudy appealed to her sensible side. "Think about your unborn baby -- give it a fighting chance at least."

And Mathew and Michael simple shook their heads and said that Jonathon Richards would never wish to survive at the cost of an unborn innocent.

In the end it was decided that with Iris out of the question, then the fate of Jonathon Richards fell on the slender, golden haired, fragile Laurie.

"We will give him another night of rest," Dr Phillips murmured to Dr Grey, as they both studied Laurie appraisingly. "Give his system another round of steroids to boost him."

"And the girl?" Dr Grey asked as Sheila came and joined them. "Will she be strong enough to do what we need of her?"

Dr Phillips looked at Sheila, who in her turn was studying Laurie.

"A good diet of red meat... lots of greens and leafy salad... we can boost her system with a vitamin cocktail, I am sure that you, Dr Phillips can arrange that, and I will talk to the kitchen staff... it's short notice -- not enough time to make too much difference -- but we shall do what we can."

Laurie and Michael were painfully aware of the calculating looks that the medical trio were throwing in Laurie's direction.

On one hand all Michael wanted to do was take her out of this room and tell the three of them to go and find another guinea pig, but on the other hand, his father was knocking at death's door and Laurie and that threesome were his only hope.

Laurie rested her hand lightly on his leg as if to reassure him and she looked across at the doctors.

"You have a plan for me?" she asked calmly.

Nurse Sheila handed over her patient completely to the other nurses, and dedicated her time and attention to Laurie.

"Now I want you to eat the steak that the kitchen staff has cooked for you, and all the greens, and drink plenty of water.

I want you to try and keep off the sugar, no alcohol until we have completely finished, and try and limit your caffeine to no more than two cups of coffee in the morning. I have arranged with the staff to provide pots of green tea on demand and I want you to drink as much as you want of it -- as much as you can stomach. I want you to take a good walk around the grounds right after breakfast, for at least half an hour but try for an hour."

She smiled at Laurie's slightly bemused look. "It won't be so bad, I promise, and I will be with you every step of the way through these next few days. So onwards to dinner, a short stroll around the house for this evening, and then a good night's rest for you."

Laurie had never really been a red meat eater, she enjoyed chicken but that was about it and simply the smell of fish had her stomach churning.

She sat at the dining table with her family, and Michael sat across from her as she slowly and painfully chewed the steak. "I don't think it's cooked properly," she murmured to Sheila sitting beside her.

"I requested it done rare for you,"

"Oh," she cut another tiny piece and popped it into her mouth, trying not to taste the metallic taste of blood.

"It's rich in iron, and I need you to get as much iron as possible for the next few days."

"Can't you just give me a pill to take and I could live on salad?" Laurie asked plaintively after painfully swallowing another tiny morsel.

"Well there are iron supplements in the cocktail that Dr Phillips shot into you earlier. But I just wanted to add a little into your nutritional diet for good measure."

"Oh."

Laurie managed about half of the gigantic piece of meat on her plate, before Sheila took pity on her.

"Ok eat your greens and you can finish with that small chunk of dark chocolate if you want to."

Laurie was not a fan of dark chocolate but had always been mad for milky chocolate.

Right now, though that little piece of dark chocolate was the highlight of her meal.

She picked it up and popped it in her mouth, and her eyes closed in ecstasy as the rich flavour flooded her mouth.

She wrinkled her nose and smiled as she opened her eyes to find Michael staring at her with a slack jawed sort of fascination.

She swallowed and the colour rushed to her cheeks, and Michael's eyes filled with laughter and affection.

*

She stepped out as the sun was setting and Michael's hand found hers as they began her 'short evening walk'.

Sheila had been about to keep her company when Michael stepped in with his casual smile and, "I could do with some fresh air myself."

They walked in silence for a while just enjoying being with each other.

The men who patrolled the grounds kept a good discrete distance from them, and so this was the closest that they had come to privacy since their night of passion.

Laurie sighed a little sadly, so much had happened in such a short time -- could they ever get back to what they briefly had?

They stepped onto a small stone bridge and halfway across, Laurie stopped to look up at the rising half-moon.

The sound of the narrow river rushed beneath them and it soothed her turbulent thoughts.

"Michael," she said suddenly looking up into his dark eyes. "I just wanted to say... about those things I said at Bill Frawnings house, I just wanted to say... I'm so sorry... I never meant any of it." she finished in a whisper.

He stood over her and simply stared into her face for long moments, and suddenly he smiled a gentle smile. "Thank you, I accept your apology, I am sorry too for my part in driving you to do and say the things you did that day." He looped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "But if you ever do anything like that again -- I cannot be held responsible for my actions."

He leaned closer and she braced herself for the kiss she hoped was coming.

His lips touched her forehead in an affectionate platonic salute.

"And I just wanted to say, Laurie... thank you so much for what you are doing for my dad, you are my true hero."

She bit down on the disappointment that he didn't seem to want to kiss her properly.

"You are... welcome... it's nothing, not without the doctors... I'm just their pin cushion."

She started to turn away, but his hand cupped her cheek and held her steady.

"I promised myself that I would not do this again... not until this is all over and we are back under our own roofs, back with our own lives.... I promised but I just can't help it."

His lips touched her lips in a soft gentle pressure, massaging and coaxing.

She put her hand on his and her lips parted to allow her tongue to peep out and taste him in the lightest flicker.

"Ah Laurie," he groaned huskily as he pulled her closer and put more pressure on her mouth, forcing her lips to open so that he could explore the warmth of her.

How long they stood there wrapped in each other and simply enjoying each other, Laurie could not have said, but suddenly there was the sound of someone close by, and the spell was broken.

Michael sighed and rested his forehead against hers for a moment.

"I think we should start heading back -- before your new nanny comes looking for her charge!"

Laurie giggled. "Sheila is turning into a bit of dragon, isn't she?"

Holding hands, they turned towards the house.

"Michael." Laurie said just before they entered the house.

"Yes, Laurie?"

"About what you said, about waiting until we returned home."

"Yes?"

"No. Don't wait for anything again, we just don't know what might happen next, so promise me -- if you ever have anything to say to me then don't wait, don't put it off -- don't let me put you off; just tell -- talk to me -- promise me Michael."

He leaned down and kissed her nose lightly. "No holds barred, no waiting. If I think it -- or feel it -- I will tell you."

"Good." she smiled up at him and would have stepped over the threshold, had he not pulled her gently back.

"Laurie." he said pulling her close.

"Yes, Michael?"

"I love you."

**

She dutifully followed Sheila's instructions the following morning, and once again it was Michael who declared that he would keep her company on her brisk morning walk.

Laurie was quick to realise that these little outings with just the two of them would become the highlight of her day, as they walked together and talked.

The morning walk was the prelude to the transfusions and Laurie was feeling stressed about it all.

Michael draped his arm around her waist. "How are you feeling this morning... any last-minute doubts?" he asked almost as though he had read her mind.

She shrugged and smiled up at him. "I guess I am a little apprehensive... I mean your father never even liked me and now; they are taking some of him and putting it into me, and then mixing me and him together and dumping it back into him... it all seems a bit..." she trailed off as she struggled to find the words to explain her feelings.

"What you are doing, my dearest Laurie, is going to a lot of trouble and discomfort, in an attempt at saving my dad's life."

"Is that how he will see it though?" she whispered. "Or will he see it as some sort of violation of himself."

The truth was that he knew that his father was a true believer in the old blood, the purity of the old blood and its superiority over the mixed lesser bloods.

He pulled her closer.

"We know that we are doing the right thing, and all I can say is what I have said before... thank you Laurie, on my father's behalf."

*

She was treated to a cheesy omelette for her lunch complete with side salad full of dark leafy things; and a green tea to wash it all down with.

Then after a little five-minute stroll around the main driveway, Sheila led her up to the makeshift clinic.

She sat her in a chair, and then smiled at her confidently. "Can you take your cardigan off, please Laurie... I noticed you wearing that short sleeved top underneath which is useful of you."

"Yes, when we were transfusing for my dad; I remembered that they put that butterfly thing in my arm -- here," she said pointing at the inside joint of her arm.

"Yes, that is usually the way that we would do it, and you did not have a problem with that?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Good, then we will do the same this time, since you are already familiar and comfortable with it."

Laurie still winced though when the sharp needle pricked her vein, and she was glad to be seated because her legs felt distinctly wobbly.

Michael picked that moment to stroll in, and seeing her pale, pained expression had him biting his lip, so as not to tell her to stop this right now.

She smiled up at him bravely and the rush of affection he felt for her almost had him on his knees in front of her.

"Are you ok Mr Richards?" Sheila asked as she caught his expression. "Do you need to sit down?"

"What? No, I'm ok thanks -- why wouldn't I be?" he almost snarled, 'after all I am not the one with things stuck in my arm!'

"It's not unusual for people to have a little phobia when it comes to needles and injections and things... especially when it's happening to someone that we love."

The colour rushed into Laurie's pale cheeks and Sheila grinned. "See now that's better isn't it?"

*

The plan went ahead just as the doctors hoped it would, and apart from the point when they injected the mixture back into her system, which made her feel decidedly woozy, Laurie found the whole thing not too bad, especially since Michael sat beside her during the whole procedure holding her hand and looking at her as though she was something truly wonderful. Having someone like Michael regarding her like that was definitely good for her ego, although it did start to get a little embarrassing.