Chapter IX
The next morning they all waited anxiously for Dr Belcombe’s arrival, hoping he might bring some light to the whole situation. Anne, more than anyone wanted to be better again. She wanted to get out of bed, and seeing as it was the third day, and she was much better than the first – she had hoped to join them for breakfast downstairs, but Ann had forbidden her to rise from the bed before Dr Belcombe had examined her.
“Don’t look so glum, Anne.” Ann tried to get a smile out of Anne, but she glared at her,
“Why can’t I get up before Dr Belcombe arrives?!”
“Because, I said so.” Ann smirked, and Anne huffed, crossing her arms,
“That’s not a reason!”
“No, but you won’t listen to reason, so here we are.” Ann joked, and Anne rolled her eyes at her, she was really incredibly done with lying in bed vegetating.
“He is due any minute now, Anne, have some patience.” Ann tried staying positive, and she leaned down and kissed Anne’s cheek,
“Mm.” The brunette growled in response, and Ann bit down on her tongue not to laugh at her – she was such a child sometimes, and she loved her for it.
“You know I’ve heard that staying positive and smiling helps one recover faster.” Ann teased, and Anne couldn’t help to smile a little at Ann, she was a joy to be around.
“Who told you that nonsense?”
“You! - When I was astoundingly negative and depressed thinking, we’d not make the travel because I had the flu.”
“Well then, good advice.” Anne smirked, and Ann laughed at her,
“I just realised I could tell you absolutely anything – and you’d believe me!”
“Mm. Well, not anything – if you start saying that I was the best of friends with Christopher Rawson I might catch on you know.” Anne countered and Ann kissed her hand warmly,
“It’s a good thing that I’ve never been particularly good at lying anyway then.”
Anne was just about to open her mouth again when they heard a carriage outside, and Ann lit up,
“He’s here!”
Ann turned to Anne with a playful grin,
“And soon, if you’re lucky – you are free to roam about again… well, inside the house… But if you are an awful good girl, you might be allowed out on the courtyard.”
“Why do I feel like a child being lectured?” Anne asked with a puzzled eyebrow,
“Because you are very much a child in this instance.” Ann retorted but before Anne could fight her on that, the blonde leapt up from the bed to greet Dr Belcombe and show him upstairs.
There was a firm knock on the door before it opened to reveal Dr Belcombe. Anne smiled at him and greeted him warmly and he returned the compliments.
“Why I never thought I’d live to see a day where Anne Lister was bedbound.” He said humorously and Anne tittered at that, smirking,
“Hm, hopefully it’s the last time too. I don’t think I could stand being on bedrest again.”
“Ah, I suspected you weren’t taking that well.” Dr Belcombe smiled at her, approaching the bed to examine her.
“How are you feeling?” He asked her, opening his medical bag, Anne sighed,
“Not too shabby! I’m better. My head still gives me some discomfort, and my ribs still feel a bit bruised though.”
“Mm, do you get dizzy when you stand up?” Dr Belcombe inquired,
“Um, I haven’t been up much.”
“Miss Walker has been able to keep you in bed?” Dr Belcombe seemed amused, he knew far too well that Anne Lister was an energetic being and not prone to idleness.
“You’d be pleased with her efforts.” Anne replied with a small smile, and he gave a nod.
“I’ll take a listen to your heart first.”
Dr Belcombe put his stethoscope over her heart, and leaned in to listen, whilst glancing at the hand on his watch. Anne remained completely still whilst he listened, she wasn’t comfortable, but she was happy it was him. He had by far the best bedside manners of any Doctor she had met, and she trusted him.
“It all sounds fine.” Dr Belcombe commented as he removed his stethoscope from her chest, packing it away in his bag.
“Can I take a look on your ribs?” He motioned his hand to her ribcage and Anne complied, and he pulled her undershirt up, to scrutinise her bruised ribs. He looked at them, still a little coloured by the bruising, pushed at them gently and Anne winced but little.
“They aren’t cracked, which is a blessing – it means you will be able to run about as normal sooner.” Dr Belcombe explained as he pulled her undershirt down again. Anne was pleased to hear it.
“Now, your head. Let’s have look.” Dr Belcombe moved to remove her bandage and dressing around the head. It was a tad uncomfortable and painful as he touched the area of the wound, but Anne persevered without much sound. He looked serious, frowning as he examined it closely.
“It’s healing nicely. There will be a scar – but your hair will hide it in any case. I’d recommend you dressing it for another fortnight or so to prevent infection.”
“But I will be able to get up before that, right?” Anne said nervously, and he chuckled,
“Yes! You will. Today if you want, but only for a turn around the room, and I will tell Miss Walker and Miss Marian, so there’s no way around it.”
“I suppose it’s better than nothing.” Anne muttered a little downcast fidgeting with the cover restlessly.
“Now, regarding your memory loss, which is obviously the biggest damage done to you… Well, as I said, all the external wounds and bruises are healing nicely. From my experience, the little I have had with memory loss – it returns in due time – when the brain has healed from the ‘trauma’.” Dr Belcombe told her, and she gave a nod,
“Right. I did have a memory come back to me, yesternight, through a dream. I told A, Miss Walker about it and she confirmed it was a memory. Do you think that’s a sign of recovery?”
“That’s excellent! Yes, it means your brain is healing. Hopefully you will get your memories back soon enough. I’d be careful not to force it though, these things take time.” Dr Belcombe looked optimistic, and Anne bit her lip thoughtfully,
“Hm, but how long? Roughly estimated, are we talking about a week, a month, a year?”
“It’s hard to say, it might be hours, or a day, or three or as you say much longer than that. Rest, Anne! – Your brain needs it. Don’t read your journals, I’m not convinced you should force memories back. It might do the opposite.” Dr Belcombe instructed her, and Anne sighed and gave a half-heartened smile, she wanted clearer answers, but she understood that there weren’t any. This was not the most common ailment she granted.
“Talk to Miss Walker, it might help your brain recollect memories.” Dr Belcombe suggested, closing his bag, Anne watched him,
“I will.”
“I have all faith that you shall fully recover from this.” Dr Belcombe said with a kind smile, and she felt brighter at that,
“Thank you, Steph for coming here!”
“My pleasure. I hardly get out enough.”
“How’s Mary?”
“Mariana? She’s fine, I think. She doesn’t write a lot, but then neither do I. I’m glad that’s over. For your sake.” Dr Belcombe said with a sympathetic look and Anne merely hummed in reply. He knew what the nature had been of their relationship, well enough anyway, but they had hardly ever spoken of it.
“So am I.” She said eventually, as he kept waiting for a reply, only she didn’t know, because she didn’t even remember ending things definitely with her. But a part of her knew too much water had passed underneath their bridge. It wasn’t good for either of them. Clinging to something mainly because of the familiarity wasn’t always the way forward.
“Hasn’t too much water passed under the bridge for that? I don’t think she’ll ever forgive you – or me – for making her go back to Charles that time. After you inherited Shibden. And you’ll never really forgive her for marrying him in the first place.”
Anne rubbed the sides of her head, looking up at Dr Belcombe who were getting ready to leave her, with a stunned look,
“You told me that.”
“What?” Dr Belcombe turned on his heel to look at her, confusion written all over his face.
“That too much water had passed under the bridge… about me and Mariana. Didn’t you?”
“I did.” Dr Belcombe admitted slowly, eying her intently.
“I just remembered. I was preparing to leave, I think. I asked you about Ann, didn’t I?” Anne looked up at him expectantly, and he nodded,
“Yes, you did! It was right before you left Shibden for your travels.”
“I was travelling alone.” Anne frowned,
“You were.” Dr Belcombe smiled wide at her; this was good progress.
“I think I might’ve fought with Mariana.” Anne said as a snippet of a memory, involving her thermometer arose in her mind, but it wouldn’t clear up no matter how hard she focused on it.
“It isn’t impossible, she was quite upset with you for a while there. Anything else?” Dr Belcombe encouraged her, but Anne shook her head slowly,
“No. Nothing. It won’t clear up.”
“This is brilliant though, Anne! – It means you are well on the way of recovery. I will leave you now and leave instructions with Miss Walker and I will come back and examine you if you aren’t better any time soon. You can always write me or have someone else do it.” Dr Belcombe said, taking leave of her and Anne responded in kind. She felt much more positive after his examination, though she feared that it would be a difficult feat to persuade Ann to let her outside for a short walk.