Christmas with Her Ex(47)

She pushed the service button and while she waited she thought about the food and alcohol offered over the last thirty-six hours and how Winsome had been magnificent in her capacity.

It could just be gastrooesophageal reflux. Her skin chilled. Or it could be cardiac chest pain. She didn’t want to think that but she needed to get someone to see Winsome before Connor’s grandmother did something Kelsie couldn’t handle by herself.

Where was Connor when they needed him? She’d be very happy for him to take control now. He should not have left his grandmother alone. And she’d tell him so. For some strange reason she felt calmer after that decision, and not just because it meant she would see him at least one more time.

She looked back at her patient. ‘If you were ever going to get indigestion, I imagine this would be a popular time.’ She glanced around the cabin and saw most of the patrons had their eyes shut. ‘What do you usually take when you get that?’

‘My antacid tablets. I forgot to take the prescription one this morning. But they’re in the luggage compartment.’ She glanced around as if searching. ‘I wish Connor was here.’

Kelsie nodded. She did too, and moved back to her seat and reached up to the ornate silver luggage rack and pulled down her tote. In her bag she had some lozenges so she dug around until she found them.

‘How about you take one of my little over-the-counter antacid tablets?’ She glanced into her bag again. ‘And two of my travel aspirins, which would be about half a normal dose of aspirin. That will cover both bases while we wait for help.’ Aspirin was always a good first-aid suggestion with cardiac pain or clots. They had done a lot of sitting and maybe Winsome was in more danger than she thought.

Samuel, the steward, appeared at her elbow and Kelsie turned to him with relief. ‘Mrs Black has chest pain. How long until we arrive in London?’

Samuel looked instantly concerned and frowned over Winsome’s increasing pallor. He spoke quietly, for Kelsie’s hearing only. ‘About ten minutes. I can arrange for an ambulance to meet us, if you wish?’

Kelsie nodded just as Winsome whimpered and rubbed her chest again. ‘Do you feel breathless?’

‘Just with the pain.’ She sounded more frail than Kelsie expected and her concern climbed. ‘It’s difficult to breathe deeply. I just want Connor.’ Her voice faded away and she closed her eyes.

Kelsie’s heart settled a little at that. Cardiac chest pain shouldn’t get worse with inhalation, which made it more likely to be another cause. But it still needed checking. She looked at Samuel then back at Winsome. ‘We’ll have that ambulance, thanks.’

It seemed to take for ever for the train to pull into the station.

The loudspeaker boomed as they came to a stop. ‘Would all passengers please remain seated for the first five minutes while we transfer an ill passenger off the train. Your luggage will be waiting for you once they have been transferred. Thank you.’

Kelsie followed the ambulance officers, who had fireman-lifted Winsome out of the carriage onto the bench seat of another small luggage train, and Kelsie followed onto the platform and the organised chaos of Victoria Station. A row of luggage trolleys laden with Christmas goodies from Europe had arrived and the porters were lining bags up in neat rows for identification and retrieval.

Kelsie saw her suitcase, which towered over the others, almost waving at her, and she grimaced at that problem for later. Winsome first.

They trundled through to a side entrance, where an ambulance waited.

She glanced back into the crowded station. Could she accompany Winsome?

She knew she wanted to but a glance inside the small emergency vehicle didn’t seem to suggest a lot of room and she doubted they’d let her. That was when she realised the snow was melting on her hair and face. Landing quite heavily on her and the snaking line of people at the cab rank.

It would be hell to catch a cab in this on Christmas Eve but she’d feel she’d let Winsome down if she abandoned her to strangers.

A young woman appeared at her elbow. ‘I’m to meet Mrs Winsome Black. Was that who was just lifted into that ambulance?’

The young woman was dressed from head to foot in black suede, very chic, but Kelsie decided she looked almost like a seal. Even the scarf threaded around her neck was suede to match the cap she wore over her hair.

But seal or not, Kelsie pounced on her with relief. ‘Yes. She has chest pain. Do you have contact with Dr Black?’

The girl’s eyes widened in distress. ‘I can get a message to him.’ The girl scrolled through her contact list. ‘I’ve already arranged with a porter to have her luggage collected.’ The young woman looked up enquiringly. ‘And you are?’