Every Bookshop Needs a Cat (Fleckney Fields Series, Book 2)

Weekend Plans

Mrs. Little came, just a few minutes before the arrival of the doctor, and she moved Anya onto the bed, to the latter's utter mortification. The bloody baronet was sitting on the floor with her - in his pants and a soft tee! Doesn't he own pyjamas?!

Her mind was foggy and anxious, and the doctor's visit was a blur. She did seem to weakly protest at the beginning when a man came into the bedroom. After a few seconds she recognised Dr. Fenton. There was nothing particularly wrong with him. She remembered how capable and calm he'd been during the snow storm. But she only had her bra and knickers on - and she was in Bjornsson's bed! The latter lingered in the background, and she could feel his agitated gaze on her the whole time.

The doctor, unfazed by her mumbling, simply delegated the examination to Snezha, who shooed the men out of the room, inspected Anya's body and took her blood. The nurse had pleasantly cool hands, and was quick and efficient. Anya assumed they were checking for lesions, in case she had scarlet fever or measles. Her skin was clear, and her throat wasn't sore; so Snezha helped her into a clean tee, which was probably Klaus' considering its size. By then, Anya was somewhat upright only because the nurse was supporting her.

"Lie down now, Anna," Snezha said and helped Anya to cover up with the duvet.

"Varya– the school run–" Anya was struggling to keep her eyes open. "She needs to–"

"Don't worry about it," Snezha said. "I'm sure Mr. Bjornsson will take care of it. He's not a Slavic man! He can manage the morning of a school day," she added with a scoff.

Anya was feeling too dicky to laugh at this astute observation - although she couldn't agree more. Compared to Dom, who at the beginning hadn't been too bad, Vladimir, the Russian mechanic she'd dated at the end of their time in Bristol, was completely inadequate as a parent.

"Do I need a fit note?" Anya asked, suddenly remembering that she worked fully legally now - and then she was immediately filled with dread regarding a possible fee. "Is Dr. Fenton's practice private?" she asked.

Snezha softly laughed. "It's Fleckney, Anna. You don't need a fit note even after 7 days. Everyone knows you aren't faking. And no, there is no fee. And I'm sure, to get you good care, Mr. Bjornsson will just buy the surgery if he needs to."

Anya gawked at her.

"I'm joking," Snezha snorted. "He just looked so scared. I thought he will faint too. OK, you will rest now. And no stressing, alright?"

The nurse shook her finger at Anya, got up, and left, quietly closing the door. Anya was asleep in two seconds.

***

She woke up and couldn't understand where she was. It was dark outside, it seemed; or maybe the curtains were drawn. She was in Klaus' bed, that much she knew.

She tried to sit up, grabbing onto the headboard. All her joints ached dully, and there was no strength in her arms. She struggled for a while, but finally managed to pull herself up. Her mobile was on a low table by the bed, next to a glass of water, three tablets on a saucer, and a note in Klaus' handwriting that said, 'Drink me.' She couldn't help but smile at this Alice in Wonderland joke. The water tasted divine, and she realised how thirsty she was. She picked up her phone. There were messages from Yola and Eddie, all with wishes for quicker recovery and orders for her to stay home until she was completely well. Varya had texted as well, letting Anya know that the day at school had gone well, and Varya was going to Yolanda's to spend some time with the Holyoake children. There was also a message from Klaus: Let me know if you need anything.

She doubted even a minute passed between her texting him that she was awake - and a quiet knock at the door. He came in and approached the bed.

"Hiya," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"