Circling Carousels by Ashlee North Page A

of the doctors there. Crystal could hear them talking and strained her ears to hear their conversation. The doctor was saying he would go straight away after he had seen his last patient for the day. When the receptionist came back on the phone, she said the doctor, Dr. Cedric, should be there in less than an hour.
    The girls were elated, and as Crystal hung the phone up, she let out a sigh of absolute relief. As the time ticked by and an hour became an hour and a half, Candice’s daughters began to worry. Just how much trouble would they be in if Marcus should find out and what might the punishment be? They knew, especially Crystal knew, what he could be like when he was angered, and now with his usual arrival time drawing frighteningly near, they went to their room, locked the door, and tried to work out what to do next.
    They heard Marcus come home, and then they heard him speaking to Elsie, who was blissfully ignorant to the girls’ endeavour. Next he flipped on the television in the lounge room and sat down with a glass of Scotch, as he usually did. The girls decided they were safe enough now to get into the kitchen and to Elsie’s side, which was the first part of their newly-hatched plan. Elsie was putting the finishing touches on dinner, and she thought it a bit odd, but not too odd, that the girls came up and both of them hugged her, one on either side of her plump body. Sienna said in hushed tones, “Elsie, we need to tell you something.” With that, they let out their secret about how terrible their mother was looking and what they had done to try to help her.
    Elsie said, “So this doctor, when is he coming?” They told her the doctor was supposed to have come over an hour ago but wasn’t there yet, and now Marcus was home. Panic crossed over Elsie’s face as she realised exactly what it all meant—in a short time, the doctor might come to the door, and Marcus would be incredibly angry that the code of secrecy had been breached. Then he would be looking for whom was to blame. This could get very ugly.
    Just then the doorbell rang. “Oh no!” she said as she pushed past the girls, told them to stay right there, and tried to intercept Marcus on the way to the door. “Don’t worry, sir,” she said. “I’ll get it!” He sat back down with his drink and allowed her to answer. Elsie opened the door and quietly stepped just outside to talk with the stranger on the other side. Unfortunately, this only piqued Marcus’s interest, and he swung the door open wide just as the doctor was telling Elsie that he had received a phone call from a young lady called Crystal Carmody and that she claimed her mother, Candice, was in desperate need of his help. Marcus turned an ugly shade of crimson and through gritted teeth told Elsie he would handle this. Elsie ducked back inside the door and heard Marcus from the other side explaining to the doctor that Crystal was only twelve and mistakenly thought her mother was ill when really she was just sleeping very deeply after taking a sleeping pill. Dr. Cedric looked at him quizzically. “I’m sorry, Mr. Carmody, but your daughter said your wife had bruises all over her face and body and that she was really very unwell. Would you mind if I take a look anyway, seeing as I’m already here?”
    Marcus took a step towards him and replied in a firm but calm tone. “No, thank you. She truly is fine, and there is no need for you to waste your precious time. However, because you have come all this way, I would be happy to pay you for your trouble.” And with that, he placed a wad of bills into the doctor’s hand.
    Dr. Cedric, not bribed easily, looked at the money and the man with the stern look on his face and said, “All right then, but should you need me, this is my card. Please feel free to phone me anytime.”
    “Thank you,” said Marcus, and with one single movement, he stepped back through the door and closed it before the doctor had a chance to say another word.