Love You Dead

66 Friday 6 March

‘How are you feeling, Mr Carmichael?’ Dr Ryerson asked, entering the cabin. It was just after 6 p.m. and Jodie’s husband had stayed in bed for the past two days, throwing up constantly, sustained only by sugary drinks. He had resisted the doctor, telling Jodie that, from his experience on cruise ships, if the doctor believed you might have a contagious bug they would confine you and your partner to your cabin for days. But finally he had given in and told her to ask him to come.

‘Terrible,’ he said, holding a handkerchief to his nose to staunch his latest nosebleed.

‘Your wife tells me you had oysters for dinner the night before last. Afterwards Martinis, then champagne and white wine?’

Jodie, holding her husband’s hand, said, ‘You did rather go for it, didn’t you, my darling?’

He nodded.

‘It’s possible they haven’t agreed with you. Oysters and spirits can be a dangerous mix. But is there anything else you can think of?’

‘Yesterday,’ he said listlessly. ‘Sorry — day before yesterday — at the crocodile farm. Mumbai. I got bitten.’

‘Bitten?’

‘Something bit me.’

‘Where were you bitten?’

‘On my leg — ankle — my right ankle.’

‘He fell over in the crocodile farm and thought he had been bitten by something,’ Jodie confirmed. ‘I had a look but I couldn’t see anything.’

The doctor lifted away the sheet and examined his ankle carefully, frowning. ‘There is a faint mark but I can’t see any swelling,’ he said. ‘It might be an insect bite. If you’d been bitten by something venomous, a snake or a spider, there would almost certainly be swelling.’

He took Rollo’s temperature then studied the thermometer. ‘Hmmn,’ he said. ‘You have quite a high temperature. It might be something you’ve eaten, a bug, or a reaction to some sort of insect bite.’ He looked at Jodie. ‘Do you feel all right?’

‘Absolutely fine.’ She gave him a smile.

The doctor quizzed Rollo about his medical history, then delved into his medical bag, which he had placed on the floor, and removed a syringe and a vial. ‘I’m going to give you a shot of antibiotic, and then I’ll come back and see you in a few hours.’ He turned to Jodie. ‘I think you should stay with your husband and keep an eye on him. I suggest you have room service tonight.’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Yes, of course. I wouldn’t want to leave him on his own. Can you explain his nosebleed?’

‘His blood pressure is up quite a bit, which I’d expect in his condition at the moment. That’s probably causing it.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Good,’ the doctor said, preparing the injection. Then he smiled. ‘I’m sure you’ll be feeling right as rain very soon, Mr Carmichael!’ he said. ‘Best if you don’t eat anything, but I’d like you to drink as much water as you can.’

‘Don’t care for water,’ Rollo Carmichael said, looking at him balefully. ‘You know what W. C. Fields said about water?’

‘W. C. Fields, the actor?’

He nodded. ‘Never drink water,’ he said. ‘Cos fish screw in it.’

The doctor laughed. ‘Well, he had a point, I suppose!’

Then suddenly, and without warning, Carmichael vomited a jet of bile and blood.