Kate sat in her consulting room in the Whitby practice, staring into an untouched cup of tea. Untouched partly because she was so deep in thought she had forgotten about it and also because at the moment anything that went down made a rapid appearance back up.

She was distracted by a knock on the door.

"Come in!" she called.

It was James Radcliffe. "Ah, Kate. I wondered, if I may have a word?" He seated himself by her desk.

"Actually James I'm a bit busy and morning surgery starts in half an hour."

"I know what time surgery starts Kate and we need to talk."

She glanced at him. "We could have talked at breakfast." Since Kate had entered into a trial merger agreement between her practice and James' larger one based in Whitby she had been running two morning surgery sessions at Whitby on Wednesday and Thursdays. As she was also taking on an evening session in Whitby on Wednesday evening it made sense to stay with James on Wednesday evening. His large rambling house occupied the surgery on its lower floor and then he and his family lived "above the shop" over the upper three floors.(His family consisting of his two daughters, his wife having died some years ago)

"Not in front of the girls." James sat back. "You look dreadful."

Kate sighed. She should have known she couldn't hide it from him.

"In fact," James went on, "you look rather like Mrs Dryden did when she came into my surgery yesterday. And she's two months pregnant."

Kate gave a wry smile. "You've got me."

"So?" James looked at her. "Congratulations, is it? What does Nick say?"

"Nick doesn't know. I've barely had time to come to terms with it myself."

"Come to terms with it?" James looked quizzically at her. "Rather an odd choice of words Kate."

She looked down at her desk, then back at him. "The timing's awful James. We've just set up the practice partnership here."

He shrugged. "As I know myself, the timing is very rarely anything but good Kate. Anyway I don't see it that way. In a way your timing is perfect. You're established in your career and your marriage is strong."

"Well I'm not sure about either of those points at the moment!"

James frowned. "What on earth do you mean?"

Kate sighed. "A woman at medical school. And then on hospital wards working for consultants who thought a woman's place was in the home. It wasn't easy James."

"I appreciate that. But you did it Kate and now look. You're a successful GP." James smiled. "No one's going to take it away from you Kate. It will all still be here however many children you have." He paused. "Are you and Nick having problems Kate?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "We're just pulling in different directions." She bit her lip. "Nick is – settled. He's found his niche if you like."

"And you don't think you have?"

"Yes!" Kate sighed. "No. I don't know."

"You're bound to feel a little mixed up about things at the moment Kate." James put his hand on hers. "You need to talk to Nick.

"In a day or two. When I've had chance to work things out myself."

"Kate." James looked quietly at her. "Don't put things aside thinking you can deal with it tomorrow. As I know myself sometimes you run out of tomorrows."

She looked at him silently appreciating where he was coming from. He had after all been left widowed with two young children to raise whilst at the same time trying to run a busy practice single handed.

Back in Aidensfield Nick, eating breakfast somewhat half-heartedly, looked up as someone knocked on the window, it was Phil Bellamy. Letting himself in, Phil sat down at the breakfast table and reached for the teapot.

"Make yourself at home," Nick said dryly. "What brings you out here anyway?"

Phil sat back in his chair. "You."

"Eh?"

"Nick, your mind's not on t'job at the minute as you well know. Blaketon's noticed."

"Has he said anything?" Nick asked sharply.

"Building up to it I reckon."

"All right. Thanks for the warning."

Phil leaned forward speaking more soberly now. "Nick is everything all right?"

Nick studied the milk bottle on the table intently.

"Its none of my business," Phil said gently, "but you're my mate and I want to help. Are you and Kate all right?"

Nick looked up sharply. "Whose talking?"

"No one. Yet." Phil sighed. "Its pretty weird though Nick. I mean she's not here most of the week is she?"

"Its just while she's getting this partnership established in Whitby." Nick paused "Its fine Phil. We're just not seeing much of each other that's all and – well, we just need a bit of time together." He did not add that when Kate had been home the other day she had been abstracted and withdrawn into herself and conversation had not exactly been free flowing.

"All right. If you're sure." Phil looked at the clock on the wall. "Come on. Get your skates on or Blaketon'll be on the warpath."

Kate was out on visits that afternoon and was crossing one of the main moorland roads in the car when she saw Nick's motorbike heading towards her. She pulled up, he pulled up alongside.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"Just following up some routine enquiries in Whitby." Nick turned the bike engine off. "Look, Kate, we could do with some time together. You're home later aren't you?"

"Nick – I was going to ring you. I'm covering the Thursday evening surgery as well."

He looked surprised. "As a one-off or something?"

"Or something. Thursday evening surgery is particularly busy for some reason so we're going to both run a surgery, James and I, to ease the workload.

"When did you decide this?"

"Earlier in the week, I meant to mention it and then it just slipped my mind. I'm sorry. As I said I was going to ring you!"

"Right. And - you'll come home after surgery finishes tonight?"

"It will be late Nick, it makes sense for me to stay in Whitby really then come back to Aidensfield Friday morning."

Nick looked away so she wouldn't see the irritation in his face. Looking back at her he said, "And you were just going to drop this into a phone call?"

"I'm sorry, I should have told you - we should have discussed it." Kate bit her lip. " Anyway it doesn't matter does it – if you're called out - which being honest is pretty likely - we wouldn't see each other anyway. I might as well stay over in Whitby!"

"Thanks!"

"Nick - I didn't mean-"

He said, "You look awful by the way."

"What!"

"Worn out. You're over-doing it Kate."

"No – its not that –"

He looked at her. "You all right?"

"Of course I am. Look – I'll see you tomorrow. I need to get on."

"Kate. We need to talk. Something's not right, I know that. Please."

She sighed. "All right. Not now though – weekend. I've got to go Nick."

Nick finished his enquiries in Whitby and came down the steps of the house he had been visiting to the motorbike. As he was about to radio in, a voice behind him said, "Hallo Nick, what brings you over here?"

It was James Radcliffe who had been doing house calls in the town and therefore had not bothered with the car as the calls were on the doorstep so to speak.

"Just routine enquiries." For some reason he could not be sure of himself Nick could not bring himself to be overly friendly. "I saw Kate out on her rounds whilst I was on the way over here actually."

"Oh, I see." James felt a bit wrong footed. He wondered if Kate had imparted her pregnancy news to Nick but thought, probably not. He felt uncomfortable having that knowledge whilst Nick who had every right to know, did not.

"She doesn't look well, James. I'm a little bit worried." Nick paused. "I think it might be a bit too much for her. Covering the surgeries here and Aidensfield."

"Well I'm sure Kate's sensible enough not to over-do it."

"Right. Only- I gather she's going to be doing a Thursday evening surgery as well? That keeps her away from home two nights a week."

"We discussed it, as partners. She assured me it wasn't a problem," James said tightly

"Its a shame she didn't discuss it with me, as her husband, although perhaps my views don't seem to matter any more," Nick said fighting back irritation.

"You didn't know? About the Thursday evening arrangements?"

"Not until she told me when I saw her half an hour ago."

"Look Nick." James stopped. What could he say? Kate's erratic behaviour was undoubtedly due to hormones and her uncertainty about her pregnancy but he could not breach her confidentiality by telling Nick this. "I'll speak to her later, make sure she's not overdoing it," he finished lamely. He could well understand Nick's irritation.

Oscar Blaketon had had a reasonably trying day. It was made even more trying when Phil Bellamy knocked on his office door at 4pm that Thursday afternoon.

"Sarge – sorry but we've had a radio call in from Nick Rowan. I'm going out there now to pick him up."

"Pick him up Bellamy?

"Well I mean – he radioed in once he'd finished those queries in Whitby – and then he was on his road back – only he's come off his bike Sarge. Well, he sounds all right but I need to go and make sure Sarge."

"Come on Bellamy, out with it!"

"Sarge?"

"Don't give me half a story lad, I wasn't born yesterday!"

"I – I don't know Sarge. I just – he didn't sound hisself is all."

Blaketon sighed and got up.

"Sarge?"

"Back to your duties Bellamy. I'll go and retrieve PC Rowan myself. And if he's made a mess of that bike he's on foot patrol for the next six weeks!"