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No answer.
The door was ajar and he could see that the room was flooded with daylight, which meant she must be awake. He tried again, knocking harder this time and causing the door to swing open. ‘Kate, are you in here?’
There was no sign of her. Her suitcase was lying on the seat by the window, so he figured she hadn’t run off, which was something.
Closing the door, he backtracked down the corridor and jogged down to the first floor, in case she’d got lost and had ended up in the wrong place. There were ten bedrooms in total, but currently only four were occupied.
After his uncle’s death, Hanna had made the decision not to accept any new residents until the future of the care home had been decided, which was fair enough, especially as they were running on a reduced staff team. This just left Rowan Blakely, Larry Redding, and Deshad and Priya Bakshi in residence.
He heard Kate’s voice before he saw her; she was in Priya’s room.
Pausing by the doorway, he glanced in, surprised to see Kate handing Priya’s husband a cup of tea. ‘I hope it’s not too strong,’ she said, holding it until he had a firm grip.
‘I take it as it comes,’ Deshad said, smiling.
‘Everything okay in here?’ Calvin asked from the doorway, puzzled as to what was happening.
She startled at the sound of his voice. She was wearing a formal grey business suit, with a pale blue shirt underneath. Her fair hair was tied up and secured by a clip. It was a complete contrast to how she’d looked last night, all dishevelled and… damp.
‘Morning,’ she said, offering him a shaky smile. ‘I got lost trying to find the library and ended up on the wrong floor.’
‘Where’s Natalie?’
‘I don’t know who Natalie is,’ she said, looking self-conscious. ‘This gentleman asked for a cup of tea, and as no one was around, I thought I’d get him one. I’d seen the kitchenette at the end of the hallway, so it was no bother.’ She hesitated, as if realising she might have done something wrong. ‘Have I overstepped?’
Guilt nudged him in the ribs. ‘Of course not, it’s kind of you to help out. I’m just wondering why Natalie isn’t here. She’s our night nurse and usually sorts out breakfast before she finishes her shift.’ He came into the room. ‘Morning, Deshad. Has Priya been washed this morning?’
‘Not yet,’ he replied, cradling his tea. ‘It’s not a problem – we’re happy to wait. Natalie’s probably dealing with Jacob. Poor girl was in here several times last night turning Priya and she’s probably exhausted. Please don’t be angry with her.’
Calvin wasn’t angry; he was concerned. He knew it was a tough ask looking after the residents with only two nurses, even though both Rowan and Lucky Larry were still active and mobile. But Priya’s stroke had left the fifty-five-year-old unable to manage the most basic tasks and this presented the team with a number of additional challenges, especially as she had lost the ability to communicate.
He was about to go in search of Natalie when she rushed into the room, holding a screaming Jacob. ‘I’m so sorry! Jacob threw up everywhere and I had to change my uniform. He refused to settle and I’ve been playing catch-up all night.’
The pair of them looked exhausted, and once again Calvin felt overwhelmed with guilt. Natalie’s pale skin seemed almost see-through this morning and her dark red hair was shoved into a lopsided ponytail.
‘It’s fine, Natalie. Don’t worry. Is Jacob sick? Does he need to see a doctor?’
‘I don’t think so.’ She touched his forehead. ‘He hasn’t got a temperature, he’s just grumpy. Can you take him while I sort out Priya?’
The baby was dumped into his arms. ‘Sure. No problem.’
Jacob was heavier than he’d expected and he had to adjust his grip to settle the kid against his chest. He was used to handling babies; he’d been very hands-on with his twin nieces and instinctively began rocking Jacob, hoping to quell his screaming.
Natalie went over to Priya. ‘Good morning, my love. Let’s get you washed and dressed, shall we? It’s always nice to be in fresh clothes.’
It never ceased to amaze him how kind the staff were to the residents, showing genuine concern over their wellbeing. They certainly weren’t in the profession for the money, of that he was certain.
‘We’ll wait outside,’ he said, gesturing for Kate to follow him into the corridor.
Deshad acted as Priya’s full-time carer, which was just as well, as they’d struggle to cope with her needs if he wasn’t on hand 24/7 to help them. Following his wife’s stroke, Deshad had given up work to care for her, and when Priya had deteriorated and moved into the care home, he had moved in with her. A situation Calvin’s late uncle had agreed to and supported.
Unfortunately, the local authority would only pay for Priya’s care needs, so Deshad was living with them rent-free. Calvin had no issue with this, as he knew how desperate the couple were to stay together. But he wasn’t so sure whether any new management would see it the same way, which was something else that was playing on his mind and impeding his decision about the care home’s future.
‘Have you had breakfast?’ he asked Kate, as she closed the bedroom door behind her. Her shirt had become untucked and she was unsteady on her heels.
‘I’m not hungry,’ she said, inspecting the empty corridor. ‘You don’t seem to have many staff working this morning. Is that usual?’
He let out a sigh. ‘It shouldn’t be, but we don’t have the money to pay the staff we do have, let alone recruit new people. It’s not ideal, I know.’ He bounced Jacob in his arms, grateful that his efforts seemed to be working: the screaming had softened to a disgruntled whimper.
