Mary, Mary, quite contrary...

As many of you will know, I'm currently off work, as well as off my feet. Yesterday I had a little trip down Memory Lane to the life of an on-call GP of yesteryear... You know, oncall from home 24 hrs a day. Dr Finlay stuff.

Pipes Parkin was away to the Big Smoke this weekend, being organiser-in-chief for the stag weekend of the Great Lorenzo. Mrs P was home alone with Baby Mary, when she noticed a rash at bathtime. One panicked glass test later, Mrs P phoned her local "tame" GP. Me.

I dusted off my thermometer, found my stethoscope and wondered if I had any penicillin handy. Mary was very well in herself, smiling, chatty and very pleased to meet Max, whilst Jeff was gutted to have to stay in the kitchen.

It was an unusual rash so we thought Mary would be better seen by the paediatricians because, being "just a GP" I wasn't completely sure what was going on. Well Mary spent 24 hours in the shiny new RVI with the clever doctors and their blood tests, and we still are not completely sure what's gone on.

I'm fairly certain, though, that Mary is just being contrary - she's got that kind of smile.