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Tidying the files this evening, I came across this. It's a scene I wrote three years ago, then cut before anyone but me and Phil saw any part of the book. I like it, but it's a scene that doesn't add to the plot, and anyway the plot went in a different direction. The characters still have their original names here, too. (The book started as me having fun with the characters from The Book of Gaheris.)
Anyway, here's an outtake.
“I’m an idiot,” Gawain said, and looked at the wall speculatively. “Is that brick or plasterboard?”
“I don’t know,” Gaheris looked at him curiously. “Why?”
“I’d rather not make a hole in it.”
“Please don’t,” said Kay, and coughed. He was thoroughly fed up of feeling ill, and it was still only Thursday. Gawain had told him earlier that he was to stay home at least until the end of the week. He was going to go mad. Or rebel. Preferably the latter, once he had enough energy to stay awake for more than a couple of hours or do anything more energetic than walk from the bed to the sofa. Flu was a huge time sink. And very annoying. He didn’t recommend it.
It was just before eight in the evening. Gawain had stopped by to look at him – which he did not need, thank you – ask Gaheris a couple of arcane sounding questions about laundry, and fill him in on the new doctor. Today had been her first day, and she sounded competent. At least, she seemed to have Gawain under control and that was always useful. If he was honest, Kay did not entirely trust Gawain alone at the surgery. He was a good doctor, but trouble did seem to follow him around.
“She drew up a job description for a part-time practice manager,” Gawain said, still eyeing the wall. “It sounds just like the twins.”
Kay choked on his tea,[1] and Gaheris gave him a worried look. “I’m fine. Just startled.” And then, “Tell her it has to be approved by all three partners. That should buy us some time.”
“I could come in for a while. If it would help.” Gaheris spoke softly, gazed fixed on some point halfway between the two of them. “If it’s admin.”
“Heris, it’s people. Lots of them.”
“I…” Gaheris rubbed his arm. “I know most of them. Probably. And… Well, it might be good. To try, I mean.”
“Heart,” Kay began, remembered Gawain was in the room, and blushed. Gaheris gave him a sidewise smile.
He said, “I’ll be all right. You’ll be there.”
“Kill me now,” Gawain said. “Am I the only person in this village who hasn’t turned into marshmallow?”
“Percy,” Gaheris said, thinking about it. “And Mrs Galvoy at the Co-Op. And…”
“Rhetorical question,” Gawain said, hastily. Gaheris could be rather literal at times. “But about Rauni – Dr Guillou, I mean… Will you both stop looking at me like that?”
Kay looked at Gaheris. Gaheris looked back at Kay. “I’ve created a monster,” Gawain said. “I take it all back. Kay, you’re a terrible influence on my brother.”
“Hmm,” Kay said. And coughed some more. “I could… come in tomorrow… and talk to her…”
Both brothers Looked at him in turn. It was easy to forget, sometimes, how very alike they were. “I don’t think…” Gaheris began.
“Absolutely not,” Gawain said. “Rest and fluids, remember. Not to mention that today’s the first day you’ve spent more than twenty minutes upright since Monday morning.” And how he knew that… Kay would have to pay more attention to how often Gaheris was texting his brother. “The less you push it, the sooner you’ll feel better and you know it.” Gawain paused, considering. “If it was this one down with flu,” and he nodded towards his brother, “would you be letting him do that?”
Gaheris was still underweight and sometimes brittle. He’d spent the last three nights sleeping on Kay’s floor, the days taking care of him. He was so very young and so vulnerable… The situation was different. Kay wasn’t twenty five or fragile. He had responsibilities. Gawain was still Looking at him and it was very annoying.
“You set one foot in the surgery tomorrow,” Gawain said, “and I’ll hire Lynette for the entire summer.”
And that was a low blow. Kay drew breath to protest and coughed yet again. “Point proved,” Gawain said. “Do as you’re told, or I’ll send Gareth round to cook, as well.”
Kay raised a hand. “All right, all right, you win.”
“Which reminds me,” Gawain continued. “I invited her to dinner this Saturday. Kay, too, of course, if he’s well enough. Is that all right.”
“Oh,” Gaheris said. “Okay. Right.” His hands crept towards each other, fingers twining. “That’s not.. I mean, the prep time… I need to know about allergies and what she likes and…”
“No allergies. And she’s a grown up who I am sure will be happy with anything you choose to make.”
“But…”
“Heris, I thought you said you wanted to try meeting new people more?”
“Yes, but…” Clasp, unclasp; clasp, unclasp. Kay began to try and get up, to move closer, so he might take and calm those troubled hands. He stood up all the time, after all, without even thinking about it. It was easy. It should be easy. It was just a virus, damn it. He used a hand to push against the arm of the sofa, and his legs let him down completely by wobbling. He caught at the back of the seat for stability, and Gaheris was there, one hand under his elbow, the other against his back. “What are you doing?”
He really could be remarkably like Gawain. The long hands steadied him, and pressed him gently back down. “If you need anything, ask me to get it,” Gaheris said. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
“You were warned,” Gawain said, amused. “He’s worse than Blodwen for fussing over his pack.”
Gaheris threw a cushion at him.
[1] Gawain said ‘lots of fluids’ and Gaheris takes this very seriously. He knows coffee is a diuretic, however, so Kay has been faced with endless cups of tea (mostly green) instead. He’s resigned, because Gaheris can be surprisingly bossy at times like this.
