The Doctor on the Hill

"I know the way, Mum," said Isla. "I drew a map."

It was the first of the month, and Isla had an appointment at Doctor Bramble's. She wanted to lead the way all by herself. Mum carried the baby and the bag, and said, "Lead on, then."

Isla held up her map. She had drawn it from memory, with a crayon, in bed.

"Left at the big oak," said the map.

They went left at the oak. There was no doctor's house. There was a bakery, and it smelled of warm buns.

"Hmm," said Isla. "The map is a little bit wrong."

"A little bit," said Mum, and she smiled.

Isla turned the map around. "Over the bridge, then right at the pond," she said.

They went over the bridge and right at the pond. There was no doctor's house there either. There were only ducks, and a very muddy bank. Isla's trainers went squelch, squelch, squelch.

Isla sat down on a stone. The map was mostly wrong. Her tummy felt wobbly, and not only from hunger.

Then she noticed the river. It was running past her feet, and the leaves on it were sailing along, up the hill. Up, up, up. A line of ducks paddled after them, in a hurry.

Nobody looked twice. The river always ran uphill on the first of the month.

Isla sat very still. Then she jumped up.

"The doctor's house is at the top of the hill!" she said. "I remember the gate. It's where the river starts!"

"Where does the river go today?" asked Mum.

"Up!" said Isla. "So we go up too."

They followed the ducks, and the leaves, and the shining river. The path got steeper. At the top there was a round green gate, and a brass plate that said DOCTOR BRAMBLE.

Inside, Doctor Bramble put a cold silver circle on Isla's chest.

"Breathe in," she said.

Isla breathed in, and listened.

Boom-boom. Boom-boom. Boom-boom.

It was her own heart, steady as a drum.