(aka Bike) Part 1014 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad
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“Are we going to see Maureen, now?” asked Julie.
“That was the plan.” I spoke as we walked towards the ward she was on. “Of course we might not recognise her because she’s had some plastic surgery.”
“Yes, she was badly beaten wasn’t she?”
“The brutality shown by those morons was indescribable,” I felt my anger rising and walked on quickly to try and abate it. “Still if she’s back in Pompey, then her neurological stuff must be okay.”
“Yeah, Mummy, or she’d still be in Southampton, wouldn’t she?”
“Well that’s my reasoning.” I felt more guilt than anything–I’d not been to Southampton as much as I’d liked. Still I suppose the episode with the bandits had taken some of my attention.
We entered the ward asked for Maureen and were directed to a private room. We walked to it, knocked and entered, “Only the posh can afford private rooms,” I said as we wandered in.
Our mood changed moments later. Maureen was sitting in a wheelchair, with a bag attached to a catheter. Her face was still bruised but actually looked much better than when I’d last seen it.
“Well look who’s ‘ere?” she said and Julie rushed to hug her. “Hello, ma’am, good to see you again.”
I walked over and kissed her on the cheek, “You too, you look a bit better than the last time I saw you.”
“Probably, the surgeon was pretty clever, given me some cheekbones and a narrower jaw line.”
“So I see, yes very good. What’s with the wheelchair?”
“Yeah, that I’m still coming to terms with it, ma’am, you’re goin’ to ‘ave to tell your pa in law, I can’t do ‘is banks.”
“Why?” asked Julie.
“I’m afraid the ol’ legs don’t work no more.”
“Why?”
“They’re not quite sure, can’t decide whether it’s me back or me brain. I said it’s gotta be me back ‘cos me brain’s never worked.”
Julie tittered, then I saw a tear run down her face, “Can you fix her, Mummy?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, I can but try.”
“Try what?” asked Maureen.
“Mummy does miracles, don’t you, Mummy–I can help, too.”
I ran my hands over Maureen’s head and down her back, which was difficult in the chair. “No, it’s no good, I can’t feel what I’m after, could you lie on the bed?”
“Yeah, if you gi’s an ‘and.”
Julie and I helped Maureen pull herself out of the chair and on to the bed, Then we hauled her over on to her face. I then scanned her spine with my hands. “It’s here, something’s happened here,” I prodded her lumbar area.
“I bashed it when I was a youngster, fell down some steps on my first ship, HMS Portsmouth, believe it or not?”
“So it’s an old injury–I don’t know if I can do much for that, Maureen.”
“Please, Mummy you must try, I’ll help if I can.”
“Okay, sweetheart, you hold Maureen’s hands, and see if we can get a two pronged attack going.”
I watched as Julie held on to her friend’s much larger hands. Then I placed my hands on Maureen’s lower back and she jumped.
“Bloody ‘ell that’s ‘ot,” she said between clenched teeth.
“Is it? Sorry, I don’t have much control over things.” I kept firing in the energy.
“Oh, it’s not so bad now. Just like you lit a fire on me back.”
“Yeah, only a small fire though, in case it sets off the smoke detectors,” I joked.
I worked on the affected part then moved up and down a little from that site to work on other bits.
“Cor, that’s cold, ma’am.”
“Sorry, Maureen, I don’t have a temperature regulator. Okay, that’s it for now.”
We turned her over on her back and she looked at me peculiarly. “What have you done?”
“Nothing much, why?”
“I can feel a bit in me feet.”
“Don’t tell anyone who did it.”
“Why, what’s gonna ‘appen.”
“I’m not entirely sure, what I’ve tried to do is weld the nerve fibres together again.”
“So why couldn’t the surgeons have done that?”
I shrugged and Julie said, “Because they’re not angels, Mummy is.”
“Let’s see them wings, then?” Maureen smiled at me.
“I need to go, I’m afraid–I feel shattered. I’ll be back tomorrow to see if I can do any more.”
“Can I come too?” asked Julie.
“Probably, we’ll have to see–if you do you’ll need to give me a hand round the house.”
“Yeah, course I will.”
“Oh we brought you some nighties, any washing to do?”
“No ma’am, Tamsin’s doin’ that for me. Thanks for what you done.”
“Do you need any books or anything to read.”
“Nah, I’m struggling with one already.”
“I picked it up, goodness, The Republic.”
“Who’s that by?” asked Julie.
“Plato.”
“Who?” asked Julie.
“A Greek philosopher died about 350BC.”
“347, ma’am.”
“What nearly two and half thousand years ago?” Julie’s maths was better than her general knowledge, slightly. “So what did he philosophee–ise, then?”
“Lots of moral stuff, was concerned with concepts of controlling the emotions with the mind and stuff like that.”
“How come, I’ve never heard of him?”
“Ever had a platonic friendship?”
“Yeah, course.”
“That comes from Plato.”
“Oh, hey that’s kewl.”
“Arguably the more progressive forms of most religions are neo-platonism.”
“Crikey, Mummy, you know everything, don’t you?”
“Far from it. If you asked me detailed questions, I couldn’t give you many answers, but I know a little about lots of things.”
“I think you’re so clever and wise.” Julie put her arm around mine in a partly proprietary manner. “And my loco parent.”
“Hey less of the loco.” I smacked Julie on the bum and she squeaked, then laughed. “So what’s with the philosophy?” I asked, rather rudely I thought afterwards.
“I thought if I can’t use me body, better make me brain a bit quicker, an’ Tamsin ‘ad this book so she brung it in f’ me. Funny thing is, one of the docs is a bit of a toffee-nose, well, since ‘e seen me readin’ Plato, ‘is attitude ‘as changed. Asked me what I thought of proost. I thought ‘e meant some French beer–one of them gnat’s pee ones, so I told ‘im I thought it was a bit watery.”
I burst out laughing, “What did he say to that?”
“Not a lot but he said ‘e found it very heavy, and ‘e left ‘cos the consultant came round. Anyway, ma’am what’s so funny?”
“Proust is a rather verbose Frenchman, who was a novelist and sort of philosopher, very into Existentialism.”
“Oh, I done the wrong thing then.”
“No, if you told him you thought Proust was a lightweight, he’s probably too frightened to ask you why, in case he can’t understand your answer.”
At this we all had a good laugh, and then Julie and I helped Maureen back into the chair and left.
“Is she gonna get better?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, I hope so, but I’m not sure–I’ll keep trying though.”
“Thank you, Mummy,” she said pulling my arm round her as we walked back to the car.
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Comments
Keeps going
The story still has my interest. I really like Maureen and I hope she walks again.
Hilltopper
Daily Dormouse-1014
Maureen is quite the lady. Can't help but think that she'd enjoy going to Penmarris or visiting Rosy Cottageas both have their own mareiarchs that'd treat her right. But she needs a healing first. Could Cathy give Sam Smart a bit of help with her plumbing?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Not just there...
Next time she's up at Stanebury, how about taking an excursion about as far North as you can go - to Thurso? :) There's a fair amount of emotional healing that could be done on a pair of girls up there. But an important thing to remember is it is healing, not (re)generation - so it can't create tissue that didn't exist beforehand, it just resets the body to its pre-injured state, removing foreign bodies (i.e. bullets) in the process.
Two-pronged healing - I like the idea! It would be interesting to know what Julie's experience of the evening's healings has been. Did she feel the energy or see the light (i.e. actively helping)? Perhaps at some point in the future, Cathy will allow Julie the honour of touching the afflicted part of the patient's body.
Heck, imagine what would happen if Cathy, Julie AND Trish all attended a patient... three-pronged healing! Especially as three is a significant number in philosophies and mythologies of magic (not that Cathy believes in the supernatural, of course...)
EAFOAB Episode Summaries
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Pure fantasy.
I love the healing stuff; yes, I know it's pure fantasy but by golly it does your heart good to read it and wish.
I'm really pitching for Maureen, she deserves a break!
Still loving it Angharad.
Hugs,
Beverly.
Actually....
it's not pure fantasy. Okay, what Cathy does is beyond anything I've seen documented. But, I've seen evidence of SOME levels of healing through "laying of hands" - whether you call it religious, psionics, magic or whatever. And, believe it or not, the "blue light" is commonly part of it.
Anne
It looks like...
...Maureen is on the road to a full recovery, thanks to Cathy and Julie's ministrations.
There's a certain irony that Maureen seems to have received some of the cosmetic surgery she couldn't previously afford, as a result of her attack.
The other thing I'd comment on at this point, is that aside from getting a really good story with our daily fix of "Bike," we also receive something of an education too. Sneaky work there, Angharad and Bonzi.
Philosophical Sentiments
Bike Archive
Bike Resources
Shhhhh....
You'll scare off the other readers. Hint at hidden eduction and they'll run.
More seriously, more than once, things our authors have included have sent me off on an internet research that has "learned" me some.
Anne
Sorry, couldn’t resist this...
See pictures and animations of these regular polyhedra, or as they're better known...
Platonic Solids
Bike Archive
Bike Resources
Say what!
That's it, I'm leaving!
After I catch up maybe.
I couldn't help myself...
Laughing at the philosophical discussion. LOL. Republic's not light reading - literally or figuratively. Just reading it proves that Maureen's not as "dense" as she'd like folks to believe... At least not if she's following it as well.
Thank you for this continuing saga.
Anne
You know...
education at school was never this much fun.
Plato; I've got one in my kitchen cupboard. I usually use it to serve up my dinero.
Susie
For The Money
Dinero is Spanish for "money."
Not sure what "plato" is in Spanish, but "plata" is silver. In Portuguese, however, plato means "plateau."
So, either you're serving your money on a plateau, or possibly on a silver tray. The latter to the pizza delivery boy so you can have dinner?
Enjoying the volatility of the relationship
between Julie and Cathy. Far more hot and cold than the work Cathy did on Maureen's back. Beginning to feel like I need to use bigger and less comprehensible words in my comments though. Don't want to let the literacy level in the story pass me by.
Plato
in ancient Greek, meant 'broad' as in wide (not as in NY slang so he wasn't tg). I used to see an old lady who read Proust who went on to develop Alzheimer's - so should I conclude it turns your brains mushy?
Angharad
Angharad
Proust
"Proust" is also what people in parts of Germany (mainly the South Western corner, next to Switzerland and France) say for "cheers" when they raise their glasses of wine and toast each other (in the sense of saying "Cheers" or "Bottoms up" - they dont really toast people and were never cannibals ). This goes along with "Zum Whohl" (=to health). I haven't researched it, but it could well come from French - people in Freiburg say "Adieu" (or 'Addey')instead of "Auf Wiedesehen", and "Merci" instead of "danke schoen" I doubt that it derives from the pompous French author though.
Briar
Briar
actually it's "prost"
actually it's "prost" without the 'u' and it's common throughout germany and the other german speaking coutnries and regions. there are regional alternates, but "prost" seems to be accepted by all german speakers.
"Ade" is also common in franconia, where some of the french tribes settled in the great migration.
and even if i have no doubt that there is some overlapping of languages in border regions (not only the french border), a real boost to using the french "merci" came a couple decades back when a chocolate manufacturer proclaimed the best way to say thank you is with a small gift of chocolate of that brand.
Actually...
...it's Prosit, shortened to Prost, something like the Australians say "G'day." It's a Latin word, prÅsit, may it benefit, and has been around since German youths in school all spoke Latin.
Cheers,
Puddin'
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit.
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
Der Gemütlichkeit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR8VmCDdt5o
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
I thought
Prost was a frog racing driver.
Angharad
Angharad
Nah...
It's prolly that thingie men have to keep them from pissing about as they get older.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Nice to see
Maureen back on the long road to recovery, Complete it seems with a somewhat different face...Now all she needs is for the blue light to do its work...Hopefully with double the dosage she will make a full recovery...I certainly hope she does, After the life she has had so far, Its the least she deserves
Kirri
My favorite Proust is Juliet, tremendous legs ! what a dancer!
I really like Maureen, it would be a shame if she wasn't in the Cathy Watts galaxy. Revolving in and out of orbit with a tome clutched in her hand.
What's next Niechtzie(sp)
Cefin