Easy Come Easy Go.
by: she's gone!
part:100 plus 4 cubed.

The drive home was subdued, I decided I'd better visit my rooms and check any mail. There was a handful, I snatched it up and chucked it in my bag. I decided that the next time I was there I'd need to clean out the fridge. I took my wet weather riding gear too, the forecast was not good, and it had already become colder in the last day or so.

I was tempted to take my MTB to Simon's too, but decided there wasn't room in the car and I wasn't going to take wheels off, it was too cold. I grabbed a few more things and left.

It was sleeting when I drove home, and my mood remained subdued. Stella asked me what was wrong, but I couldn't tell her. Her department and the GU clinic are different although, the clinic may refer on to Urology.

We went for a meal, Simon was stuck in London on business, so Stella and I drove to a local pub. I was still in my jeans, and no makeup. Okay so my overall bodyshape was female-ish and I had long hair.

"Cathy, seeing you without makeup, reminds me of the first time we met. You've come a little since then, my girl."

"Yeah, it's all your fault," I joked.

"Omigod," she said, "I created a monster a la Frankenstein."

"Yep, soon to be the Bride of Frankenstein." I said giggling.

"Hey that would be a good theme for the wedding, when you have your op, I wonder if they can stick a bolt through your neck."

"Eh!" sometimes she was weird and sometimes she was very weird.

"Well, we could get it gold plated."

"Are you mad or just stark staring bonkers?"

"Maybe silver would look better, could do it in solid silver."

"Earth to Stella, no one is sticking anything in my neck. Marrying into your family is going to be crazy enough."

"Yes, quite possibly. we're distantly related to the old Queen Mum, something about descendants of MacBeth, the real person not the Shakespeare character."

"Oh well that explains the lunacy," I said casually, "next time I hear you saying, 'Out damned spot, out I say!'I'll...." There was a round of applause from others in the lounge bar. I blushed, bowed and sat down quickly. I hadn't really realised that I'd stood up to do my Lady Macbeth.

"You've done that before, haven't you?" she gloated.

"In school. We used to read bits of the plays to get a feel for the words and their meaning. We had a good English literature teacher. She used to make us take all sorts of parts, so although I went to a mixed school, she picked on me to read Lady M., one of the girls did Macbeth."

"And..."

I blushed thinking back to the memory, "I apparently did so well, she made me read it all the time, well with the help of a large group of my class mates who thought it was good fun to belittle me."

"Looks like you had the last laugh," she said smiling.

"Yeah, I suppose it does."

We ate, I suspect it doesn't take much to guess what Stella had for her meal, scallops? Yep, and I had a tuna pasta bake. I must get checked for mercury poisoning one day.

"So you're off early tomorrow?" she said as she finished her meal.

"Sort of,"

"You haven't got yourself lumbered have you? You said you wanted to get finished to drive up in daylight."

"I promised someone a favour."

"Not that old grump of a professor?"

"No a student. He has to go to the hospital and has no one to go with him."

"So he asks Auntie Cathy to go with him, poor widdle boy."

"Not quite, he could have a life threatening complaint." I was in danger of saying too much and Stella given half a scent would be off on the trail like a bloodhound.

"What's the problem then?"

"I'm not sure, but it sounded pretty awful."

"Tell me then," she commanded.

"Can you give me chapter and verse of your patients today?"

"Don't be silly, I'm obliged to maintain confientiality."

"So am I with student information."

"Well you're hardly identifying them are you?"

"Not if I don't say anything at all, no."

"Spoilsport!" she poked her tongue out at me. Then she smiled, "You are absolutely right not to say anything. What time is the appointment?"

"Stella, I am not saying any more period!"

"Talking of which, I have mine, just going to the loo." She disappeared and I paid the bill ordering two coffees while I did so.
Back at our table, I remembered my post and pulled the sheaf of envelopes from my bag.

Most of it was the usual stuff, do I want a double glazed credit card, for which I'd won a new BMW if I would only ring this premium rate number for two and half hours at four pounds a second, it would be mine. There was letter from an old friend who wanted to visit Portsmouth - oops, that could be awkward. A letter from Mr Potter thanking me for helping his daughter with her assignments, which was most unexpected, plus twenty five quids worth of Marks & Spencer vouchers. I didn't know if that constituted bribery or what? I'd have to check.

Stella came back and thanked me for the coffee. "What ya doing?"

"I called by my room, lovely, my student loan statement."

"How much do you owe?"

"About eight grand."

"Not too bad then."

"Not if you say it quickly."

"I'm sure Simon could get the bank to do it for less."

"It's okay, I can do things for myself. He already gave me a thousand pounds, this week, remember?"

"He's got plenty."

"Stella, it is okay. I am capable of looking after my own debts, end of conversation." I felt quite angry, I know she was trying to help, but spending other people's money and meddling were not things which I enjoyed in others.

"Okay okay, I get the message."

"And you are not to tell Simon, okay?"

"You make your rules, I'll make my own." She said quite sharply.

I shook my head, if he did anything, I would insist he took it back or he'd get a ring he'd never be able to wear, and neither would I again.

I opened the last letter, it was from Mary's mother.

'Dear Cathy,
I have learned a great deal more about what happened that fateful day and more about you. I think you are a very courageous young woman and I wish you every happiness in your new life, especially in your forthcoming marriage to Lord Cameron. I'd be pleased if you could come and see me before you get married, please don't leave it too long, remember I am getting on a bit.
yours sincerely,
Cynthia Mallory.'

I showed the letter to Stella, "Who is she?"

"Mary's mother, the woman who was shot by the copper."

"Oh her, oh right. So how does she know you?"

"I went to see her at the funeral, pay my condolences, you know."

"Oh right, and..."

"We hit it off and I walked her back to her car."

"Just like that?" she made a Tommy Cooper gesture as this was one of his catch phrases.

"More or less." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Cathy do you realise the gift you have?"

"What gift is that then?" obviously I didn't or I would have known, wouldn't I?

"This ability to put people at their ease, you should be working with people not bloody dormice, who only jump down your cleavage and pee on your best blouse."

"I am quite happy with my dormice and remember I do work with first year students too."

"Taking them for medicals."

"Stop fishing."

"St Catherine," she said smuggly.

"Well at least we have wheels in common, only mine are on a bike."

The conversation petered out and we went home. Simon texted to say he wouldn't be home, I sent one back reminding him I'd be away for the next two nights. He sent one back, it was just four letters beginning with 'D' and ending with 'N'.

I slept well and was up with Stella, I was in work before the nutty professor, and drinking my tea when he arrived.

"I don't pay you to drink bloody tea, go and make my coffee," he ordered.

"Bugger off, I'm still in my own time, make your own."

"Okay Miss Watts, but don't say I didn't give you a chance to avoid it."

"Avoid what?" I asked but he'd gone to the kitchen.

He declined to tell me anymore so I assumed he was pulling my leg. We spent the morning sorting out admin stuff, having got well into it before Pippa arrived, apologising that one of her kids was sick and she had to wait for her mother to come.

The joys of parenthood, which were never likely to happen to me. Oh well back to work. I went off to my lab with a list of things to do and finished them just in time for Stevie to arrive.

"Ready?" I asked.

"I dunno, I'm frightened," he said.

"So am I, maybe you'd better give me a hug to comfort me."

He smiled and squeezed me half to death.

"C'mon, let's do it." I said thinking of the final moments of the Butch Cassidy film. I found out later that it didn't happen, when I saw a documentary on him. He didn't look like Paul Newman either!
I suppose Thelma and Louise would be more my style, but Stevie might have found it insulting.

We parked up and I paid for two hours. Then we walked into the clinic and waited for twenty minutes. It was a pleasant enough place, but I couldn't help thinking about the numbers of people who'd been here and received bad news. The place felt heavy in atmosphere and I couldn't wait to get away.

Stevie was eventually called and I went outside for some fresh air.

"If that's your girlfriend, we'll need to speak to her as well," said the nurse counsellor.

"She's my tutor at uni, I don't have girlfriends, I'm gay."

"Oh okay."

I wandered about for an hour, the light was fading fast and the trip to Bristol was going to be horrible, there was talk of sleet and snow showers with drifting on hills.

I'd packed my walking boots, and over trousers and in the cupboard in my lab, I had one of those folding shovels, sort of military type. I'd grab it when I took Stevie back.

He appeared with red eyes. I didn't ask why, I knew. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I have to go back in two weeks for the results."

"Want me to come?"

"Could you?"

"I suppose so. Yes, of course I can," I had no idea whether I could or not, I just decided I would.

He hugged me again, "Thank you so much Cathy, you're like a big sister to me."

"Hang on a minute, if that were the case, I'd have to buy you a Christmas present. No way Jose!" I winked.

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