I was introduced to the producer of the programme, who was a woman. I always thought they were men who went around in beards and sandals shouting 'cut', or was that directors? Shows what I know. Well Des had a beard and sandals, even in the rain. I was wondering what Simon would look like with a beard. Hmmm maybe I like beards?

As Easy As Falling Off A Bike.
by Angharad.
part (14dozen less 2).

I followed Des's Landrover into the BBC carpark, finding a visitor's space. He led me into the studios holding on to my arm. To say I was terrified was an understatement, like Pearl Harbour was the Japanese being unkind!

I was introduced to the producer of the programme, who was a woman. I always thought they were men who went around in beards and sandals shouting 'cut', or was that directors? Shows what I know. Well Des had a beard and sandals, even in the rain. I was wondering what Simon would look like with a beard. Hmmm maybe I like beards?

Polly, the producer took me into an office and we had a quick chat, she asked me if I was worried about anything?

Nah, just the rest of my life.

"Don't worry, we're only going to look at the car rescue, although the other bits may be mentioned. But we won't have pictures of dormice jumping down your cleavage."

"Okay," I said taking a deep breath.

"We'll pop you into makeup, and then Helen will do the interview, it's not a live one, and we'll be mixing it with the footage of the burned out car and an interview we did with the father."

I nodded, "Do you know who pulled me out of the car?"

"No, not as far as I know."

"Okay, can I thank him anyway?"

"Course you can."

"Thank you."

"That's okay, now because we're paying you an expenses fee, Des told me you lost a day's work to get here, I'll need you to sign here and here," she pointed at a form. "Do you want a copy of the interview?"

"Yes please," I don't know why, vanity I expect.

"I was in makeup for two minutes, she just wanted to make sure my skin wasn't too reflective of the studio lights. I brushed my own hair, and was led through to the studio where Helen would do the interrogation.

They wired me up, with a small microphone attached to a power pack transmitter around my waist at the back. I was still in jeans and jumper.

"Can you say something, love?" called some bloke.

I looked around but anyone else seemed to be busy, so I pointed at myself and mouthed 'me?'

"Yes you love, need to do a sound check."

"Oh right." Of course my mind went blank until a nonsense rhyme came to mind, and then sort of fell out of my mouth assisted by my lips.

"The boy stood on the burning deck
His legs all covered in blisters,
He didn't have his trousers on,
So he had to borrow his sisters."

"That's great love, thank you."

I sat there feeling like a spare mmm mmm at a wedding. Eventually Polly arrived with Helen. Ah, I'd seen her doing the main news, gosh a real live celebrity.

We were introduced, and we talked for several minutes then she asked me about the accident, so I told her. She asked if I was frightened and I told her only when I thought the fumes had got me and the baby. Then the real hero, the man who pulled me out, saved us both and I'd like to thank him. She asked if I knew the baby was going to be okay? I didn't but I did now, and felt a tear run down my face, I thanked her for telling me.

"That's a wrap," called a voice and I started.

"Thanks that's it," said Helen and shook my hand again.

"What, you filmed that?"

"Yes, why?"

"I wasn't ready, I mumbled and rambled and cried."

"You were fine, and natural. We'll tidy it up, splice it with the father's interview and it will go out for six on the main news bulletin and probably again at ten."

"Cathy, can the local news people have a word?" called Polly running into the studio.

Another reporter person, this time a man called Toby, came and talked to me. I was much more self conscious this time aware that they would be filming as soon as he sat down. However, once we got talking I forgot about the camera and the mic I was wearing. He asked me about the bag snatch, and I told him like I remembered it, then he asked about Simon and my engagement and we talked for a couple more minutes. Then he thanked me, and Polly led me back out through the maze of studios and technical rooms to a bathroom where I could take off the make up and wash my face.

"Des is waiting for you through there, we'll send you a cheque if that's okay?"

"Yes, fine."

I looked and there was my own bearded collie wagging his tail, okay, well he is an outside sorta guy, a bit like me, except for the beard.

"That was great Cathy, now we can put, 'as seen on TV' next to your name."

I nearly said, that I had been on telly before, then realised it was as someone else. So I stumbled into, "Erm, how do you know it was okay?"

"I watched it with the producer."

"You did?" I blushed.

"You were great, so natural. Every man I know will be wanting you to marry him and have his children. Well maybe not the marriage bit, but certainly the procreative bit."

"You are joking?" I gasped.

"I'm not, you are one of the most natural, sexy women I know. You don't just talk to your audience you seduce them, men and women, they love it."

"What!" I exclaimed, blushing so red and so hot, I'm sure I was giving off gigawatts of energy.

"Some women have it, most don't, you are something else, girl."

"I have to go," I said, actually registering that the clock I'd been looking at for the past few minutes was telling the time. It was quarter past three. "To the hospital....my dad....feed him....bye."

"Don't I get a....obviously not," he said to my fleeing body.

I was still breathing deeply when I got to the ward, "Hi Cathy, loved the trick with the dormouse," offered the ward sister laughing.

Damn, I knew that was going to haunt me. "Hi, Daddy," I purred trying to take my mind off things.

" 'Affy," he exclaimed and started smiling. Maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder?

"I have some soup and fresh bread, I didn't make the bread okay?"

"kay," he grunted, but smiling.

I warmed the remains of the soup and took the bowl into him, he ate it without a murmur and the bread disappeared too. Finally he had a piece of the sponge I made with a cuppa.

I sat and talked to him holding his hand, and he smiled and made the odd remark or question. Before I knew it, the news came on the television, I wasn't listening until the nurse called, "Cathy, you're on the telly." Excusing myself, I ran to watch.

'I dunno what happened,' said the driver of the car,'I must 'ave nodded off and next thing we're like upside down and everyone is screaming. People were stood around and I couldn't get the doors open. Then someone shouted fire, and I panicked.

The camera panned back to Helen, "This is the same woman who last week captured a bag snatcher in Portsmouth and got engaged to Lord Cameron, I wonder if he knows he's marrying a superhero?"

"Oh shit!" I flopped into the chair by the side of Dad's and felt awful, the tabloids were bound to be around now.

" Ossamarra?" said my dad as if he'd just spotted a famous terrorist.

I processed what he'd said. "I just did something very dumb."

"oh?"

"I helped get a girl out of a car on the motorway that turned upside down, no big deal. The BBC wanted an interview and for some stupid reason, I gave one. Now the whole bloody world will be knocking on the door."

"No big deal!" exclaimed the nurse, "She forgot to mention the car was on fire at the time."

"No No No," said my father.

"Yes, she is a regular girl scout. You must be very proud of her?"

"Essss," he said beaming, and dribbling just a little.

"Cathy, you're on again."

"Oh no!" Some morbid curiosity drew me to the screen again.

They showed the pictures of the dormouse diving into my bra, "How do you get from this to this?" the pictures were replaced by the firebrigade video. "The answer, via one very special lady, soon to be literally a Lady, as in Lady Cameron, I mean our very own down to earth and sexy superhero, Cathy Watts, dormouse expert extraordinaire."

They cut to the interview and with tears welling up, I walked out of the ward and stood out in the cold. Life was never going to be quite the same again, but what options did I have?

Could I have let the bag snatcher go? Yes I could, but I knew that I wouldn't not with Stella's bag. As for the car fire, how could I have walked away and left a child to die? Again, I could have done but I knew inside I wouldn't, I'd rather die attempting to save her, why? Because, that's why, that's who and what I am. Now I'm likely to have to pay for it. Who said life was fair?

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