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(aka Bike) Part 1916 by Angharad Copyright © 2013 Angharad
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“Does Grampa Henry still have the film of our concert?” Livvie asked as we drove home.
“I don’t know, Liv, phone him after dinner and ask him.”
“Okay,” she said. Hopefully by then he’ll be free and able to speak with her.
They went off and changed into their playing clothes and did their homework while David did something for dinner, quite possibly something with cold pork. It was, the rest had curry while I had a sort of pork fricassee with rice–it was very tasty and I thanked him.
Simon and Sammi were late back so had warmed up meals–apparently someone stepped in front of a train near Basingstoke. My tummy churned when they told me this–what a horrible way to die–smashed to pieces by a thousand tons of fast moving steel. And what of the driver? They’d have to live with knowing they’d killed someone, and also with seeing it happen.
Simon was tired, his early start and the rigours of his meeting last night, seemed to have got to him. He declined his coffee and went up to bed while I was getting the girls ready. I read to them then went to see how Simon was. His breathing seemed odd. I put on the light and his colour looked awful, he was also clammy skinned. I called for Stella who took one look at him and dialled triple nine for an ambulance.
“Better see what you can do, girl, I’ll go and let the paramedics in when they get here.”
With shaking hands I scanned his body–somewhere near his heart–a coronary artery perhaps wasn’t right. I started pouring in the love and light, he suddenly opened his eyes, gasped, “I love you,” and died.
I felt like screaming instead, I dragged him out of bed and onto the floor and started CPR–at least the compressions. I don’t know how long I was doing them, nor did I hear what Stella or the paramedics said–I was just pumping his chest up and down until someone pulled me off and helped me out of the room.
I woke up some time later in Stella’s bed, she was sitting in the chair, fast asleep beside me. For a moment I felt completely disorientated–what was I doing in her room. It was two in the morning. I sat up and she woke with a start. “How d’ya feel?” she asked.
“I don’t know–where’s Simon?”
“In coronary care–you kept him alive–d’you know that?”
“How?”
“Your CPR, they defibbed him and his heart restarted. They’re were talking stents tomorrow or even referral to Southampton for a bypass.”
“The blue light didn’t work, Stella.”
“You said it doesn’t always–but good old basic first aid did, eh?”
“I suppose it did. Anybody with him?”
“Daddy is, he flew down as soon as I told him what had happened.”
“Have I lost it?”
“What?”
“The healing gift?”
“I don’t know, seeing as you do nothing but complain about it, perhaps the franchise holder took it back.”
“Yeah–what? What are you on about? Franchise holder? This isn’t McDonald’s we’re talking about.”
“I know, if you’d offered him a burger, he’d have come round–he loves ’em.”
Feeling irritated by her silliness I said I wanted some tea and went downstairs. I passed the bedroom door but I couldn’t face going into the empty room. In my head I could see Simon open his eyes speak to me then die. If he didn’t pull through, I’d never go in that room again.
I was only in the kitchen a couple of minutes when Tom arrived, then Stella and finally, Julie. They all looked as tired as I felt. “Tea?” I asked and when they all nodded, I made us four mugs of the reviving fluid.
None of us spoke, we just sipped the hot fluid all rapt in our own thoughts. Then as if in some well rehearsed comedy sketch we all started to speak at the same time, then laughed. Stress does funny things.
“D’ye wish tae call thae hospital?” asked Tom.
“It’s two thirty,” I said looking up at the big kitchen clock.
“Aye, weel ICU are staffed twenty foor seven,” he replied.
“I’ll do it,” Stella went off to find the phone.
“I can’t believe he’s had a heart attack,” I said to no one in particular, “He’s thirty four.”
“It happens, Mummy,” Julie offered stroking my arm.
“The blue light failed me.”
“You don’t know that, Mummy.”
“Yes I do, if it hadn’t, he’d have been up and walking around now, wouldn’t he?”
“Julie’s richt, hen, it micht hae made a difference–ye canna tell, yet.”
“Normally I feel it rushing out of my body, today there was nothing. When someone is as sick as he was, I’d be getting impressions of what was wrong and how the energy was sorting it. There was nothing. He just lay there, then for a moment he opened his eyes, told me he loved me and stopped breathing.”
“Oh, Mummy,” Julie burst into tears and I followed her lead.
“I just dragged him out of bed and started chest compressions. I couldn’t think what else to do.”
“He’s very poorly but he’s stabilised. He’s sleeping at the moment, so is Daddy,” reported Stella.
“If he can sleep in one of those chairs, he’s a better man than I am, Gunga Din,” I said remembering the times I nodded off in the hospital chairs and regretted it when I woke up.
“Why don’t you go back up to bed, Mummy, you look all in?” Julie continued gently rubbing my arm.
“Yeah, okay,” I rose and stumbled up the stairs.
“C’mon, in here,” Stella nodded at her room and a few minutes later we were cwtching in her bed, her wrapped around the back of me.
“I’m really frightened, Stel,” I said feeling a tear run down onto the pillow. “I really love him and I didn’t get a chance to tell him.” I sat up, “What if he dies, Stel, and I didn’t tell him I love him?”
“He knows, Sis, just lie down and rest. My brother might not know very much, but he knows you love him. Even though he doesn’t know why.”
“What d’you mean? He’s one of the kindest, loveliest men in all of England.”
“I know you think that, Sis, but he isn’t always aware of it–he thinks you’re the most beautiful woman in the whole world.”
“Meee? Now I know you’re telling fibs.”
“I’m not, Cathy, he’s told me umpteen times, and how much he loves you and that you’re too good for him.”
“How I can I be too good for him? He’s an aristocrat and a millionaire for Chrissake.”
“Yeah, but being rich and privileged doesn’t make you good or worthy–it hasn’t done it for me, has it?”
“What do you mean?” I turned over on my back. “Stella, you’re a wonderful woman, with two gorgeous kids–we all love you to bits, you know that.”
“If I’m wonderful, you must be off the scale, Cathy. You are up there with the angels, you know. Compassionate, generous and loving–everyone who meets you loves you.”
“Not everyone, Stella, Mr Cortez being a case in point.”
“Yeah, well he’s a fool.”
“I don’t think he’s that either, but the longer he stays in South America, the better.” I yawned and closing my eyes seemed to slip into a strange sort of sleep, where it felt as if I was floating, but quite where I wasn’t sure.
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Comments
Not...
Not the episode I wanted to read tonight. Nope. But, there's a glimmer of hope in there. I think I'll go back and pretend I just read yesterday's episode. :-)
Young folks (30s/40s) do have heart attacks. While I was active duty, the Commanding Officer of a local base dropped dead while on his morning jog - less than a month after his annual physical. My illnesses over the past months (the Leukemia and complications) have made more more aware of mortality than I'd like as well.
Nice that Stella was on her "good" side tonight!
Thanks,
Annette
As a heart attack survivor, I
As a heart attack survivor, I know what Simon is going through and facing and unfortunately it knows no age. I have a feeling Cathy is going to find out whether her healing is working or not.
Could Cathy be dreaming all
of this? If not, is she on trial by the Glory?
May Your Light Forever Shine
Scared me to death
You scared me to death when you said Simon died. I'm so glad he is improving. Cathy would be at such loose ends without Si.
Much Love,
Valerie R
Well it's up to her
It is likely she is about to meet Shekinah again. Of course if she loves her 'rational' beliefs more than Simon then she will lose him. Deservedly so. So would she be willing to have unconditional faith or will she lose her husband. She has been at this impasse before and frankly I don't know whether she should get another chance or not.
Kim
Blue light
This must be such a shock to Cathy, though I am not sure why she is not at the hospital with Si; sounds abnormal to me. Of course, I have no room to talk, because I was not at the hospital for either of my children being born, but we knew that I was abnormal.
So, no blue light, eh? She brought Si and Tom both back before. Perhaps she complained so much about it that it was taken away? I did not understand the complaining before. I hope that Trish can pull the rabbit out of the hat on this one. To lose Si at this point in time would be something right out of "Jane Eyre"!!!
Gwendolyn
Perhaps Cathy just proved the old saying that
"The goddess helps those who help themselves."
You can't always depend on divine assistance and need to be ready to work at things. Cathy's immediate and vigorous CPR saved Simon's life and she showed her quick thinking and determination.
Now I wonder if she's going to have a bit of a discussion of an ethereal sort.
Jarring episode.
I missed reading ..
Bike last night, So i thought i would catch up in the morning, Have to say Ang you certainly succeeded in waking me up, What a shock for poor Simon and it was so lucky for him that Cathy checked him when she did, The consequences if she had just left him sleeping don't bear thinking about...
Hopefully the fact that he is young will help in his recovery and maybe if Cathy rediscovers he blue light power that will help him get back to normal, However if he has to go down the path most heart attack victims take he will find that lifestyle changes will be top of his agenda, Diet, Exercise, maybe even a change of job are a few things he would have to look forward to in the very near future...
Of course depending on what Cathys dream is all about all the things i mentioned above could be made redundant, We shall see, But one thing is for certain life for Cathy without Simon would be unthinkable...
Kirri
Sudden death.
Often the best way to go for the victim but invariably a traumatic shock for relatives and/or survivors.
Cathy was fortunate last night.
Sorry this post is late, currently helping to nurse my dying Father in Law. He is a wonderful man and served as a second father to me after I married my wife. He's aged 93 and sinking slowly into the long goodbye. My nocturnal watches mean comments and stuff will be anachronistic and sometimes brief. (Thank God I hear some of you saying.)
Heartwarming chapter Ang, Cathy is lucky to have such a compassionate partner and supportive sister-in-law.
XX
Bevs.
Poor Cathy
What a terrible thing to go thru - first Simon's heart attack, then Cathy not feeling the help of the blue light. I suspect she will lose Simon if she doesn't accept the Glory, and the healing blue light she gives. Is it finally time for Cathy to really examine her life, beginning with the bicycle accident that began this wonderful story and give herself to Shekinah? It certainly seems she is being led in that direction by Stella, and other members of her family.
Bonzi, and Izzy...the two of you continue to astound me with your story telling. More scritches, scratches, and tummy rubs for both of you, and please keep your human happy. She really likes having the two of you around, and purring in her lap.
Don't let someone else talk you out of your dreams. How can we have dreams come true, if we have no dreams?
Katrina Gayle "Stormy" Storm
I'm in shock!
I couldn't believe it...Simon...dead? Cathy's blue light failed her! What will become of her? Will she suffer as did Stella? Is that the fate they share?
Or is this some malevolent prank being played by the goddesses? Are they provoking Cathy to turn her powers to the good of the many, not just her family?
I almost don't dare to read the next episode. Yet, I know I must.
Red MacDonald
I forsee...
...one of Cathy's trademark arguments with Shekinah coming up soon - especially given the closing sentence (they often meet in a kind of dreamscape).
It would be nice if (a) Simon recovers, but (b) Shekinah points out that Cathy herself saved him - not via BLH but by diagnosing the problem and taking immediate action. Cathy's spent a lot of time saving the world (including Ingrid and Hannah, no doubt courtesy of some nudging by her "favourite" deity), perhaps Shekinah's starting to wake up to the fact that Cathy needs to be helped to save herself from herself (if you know what I mean) - she has everything going for her and people continually attest to her beauty and brains, but still far too often her lingering doubts, feelings of insecurity and feeling fraudulent for doing so while not having been born with the XX karyotype bubble up to the surface and overwhelm her.
While I'd imagine the feelings are omnipresent in many TGs, given Cathy's many successes in life (and deliberate exposé on local TV back in the early days), if she had some time to critically analyse everything that's happened and reflect on it, maybe she could move on. However, finding the time and space to do so is a challenge in itself, given she feels she has responsibilites / guardianship to: one toddler (Catherine), three young girls (the mouseketeers), one tween boy (Danny), two teen girls (Julie and Phoebe), two young adults (Sammi and Jacquie) and possibly even David, Ingrid and Hannah. Oh, not forgetting a cat and a share in a whole bunch of dormice - not to mention the Cameron Siblings (Si and Stella) plus Tom. Even if she was given a holiday, she'd probably spend most of it worrying about everyone else and how well (or not) they'd cope without her.
So if Shekinah can induce some kind of time dilation effect to the dreamscape, so allowing Cathy to spend what seems like hours reflecting on her life while knowing not much time's passing in the real world... although having said that, it would probably be more prudent to do so after Si's release from hospital...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!