Wheels and wings 29

Chapter 29

Character List.

Jack Thomas Later AKA Ellie Transvestite/intersexual and keen cyclist.
Amanda Thomas AKA Amie Jack's sister.
Charlotte Dawson Keen girl cyclist and Jack’s soon-to-be girlfriend.
Bob Cycling club captain.
Mr Thomas Weston School games master and keen rugby player.
Billy Davies. Rugby ‘jock’, kind to Jack, he fancies Charlotte.
Marjorie Spencer. Holder of unofficial ‘Prettiest-girl-in-the-school’ title.
Miss Elizabeth Postlethwaite. The English Mistress.
Aunty Olwen Where Jack changes for school and leaves his bike.
Mandy. Olwen’s daughter, Jack’s older cousin.
Mr Griffiths The County solicitor.

Chapter 29.

As she sat tucking away another huge meal, Ellie heard the nurse talking to somebody outside in the corridor. It was obvious that the other person had some medical knowledge by the way the nurse was explaining at length about Ellie’s rare blood grouping. They were talking softly and Ellie did not recognise the other voice as it simply kept saying ‘uhuh’, and mm-mm with occasional softly spoken yes’s and no’s. Indeed until Ellie heard the visitor being asked to wait outside she wasn’t paying much attention as she busied herself on-line while stuffing yet more cream cakes down her gullet. Then the nurse entered and smiled.

“Hiya El’ how’re you feeling?”

Ellie looked up and smiled back. Then she joked as she spoke as she gulped the mouthful she was chewing.

“Fine. You don’t want more blood? Please tell me you don’t want more blood. You’re all vampires in here!” She finished by faking an ‘arrgh!’ and the nurse fell to chuckling.

“Well it’s obvious you’re getting over it. You’ve got a visitor.”

Ellie couldn’t think of anybody who might want to visit her. She had spoken to all the family that very morning so they had to be at home. She had few friends at college, but even those, like her, were out on secondment to assorted hospitals up and down the country. She was puzzled so she agreed to see the visitor out of sheer curiosity. The nurse smiled.

“I’ll go and get him and I’ll rustle up some tea. D’you want some more cream buns? I see those are nearly finished.”

“Are bears catholic?” Ellie replied as she grinned.

The nurse grinned back and ushered in the unknown visitor. Ellie’s jaw sagged as her sticky bun froze between plate and mouth

“Bloody hell! Doctor Dawson! What ‘choo doing up here?”

Doctor Dawson was equally shocked and he gaped momentarily.

“My God! Ellie! It’s you!”

“What d’you mean; ‘it’s you’? Of course it’s me, I’m a student here but why are you here?”

“Even as she asked the question the dawning filtered into her brain. She remembered the nurse’s conversation with Doctor Dawson about her blood group”

“Oh my God! The cyclist; my blood. No! Surely it’s not Charlotte! That’d be just too much of a coincidence! Is it her?

Oh shit! Tell me it isn’t her — please.”

Doctor Dawson’s expression said it all causing Ellie to ask.

“How is she?”

Doctor Dawson sat opposite and sighed.

“I’m afraid it is Charlotte, Ellie. She’s still in a coma but it’s induced because of the bleed she had in the brain.”
Ellie nodded knowingly.

“Yes, I know but she’ll be okay, my tutor was chatting to me earlier. The broken femur’s more of a problem isn’t it? Broken at the top where the blood feeds the bone.”

“How do you know about her injuries?”

“I was doing orthopaedics and trauma in Brighton, I was taking this opportunity to study some notes and Charlotte’s is an interesting case. He mentioned it yesterday when we were chatting about the rare blood.”

“Well this is the situation.. They’ve got to go in again and she’ll need more blood. They’re taking her to the specialist unit at The Royal tomorrow, the earlier the better.”

“Ellie’s expression darkened.”

“More blood. Oh shit, how much?”

“’Bout another pint, maybe two”

“Christ, I’ll be like a bloody ghoul at this rate. They’ll have to run some tests on me first. I’m feeling okay but you know ... I can’t supply two pints, that’s just too risky!”

“Yes Ellie, I know only too well. I was afraid to ask. Are you saying you’re prepared to give another pint?”

“Well it’s been nearly three days since the last lot. You’d best talk to my tutor Professor Seemungal.”

“I have. He’s organising the tests as we speak”

Ellie gave a nervous laugh then called down the corridor.

“Nurse Abbot. You’d best make that a whole pack of hob-knobs. Two biccies won’t be enough!”

To Ellie’s surprise, she actually returned with a whole packet of chocolate coated Hob-knobs. Ellie looked up thoughtfully at
Nurse Abbot and frowned.

“You knew they were going to ask for more blood didn’t you?”

The nurse nodded guiltily then answered.

“You’d better eat all those biscuits, and yes, I’m sorry to say I did know.”

Ellie didn’t need much persuasion with the biscuits and Doctor Dawson smiled weakly as Ellie waded into the packet.

“I see you haven’t lost your fondness for sweet stuff then.”

“I’m building up my strength. Tomorrow morning is it? I suppose I’ll be eating a bloody great lunch come noon, a monster supper tonight then and a huge breakfast tomorrow morning; God I feel like some sort of mobile blood bank.”

“Well that’s exactly what you are Ellie and I for one am truly grateful’”

Ellie started to reflect.

“Fancy Charlotte and me having the same rare blood group! Did you never check her blood group before, you being a doctor and all?”

“There was never any need; children under sixteen don’t donate blood and this is her first serious accident. I’ll bet you didn’t until you came to medical school.”

Ellie nodded and munched another hob-knob before she had a thought.

“Shit, this could mean we’re tied together forever by a need to supply blood. I never anticipated anything as freakish as this. We’ll never be free of each other. Will no-one rid me of this pestilent twin?”

Doctor Dawson frowned. It seemed to him that Ellie was still hurting from the break-up.

“Are you not interested in her recovery Ellie?”

“She hates me Doctor Dawson, why would I expose myself to more of her bile?”

“Well she’s unconscious at the moment Ellie; she couldn’t be abusive to anybody.”

“Well ... yes; I suppose that’s true. I don’t suppose she’d object to my being there if she’s unconscious. Can I go and see her?”

“She’s in a coma.”

“Then she won’t be upset by seeing me will she. She can’t get angry. You’re not going to tell her it’s my blood are you?

The shock ‘ll send her ballistic.”

“Why d’you say that Ellie.”

“She detests me after the gender business.”

Doctor Dawson frowned uncomprehendingly.

“Uuuhm, I’d beg to differ there Ellie. She’s still very fond of you!”

It was Ellie’s turn to frown.

“What d’you mean? That’s bullshit. We never spoke all through years twelve and thirteen. Not even when the cycle club met for races or time trials. She just glared and turned away if I so much as looked her way. You must have noticed; you were there with the both of us lots of times. If she was fond of me she had a funny way of showing it.”

Doctor Dawson smiled as his brow wrinkled.

“Are you certain you’re all woman Ellie?”

Ellie bristled momentarily.

“What ‘choo mean. Course I’m a girl!”

“Well then I’d have thought you understood why. That’s what women do. They expect the man to come grovelling.”

“Huh, well she made a big mistake there. This girl ain’t much of a man these days! I’d have thought that was pretty obvious.”
She looked pointedly in the mirror on the opposite wall, primped her hair with a raised arm in a typical modelling pose and pouted provocatively.

“Do you see any man in here?”

Doctor Dawson grinned then turned serious.

“No, frankly I don’t but Charlotte hasn’t seen much of you since year eleven and even then you were living as a girl. Are you telling me you haven’t transitioned yet? Or have you?”

Ellie shrugged dismissively.

“No. That can wait. I’m petite enough and feminine enough to pass so there’s no great hurry. Thanks to a carefully monitored hormone regime, I’ll never become ‘a docker in a frock’ so I want to qualify in medicine first then probably specialise.”

“So you’ll be in your late twenties then.”

Ellie shrugged.

“It’s my life; the sex isn’t that important, the cycling’s just as important. I’m competing in the nationals next month, if I’m successful, I could make the national team. What with studying and cycling I don’t have any time for sex or women. I’ve never had much of a sex drive anyway.”

Doctor Dawson reared back momentarily.

“Women!”

“Yes. I’m lesbian, I like women.”

“Lesbian?”

“Will you stop repeating everything?” Ellie snapped.

Doctor Dawson ignored Ellie’s rudeness as he pursued his inquiry.

“So if you transition you’ll be a lesbian!”

Ellie paused thoughtfully then nodded.

“Technically, I suppose, yes.” Then she added. “Six and two threes really. It’s all a long way off, ‘bout ten years at best.”

“Does Charlotte know any of this?”

“Doubt it. As I said, I haven’t spoken to her for four years. It’s not her concern anymore.”

Doctor Dawson kept his counsel. He had always been fond of the young boy Jack and he still had a very soft spot for the transgendered woman Jack was becoming. He looked at Ellie delicately nibbling on yet another hob-knob and smiled to himself. Despite the disappointment with the theft of the painkillers, Doctor Dawson was still very fond of the ‘son he’d never had’ even though she had turned out to be a woman. He decided to risk enlightening Ellie.

“Charlotte is still very fond of you. I think she’d like to resume the friendship.”

“What with me becoming a girl and stuff?” Ellie snorted derisively.

“No. I don’t mean a couple, I mean as friends. She was not to blame for turning away after the drugs theft, I’m afraid Bob and I were to blame for stopping her seeing you.”

Ellie shrugged.

“Yeah, that’s what she said, then she just continued blanking me. Well it’s all water over the dam now. I’ve moved on, so has she.” Then she paused. “Still, I suppose she’ll be here for a few weeks before she’s discharged. I’ll come and visit her once she’s conscious. It’s too far for you to come every day. My summer vacation secondment in Brighton is nearly over anyway. I’ll be back here next term, and that starts next week.”

“Well thank you Ellie, that’s very kind and thoughtful. You’ll make a good doctor one day. Shall we go and see her?”

Ellie nodded, gathered up her plate and mug and returned them to the nursing station on the way to the IC unit. When they arrived the senior houseman was checking things over and they discussed Charlotte’s condition. As the houseman departed Ellie and Charlotte’s father sat either side of the bed. As Doctor Dawson tenderly held Charlotte’s hand, Ellie watched and wondered just what sorts of feelings the older man must be having as his only daughter lay unconscious before them. Ellie tendered a comforting thought.

“They don’t think she’s brain damaged.”

Doctor Dawson nodded as tears started to leak from his eyes. Ellie felt there was little more she could do. Then she wondered if she hugged the man, would that be any help. She stood up and walked around the bed to wrap her slender arms around him and was secretly relieved when he accepted her support.

“She’ll be okay, I’m sure.”

“I hope so!” Doctor Dawson sobbed as he slumped forward to rest his head on Charlotte’s shoulder. “She’s everything I’ve got.
Everything I live for.”

Ellie fell silent but tightened her hug as the doctor’s feelings poured forth in tears.

‘I wonder if there’ll be somebody to cry for me one day’, she mused; then she felt guilty. There was both her mother and her younger sister Amie. ‘She was being selfish’, she concluded.

For long seconds she continued hugging the man until she felt his sobs desist. As she released her hold Doctor Dawson turned his head and kissed her cheek.

“Thank you Ellie. That was kind of you. You’ll make a good doctor one day.”

Ellie tried to shrug the emotional moment off.

“Didn’t do much Doctor Dawson, just a hug.”

“It’s a woman’s hug Ellie, and I haven’t felt a womanly hug since Noeline died.”

“But Charlotte must‘ve hugged you. Daughter and stuff.”

“Not the same Ellie. Yours was that supportive, sympathetic hug, the one a man savours in times of difficulty but misses when his partner precedes him. Thank you.”

Ellie became slightly embarrassed. ‘She hadn’t meant it like that; or had she?’ She wondered. ‘Maybe she was finally developing a woman’s sensitivity; that close attention to emotional situations and the ability to address it’. As the realisation came to her, the embarrassment dispersed and she felt a warm suffusion of fulfilment as she concluded that — yes; she had enjoyed giving emotional succour to somebody else. She smiled inwardly as she concluded that she had arrived at this private emotional milestone without the help of hormones. Then her smile erupted outwardly as she allowed her newfound womanly license to respond and she returned the kiss to his cheek. Doctor Dawson jerked self consciously and looked at her.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have tempted you. I thought you said you were attracted to girls.”

“Ellie blushed slightly then grinned as she recognised Doctor Dawson’s mistake.”

“That wasn’t a kiss of passion Doctor. That was a kiss of compassion. I’m a girl emotionally but a lesbian girl Doctor.”
She grinned and scolded him gently. “Try and get it right. Come on, let’s go down to the canteen and get some more food, I’ll need all the fuel I can get. Oh; and thank you.”

“Thank me for what?” Doctor Dawson looked puzzled as they walked to the canteen.

Ellie explained.

“That was a Damascus moment for me. I was able to express myself as a woman and respond to your distress as a woman would.
For that I thank you because you enabled me to climb one more rung on the ladder.”

Doctor Dawson smiled then ventured a further step.

“Can you do one more thing for me then; another step into womanhood ... adult womanhood that is?”

“What’s that?”

“Can you and Charlotte be reconciled; at least become friends again?”

Ellie surprised herself as she heard herself saying ‘yes’. Then she reflected.

“I can hardly be an enemy to the only other person in Britain known to share my blood group.”

Doctor Dawson smiled then grinned.

“Well that’s true I suppose. After all, you might need her blood one day.”

He pecked her on the cheek one more time and made his excuses.

“I’ll come and see you tomorrow before you give more blood. Then, once we know the outcome of her leg, I’ll be returning home.”

Ellie smiled and they parted at the canteen doors, she to resume studying while Doctor Dawson left to confirm his hotel booking.

~~ooo000ooo~~