Chapter 31 (Revised)   Simon Jones is Eve Jones. But she didn't know.

 
 
 
Previously:

 
Another incident in the hospital and Eve's not yet finished there for the day.

Now the story continues.
 
 
Eve Chapter 31
 
 
I sent my aunt a text to confirm I was at the hospital and to remind her of my appointment time then followed the signs to Neurology. Although I'd been there several weeks earlier, the only time I'd seen the route was when I was taken home, in a wheelchair.

I checked with the nurse's station and Mum was indeed now in the unit but was in the EEG suite and couldn't be interrupted, she'd be taken back to the ward after the tests. My next appointment was back in the Psychiatry unit so I reluctantly walked back downstairs and along the connecting corridor. I grabbed a cup of barely acceptable coffee from a machine as I arrived in the empty waiting room, ready for my appointment at the Gender Identity clinic.

"Eve Jones, please go to room 4."

Why do they have to use the tannoy when I'm the only one there?

"Good afternoon Eve. I don't need my years of training to tell that something is bothering you."

"You could say that, Dr Preston. It's just that the hospital has managed to screw up again, and that's without what is happening to my Mum."

"Can you give me the short version, we need to concentrate on you?"

"Mum's had a fall after we had an argument, she's now in Neurology as they suspect a seizure. Out Patients needs new management and I created a scene there."

"When did this all happen?"

"Most of that was in the past 4 hours."

"You do work fast, but how are you?"

"I'm angry but I'll get through this. With Mum, it's not knowing that's the worst part."

"What about you, have you thought about going back to school?"

"Yes, we had a meeting on Monday with the head and the plan is that I go back after half term, that'll be November 2nd."

"That's good news, do you think there'll be any problems?"

"I don't know for definite. We need to meet the head again to work out the details, he said they have also now implemented a new LGBT policy. One member of staff has left because of issues with me and one other student has been excluded for harassment, criminal damage and public order offences. That should at least make things easier."

We talked more about my changing relationship with Claire, which was when I blushed profusely, then about my hormonal changes, the cause of which I still didn't know.

"Doctor, is it possible to see you elsewhere? I have real problems with this place."

"I have a private surgery at St Saviour's on a Thursday afternoon. If the Primary Care Trust will fund you, I'll arrange an appointment. It won't be for a few weeks though, and I'd like to see you monthly after that, I'll write to you."

"Thank you."

Guessing that Mum could be back from Neurology, I walked up to the third floor and into the main female ward nurses station where I met my aunt. We were led to Mum's bed, she was sat up, reading a magazine. She had a black eye and her forehead was clearly very bruised.

"Hi Mum."

"Hello Eve, Sue. I look a picture, don't I?"

"Sure, but how do you feel?"

"I get the impression it's a bit like when you woke up in this unit a few weeks back."

"Have they said when you can go home?"

"You'd best ask this man."

The same Doctor we'd seen yesterday was coming through the doorway, This time I saw his name was Dr De'ath. I didn't know whether to laugh or be worried.

"Good afternoon Miss Jones. I take it that you want to take your Mum home?"

"Yes, when?"

"How does tomorrow morning sound?"

"That would be good. What have you found out?"

"The latest EEG showed some transients but not enough for a condition such as epilepsy. We woke your mum yesterday late afternoon so we could monitor her while she was conscious. We've now done three EEGs and I don't think we'll achieve anything by doing more. The MRI showed no physical problems."

"Transients?"

"Spikes in brain activity where there shouldn't be any, especially in the temporal lobe."

"Oh. So why can't she come home now?"

"We need to keep her for observation another night as she was unconscious when she was brought in. If all goes well you can collect her at ten."

We spent another fifteen minutes with mum and Aunt Sue drove me back home. I made a mental note to have her parking ticket refunded.

Of course, I didn't go indoors, I went first to Sharon's house. The girls had not long arrived back from school, it took seconds for Claire to wrap herself around me like a limpet. I was finally able to tell Sharon and the girls what had happened during my busy day, the last item was, of course, the most important.

I told Sharon I needed to clean the house ready for the morning and Claire offered to help. We started in the kitchen, where my pot of chilli was still sat, cold, on the hob. Having disposed of that, what a waste, all the surfaces were cleaned and the floor wiped. The lounge and diner were next, plus the hallway, before we moved upstairs.

The moment we went into my room I knew the cleaning job had finished. I was pushed onto my bed and subjected to one of the heaviest petting sessions I could remember. At some point I gained a hickey, was there a vampire loose in here? The house phone rang , interrupting our fun, we were being summoned across the path to where dinner was waiting. Sharon sent us to wash our hands and clean off our merged lipsticks.

"Eve, the hospital rang whilst you two were supposed to be cleaning. Can you give Dr Masters a call? Here's his direct number."

I said I'd make the call from my house, the unsaid reason was for the privacy given I was to talk to a psychiatrist. I went to the kitchen and made a black coffee before sitting in the lounge with the cordless phone. I made a mental note to get some fresh milk.

"Dr Masters?"

"Hello, is that Eve Jones?"

"Yes, I understand you wanted to talk to me?"

"I did, thank you for getting back to me. I have spoken to Dr Fox so I'm now aware of your circumstances but can you explain how you feel about your Mum?"

"If you've read my file then you know how angry I've been at times as I was forced to accept changes to my lifestyle. I'm not saying that I won't have made them of my own accord, but as I was being driven along I'll never know. I was violated and Dr Fox shares some of the blame for that. As you may know, I spent almost seventeen years of my life not knowing my true name or the circumstances around my birth and my father's death. These are fundamentals in my life that should not have been hidden or falsified."

"Do you have respect for your mother?"

"Yes, but we need to clear the air and perhaps start again in some aspects. Respect has to be mutual and not one-sided."

"What do you believe about your mother's state of mind?"

"She said she had post-natal depression and has been in denial but anything else would be conjecture in my opinion."

"That helps me understand, thank you."

"So, what has she said to you?"

"Patient confidentially applies here, so I can't give you any details but as I've only had one short session with your mother to assess her I'll be going to see her again tomorrow morning."

"We're supposed to collect her at ten."

"I wouldn't be too certain of that."

"Why?"

"Until I've spoken to her in the morning I can't recommend her discharge."

"I think you need to speak to my aunt."

"I'll make that call next. I'll keep you informed."

"Right, thanks."

I hung up and wondered back to my last words with mum before I slammed that door. She had now seen a shrink, I suddenly felt very afraid for her, wondering what I'd started?

I was sobbing when I made it back to Sharon's kitchen. Sharon had me explain the conversation, at least the parts I was prepared to tell her. It was the thought that the shrink might keep her there that was the most troubling. Did she really deserve this?

She sent me to the bathroom to tidy myself up before returning to the table for dinner. I wasn't really hungry and just pushed my meal around the plate, taking few bites of what should have been appetising. Sharon left me to myself, although she handed me a banana after I'd retreated to the lounge leaving half of my plate.

I wasn't one for conversation tonight and climbed alone into Claire's bed just after eight, I have no idea what time she joined me.