The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2527 by Angharad Copyright© 2014 Angharad

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After breakfast at which everyone appeared, we did the usual present swapping. Everything was under or beside the tree. David had been invited to breakfast and he arrived with a bag full of presents for everyone. He was delighted when he opened up the laptop, mind you it was quite a nice one.

Once the frenzy was over, I lit the fire and Simon set off to saw some logs, Danielle went with him and promised not to try and lift anything heavy. David had his helpers and once I saw the fire had caught, I nabbed Trish and Livvie and together with Daddy and his dopey spaniel we set off towards the cemetery.

The sun was shining and I looked forward to longer and warmer days, although we’d still have dark mornings for a week or two because of the wobble of the earth’s axis. We heard several robins singing and passed several blackbirds squabbling, presumably over boundaries of territories. Wrapped up with hats and scarves and gloves the girls were warm, only pink noses showing the coldness of the light breeze. I felt wonderful looking at the blueness of the sky and tried to avoid looking near the sun as it was bright and clear and dazzled.

At the grave we collected the old vase and emptied it, washing it out before filling it with water and then clipping the stalks of the flowers, we arranged them in the vase and Daddy placed it on the grave. We stepped back a few yards to give him some space but he called us back and we all held hands in front of the grave. For a moment, a mere split second I saw what looked like a twinkling or sparkling beside the grave. I knew what it was and felt a warmth inside me which raised my spirits. We all said Merry Christmas in our own way and we turned and walked back towards home.

“Did you see her?” asked Trish as she caused me to lag behind a little way.

“I saw something.”

“Oh good, she liked the flowers and so did Nanny Celia and Auntie Catherine.”

“That’s good. Did you see them all?”

“Nah, but Billie said they did.”

“I expect so, c’mon, let’s go and help David and the others.”

“I love my bangles, Mummy,” she jingled them to prove it. “An’ my new coat is ace.” I bought her a Barbour coat and hat—a small fortune, but what she wanted.

All too soon were back at the ranch and Danni was stacking logs in the lounge, where the fire was burning up beautifully. “Aye, ye licht a guid fire, lassie, sae it’s easy tae see whaur ye’ll be gang.”

“I don’t believe in heavens or hells, just what you make of this life, which is all we know we have. For some life is hell, but I do what I can, when I can to help.”

“Aye, we ken a’ aboot it.”

I doubted he knew the half of it, but that might be just as well.

Danni was taking the empty basket out for Si to fill with more logs when she rushed back in, “There’s a copper in the drive,” she hissed to me. I glanced down the driveway and Andy Bond was almost running up it towards the house.

“Looks important,” said Julie slicing cabbage.

“Is your mother there,” he asked Danni who stood at the doorway.

“Muuum,” she yelled and I wiped my hands and went to deal with the breathless copper.

“Cathy,” he puffed, “You’ve got to help.”

“Help who? What’s happened Andy?”

“It’s Margaret...”

“Your wife, Margaret?”

He nodded, too puffed to speak.

“Where is she?”

“QA, she’s had a heart attack—she’s going to die. Please help her.”

“Let me get my coat.” I dashed indoors and Jacquie handed it to me along with my bag. As I donned my coat, Jingle bells Cameron, arrived clad in coat and panda head hat. “Where are you going?”

“With you, if you behave I’ll let you help,” and before I could say anything she was trotting down the drive to the police car. I jogged along behind them.

“When’d it happen?” I asked as Andy drove like a demon blue lights flashing as we went.

“Hour ago, she phoned me and said she felt queer and I heard her fall. I called the ambulance and got there as it did. She’d arrested but they restarted her heart and got her to A&E. She looked really ill and the doc in charge said to send for my family, she’d not long to go. You’re my only hope, Cathy.”

“I’ll do my best, Andy.”

“An’ me,” piped a voice from behind me.

“We’ll do our best, kiddo.” I said and touched his arm.

“God, that was hot,” he said.

“What?” I enquired.

“Your hand, burned all the way up my arm.”

He stopped the car and we went into ICU, where he seemed to think she was. He was quite correct and the cardiologist was standing by the bed. “Oh it’s you,” he said and I pointed to the bed. “Be my guest,” he said shaking his head.

I sat in a chair by the side of the bed and held one of Margaret’s hands. “Hello, Margaret, I’m Cathy, a friend of Andy’s, I’m here to help you feel better.” The doctor still standing behind me cleared his throat as if in doubt of what I’d said. He should know better.

“I’m Trish,” said our resident genius, “an’ I’m with my mum, watch for the blue light, take it away, Mummy.”

“Trish, please.”

“Aw, Mummy.”

“Please.”

“Oh all right.”

“Thank you. Margaret, just listen to my voice and watch for the light which will be blue or white.”

“Blue,” interrupted Trish, but a glance from me shut her up.

“Look for an intense light which should be with you now.” I felt her squeezing my hand with whatever strength she had left. “Just relax and follow the light and my voice and I’ll bring you home safely.

The fibrillation began to slow and the machine registered a slow but steady bleep. I heard footsteps behind me, “How’s she doing?” asked Andy’s voice.

“Hush,” said the doctor, “this is fascinating.”

“Okay, Margaret, we’ve stabilised things, you’re on board, just relax and think of how much better you’re going to feel in a short time, just stay with me and listen to my voice only, pay no attention to anything else unless I tell you to and I promise I’ll get you home safely, okay?”

She squeezed my hand again.

“Now you might feel hot or cold or possibly both up your left arm and into your chest. I’m sorry if it feels uncomfortable but it’s necessary to help you, so bear with me for a few minutes. It will stop and you will get better.”

With one hand I held her hand with my other I ran my index and second finger up her arm slowly pressing on the skin quite hard. I heard her moan gently and a voice behind say, “Fascinating, absolutely fascinating.” I continued my digital pressure up her arm and across her chest. She gasped opened her eyes and passed out. Andy gasped behind me.

“Stay with me, Margaret, not long to go. Trish, do her right arm.”

“’Kay, Mummy.” She copied what she’d seen me do.

“I’m going to need a receiver, doctor.”

“What? Oh right.”

“Be ready when she sits up.”

“Eh?”

“Right, Margaret, up you get.” She opened her eyes and I helped her sit up. “Doctor, the receiver.”

“Here it is, where would you like it.”

“Hold it in front of her mouth, you nit.”

“Yeah, okay.”

With that and to the cardiologist’s disgust she began to vomit into the flimsy paper dish he held. It was thick creamy and pink goo and I could feel him trying to control his own urge to vomit as well.

Suddenly she stopped and fell back on the bed. “I can breathe now," she said closing her eyes and sleeping.

A nurse took the receiver from the cardiologist. “Was that what I think it was?”

“LDL.” I offered.

“How on earth did you clear that out of her arteries and into her stomach?”

“With difficulty.” I answered.

“That was amazing, you must let us study you, it could save thousands of lives.”

“And destroy mine, sorry Doc, we have to go, so does your memory of this event.”

“What?”

While he stood bemused Trish and I crept away. “Nurse, call high dependency, we have a transfer for them. She’s over the worst, Mr Bond, the drugs seem to have dispersed the clot.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“They haven’t got a clue have they, Mummy?”

“I hope not, c’mon, I’ve just rung home, Sammi’s coming to get us.”

“In her new car?”

“I hope not, it’s a two seater.”

“That’s okay, Mummy, you said you didn’t do enough walking...”