The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2531 by Angharad Copyright© 2014 Angharad

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Simon set off to collect Danielle, but not before grumbling that he had better things to do than sit in bloody traffic. I wasn’t going to relieve his responsibility, he’d said that if i took her, he’d collect her. He wanted to use my car and when I asked for his keys in case I needed a car, he stormed off in his Jag. I threw some blue light at him in the hope that he calmed down.

While he was gone I made some tea for the rest of the rabble and put some aside for Simon, Danni and myself. I’d wait and eat with them, hoping by then, Simon’s temper would have abated. At about six, when Si should have been collecting our daughter I was dishing up jacket potatoes and cheese for the rest of the litter and assorted others.

I’d just dished up the food and put those for Si, Danni and me in the Aga when a car drove up the drive and out got Andy Bond. He knocked on the door and I invited him in. I made teas and he thanked me again for saving his wife. I shrugged, it was what I was able to do sometimes. As we drank our teas I asked what the real reason was for coming.

He blushed. “Is Danni about?”

“No, she’s being collected from Reading FC, she’s been having a trial for England Schoolgirls.”

“That’s wonderful news, I hope she’s successful.”

“It’s the first of several stages but she might just make it.”

“Well good luck to her, she deserves some recognition for her footie skills.”

“Have you seen her play then?”

“As a boy, I saw him destroy another school in a cup game—until she was taken out by a real nasty foul.”

“It happens in women’s games too. For teams who haven’t played her before, she has to try and do the damage in the first half because in the second they mark her tighter than a corset, which means they forget about other strikers and sometimes other girls score instead or Danni acts as decoy.”

“What did you want her for?”

“Her little friend, Peter or whatever he calls himself these days, is being discharged tomorrow.”

“What you mean he or she will be home tomorrow?”

“I presume so.”

“How come, I thought she was remanded indefinitely?”

“The weakness of such sentences are that if they are deemed safe to return to ordinary life by the doctor in charge of the unit, they can apply for parole or even discharge.”

“Can I apply for a restraining order?”

“You shouldn’t need one, if she comes near Danni call the police, we’ll arrest her, you did say, her?”

“Last seen was calling herself Pia and living as an eccentric girl.”

“You know more about that sort of thing than I do.”

“I don’t know if do, Andy.”

“You could hardly know less.”

“It was my fault that Danny stayed friendly with Peter after the assault in France, especially when he cut off his genitals.”

“What d’you mean your fault?”

“I felt very sorry for the child and knew that life was going to be difficult for him especially after his self castration, so I suggested that we try to help him by staying friends.”

“And he returned your generosity by giving your lad a sex change?”

“No that was Mick O’Rourke, but Peter did a skilful dissection, leaving O’Rourke little room for manoeuvre.”

“And Danni just sat there and let him?”

“No, he used chloroform on him.”

“It was premeditated then?”

“I think so.”

“Do they know why he did it to your boy?”

“I have no idea, but they were acting strangely since the assault. Danny had been persuaded to dress as a girl and part of him liked it.”

“What did you think of that?”

“I wasn’t happy, but seeing as I’d allowed the others to experiment with gender roles, I could hardly tell him to stop.”

“I don’t understand any of it, I mean, I can accept you’re a woman and the others see themselves as the same, so it sort of makes sense, but Danny was all boy, wasn’t he?”

“So I thought, but with Peter’s connivance they started dressing up and he seemed to enjoy it. I wasn’t happy and to try and put him off I insisted he live as a girl for a month—we had to go to Scotland, so nobody knew him. While we were up there we met another gender different boy and I allowed him to cross-dress while staying with us. His father was a religious bigot and the kid killed herself. It had a profound effect upon Danny who said he wanted to stay as a girl until the remembrance service for the unfortunate one. I agreed as it seemed so important to him.”

Andy sat there eyes wide open shaking his head.

“As he was being homeschooled it didn’t matter what he wore but it was more Danielle than Dan. I hoped if I gave him enough rope he’d hang the idea and revert to being a boy again. Then his so called friend destroyed most of his genitalia leaving most of the skin to be reformed as a pudenda, because rebuilding him as a boy was not going to happen.”

“Why?” asked Andy Bond.

“Why did we let Mick O’Rourke rebuild it as female?”

“Yeah, but why did Peter do it?”

“In answer to the first part, Danny was presenting as a girl at the time, so the doctors assumed it would be what he’d want, or should that be what she’d want? Anyway, they only had so long to start doing it or the tissue would die, so it was done before we actually got much say in it. Why did he do it? I don’t know, possibly to carry out an experiment—I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him since, and Danni says she doesn’t know.” Don’t know if I believe her.

“It’s weird—oops, I’ve got to go, going to visit Margaret.”

“Give her my best wishes, won’t you?”

“I Will indeed.”

Andy went off to the hospital and I had a text from Danni saying they expected to be home in half an hour. I checked the spuds in the oven, they’d be just right then. I’d finish them off when they arrived, the spuds I mean. I had two or three fillings such as tuna or cheese.

They drove up at quarter to eight and I switched the kettle on for tea. Danni came running in so excited, Simon followed with the bag. At least his temper had improved.

“I’m through to the next stage, Mummy.”

“That’s wonderful, sweetheart.”

“If you hadn’t noticed, I’d have missed out. Two or three didn’t turn up—they said they wouldn’t be asked again. I could get a game with England Ladies Under fifteens.”

“That would be wonderful, sweetie.” We hugged and I could feel the buzz she was experiencing.

“I could get an England cap, Mummy. I can’t believe it. An England cap.”

“You haven’t got it yet, so come back to earth and tell us about your weekend and how we can help you get your first cap.”

“It was absolutely brill, Mummy, absolutely.”

I wasn’t sure what to do about the news about Peter’s discharge—probably wait until the morning. I’d speak to Si first.