Part Nineteen   "Snip Snip"

 
 
Tuesday 27th January Continued
 

Tammy walked out of the study and found the butler nearby.

"Thomas, could we have some coffee please?"

"Certainly, Miss."

She took a deep breath and walked back in.

"Okay Dad, but I really wanted to be involved in the move."

"You will be. Once your room has been papered and painted we'll put the main furniture in there but you'll still be missing a few things. We've got this weekend to go looking for odd bits and pieces, you can choose your bed linen, curtains and so on to personalise your room. All of that is to be delivered, fitted and ready well before our moving date."

"Thanks."

"Remember, you're not getting special treatment either. Angela has the same arrangements while Joan and I will share our thoughts."

"Right, what about the staff?"

"Julie lives in town and wants to stay there but Leanne currently uses staff quarters in the house and can move into the flat that's in the barn when it's been refurbished."

"Communications?"

"I have a telecoms firm installing a private exchange next week, including a link over to the exchange in this house. We'll have fibre put in early next week for voice and data with wifi routers in several locations. The new alarm system should be online by next Friday, the sixth."

"So that's why the move date is the seventh?"

"Yes, we're not sleeping there unless the security is adequate."

There was a knock on the study door, Thomas entered to deliver their coffee.

"What about the music studio?"

"What about it, Tammy?"

"Are you doing anything with it?"

"No, wait until we're over there. We'll beef up the electrical supply to the barn because of the plan to put a pool in and we'll make sure the supply to the studio is smooth but apart from that, nothing at this stage."

"Right, the pool?"

"Have a look at the drawings, I picked them up from the architect yesterday morning."

Richard unrolled the A1 sized prints of the various elevations and the floor plans for the barn. The space was immense, twenty by forty metres. It was a wooden build originally but now had an inner steel frame onto which was built the upper floor. That floor included the recording studio and a split level apartment.

The ground floor was currently a garage and workshop, complete with inspection pit. The drawings showed the floor would need to be excavated to a three metre depth in order to accommodate the fifteen metre pool and any pipework. The southern side of the barn would be opened up using a glass wall and a set of solar panels would be installed on the pitched roof, partly to warm water and partly to generate power. Finally, a covered walkway would be constructed between the barn and the scullery door, with a vehicle-crossing gap.

"That's an impressive plan, Dad. I never went over there when we visited, did I?"

"No. I figured that as we're so far out of town we might need our own entertainment. You see this space here, behind the pool?"

"Yeah, it's about fifteen by twenty metres, what's going there?"

"Well, if we put a movable wall in between that and the pool, fit projectors and a decent sound system linked to the studio then you have a private cinema, a party venue or a rehearsal space?"

"Great idea. Now, where are we parking vehicles if the barn is being converted?

"There's an old stable block that could provide shelter, there's no point putting a temporary structure up with the weather we get up here! Look, why don't we go down to see Sarah whilst the roads are clear?"

"Okay. Let me finish my coffee first though, and sort my face out, and check for messages ....."

"Today if possible?"

***

It was near ten o'clock when they parked in Thurso town centre. Sarah told them she'd only been a few minutes late as an inconsiderate driver had blocked a road near her house, holding up the school traffic.

"I hope you will think about others when you start driving, Tammy?"

"Dad took me out for the first time on Sunday, I can't say I was comfortable."

"Neither was I first time, but it'll come. My father gave me one piece of advice when I was learning 'treat every other driver on the road as an idiot or a potential idiot and you'll always be ready'."

"Thanks, but right now I'm the potential idiot."

"I'm sure you didn't come down here on a school day to discuss your inadequacies, go put the kettle on please."

"Yes, boss."

That left Richard and Sarah talking by the counter while Tammy attended to the hot drinks. Discussion soon turned to the thief, which Tammy found when she carried the coffees to the counter.

"I never noticed that anything had been stolen."

"Well, when was the last time you did a stock-take?"

"A year ago, I suppose."

"We'll have to do one when you close on the fourteenth."

"Thanks Tammy, you've just added to my woes."

Richard spoke. "We'll try to get that top back for you."

"I can't sell it now."

"So what does the school do with it?"

"Up to you, I'll write it off."

There was a noise outside as a van pulled up right next to the shop. Sarah started to moan that it was a pedestrian lane when Richard noticed the company name.

"Thurso signs? They must be here to put the signboard up."

"Oh, that's okay then."

So, Tammy thought, one rule for those blocking her access but a different rule for her deliveries blocking others' access - double standards.

The shop door opened and two men in overalls came in.

"Mrs Bonney?"

"Yes."

"We have the main sign plus the extra ones you need, could you unlock the shop please."

"Certainly, but the painters haven't been in yet so the other ones can't go up yet."

"Right, what's the latest that can be done?"

"Next Wednesday."

"Fine, we have a job along the road that morning."

Tammy watched the interplay, this would be something she'd have to get the hang off in the real world. Despite her out-of-school activities she still lacked real knowledge of how the world worked at this level.

"Can I have a look in there, Sarah?"

"It's yours, why are you asking?"

"I checked, apparently I can't just walk in without checking with my tenant."

"She's correct, Sarah."

"Oh well, I only ever saw my landlord once and then it was an agent once a year to make sure I hadn't trashed the place."

Sarah put the 'five minute' sign on the door and locked it as the three walked the short distance to the adjacent property. The windows didn't let anyone see inside as they'd been whitewashed but the concreted floorspace was a surprise for Tammy as it was bare.

"It looks like there's more room than you'll ever need."

"Don't kid yourself Tammy, once the shelving, racking and displays are in here most of that floor will soon be used up. Let me show you how I'm going to lay it out."

Sarah gushed as she told Tammy her plans: The floor was going to be tiled, so boots and stiletto heels couldn't ruin it. There would be two changing rooms, with low-level displays throughout. This would give Sarah and any staff a clear line of sight across the shop from the sales point. Tammy went through to the stock room and found it was about double that of the existing shop. All around the walls was grey galvanised racking, basic but strong, great for getting stock off the floor. The delivery doorway was double doors secured by a steel bar and a pair of padlocks.

"Sarah, that looks like it'll be a pain."

"Well, you won't be here during the week when the deliveries turn up, will you?"

"Err, no."

"Make yourself useful and find a broom."

"Where do you want me to sweep?"

"Everywhere."

By twelve the sign was up and a few other deliveries had turned up, although one was clothing stock for the existing shop's store room. Phone calls to painters meant that one could be on site that afternoon to freshen the frontage, the latest forecast putting the next snowfall off to three o'clock.

Tammy, however, was worn out. Having decided the sweeping was finished, she was sent to the bakery for some lunch items and then made coffee for all the workers but ran out of mugs. Sarah gave her a few notes and sent Tammy off to buy a kettle for the new shop plus four more mugs as well as some cleaning materials.

"Bring back the receipts, I can claim them against tax."

"Okay."

Having decided at two that everything that could be done, had been done, she asked then pleased with her father to take her home.

"Having trouble with a little hard work?"

"I'm just not used to it, I don't know."

"Well, ring the surgery and see if you can see the doc or a nurse on our way home."

That took two minutes, mostly having to deal with an unsympathetic receptionist.

"Dr Hoskins is apparently away on holiday and there's a locum on duty, Dr Sutherland says she can see me in fifteen minutes if we can get there?"

"Sutherland, sounds familiar?"

"Same as the chemists on Traill St."

"Okay, let's go."

The ride took ten minutes but there was a ten minute wait in the waiting room with the receptionist checking the screen and looking at Tammy before checking the screen again.

"It says here that you're male. That must be a mistake."

"Dr Hoskins told me in December that would be changed."

"It hasn't, can I ask why it would say that you're male?"

"I'd rather not but I'll talk to Dr Sutherland about it."

"Okay."

Tannoy: "Miss Smart to Room Two please"

Leaving her father in the waiting room she walked down a short corridor and entered room two, closing the door behind her.

"Hello, please take a seat, I'm Dr Sutherland."

"Hello, You said you were a locum?"

"Yes, I normally work in Wick but I'm covering for Dr Hoskins."

"He's on holiday?"

"Extended leave, however I don't think he's coming back. Anyway, we're here to talk about you."

"Yes, but are you related to Sutherlands Chemists?"

"My uncle's business, do you know Julianne?"

"Radio Sutherland?" Another mouth before brain moment.

"Oh dear."

"I'm sorry, really sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I'll see another doctor."

Tammy stood ready to leave.

"Sit down, sit back down and don't be silly. I gave my baby sister that name when she was at primary school!"

Tammy dropped herself back onto the chair, Dr Sutherland was already giggling.

"Tammy, call me Adelaide or Adi for short. Now, my sister's unfortunate habit means that I've already heard a great deal about you but very little is medical information. I know it's unethical to use this knowledge but how long have you been like this?"

"Like what? Transgendered?"

"No, highly strung and plainly stressed."

"A week or two, why?"

"You started hormone replacement therapy on or around the twelfth of December so you've been taking it for six weeks so far. When were your last bloods taken?"

"A few weeks ago, just after school restarted."

Dr Adi Sutherland tapped away on her workstation.

"Ah, it looks like you were due to come here anyway for blood tests. Your last results are here and something is not right."

"In what way?"

"Your testosterone levels have started to rise, I see you're not on blockers."

"No, I was never prescribed them. What can you do?"

"I think we need to get you in for an orchiectomy plus start you on mild blockers to counter-act the testosterone already in your system. I have notes here that say you were on course for late-onset puberty, well I believe it just started."

Tammy started to cry.

"Hey, it's something we can sort out. I'll make some calls and get you an appointment for the snip but knowing the NHS that could be a month or six. Do you have private insurance?"

Tammy nodded, whilst dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"I'll write you a letter which you can send to your insurance company. Do you want to collect it tomorrow?"

"Can you fax it?"

"Of course, and I'll post the original. What's the number?"

Tammy gave the fax number for the house.

"Oh, we're moving in a week's time but I don't have any new numbers yet. I don't even know the postcode."

"Let us know in due course."

The doctor went back to her workstation and was obviously typing notes into the system. A moment later a printer started, producing a prescription which she handed to Tammy.

"I've fixed a small anomaly on the system. Now, I've upped the dosage on the pills you're taking so start these new ones tomorrow. There's also a blocker to take every day. I'll still check with the local hospitals in case there's a free date soon but I'll do that letter as well."

"Thanks Adi."

"Hey, you should have come to see us sooner."

"I've just been so busy and I thought it would pass. I had Alison and Andrea McPherson telling me to take it easy as I collapsed with exhaustion a few weeks ago. I had the flu as well."

"The flu? More likely the common cold but it feels worse if you're a bit down. I also reckon your hormones have been all over the place, I'll take your blood pressure then you can pretend to be a pin cushion for me."

The GP took her blood pressure then gathered five new phials before inserting a cannula into Tammy's left arm.

"Thanks, I think."

"I want to see you in two weeks."

"Okay."

***

The first flakes were starting to fall when Tammy came out of the chemists. She didn't need to pay for the birth control pills but did have to pay for the blockers, which earned her a quizzical look from the pharmacy assistant. Tammy smiled back, snapping the young man's neck would have been far too much trouble.

Richard hadn't asked Tammy why she'd spent so long with the GP but guessed she wanted to go to the pharmacy when he saw the prescription. He also didn't ask why she needed to talk to the twins as soon as they returned to the house.

They gathered in Tammy's room, she burst into tears as soon as the door was closed. The twins waited for her to recover.

"Tammy, Tammy, what's up?"

"There's testosterone in my system."

"There's some in all of us." Alison spoke for both of them.

"No, I've started male puberty."

"Oh, that might explain a few things."

"That's what the doctor said."

"Dr Hoskins?"

"No, Adi Sutherland. Do you know her?"

The twins shook their heads.

"What's she doing about it, Tammy?" Andrea took over.

"Blockers, a different pill and cutting them off."

"Going under the knife, then? How soon?"

Tammy's turn to shake her head. "No idea, privately if necessary."

"If the GP thinks it's necessary then you'll get a date pretty quickly, it's a simple enough procedure under local anesthesia."

"Thanks for that, I had a feeling I might have to wait months, or even longer."

"No, it's not an elective procedure in your case but a medical requirement."

"Okay."

"We've news, by the way. We're going back to London in a few days."

"Oh, so soon?"

"Aunt Elsie doesn't need us any more, and to be truthful she didn't really need us at all."

"I suppose so."

"Cheer up, we'll be here until Friday."

"Longer if we get snowed in?"

"No chance, it isn't like southern England where one flake causes travel chaos and three flakes closes every supermarket!"

Her bedside phone rang.

"Hello?"

"It's Joan."

"Hi Joan, what's up?"

The twins waved bye and quietly left the room.

"It's Lori."

"Ryan?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"It is?"

"Yes, Lori does exist, but Ryan was simply borrowing what was thought to be a very private name."

"So whose name is it?"

"Tony Jenkins."