Part Twenty Eight   "Catching up"

 

 
Tuesday 10th February
 

"Good afternoon Tammy."

"Hello Doctor."

"Please, call me Adi. How are you?"

"Getting better, I have more energy now."

"Do not over-work yourself, this was a very serious infection and you will take some time to recover."

"Why wasn't it picked up before?"

"Apart from being tired you weren't exhibiting any symptoms. I've reviewed your last results but a specific test for infection was not requested, but naturally I've been told to include a request for culturing with this batch, let's have your arm."

Once that was done Tammy was weighed, had her BP taken and finally was asked to get onto the bed.

"I need to check the stitches."

"Do I need to say if I've been swimming?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I've been swimming."

"Pool or the sea?"

"Private pool."

"Good, the sea's not pleasant or safe this time of the year. So long as the pool is treated correctly that shouldn't be a problem, did you notice any swelling?"

"No, but I don't tend to look down there."

"I do, drop your knickers."

Adi was happy that everything was healing and made notes whilst Tammy made herself decent.

"I'll be pleased to get everything else sorted."

"I'm sure you know the rules, Tammy."

"I know, one full year, then several shrinks to say I'm sane."

"If sanity came into it then you wouldn't stand a chance."

"Thanks, not!"

"Look, you've got most things under control and your hormones should hopefully settle back down soon. I want to see you for weekly checks on a Tuesday afternoon until we have proof it's stable."

"Sure. We moved at the weekend, by the way."

"You didn't do any work, did you?"

"No, I was in bed."

"Good. How much are you sleeping in the day?"

"An hour or two each morning and afternoon but it's reducing."

"I'll sign you off school until you go back after half-term."

"What about everything else?"

"Like?"

"Theatre rehearsal on Saturday, Valentines Ball, helping move Sarah's shop from Monday, I'm sure I've missed something."

"I should say 'no' to everything but I know you'll ignore me so let's be sensible; one thing a day only, choose if it's morning or afternoon or evening but only once a day, and if you're tired scrub everything. Understand?"

"Yes, Adi."

"Good, go home and have a rest as this appointment counts as your sole activity today."

“Just one more thing?”

“Yes?”

“What happened to the bits the surgeon removed?”

“Probably gone to the lab, if they weren’t destroyed. Why?”

“Just curious.”

“We’ve overrun, go home!”

***

After dealing with several outstanding emails Tammy had spent most of that morning notifying everyone their new address. This was the third time in four months she'd changed her online shopping delivery address for some websites so knew her way around. Once Angela was back from school she was reminded to make similar changes, although her limited online existence meant that she would have fewer sites to update than Tammy.

Angela's arrival home, courtesy of mum, had also brought homework and a snotty note from her business studies tutor complaining of broken promises.

That evening, after dinner, she let herself into the study and dialled a number on the official phone.

"Hi Heather?"

"It's Sophie, Heather's in the kitchen loading the washing machine."

"A glamorous job, I guess?"

"Handling someone else's underwear is not glamorous young lady. I guess Jimmy has been to see you?"

"Yes, he was here for several hours yesterday."

"Right, Heather's here."

"Okay, bye Sophie."

"Hello Tammy, what do you have for me?"

"I've been through the fashion show documents and, as you suggested, something isn't right."

"Give me an overview."

"On one of the documents, Penny Lane is written as Penelopa Lanovska."

"That's not a crime, you can't base an investigation on one strange-sounding name."

"Okay, the economics for the show don't make sense. There's plenty of money going in, much more than is needed, and then is being explained as contingencies."

"How much?"

"A mil."

"How much would you estimate the show should really cost?"

"Without considering any discounting it's twenty to twenty five thou."

"Is that everything?"

"Yes, logistics, advertising, location, necessary staff including models, ancillaries and bribes."

"Bribes?"

"Sorry, petty cash for local problem solving."

"Oh, bribes."

"Yes."

"Where did you find that?"

"Under the marquee hire."

"What's the problem with that?"

"Have you ever tried to put a tent up in a storm?"

"Can't say I have."

"Well, the prevailing wind up here during the winter is twenty to thirty miles per hour with gusts at sixty plus, you do not put a marquee up during the winter or early spring! If the wind caught a tent it would end up in Norway!"

"What's the stated value of the marquee?"

"Six thousand, on top of the other costs."

"Okay, well spotted, what else is there?"

"No insurance policy for the event, but £950,000 set aside as an insurance fund."

"That sounds like someone daren't risk applying for a policy."

"Yes. There's a few things on the inventory I don't understand though?"

"Like what?"

"Dosimeters, a dozen of them, whatever they are."

"Interesting, anything else?"

"Yes, severe overmanning."

"Too many models?"

"No, about a dozen staff who aren't needed."

"And a dozen dosimeters? What local sources of radiation do you know?"

"Radiation? I thought we were talking about a fashion show?"

"We are, any radiation sources near Thurso?"

"Well Dounreay is just past Scrabster, but that's not operational and is being decommissioned, there's even a visitors' centre."

"Dounreay is well documented too, anything else?"

"Not that I know of."

"Okay, thanks for what you've done so far but can you send me those documents?"

"By email?"

"No, nothing like this is to go to the email address on my business card. Do you have your laptop available?"

"It's here."

"Go to this website." Heather read out the site's address. "You'll need a login and a password, write these down but you need to keep them in the safe."

Tammy logged into the website which simply asked her to upload any documents, which she did.

"All done. Oh, hang on."

"What is it?"

"It's an email from Penelope Lane, I was sent the wrong data, I'm to delete it and wait for the correct set."

"Do as she asks then, assuming it's all uploaded?"

"Yes, the last one has finished."

"Good, when you received the new set of data, upload that as well."

"Will do."

"Well done Tammy, we'll speak in a few days."

"Okay Heather, what can I say to Sarah about this?"

"Say nothing, I have a feeling things will sort themselves out. You might like to look for a new venue for the show, however, I have a feeling the Golf Club's going to need repairs to the roof."

"How would you .... never mind."

"Good girl, question everything but say nothing."

"I've got to go, bye."

"Bye, and don't forget to take the encryption card out of the phone and lock it up in the safe."

"Okay, bye."

"Goodnight Tammy."

Tammy returned her laptop to her room after ensuring everything was secured away, before going to see the others.

"Dad, mum, what do I do about the Ball?"

Richard and Joan were sat in the lounge, the telly was playing to itself in a corner and a fire was blazing in the hearth. Tammy knew which of the two vistas was the preferred one.

"Tammy dear, you know what Dr Sutherland said to you?"

"Yes, so I either let down the theatre so I can enjoy myself, with no guarantee that I'll still be awake at eight in the evening regardless, or go to the theatre and forget the evening."

"I think you just made your own decision."

"It's not as if I'll get a Valentines card either, is it, let alone a date?"

"That's a very negative attitude, young lady. I know I have to tell my own daughter to think positive but I never thought I would need to tell you?"

"But mum ..."

"It's true, you are normally a positive person."

"I just don't feel very positive right now. I'm going to bed."

"Okay, goodnight."

 
Friday 13th February
 

The tail end of the week had left Tammy tiring as she attempted more activities but she wasn't dozing during the day as much as before. Leanne had moved into her new flat on Wednesday and resumed her duties the following morning, although her duties seemed to include making a fuss of Tammy.

"It's okay Leanne, really, I don't need another coffee."

"It would be no trouble."

"Thanks, but I think I'll go over to see Elsie."

"Will you be back for lunch?"

"I have no idea."

It had been cruel of Tammy, she knew, to walk out like that, but she didn't want to be virtually bottle-fed, even if she had been sat in a onesie at the time. Driving one of the golf carts in a onesie was not a good idea so she'd abandoned that idea very quickly.

So, on Friday, she was stir-crazy and wanted to go into town, but had no transport. She contemplated calling for a taxi to collect her but didn't have any spare cash for the fare. She picked up the phone.

"Elsie, can I come over?"

"Anytime dear, but I'm just going out."

"Oh, anywhere nice?"

"Just into town for lunch, did you want to come along?"

"Could I?"

"I'll have Jonathon pick you up on the way, ten minutes."

"Thanks Elsie."

Tammy was rushed, she hadn't worn any serious makeup for over a weekand her hair really needed a tidy. She put a strip of the antibiotics pills in her bag and headed for the front door.

"I'm going into town, don't do me any lunch!" She said to no-one as she left the building.

Of course, Elsie fussed almost all the way into town.

"I'm meeting up with my lunch group at midday, you're welcome to join us."

"I'm not sure yet Elsie."

"Alright, but don't overdo it."

"I won't."

First stop was to draw some cash. Tammy was pleased to see that an ATM had now been installed inside the bank but that probably meant there would be one staff fewer on duty. She needed a few items for her new room so went looking for those, wishing she'd brought a larger shoulder bag along.

As she arrived at the hair salon the heaven opened and a torrent of rain descended, she dashed inside.

"Oh dear, are you here to shelter from that or do you really want something done?"

"Hello Sandy, a bit of a tidy up please."

"You might want to see Joanne first."

"Why?"

The 'why' was soon answered as Joanne opened the door wide, showing off the latest kit.

"It's an IPL hair remover. I qualified to use it yesterday and you'll be my guinea pig."

"I don't think I'm ready for anything, Joanne."

"Nonsense, let's make a start on your top lip and chin."

"But my hormones are getting sorted."

"That doesn't remove the hairs that are already there, but this does!"

"Okay, okay, but gentle, please."

"You'll need to wear goggles, here we go."

After fifteen minutes Joanne stopped.

"Finished?"

"Only this session, we need to do this regularly for it to be worthwhile."

"How often?"

"Once a month."

"For how long?"

"'Til Christmas, maybe, sooner if your hormones stop the new growth."

"What will I be left with?"

"That varies, because there is no such thing as permanent hair removal, but you could see an eighty percent reduction with the remainder being thinner and less noticeable than now."

"I can live with that."

"Good, let's do your legs and then you can see Sandy."

It was another hour before Tammy made it onto the street. It was near to one o'clock and she needed lunch so she dodged the raindrops and ran into the Castletown Hotel.

She could hear Elsie's group but decided to sit nearer the bar at one of the small tables. She ordered a juice and a sandwich before starting to relax. She checked her phone and found a missed call from Sarah.

"Hi, I missed a call from you."

"Where are you?"

"In the hotel, I've just arrived and ordered lunch."

"Stay there, I'll be two minutes."

Sarah took three minutes, but Tammy didn't argue.

"What's up, Sarah?"

"I just had a visit from someone asking about the fashion show."

"That's to be expected."

"But I can't tell them anything apart from what this Penny Lane told us."

"I guess not."

"She was asking about tickets but Penny said it was going to be invitation only."

"I'm sure it will sort itself out."

"I hope so, I have enough to worry about with the shop move, even if that is only to next door. How are you feeling now?"

The barman delivered Tammy's sandwich and took an order for Sarah.

"My doctor won't let me do too much, mornings or afternoons only. If I go to the theatre in the morning I can't stay with you until you close."

"Oh, I wonder if Angela is available?"

"She's needed in the theatre tomorrow morning but after that I don't know, in fact I don't know how the two of us are getting down here tomorrow? Mum and Dad haven't said anything."

"Your mum?"

"That's what I'm calling Joan now seeing as she and Angela have moved out of their cottage and we're all in our new house."

"How is the new place?"

"It's great but I'm going stir crazy, I want to get back to school but I'm signed off until after half-term."

"Will you be free next week to help?"

"If I can get down here and, as I said, only for a few hours at a time. This isn't how I envisaged things."

"No, neither me. Who's likely to be available?"

"Angela might be but I don't know what else she's planned, oh!"

"What is it?"

"I'm trying to sort out something really good for your opening ceremony and my stay in hospital has messed that up."

"Opening ceremony? You'd think it was about opening the bridge to Skye?"

"No, it's something for the press to guarantee you get coverage for free."

"I've already had a call from the Echo asking if I want advertising space."

"It might be a good idea, but hold them off until a week after you open to keep the momentum up."

"So tell me all about your plan for Thursday?"