Easy Street.
by Angharad
part:259

I came away from the clinic feeling irritable, I was tired and fed up not helped by the mirth my actions with a certain rodent had caused. I felt like going to the university and wringing the neck of said rodent. If she been a Russian hamster, I think I might well have done.

I was walking back to my car when someone approached me, a tall man who looked foreign, a bit like a younger Breshnev. His accent was also thick and his English poor. My stress levels went through the roof as I looked around for help or further assailants.

In the end it was just a misunderstanding, he was a Lithuanian visitor who wanted directions for HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship on which he died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Once I had calmed down, sat in my locked car with the engine running, I thought a bit about Nelson. His action at Trafalgar meant that any risk of a Napoleonic invasion was nullified. Nelson's tactics at the time were real death and glory stuff, but he took out half the French fleet in the first part of the engagement, by sailing in between their two lines and blasting both at the same time. Apparently the Royal Navy were better equipped, trained and motivated than the enemy and Nelson made full use of it.

His death was apparently horrendous shot by a sniper, the shot passing through his spine, a lung and further internal injuries and he took about five hours to die, fully conscious and in great pain. However, he died at the height of his fame, and hence the legends that persist about him.

Although I'd been in Portsmouth over a year, I'd never been to see Victory, something I would do one day, probably ask Simon to take me. While we were at it try and take in the Mary Rose, one of Henry VIII's vessels which sank sailing out to engage a French fleet in the sixteenth Century. Current theory, suggests the wind and pure bad luck caused her to capsize, and the gun ports were open, allowing her to ship water. Hundreds drowned as she sank in minutes.

I shuddered, I was cold despite the car's usually effective heater and thinking about poor men drowning in a cold sea did nothing to lift my spirits.

For something to do, I drove out to Simon's Cottage. The garden was a bit unkempt and there was a skip full of builder's rubbish still in the driveway, but from the outside the house looked really good. I wondered if the insurance was paying or Simon. I took some pictures with my mobile phone, to show Stella when I finally got to see her.

Thinking of her I called the hospital. I spoke to the charge nurse on her ward and asked about visiting.

"She is still quite poorly and I don't think friends coming to see her is a good idea."

"She's my sister in law," I lied.

"Who are you then?"

"Lady Catherine Cameron, my husband is her brother."

"I'd worked that much out. Hold on I'll go and see her." He returned a few minutes later. "She says she'd like to see you, but she is quite frail, so please don't expect to see her for long and please don't do anything to cause her any anxiety or other negative feeling."

"Oh my God, she is that ill?"

"I'm afraid so."

"What time shall I come?"

"About two?"

"That's fine, will you be there?"

"Possibly, if I am we'll be doing handover, but please speak to a nurse before you see her, just in case she isn't well."

"Very well, I shall do as you ask, thank you." I hope that sounded sufficiently pompous to keep up the illusion, my suit was designer gear, so I should look the part. I freshened up my makeup and drove off to get some lunch.

I met up with Tom at his usual haunt, he was having a chicken curry for a change. So I had a tuna salad as they did a reasonable one there.

We chatted and I said I was going to see Stella.

"How did you manage that, they won't even tell me how she is?"

"I stretched the truth a little, explained I was Lady Catherine her sister in law. You could always try it?"

"With my voice, I don't think they'd believe I was Lady anyone."

I shook my head, "You tell them she's your niece or Kiki's cousin twice removed."

He roared and said, "I don't think so, but as you are going there you can tell me instead."

Neither Simon nor Henry had said how she was, except she was 'safe' and 'she'll be home in a few days'. That now seemed unlikely. I didn't mention my misgivings to Tom, hoping that the hospital was exaggerating the situation as hospitals sometimes do. But when he left to go back to uni at half past one, I went to the toilet and threw up most of my lunch, I felt so anxious. I touched up my make up and on the way back to the car bought some water and pepermints to freshen my mouth, and some flowers and fruit for Stella. Had I been better organised, I could have taken her some clean nighties.

At the hospital, I bought her some toiletries and was quite laden when I got to her ward and spoke to the nurse, who promised to bring in a vase for the flowers a little later.

Stella was in a private room, I knocked and entered. She was lying propped up on several pillows and with the back rest in position. Amidst the white sheets she looked absolutely colourless and had deep dark rings around her eyes. I nearly burst into tears just seeing her.

"Hi Sis, how are you?" I said and showed her all my prezzies.

She smiled and said so quietly I could hardly hear her, "Like shit, how are you?"

"I'm okay."

We hugged gently, "Thanks for coming," she said.

Aware that I didn't want to start any flashbacks to her ordeal I couldn't ask what happened. I didn't need to, she told me. In a very quiet, emotionless voice she recalled how they had beaten her several times, including her stomach. She'd haemorrhaged again and had thought she was going to die. After that they left her alone, possibly expecting her to die. Fortunately, the storming of the hideout, an old house in Gosport, had happened just in time and she'd been airlifted to the hospital and had had four transfusions to date. She confided in me that she still had the odd nightmare and some psychologist chap had been to see her, Redhead, or something, she couldn't quite recall.

The nurse came in and looked at her watch and at me. She took the flowers and I got the hint. "I'd better go, you need your rest Sis. Get well soon." I kissed her and we hugged very gently.

I walked out in a bit of a daze, she did look quite ill and I needed to speak with Henry. I sent a text to his mobile. He returned it with a call about an hour later.

I pulled off the road and switched off the engine. "Hello Henry, I've just been to see Stella."

"Oh how is she?"

"Quite ill, why didn't you tell me?"

"To what end? You couldn't do anything and Simon and I worrying about her was enough. I haven't even told Monica."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know, lovely, it's in the lap of the gods."

I began to cry, "She's got to get better, I'd miss her so much."

"We all would, but she's a fighter and I have high expectations of her."

I sniffed and nodded, realising he couldn't see me, and added a quick, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Is there anything she needs?" he asked.

"No, I'll pop in tomorrow and take her some clean nighties and things."

"Good girl, see that's the sort of things we mere males forget."

"I told them I was Lady Catherine, they wouldn't have let me in otherwise, I hope you don't mind?"

"My dear girl, in my little mind, you've been my daughter in law for sometime. Why don't you get a move on with the wedding?"

"I would if I could, Henry, but I have to wait another year to qualify for the gender Recognition Panel."

"Can't you get one of these civil thingies?"

"No, I want to marry as a female."

"Do you want me to see if I can pull any strings?"

"I don't think that would work, they are quite strict about qualifying periods."

"I'm sure I could have a word with the requisite minister."

"No, Henry, I'd prefer it if you didn't, I want everything to be legit when I marry. It also gives Stella more time to get well to help me plan it."

"That's a point, mind you Monica would be delighted to help."

"To be honest she terrifies me Henry."

He laughed, "She's harmless really but I'll tell her to calm down around you. She thinks you're lovely."

"That's what worries me."

"Oh, I think you're lovely too, does that frighten you as well?"

"No, I've got a little practice at repelling unwanted men, even Russian ones with guns."

"So I believe. I must go dear girl, give Stella my love, won't you?"

"Of course, future daddy in law."

"I like that, hurry up and get that bit of paper!"

"I will."

"No, you say that later."

I blushed and simply said, "Go, Henry, bye." At which he called, 'bye.' and disconnected.

I did some shopping for something to do and ended up buying another pair of shoes I didn't need. Then I went back to the hotel, had a bath and dilated, it hurt, but only a lot!

I sent Simon a text to ask if he was home for dinner and could I invite Tom?

His response was, 'Won't make dnnr, invt who U lik, CU 2Nit. luv S.'

I called Tom catching him just before he was about to leave his office. I asked him to ask Pippa if she wanted to come as well, provided he didn't mind giving her a lift. He went to ask her and she called her mum, who could babysit, so I'd have two guests for dinner at eight.

I called the restaurant, "Could I book a table for three for eight o clock?"

"Which room is it?"

"It's not a room per se, but a suite."

"Ah, Lady Cameron is it?"

"Yes, " I said blushing, Simon had said, 'The only use for a title was booking a table in a posh restaurant.' Seemed he was right, although it helped if the family owned it.

"I have a nice one in the green room near the window."

"That sounds perfect, thank you."

"My pleasure, Lady Cameron."

I looked at my watch, it was five o'clock, I requested an alarm call at six and went for a lie down and was soon fast asleep.