(aka Bike) Part 560 by Angharad |
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We both shared a sense of impending doom. “What about my father?” asked Simon.
“Your father?” said the nurse looking at me for some sort of clarification.
“Simon is Stella’s brother,” I said quickly.
“Oh, okay, well, he’s in recovery.”
“Recovery?” said Simon. I felt relief, it tends to mean they’re still alive.
“Yes, he’s got multiple fractures.”
“Hang on a minute, start at the beginning, please.”
The nurse looked bemused, “You didn’t know?”
“Know what?” said Simon.
“Mr Cameron senior has been involved in a road traffic accident.”
“On the M27?” I asked.
“I think so; anyway, he has two broken legs and cracked ribs, they had to repair the fractures surgically.”
“Where is he?”
“In recovery, he’ll be going up to orthopaedics later.”
“He’s going to be dopey, Si,” I added.
“No change there then,” said Simon, “what’s happening with my sister?”
“She’s still in theatre.”
“Bloody hell, it’s taking a long time.” Simon’s frustrations and worry voiced themselves.
“These things do sometimes, and we can’t rush them.”
“I know, sorry.” He looked rather sheepish and I squeezed his arm. The nurse left us and we went back to sitting on the uncomfortable seats.
“We could go and get a cup of tea somewhere.”
“I’d rather wait here, just in case.”
“Okay, we wait.”
“You could go and get one, if you like.”
“Si, I’ll stay with you.”
“I’m sorry about what I said earlier, you were quite right to get annoyed.”
“I’m well aware that I can’t have kids, it’s something I think about every single day. I was so jealous of Stella, but at least I have two loving kids I can mother and who think the world of you, too.”
“I know. I was out of line, I am sorry.”
“They so badly need a male role model.”
“What about Tom?”
“He can help, but the father figure is so important.”
“What for girls?”
“Yes, remember they will have relationships with boys or men later. Their core feelings for the opposite sex are greatly influenced by their parents. They’ve both had traumatic experiences of parenting, it’s essential we don’t compound their trauma.”
“You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you?”
“A bit.”
“A bit, that’s an understatement. It’s crazy; it takes a family crisis before we talk enough to understand each other.”
“What’s going to happen at the bank without Henry?”
“It’ll run as it always has. The deputy chairman will take over until he’s back. It will run as nearly normal.”
“What about your division?”
“It’ll be there after I’ve gone. I’ll call Eric, he’s the deputy chair and tell him what’s happened to Dad and also update him on Stella.”
“I wonder what happened?”
“The police will be putting together a report I suppose.”
“He might not remember.”
“Good chance he won’t. Still if he broke his legs, it sounds as if he hit something pretty hard, and head on, and the engine came back on to him.”
“Or the shock of the impact.”
“What inertia and so on?”
“Yeah, sorry, physics was not my favourite subject.”
“Anyway, speculating is wasting breath, maybe I would like a quick cuppa.”
“I think it might be good, we could be a long time yet. I’ll give the nurse my mobile number, she can call us if we’re needed.”
“Yeah, okay.”
We walked briskly to the hospital cafeteria, and managed to get a cuppa and couple of sandwiches. It wasn’t ideal, but it filled a gap and enabled us to keep going a bit longer. “Did you mean that bit about the children coming before us?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it? Yes?”
“Is now the time to discuss it?”
“Why not? It’s not like we can go off and watch a film is it?”
“No, but things are pretty stressful, I think I’d rather discuss things of that sort when we were both fresher and able to give it our full attention.”
“I don’t see what the complication is.”
“Si, I don’t want to talk about it now, okay?”
“Bloody women,” he let go my hand, which in itself felt quite hurtful. “You’re gonna dump me aren’t you?”
I stopped him and faced him, lifting his face to look me in the eye. “Simon, I have no intention of dumping you, neither have I any intention of pursuing this conversation.”
“I’m not good enough for you, am I?”
“Geez-us, Simon, what is the matter with you? Not good enough for me? If I remember correctly, it’s me who has the problems, you’re just a millionaire banker, with a title and an estate in Scotland, who happens to be quite good looking and with whom I am in love.”
“Without you, I’d fall apart, Stella would have died, the children would be worse off. You are so bloody perfect, we need you, girl, we all need you.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Si.”
He put his arm around me. “Stay with me, at least until all this is over. Please help me to get through it.” He burst into tears and it took me minutes to calm him down.
“I have no plans to go anywhere, besides the girls call you their daddy, they need you too. And I hate to admit it, so do I.”
“Ah, Mr Cameron and Mrs Watts, could you please come through to the office,” said the ICU sister. I clamped on to Simon’s arm and my stomach flipped again.
Comments
Talk about a fragile ego,
Talk about a fragile ego, Simon really has one in spades. Cathy was thinking she only had two children, but now I wonder. Cathy has more control of situations than Simon, Stella and Tom put together. They all rely on her as their support base. I am very glad to learn that Henry is not deceased, but rather really banged up physically. That is something he can eventually get over. Stella, we can all only hope comes thru everything okay as does her baby. J-Lynn
Thank Goodness Henry Is Going To Be Okay
Thank goodness that Henry will be okay. The stress on Cathy and Simon is already pretty hard. I hope that Stella makes it through and that somehow little Puddin survives. I just keep waiting for Cathy to have a breakdown with everything that has happened. I think that Trish and Mima are the only reason she has been able to maintain her sanity. She knows that they depend on her and being a mother has hwelped keep everything in the proper perspective. Maybe if Puddin and Stella make it, Cathy could work her magic on them.
Fragile Ego And What Next?
Makes me wonder what would happen with out Cathy there for everybody. Is the news from the sister good nws or bad news?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Okay...
We fell off of the cliffs you prepared, and have landed on a ledge. Glancing over the precipice, it looks awful far down, and are those sharp rocks on the way down. The bottom's to far to tell if it's flat or rock strewn, or if maybe there a deep pool down there. In any event, it looks dangerous.
Hopefully, you'll manage to provide some soft landing.
Simon? He's way beyond stressed, and looking for ANYTHING other than his dad and Stella to talk/think about. Cathy, on the other hand, seems to want to dwell there, or anywhere BUT something affecting the two. It's a good thing they're both so well ballanced and confident in who they are, and what's what.
Thanks for a thought provoking series,
Annette
Ang, You're On a Roll With the Cliff Hangers
Hope you give us some relief soon.
cilffhangers
Angharad you have a wonderful nack of having a cliffhanger ending of your chapters it just makes us want to keep coming back for more each day please don't stop as exciteing as always.
Ah another Dover moment...
I am thankful it is only for a day though :P.
Kim
Wow
Go away for the weekend and come back to three tragic episodes at once. It's turning into the end of Hamlet or Sweeney Todd when everyone dies. I don't know if I can take any more.
Geesh
I'm glad this isn't real time for a change. Stick it in and twist, that's our Angharad. Leaving us staring at the ceiling wondering who gets the ax.
Recap,
Stella may be dying. So might her baby.
Tom is not home from the hospital after having a massive heart attack.
Simon is recently recovered from being driven over by a van.
His father is probably in ICU with multiple fractures and Lord knows what else.
Cathy had saved at least 2 people, and lost a 3rd in spite of her best efforts.
Both the young girls are still recovering from major trauma.
All the major people in Cathy's life are very messed up or recovering.
Did I miss anything?
These last few chapters have
These last few chapters have me feeling like I run up several flights of stairs and there is more to come. Whew!
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Where Angels fear to tread
Cathy, I suspect, if she was real, would be awfully hard to live with. One word said at the wrong time or taken the wrong way (and she always takes them the wrong way)is enough to bring the tears, or a very sharp rejoinder, followed, if you are unlucky, with a right jab (using her foot) to the jaw. Living with C would be like walking on egg shells unless you were under 6 and female. However life with Lady C is exciting; never a dull moment and danger lurks everywhere. As you say she is dangerous to be near. She is an Angel I would fear to tread anywhere near. Still, I am entranced by the sheer impossibility of it all.
Ellenz
I thought I was out, but you pullme back in !
I always loved that call, nothing said in public for privacy. However, you are digesting your stomach lining, waiting, waiting. for the news, good, bad, or indifferent.
Cefin