(aka Bike) Part 583 by Angharad |
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The soup had boiled over, but five minutes of scrubbing cleaned up the mess. There was enough for us all, possibly with a bit left over as Simon wasn’t here. I felt sad again–why did I throw him out?–seemed like a good idea, or I’m incredibly stupid? And now I’ve lost him, possibly for good. I felt my eyes want to leak some more salt water, so I wiped down the cooker once more.
After lunch, the soup was okay for all it’s boiling–or bilin’ as Tom put it–I told the girls I was going to the hospital to collect their Auntie Stella.
“Don’t forget to give your special touch to Puddin’, Mummy,” Trish whispered to me.
“I’ll see if I have time, darling, at this moment, I’m more concerned that you two behave for Gramps.”
“We will,” said Trish.
“We wiww,” parroted Meems.
“Okay, I’ll see you later.” I kissed them both and got the Golf out of its parking space. I wondered if Simon would want this back? I hoped not, it’s a lovely car and goes like a rocket.
I parked near the ward on which Stella had been. But when I went up there, she’d left, an hour before. In case she was with Henry, I popped up to his ward. He was pleased to see me and told me she’d been there but had gone probably half an hour ago.
“You’re looking tired, Cathy.”
“Yeah, Mima had a troubled night.” These lies were so easy now.
“Why was that?”
“I don’t honestly know, bad dreams, I suppose.”
“What about you and Simon?”
“What about Simon and me?” I felt my tummy somersault.
“Please don’t act stupidly, Cathy, it doesn’t befit you. He phoned me to say you’d chucked him.”
“Oh,” I felt myself blushing and wanting to cry, but I kept swallowing back the tears.
“I wondered why you’d had such a sudden attack of good taste?”
“It was silly really. I got the forms back from the gender people and I’m waiting for my new birth certificate. He asked me to marry him again, and I said yes.” I felt a tear run down my face.
“Why don’t you sit down,” he said proffering me his box of tissues.
I hadn’t wanted to stay, I felt far too guilty. “I feel so stupid,” I said as I burst into tears. He waited until I’d finished crying before he urged me to complete my story. I explained about the difference of opinion over a wedding site.
“You get married wherever you want,” he said quietly.
“What about all your traditions and stuff?”
“If you’re agreeable, we could have a blessing there afterwards. I’d like it if you wore your wedding dress for that, but it isn’t essential. Then we’d have a bun-fight at the local hotel with possibly an evening disco; that sort of thing, keeps the peasants happy.”
“Don’t know about this peasant?” I said disliking his mock arrogance.
“Ah, but you’d be elevated to the Scottish Gentry.”
“You can’t make a silk purse…”
“Au contraire, you are living proof of the possibilities, although I prefer to see you as a woman who had a plumbing problem.” I blushed; he could talk the birds out of the trees when he wanted to.
I patted my eyes dry again. I needed to find Stella and possibly get up to see Puddin’ although the way I felt, she could do with charging me up, not the other way round.
“So is it over with Simon?” he asked directly.
I shrugged, “I don’t know, perhaps. I chucked him out didn’t I?”
“So? ask him to come back.”
“He’d be hardly likely to do that would he?”
“I don’t know, you’d have to ask him that, wouldn’t you? Do you want him back?”
“Yes,” I said very quietly.
“Damn, that’s a great shame, I was going to divorce Monica and make a play myself.” His eyes were twinkling as he joked with me. “I thought you were beginning to show some taste at last with dumping that lump of lard.”
“He’s not that bad, Henry, just a bit out of shape.”
“I’m in better shape than him and I’ve got two broken legs.”
“Well you’re probably genetically leaner…”
“Nonsense, I don’t eat as much as that couch potato and I exercise more. You’ll have to make him do some exercise regularly as part of your taking the fool back.”
“I don’t even know where he is,” I shrugged.
“You could always call his mobile.”
“What if he won’t talk to me? I was pretty awful to him.”
“You’ll just have to talk to him directly, then won’t you?”
“Not if I don’t know where he is.”
“If I was to tell you where he is at this very moment, would you speak to him?”
“If he’d talk to me, yes I would.”
“What would you tell him?”
“That the girls missed him, that I missed him and that I loved him; I was sorry for being so horrid to him and I wanted to try again.”
“What do you think he’d say to you?”
“I don’t know, possibly, to get stuffed.”
“I don’t think so, do you?”
“I don’t know, Henry, I’ve been so stupid.” I was sniffing again as I fought with the tears. “You said you knew where he was?”
“Yes, he’s…”
“I’m here, Babes.”
“What?” I gasped, and spun round. Simon, was standing behind me, looking rather embarrassed.
“Hello, Babes.”
“Simon? What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, “I came to see Stella, but she’d gone home, so I came over to see Dad.”
“How long have you been standing there?”
“A couple of minutes, why?”
I glared at Henry, “You set me up,” I accused him.
“Believe me, Lassie, I didn’t, our missing couch potato just showed up, all by himself.”
“If I thought you had…”
“I told you, chuck him and I’ll do the same with Monica and we could make music together.” He laughed at my screwed up face.
“That would be like marrying Tom,” I said in distaste.
“Hey, it wouldn’t. He’s twenty years older than me,” Henry protested.
“He didn’t set us up, Babes, he isn’t clever enough for that,” Simon said very quietly.
“How dare you?” Henry glared at his son, but again he was fooling about.
“Can we go and talk, maybe grab a cuppa?”
“Alright, but I need to find out where Stella is, she’s disappeared.”
“She’ll turn up, like the bad penny she is,” Simon was not very complimentary to his sister.
“I’m worried about her, Si. She’s in a funny mood.”
“Oh geez, Cathy, she is a total pain in the arse, I spend half my sodding life running around for the stupid cow. It’s about time she grew up. Let’s get ourselves sorted, maybe we can help her afterwards.”
“What if that’s too late?”
“What for us?”
“No for her.” I pulled out my mobile and speed dialled home. In a couple of moments I’d learned that she wasn’t with Tom and the girls. “She hasn’t gone home.”
“Aw shit!” Simon cursed, “She’s messing us about again. Stupid cow.”
“Perhaps she’s up with her baby, come on, let’s look. We’ll see you later, Henry.”
“Let me know what’s happening with you and her, won’t you?” he called as we left.
We dashed up to the special baby care unit. “Is Stella here?” I asked the nurse.
“No, she was maybe an hour ago, did a bottle for her baby and left.”
“Can I see the baby?”
“Course,” she waved me to Puddin’s incubator.
I touched the baby’s hand and her fingers wrapped around mine and she gave me a beautiful smile. I felt my finger buzzing and she smiled again and drifted off to sleep finally letting go of my finger after a few minutes. I stroked her head and promised to come back to see her again as soon as I could.
“So where is the baby’s mother?”
“We don’t know, she was supposed to be waiting for me to collect her to take her home. She wasn’t there, and she hasn’t gone home, or hadn’t.”
“Oh, she seemed a bit preoccupied when she was here, she hasn’t got post-natal depression, has she?”
“Could be, if she comes back, could you let me know.” I gave her my mobile number.
“Yeah, course. I hope you find her.”
“So do we,” said Simon as we dashed off towards the cars.
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Comments
It's a start
That's one situation on the mend. Now, individual counseling for Cathy and Simon, as well as couples counseling oughta be next on their planning book.
But they've still got to find Stella. Perhaps they can get one of those tracking devices like are put on offenders out on bail. Then Cathy would just have to whip out the mobile, "Alright, where is she now?" :-)
They know they can survive
seems like counseling would be a good idea
If for not other reason than to help Cathy deal with her stress.
I Hope Stella Doesn't Do Something Stupid
I hope Stella doesn't do something stupid. Everyone has been through enough already and if she kills herself, it will break so many hearts. Cathy was so busy wallowing in her own misery, that she failed to notice the way she was acting when she talked on the phone. Please let her be okay. Suicide is sad enough in real life.
I'd always thought that Cathy
would end up caring for baby puddin but I sure don't want to see anything bad happen to Stella. She may be spoiled but she's also gone through a lot both physically and mentally. Hope they find her soon. And uhh Simon... offer that ring back, NOW.
Phew!
Phew, that's a relief that they're back together again. Henry is a tower of strength and talks so much sense. It's worrying about Stella though, she's become so fey, and has been in a peculiar state for too long and I reckon she's just realised that she has a little person who will tie her down and she doesn't like the idea of the responsibility. Whatever happened to that sensible Nurse Stella who was such a tower of strength to Cathy all those episodes ago?
Hugs,
Hilary
When I think about it, Angharad has been pretty hard on Stella
She got pregnant, had an abortion, had mental issues about the abortion, nearly bled to death, got kidnapped, tried to kill herself, went into a mental institution, got pregnant, nearly died with a very premature birth, .... she may be a bit of a whiner but that girl has had it hard.
Warbling Dewlaps Angharad!
Where do you get your titles from? Does your Furry Purry do them or you? Give him some catnip before he goes bonkers and causes a snafu. :)
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Hmmm, the two lovers are
Hmmm, the two lovers are back together, Stella is a nurse and being in a hospital, she would know where "all the good stuff" is located. I hope she has not decided to try and kill herself again by using medical drugs. She definitely is in need of mental health help. Simon is no great help regarding her either as he is always "bad mouthing" her.
J-Lynn
Did a Dixie
I've always liked Henry, now he proves it.
Stella panicked when she found out Cathy wouldn't be waiting on her hand and foot.
Stella must be a character that our author hated in a past life. We liked her thru 150, started to wonder thru 300, from there to here, shes' not nice, attacking Cath about lack of ovaries and such.
No worry, Cathy will surround the barnt in a blue aura, and Des will help Mima polish Tom's desk. I have faith in Ang.
Cefin