(aka Bike) Part 585 by Angharad |
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I kept the conversation going, but I knew that Stella wasn’t weakening. I needed help. I beckoned the policeman over to me, and whispered in his ear. He nodded and rushed off.
“Isn’t it time for little Desdemona to have her bottle?” I asked Stella.
“Yeah, why don’t you go and give it to her?”
“That’s your job, Stella.”
“I don’t want to, I don’t really want anything to do with her.”
“Why the change of heart?”
“I don’t have to explain it to you.”
“No, you don’t have to, but I’d really like you to.”
“I don’t want her.”
“What do you mean, you don’t want her?”
“Like I said, I don’t want her.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so. You wanted to know, I’ve told you, now shut up about it.”
“Okay, keep your knickers on.”
“Why don’t you go home and look after your children?”
“Same reason you don’t.”
“Mine’s damaged, I don’t want her. In fact I wish she’d die.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s probably brain damaged.”
“How do you know?”
“I heard two doctors talking.”
“Are you sure it was your baby?”
“They were stood alongside her.”
“Oh, could be then.”
“What do you mean, could be? It’s bloody obvious.”
“Okay, so it’s obvious to you, it isn’t to me.” I remembered my mother getting terribly upset when my dad was in hospital. She overheard two doctors talking and thought they were talking about Dad. It wasn’t, but for two weeks she thought Dad was dying.
I was tempted to relate this story to her, but it would probably bore her enough to make her jump. I heard shuffling feet, and a few moments later, four burly coppers carried Henry out on to the roof. I walked up to him and we squeezed hands and I pecked him on the cheek. This was now kill or cure stuff.
“Stella, I have to say I’m disappointed in you.”
“Daddy?”
“What the hell are you playing at?” While the two of them talked I sneaked around to where I thought she was. Two policemen followed me.
“I’m going to jump.”
“Are you now?”
“Yes, you won’t stop me.”
“No I won’t. Well get a bloody move on then, it’s cold up here.”
“I’m really going to do it.”
“You look me in the eye and tell me that,” Henry said, coldly.
She stood up and turned to face the wall and look over it at her father. “There, good bye, Daddy.” She put her hands on the wall and the two policemen and I pounced. The smaller of the cops grabbed one wrist and I grabbed the other. The bigger copper, grabbed her around the body as she screamed and struggled, and between us, we manhandled her over the wall to the relative safety of the roof.
I must have relaxed my grip because she pulled her hand free from my grasp and punched the one copper in the face, he fell down clasping his nose. She then kneed the other one in the family jewels, and ran back towards the wall.
I acted–or reacted–rather than thought. As she ran so did I only faster, and as she got within a yard of the wall I was right behind her and I rugby tackled her around the waist and hips, bringing her down on top of me. It winded both of us, and she struggled free again, only this time two more police officers had arrived and she was held down and handcuffed, before being led away back into the hospital.
I rolled about in agony and learned a little later that I’d broken my collar bone–a typical cyclist’s injury. Ironic or what? Stella was sedated and taken off to a secure ward where they were instructed to do a suicide watch on her.
Simon had to take me home; I had my left arm in a sling and I knew there’d be no cycling for a few weeks. My car, well it had been clamped–the parking ticket had run out. Thankfully, the hospital waived the fee to release it and a copper drove it home for me.
“Mummy!” squealed two very happy children, followed by an even louder, Daddeeeee.” Okay, so life is never fair.
“You’ve got a baddy arm?” gasped Mima, once she’d stopped bouncing all over Simon.
“I’ve broken my clavicle.”
“Mummy bwoke hew, cwavacw?” squeaked Meems, running to Tom.
“You broke your what?” asked a perplexed Tom.
“My collar bone.”
“How on earth did you do that?”
“I fell.”
“Bloody typical, you go to hospital to visit someone and end up in a sling.”
“Yeah, that’s my sort of luck.”
“I tell you what, Babes, Gavin Henson would have been proud of that tackle.”
“Who?”
“A Wales and British Lions centre three quarter, one of the best tacklers in the biz.”
“Yeah, like what’s that got to do with Nicole Cooke, the best woman cyclist in the universe.”
He looked at me in total bewilderment. “I have no idea what you’re on about.”
“No, neither do I,” I laughed and then he joined in. Mima fell about giggling and Trish soon followed.
“Did you find Stella afterwards?” asked Tom.
“Yeah, she was at the hospital all the time,” I said and looked at Simon.
“Yeah, she’d taken a walk up to a viewing point.”
“So, is she coming home tomorrow?”
“I doubt it, they thought she ought to stay close to the baby for a few more days, especially as she’s doing so well at the moment.”
“I ought to go and see them both, maybe you could run me in tomorrow, Simon,” Tom said, smiling.
I looked at Simon and thought, oh-oh.
“I think I have to go to the office tomorrow, Tom,” he lied.
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Comments
Cathy the superhero
So how many times has Cathy saved Stella from murder/suicide/injury? Sure hope this time it will stick. Quick thinking on her part! Thanks Angharad/Bonzi for not killing Stella. Baby'll be coming home to Cathy though since Stella will be an in-patient somewhere for quite a while this time I suspect.
Brain damage? No way - that baby is going to be a genius.
Maybe this time
They'll take it serious and get Stella the help she needs. So much has happened to her and she obviously was never prepared to face things like this, or just wasn't strong enough after the Russians to handle it. Looks like Cathy is gonna have three younguns to handle after all. Maybe Trish can push her pram down the aisle between Meems dropping flower petals, and Cathy entering to walk down the aisle.
Super Cathy On Her Way, There She Goes To Save The Day!
[With apologies to Mighty Mouse] Yes, she once again did her duty. But why was Stella so distraught? Is she scared to care for her child? I hope that Cathy's gift will work on Stella.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Thank Goodness Cathy Saved Her Again
Thank goodness Cathy saved her again. I really hope that she gets the help she needs. I think that Cathy should use some of her blue power on her. Maybe she can heal her and have her return to the same Stella before the kidnapping. I believe that Puddin will be completely normal. I can understand why Stella would be upset by what the doctors said. My grandfather basically gave up fighting after the doctor was overheard saying that he was not going to make it and he refused to eat anything after that. There should have been family meetings involving Stella, Simon and Cathy where the doctors explain exactly what is going on with the baby and not what can be said carelessly while thinking they are out of earshot.
Windmilling Dromedaries, Batgirl…
…that could be awkward. Or maybe not. Cathy and Simon were obviously trying to keep it clean, so to speak, so that the girlies don't get to learn about Stella's suicide attempt. No doubt Tom will be told about it later, although maybe not, considering his recent heart problem. And she must say nothing about Stella overhearing the two docs talking about brain damage in case Trish and Meems sharp little ears pick it up.
Oh, why, oh why does life have to be so complicated for poor Cathy.
The other thing that strikes me is that wee Desdemona will be saddled with the name Puddin’ at least for her childhood if not her whole life. I have a cousin Christopher who was given the baby name, Pork, and the poor chap still gets called that by some members of the family today when he is in his fifties.
Almost a relaxing episode tonight after yesterday's trauma.
Gabi
Gabi.
Great! Another Episode of Wallowing .... ?!! Hang on !
... I already claimed trademark to that title Ms Angharad. I will be visiting my solicitor soon and I will demand half of the royalties you get from publishing this on Big Closet!
Errr, you get nothing ?
Never Mind. ;-) ( With apologies to Roseanne Roseanneadanna and Gilda Radner :) )
To say that I am gobsmacked at the moment is an understatement, I am using my jaw to wax my parquet floors at the moment. I have made it big time ! Today Big Closet, tomorrow, ... a Bigger Closet !!! Yeah !! 8-).
Now that I got that out of my system.
Cathy really had to go for 'broke' to save Stella. On reflection, there does not seem to be anything really to anchor Stella's life at the moment. Life must seem like a failure for her with the loss of Desi and then her body failing her when she prematurely delivered Puddin. Puddin's recovery with Cathy's careful ministrations will help but Stella needs to be committed at the moment. More responsibilities for Cathy, now with a broken collar bone which will take up to three MONTHS to heal according to websites.
Suitably humbled.
Kim
Why not tell Tom?
Is it because the kids are right there? Not sure why they would want to keep Tom in the dark.
Hard to Comment
Without a doubt Stella is high maintenance (in many ways so is Cathy). My problem is they keep sending her home after the suicide attempts without really addressing the core issues. Wonder if anyone has mentioned those thugs will never be a problem again? It might help a little, but this going after something happens is not good, Stella needs constant support. She doesn't need the start again stop again that seems to be the norm. The same can be said about Cathy.
Of course, Angharad keeps showing a lot of people who should not be in their professions (along with a competent few). I still wonder how much of this is life experience. Keep on writing Angharad, we are enjoying the work.
Now lets find a quality phych. this time
Thank God, Angharad likes Rugby, I don't think I could stand football(soccer) references. "She dropped Stella with a kick that would make Pele proud" Ug! Now I did it to myself.
Stella needs be seen by a competent Psych. Not that rest home for drunks.
Cefin