Wuthering Dormice (aka Bike) Part 976 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I heard the door of Tom’s study close and feet rushing up the stairs, I went to investigate.

“Ah, Cathy, can I have a word?” asked Stephanie.

I nodded and followed her into the study. “Where’s Julie?” I asked.

“She’s a bit upset, she’s gone up to her room for a moment to calm down.”

“Is she all right?”

“She’ll be fine. However she has this delusion that her father cut her throat and she sees the blood spurting as would happen, except she’d be dead within minutes.”

“It’s not a delusion, he cut her throat–I was there.”

“So how did she survive? Or was it not as bad as she imagines.”

“It was exactly as she describes.”

“That’s impossible–she’d bleed to death in minutes, and lose consciousness in seconds.”

“I know.”

“So how can it have happened?”

“It did.”

“So how come she didn’t bleed to death?”

“I managed to stop the bleeding.”

“Without an operating theatre and a vascular surgeon present, that wouldn’t have been possible.”

“If you don’t want to believe, that’s fine. I was there and I know what happened.”

“So you expect me to believe you stopped severed arteries from bleeding?”

“I expect nothing, Stephanie, at the same time I won’t lie to you just so you can believe me.”

“I’ve just told the girl she must have imagined it and she insisted you said it had happened. I suggested you were dramatising it. Now what do I do?”

“Can I tell you something in confidence?”

“Like what?”

“Have you heard stories of someone doing miraculous healings at the QA?”

“Yes, but no one pays any attention to such things do they?”

“The hospital tries to talk them down.”

“Well they can’t be real, let’s face it, can they?”

“Speak to Sam Rose or Ken Nicholls–tell them you have my permission to discuss it.”

“What are they going to tell me?”

“The truth.”

“With your permission? So–my God, you’re the miracle worker?”

“Yes, but I’d like you to keep it to yourself.”

“You stopped the bleeding and healed the wounds?”

“Apparently.”

“Good grief, what a gift–do you realise what you could do with it?”

“It’s a curse, and I know what I’d like to do with it.”

“A curse? Did I hear you correctly, Cathy?”

“You did. Do you realise what your life is like if it gets out. People will travel the world to see you and focused only on their needs, they forget you might have some. Plus the fact that the tabloid press hound you day and night. You take my word for it–it’s a curse.”

“When did you realise you could do this?”

“ A while back, after my dad died, so I couldn’t heal him or my mum. But since then I’ve saved, Mima, Tom, Henry, Stella, Simon, Julie twice, and a few others.”

“What do you mean, saved? That has religious overtones.”

“Saved them from a lethal condition.”

“This is getting too mind blowing for me to handle, you’re like a latter day Jesus Christ.”

“Your analogy, not mine.”

“Bloody hell, you are full of surprises.”

“I try to amuse my guests.”

Stephanie sat down and shook her head–“Is this something to do with the gender imbalance?”

“I don’t feel imbalanced now, I feel I’m what I was meant to be.”

“Yes, but people who are in some sort of internal conflict often seem to have some gift or other which makes them special.”

“Like Trish and her IQ?” I asked.

“Yes, she’s a bright spark, isn’t she?”

“She’s also got the healing gift.”

“What? She can save lives too?”

“I don’t know if she can do that yet, but she’s doing little things–healing cuts and bruises.”

“Like mother, like daughter.”

“She’s my adopted daughter, remember–even I can’t produce real children myself.”

“But she even looks like you.”

“Does she?” I hadn’t noticed that.

“So does Livvie–it is Livvie isn’t it, your other daughter?”

“I suppose they look similar because they dress similarly and I do their hair.”

“Come off it, Cathy, they look similar facially and in colouring.”

“They aren’t related, it’s pure coincidence. I suppose next you’re going to tell me that Julie looks like me too.”

“Only in that she could be your younger sister.”

“Stephanie, that is bullshit, and you know it.”

“Yes, okay.” She blushed.

“I’m going to see how Julie is, feel free to call one of your aforementioned colleagues if you don’t believe me.” I handed her the phone and ran up to Julie’s room. Given her propensity to self destruct, I wasn’t sure what I’d see.

I knocked and entered her room. She was sitting on her bed hugging her teddy bear and sobbing quietly. I sat down beside her and put my arm around her. “Hello, sweetheart.”

“She didn’t believe me, Mummy. She thinks I dreamt it.”

“I’ve put her right on that, sweetheart, so don’t upset yourself. Remember, we have to interact with people who won’t understand us or believe us, not because they don’t want to, but because it’s beyond their imaginations to conceive. Some of those are going to be the typical narrow minded sorts, and some are going to be professionals of whom you’d expect more.”

“Dr Stephanie is fine with my gender stuff, it was my injury she couldn’t believe.”

“I’ve put her right on that. Would you like a drink?”

“A large vodka, please.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Are you making tea?”

“I could do, would you like a cup?”

“Yes please, Mummy.”

I left her to go and make the tea, Stephanie came out into the kitchen. “I’ve spoken to Sam Rose, he confirmed what you said. I apologise for doubting you.”

“It wasn’t me who got upset with you, was it?”

“Do you mind if I go up to speak with her,” Stephanie asked me.

“I think it would be better if she came down–leave her bolt-hole.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Do you mind if I sit in this time?”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t.”

I went and got Julie, who came down hugging the teddy.

Stephanie made a fuss of the teddy and then of Julie, then the door shut. I re-boiled the kettle and made some tea. Then I poured myself one and as I began to drink it, the study door opened and they came out together.

“Better?” I asked Julie, and she nodded. I poured her a cup of tea and she took it upstairs with her.

Stephanie declined the offer of tea and took her leave. As she went, I asked her, “Is Julie likely to suffer any PTSD as a result of this attack by her father?”

“She could–I’m seeing her in two days to make sure she’s got over this episode. I’ll get my secretary to call her with an appointment. Fundamentally, she’s quite a strong character, but she has obvious issues with her dad, which we’ll need to work through.”

“He seemed to have changed the last time I saw him.”

“She told me you saved his life as well.”

“So it seems. He didn’t change that much after it, but the last time he was much better–however she still threw a wobbly and passed out. So you probably have loads to work with.”

“I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

“Middle of the day is easiest or after four, I have to deliver and collect school girls.”

“Okay, Cathy, I’ll see what I can do. Oh by the way, you realise she and Trish consider you’re really an angel.”

“Oh that nonsense, yes they’ve said it before.”

“I might not disagree with them, byeeee.”