The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1183 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

“What did she do to me?” asked Hendry.

“She–can I tell him?” Ken Nicholls looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders. “My decision then?” he asked and I nodded. He paused for a moment.

“Tell me what? What is this between you three?” Hendry demanded.

“Okay, I’ll tell you if you swear to keep this secret,” Nicholls informed his colleague.

“If it isn’t illegal or immoral, I suppose I could.”

“Little Cathy here has magical powers.”

Hendry looked at him and burst out laughing. “You’re taking the piss, Ken, aren’t you?”

I shrugged again, and Nicholls shook his head.

“You’re serious, ha ha, that’s even funnier,” he laughed loudly and I could see Simon becoming a little irritated. I put my hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

“Let me put a question to you,” posited Nicholls.

“Fire away,” replied the sniggering Hendry.

“If you were to have an X-ray on your back what would it show?”

“A chipped vertebra, T8, why?”

“So if it wasn’t chipped, what would you say?”

“I’d say you had the wrong X-ray.”

“Go and get it X-rayed and see.”

“What’s that going to prove?”

“A starting point.”

“For what?”

“For a discussion.”

“Don’t be stupid, Ken, it was X-rayed last month, it’s not going to have grown bone is it–not in that time, if ever?”

“I’ll bet you a tenner you’ll be surprised.”

“If you’re so confident, make it twenty,” said Hendry.

“Why not make it interesting, how about a thousand?” Simon enjoyed a wager.

Hendry swallowed hard, “That’s getting a bit silly.”

“Go on, the winnings go to the children’s unit,” Simon urged.

“I can’t afford a thousand, it’s all right for you banking types.” Hendry looked very anxious.

“Okay, You give me twenty pounds if I win and I’ll give you a thousand if you win,” said Simon, who was showing a great deal more confidence than I felt.

Hendry seemed to think for a moment, then said, “Okay, you’re on.” He went off towards the Diagnostic Imaging Department.

“While it’s quiet, let’s go for a cuppa,” said Ken Nicholls, so we did. I also brought a bottle of water back with me so when I expressed, I’d be replacing some of the fluid.

The conversation at the restaurant had been about what drug could have been used to stop Julie’s heart and who had introduced it into the drip. We decided it could have been anyone who had entered the room, including our so called body guard. We’d left a nurse sitting with Julie with instructions not to move unless the hospital burnt down. She had paperwork to do so she was quite happy to sit down for five minutes and rest her feet.

“Why d’you think someone wants to kill Julie?” asked Nicholls.

“I wish I knew. If she does, she’s keeping it very quiet, which isn’t like her at all. She didn’t tell Stephanie as far as I know.”

“If she knows something very dangerous, would she tell anyone–it could endanger them too.” For Simon, that was quantum leap stuff.

“She’d have told me,” I boasted, although I wasn’t as sure as I pretended.

“Is that why that bloke Bird tried to kill both of you?”

I hadn’t thought of it like that, “Could be, but he’d be taking a huge risk in a hospital.”

“Maybe he was paid enough to make it worth his while?” suggested Simon.

“If it was him who died at Southampton, I think he needs to renegotiate his terms and conditions of employment.”

“Cathy, you are funny,” said Ken tittering.

“I’m not sure your colleague would agree,” I suggested.

“That’s his loss. I’d better get back–I wonder if your stuff has arrived yet?” we walked back down to Julie’s room where Hendry was waiting and showing the nurse some X-rays. Ken Nicholls looked at them saw the damaged vertebra and was about to tell Simon to pay up and look big. Then he saw the date–this was the old one. He asked Hendry for the new one and thankfully, the bone had regenerated. I took a deep breath, for a moment I thought I might have been losing my touch.

“Now dear boy, let me tell you a bit about our esteemed guest,” Nicholls put his hand on Hendry’s shoulder and they wandered off together.

“Your stuff is on the locker,” said the nurse pointing to a bag. I checked inside and there was a breast pump and a couple of screw top bottles. I sat down, made myself comfortable, pulled the curtain round me and undressed enough to start expressing. My boobs were bursting with milk, so I filled the two bottles in less than half an hour then pulled my bra back on. Someone had generously supplied some pads which I slipped into the cups of my bra and sat holding Julie’s hand.

Simon kissed us both, and took the milk home for the baby. I felt a slow but regular flow of energy passing through my hand and into Julie, it was obviously restoring her to where she needed to be. I tried not to think negative thoughts, it interrupts the flow and makes things take longer.

Two hours later, she pulled her hand away and her eyes fluttered open. “Mummy?”

“Hello, sweetheart, how d’you feel?”

“Where am I?”

“In hospital.”

“Why?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Oh, okay then.”

“Why was Alfie Bird trying to kill you?”

“Who’s Alfie Bird?” she asked and looked at me curiously. I wondered if she’d had too much juice.

“He’s a big fat chap who worked at your college.”

“Where?”

“In the kitchens, as a porter or something.”

“Did he? Dunno–can’t think of anyone like that–you sure it’s the right one?”

I wasn’t any more, except he had tried to kill me as well, though it was he who had the bruises. I wondered if it was he who was dead or had someone else been killed?

“Would you like a drink?” I asked Julie.

“Oh yes please.” She sipped the water down a straw, then a little later she nodded off to sleep again.

I was left to ponder a number of loose ends but came to no conclusions other than we were very fortunate to have Julie still with us. If she could come home tomorrow, I’d take her there as soon as I could.

Simon sent me text. ‘It was a bird at Soton. Take care of urself. Love Sxxx.’

‘Missing U. Luv C xxx’

Deciding there was only one way into Julie’s room, I pushed the chair up against the door and curled up in it and tried to sleep a little. I think they call it power napping, if you get twenty minutes you’re able to go on for a couple more hours. I did it on and off all night.

My phone woke me, Simon sent a text: ‘How r u? S xxx’

I sent back: ‘OK, wots for brekky? C xxx’

Half an hour later he turned up with two huge bacon and egg rolls and two cups of tea in take away polystyrene cups.