The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1744 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

“You are the greatest love of my life and also my greatest fear,” said Simon wrapping me in a huge hug.

“Fear?” I asked sleepily.

“Yes, in the wee sma’ ’oors, I worry that I might lose you one day.” He paused, “You go off on these madcap adventures.”

“I don’t, I just won’t allow injustice to be done to my friends and family.”

“Yes but while you’re rushing round the country like a cross between Wonder Woman and Batman, your family is worrying as to whether we’ll ever see you again. You might be a superhero, but you’re also a mother, wife and daughter.”

“All three of the ages of woman,” I reflected.

“You what?”

“Nothing, besides it’s wrong anyway, I forgot the hag or crone.”

“What are you rambling on about?” Simon looked perplexed.

“Nothing. How is James?”

“Still quite poorly but they think he’ll make it.”

“What about Stone?”

“He didn’t make it?”

“What?” I gasped, “But he was alive when they took him away.”

“Yeah, he decided he didn’t want to live.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Okay, I’m wrong, but that’s what your friend Ken said.”

“Ken Nicholls?”

“Yes–I spoke to him a while ago. He was of the opinion that the bullet hole was healing–so he knew you’d been about–but he said that Stone apologised for killing Gareth and simply died.”

“What?”

“Are you going deaf or something?”

“No, but you say such strange things.”

“What’s so strange about what I said?”

“He shouldn’t be dead.”

“He obviously disagreed,” Simon shrugged.

“If his stupid mother hadn’t come out waving the gun–she shot him accidently–I’m sure of that.”

“So are you going to give evidence on her behalf?”

“If necessary I will.”

“She tried to kill you, babes, then she tried to plant the killing on you.”

“It didn’t work though did it, so now she’s lost her husband and son. I think that’s very sad.”

“Sad? She deserves sad–look what she did for my sister’s happiness, or her children?”

“Why is it in this world there seem to be far more losers than winners?”

“I have no idea, babes, but that seems to be the way it is.”

“I think it’s wrong.”

“What is?”

“The system–everything.”

He rolled his eyes, “You seem to do quite well out of the system.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“No but I’d be a little careful about biting the hand that feeds you.”

“I need to go home to bed; take me home, please, darling.”

“That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said all day.” He practically carried me out to the car and we got home about twenty minutes later. Ten minutes after that I was fast asleep in bed–I didn’t even clean my teeth, I was so tired.

They let me sleep in the next morning, I woke at about eleven and I can’t say that I felt refreshed even at that time, but I’d had about four or five hours sleep. The girls were in school, Tom had taken them, Jacquie had coped with the babies and Simon had taken Sammi off with him, not to London but to Portsmouth where I learned later he’d advised the manager that one more incident would guarantee his career was over–at least with High St.

It was only when he took Sammi to lunch that he explained the error of her ways and that she was unconsciously attracting lechers like the man she’d worked for. He told her that it wasn’t the done thing for one’s boss to rub against one’s bum at any time, let alone in the office. Sammi was mortified and came to me later on full of confusion, tears and remorse.

I didn’t do much that day except go to see Stella and tell her that the man who’d caused her pain had died, killed by his mother, who was in turn in custody. Stella’s eyes looked completely empty–the spirit I knew and loved seemed absent and just a vacant space replaced it. I felt so sad for her. I was also worried that she might do something irrevocable to herself but she seemed to read my mind there.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “I won’t do anything daft. It seems God doesn’t want me to be happy, but I have two girls who need me. So although I don’t particularly want to live, I owe it to them to do so.”

“Yes you do, and the pain you’re feeling now will ease with time.”

“You know so much about losing partners, do you?”

I blushed. “No, I’ve lost a child, remember?”

I could see she was about to say that it wasn’t my natural child but she didn’t.

“Are you coming back to the house with us?”

“So you can keep an eye on me and run my life again?”

“I wasn’t thinking of it like that–rather somewhere you’d be with family and friends.”

“I don’t know–I might, or I might find somewhere of my own.”

“That’s for you to decide, Stella. However, we’d be delighted to have you back with us.”

“Yes, I’m sure you would.” She said this in a not exactly friendly way.

“I think I’d better go, is there anything you want me to bring you?”

“Some peace and quiet away from you.”

“Very well. Good bye, Stella.” I turned and gathered up my things and left trying to get outside the building before the tears started. I walked for a short while and found a bench seat where I was sitting feeling very sorry for myself when Sam Rose happened upon me.

“Ah, Lady Cameron, what a lovely coincidence.”

“What’s lovely about it?” I replied offhand.

“Who stole your lollipop?” he asked.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just been to see my sister in law and she tore me off a strip.”

“Oh, what for?”

“Controlling her life.”

“And have you?”

“Have I what?”

“Been controlling her life?”

“A bit I suppose–but only insofar as she’s been a member of my household and assumed responsibility for everyone there, including her. While it suited her, she seemed happy to accept it. Then we had a falling out just before Gareth was killed, and she and the girls were almost killed as well.”

“Do-gooders aren’t always appreciated for the efforts they make on behalf of others, despite the fact that they often do remarkable amounts of good. Let’s go and have a cuppa.”

Before I could refuse, he led me off to the restaurant and bought me a cup of tea and slice of carrot cake. I realised I’d not had anything to eat that day and enjoyed the cake.

We chatted and he seemed able to lift my gloom and restore my usual optimistic view of life.

“Thanks, Sam.”

“For what–the cuppa or the chat?”

“Both, you’ve brought me back to normal.”

“Could I ask you a favour in return?”

“Oh so this was bribery and corruption?”

“No, because I’ve only just thought of it, the favour, that is.”

“I hope it’s not trying to restore some hopeless case to health, because I can’t do that anymore.”

“You can, actually, Cathy. You’ve been improving my knee ever since I spoke to you.”

“Your knee?”

“Yeah, old cycling injury from when I was student. I came off coming down the hill from White City, smashed my knee cap–it’s giving me hell for days but it’s eased now. I’ve also been aware of the swirls of blue light trying to enter you.”

“Trying to enter me–what are you on about, Sam?”

“At this moment, I can see little swirls of blue light floating round you as if they were trying to reach you but you ignore them and they seem to go off hurt by your indifference to them.”

“Hurt? Oh come on, Sam.”

“I mean it, it’s almost like a pain that it’s registering because you refuse to acknowledge it.”

“It’s caused me a whole lot of grief, so can you blame me?”

“It’s not for me to judge anyone, Cathy. All I can say is what I see and feel.”

I closed my eyes and imagined a series of shutters surrounding me, which I opened and it seemed like I was flooded with sunshine.

“That’s better,” he said and patted my hand.

I opened my eyes and smiled at him. “You’re a very good man, Sam, and a cracking doctor.”