“Miss, miss!” I could hear the insistent voice but I ignored it. Hmm, it feels all floaty and squidgy, all those colours.
“She’s coming round” a female voice mentioned

The squidgyness was replaced by intense pain that seemed to come from just about everywhere.

“Wha’? Where?”
“It’s okay dear, an ambulance is on its way”

I tried to move but that just intensified the pain.

“Whoa girl, just lay there, don’t move”
“Not girl” I mumbled
“There, there, you’re in shock. What’s your name?”
“Drew”
“That’s a pretty name”

I could hear the approaching ambulance as the siren dopplered towards us. It all went fuzzy again and I passed out.

The next time I can remember being conscious was some time later.

“He’s coming round Mum!”
“Shssh, Mad, how are you doing Drew?”
“Where am I?”
“In the ‘General, you were knocked off your bike”
“Oh Drew!” Maddy leant over and hugged me.
“Your Dad is on his way and your sister has just popped to the ladies”
“What happened?” I asked
“You were very lucky, from what the police have told us, do you remember anything?"
“Not really”
“Well it looks like a car came out of a side road and you went straight into the side of it, you landed in the road and luckily the traffic coming the other way managed to stop”
“It feels like every bone is broken” I mentioned
“We’ll get you some more painkillers” Aunt C suggested
“No, no. So what is broken?”
“As I said you were very lucky, you didn’t break anything”
“So why do I hurt so much?”
“Well you’ve got some massive bruises and some grazes”
“Oh Drew, we thought you were dead!” Mad told me
“Now Madeline, less of that.”
“Oh Drew you’re awake!” Jules exclaimed from the doorway.

Mad moved to let Jules into the bed area.

“When they rang, I thought, I didn’t know what to do”
“It’s all right Jules” Mrs P comforted my sister with a friendly hug.

“We’re going to keep you in overnight, young man. Then if everything is alright in the morning you can go home okay”
“Yes thanks doctor” I was quite heavily sedated and I didn’t see sleep coming.

Apart from being black and blue, and being a bit doped up with painkillers, I was okay next morning and Dad drove me back to Warsop.

(Note from the author: Drew doesn’t mention it, he’s too doped up I guess, but the doctor suggested that he wear one of those hospital gowns that tie at the back. Reason being that with all the bruising, he was quite swollen and putting on trousers etc would be painful and uncomfortable. Hence Drew goes home in a borrowed gown and his dressing gown!)

“You okay son?” Dad asked after I was settled on the sofa.
“Well as good as it gets at the moment. What happened to my bike?”
“I’m afraid it’s completely wrecked Drew, the police have it at the moment, they said that we can pick it up later.”
“The doctor said I can ride again as soon as I feel up to it, does Mum know” I wasn’t exactly coming out with coherent sentences!
“I spoke to your Mum last night, she sends her best wishes, I had to talk her out of flying home” Dad informed me.

I have to admit that the rest of the day went by in a blur of kids TV and snacks interspersed with sleep.

“Drew? You awake?” Dad asked that most stupid question
“Yeah” I started to stretch and then realised it was gonna hurt a second too late.
“I told your friends they could come over for a while this afternoon, that okay?”
“I guess”
“Oh and I spoke to people that donated the frame you won the other week, apparently they were having trouble getting the right size, but after I told them what happened they agreed to an upgrade which they already have in your size” Dad told me
“Cool!” I mentioned
“We can pick it up on Saturday, he said if we take your other bit’s over they’ll build it up too, how’s that sound”
“Brill” I enthused

The guys, Rhod, Ally, Bernie and Mad arrived just after three.

“Remember, the medication is quite strong so don’t over do it”
“No Dad”
“How are you feeling Drew?” Ally got in first
“Rough, I hurt everywhere”
“Great outfit” Bernie commented

I looked down and realised I was still wearing the hospital gown under my dressing gown.

“The doctor thought it’d be more comfortable being loose and all” I told them
“Well you look better than you did yesterday” Mad mentioned
“I must have been rough then, I feel like shit now”
“We got you some sweets” Rhod advised
“Oh and I brought some of Dad’s Manga for you to read” Maddy finished
“Thanks guys”
“How long will you be out of circulation?” Bernie asked
“The doctor said I can do stuff as soon as I feel up to it”
“So do you fancy going to the pictures on Friday then? Mum said she’d drive us to Sheffield”
“Sounds good, what’s on?” I asked
“If we go to Centertainment they’re having a Manga season” Mad opined
“Final Fantasy’s on this week” Bernie suggested
“The Italian Job’s on at Meadowhall” Rhod mentioned
“Well at least we’ve got a choice” I put in, “oh yeah, you remember I won that frame?” I asked changing the subject.
“That day we went to Lincoln?” Ally asked
“Yeah. Well I’ll get it this Saturday”
“Well don’t hit anything with the new one!” Rhod quipped
“I didn’t plan on hitting anything yesterday”
“That’s not fair Rhod!” Bernie advised
“If you’d seen him in the General you wouldn’t make jokes like that” Mad stated, “I thought he was dead when I saw him first”
“Gee, I needed to know that” I told them
“Well you did” Mad replied
“You kids staying for tea?” Dad asked from the kitchen

They all looked at me with the unasked question in their eyes.

“Fine by me” I advised
“Yes please” Mad answered for all four of them, “if it’s no trouble”
“Pizza okay?” Dad asked
“No meat remember Dad, Rhod’s veggie”
“He can have the Napoli with me, Hawaiian okay for the rest of you?”
“Yes thanks” Bernie supplied

Dad left us again to get the pizza’s started; he’s a dab hand at home made so it would take a while.

“Oh yeah Drew, Mum said you could come to ours tomorrow if you like” Mad offered
“I haven’t got anything planned” I joked
“What about you guys?” Mad asked the others
“I said I’d help mum at the salon tomorrow” Rhod told us
“I’m helping too” Ally mentioned
“What about you Bern?”
“I’m working at the stables every Thursday”
“Since when?” Ally queried
“I start tomorrow, I get twenty pounds a day” she supplied
“Cool” Mad stated
“You’ll be as rich as money bags Bond here at that rate” Rhod easily avoided my feeble swat.
“Can some one set the table please?” Dad asked
“Sure Mr B, how many places?” Mad queried

“Just six, Juliette is eating at Charlie’s” Dad informed us

The others made short work of the place settings, they’d all eaten here before and we keep all the eating irons on a side table in the dining area, so it wasn’t rocket science.

Dad brought in salad and plates shortly after so we all made our way to the table to await the glorified cheese on toast that is pizza.

“Mrs Peters has offered to baby-sit me tomorrow” I mentioned to Dad
“Mum said she’d pick Drew up in the morning and bring him over” Mad confirmed
“Well that would be a help, I really could do with going into work, at least for a couple of hours.” Dad told us, ”That okay with you Drew?” he went on.
“It’ll be better than sitting here all day” I stated
“I’ll ring Carol after tea to confirm the arrangements then” Dad finished

A short while after tea Dad hinted that the invalid, me, could do with some rest and the guys left a short time after six. I must admit that I was bushed by then! Dad helped me up to my room where I was soon in bed and in the land of nod.

“You awake in there?” Jules voice woke me
“I am now”

She came in with a breakfast tray.

“Don’t get used to this”
“I thought that’s what older sisters did for their sick brothers”
“In your dreams!” she stated, “do you need a hand getting dressed, I take it you are getting dressed today”
“Course I am, I should be okay, I feel much better now” in truth better was relative, I still hurt like hell, but less than yesterday.
“Well holler if you can’t manage” she instructed, “oh I nearly forgot, Gran rang last night, she says to get well and she’ll ring again tonight”

I managed to eat breakfast without depositing it in the bed and then painfully got out of bed. I eventually selected a t-shirt, jeans and underwear then managed to slip the tapes on the hospital gown that I then shucked off. I gave my bruised and battered bod the once over in the mirror, sheesh if I look like this now what must I have looked like yesterday? I was still pretty swollen and my bruises! My bruises were an impressive range of colours from yellow through to purple and everything in between! Fifteen minutes later I was dressed and uncomfortable – not just uncomfortable but in more pain than before.

“Jules?”
“What?” she called from her own room.
“I can’t go, it hurts too much with these jeans on, I’m gonna take them back off”
“Haven’t you got anything looser?” she asked joining me
“These are my loose ones”
“Where’s it hurting?”
“Pretty much anywhere they touch”
“I guess that does rule out trousers then”
“I’ll ring Maddy and stay here”
“Hmm, does it hurt round your middle?”
“Well not too much, it’s my legs that really hurt, they’re really sensitive”
“Would you go if I have a solution?”
“I guess”
“How about wearing a skirt?”
“You are kidding right? After what I told you on Monday?”
“Calm down”
“Calm down? I am not gonna do the Gaby thing again!”
“I’m not suggesting you are. All I’m saying is it’s a solution. You can’t wear trousers but you could wear a skirt and be comfortable. Maddy’s not gonna say anything and no one else is going to see you.”

I guess put in those terms it was a solution, if I wear a skirt I can go to the Peters, if I don’t, I’m stuck at home.

“I suppose I can live it just for today”
“Great! Now I won’t have to baby-sit!”

I knew there had to be some reason why Jules had made such an effort to get me out of the house! Ah well! My anti dressing plans are certainly going pear shaped!

When Mrs P arrived at nine o’clock I was wearing a knee length cotton skirt, my Buffy T shirt and my hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, Jules reckoned it made me look less girly – go figure.

“How are you feeling Drew?” Mrs P asked
“Still pretty sore, but generally better” I told her
“Good, are you ready?”

I grabbed my backpack from the kitchen table,

“I am know” I informed her

The look on Mad’s face when we arrived and she saw how I was dressed was priceless.

“Before you say anything, yes I’m wearing a skirt, I know what I said at the weekend, but this is different.”
“How? You’re wearing a skirt” she stated
“Yes but I’m not pretending to be a girl”
“Well for someone who’s not trying you’re doing a pretty good job” she mentioned. “So why are you wearing it?”
“My legs are too sensitive at the minute to wear trousers, even loose ones, and I have tried! So Jules suggested the skirt. It was either the skirt or stay at home with Jules – no contest really!”

Mad didn’t look convinced

“What about your hair then?”
“It’s just to keep it out of the way, I was going to get it cut this week”
“Hmm, if you say so.”
“I do”
“I know this might seem a bit odd, but I just can’t call you Drew when your dressed like that. Would you mind if I call you Gaby?” she asked, “just for today, while you’re wearing a skirt” she clarified.
“I said I wasn’t doing that thing again”
“I know, it’s just me, please?”

She gave me one of those puppy dog looks. Do girls take lessons or is genetic? Whatever it gets me whenever one does it!

“Okay I guess. But just today right?”
“Yes!” she made to give me a hug
“Whoa! Careful, I’ve got bruises everywhere” I told her
“Sorry Gab” she gave me a peck on the cheek instead.

I hope the rest of the day goes better!

Maddy Bell 09.12.03