“I’ve been set up.”

“Cathy, if I might call you that, you haven’t.”

“How do these two know each other?” I pointed at the two children hugging and showing each other their toys.

“They were in hospital together, on the same ward.”

“What makes you think I’d be any use to ‘Patricia’, here?”

“You know what it’s like to be transgendered.”

“I know what I felt like, but how do I know what anyone else feels?”

“Nurse could you keep an eye on these two a moment?” He pointed me towards his office. “Look Cathy, I’ve been seeing Patricia for two years. The paediatric psychiatrist asked me to see if there was any physical reason for her transgenderism: you know, genetic, endocrine, the usual stuff. I could find nothing, but we had this three year old boy convinced he was a girl, and more feminine than the real ones.

“I assumed he was probably gay, and he may well be, they often are–but, he still insists he’s female. I’ve watched him for hours, and I’m beginning to think he might be right. I’d like your opinion.”

“What? You want me to spend some time with ‘her’ and tell you what I think?”

“Not quite, if I had my wish, I’d like her to walk again. I’d also like her to stay with a sympathetic family. We’ve tried four so far, they all bring her back saying they can’t cope. Then she was pushed down the stairs by another child, a boy who’s a bit of a bully. She’s been paralysed ever since. It’s a couple of months now.”

“I sympathise with her, but I don’t know. I’d need to speak with Simon, my fiancé, Tom and Stella. We’d also need to find out what Mima thinks. I’d hate for her to feel pushed out. A disabled child is hard work and very time consuming and Stella is expecting in a couple of months. It might just be too much.”

“As far as we can tell, Patricia’s injuries have healed.”

“You think it’s psychosomatic?”

“It could be. She isn’t going to improve in the home, she sees it as place of danger.”

“How do you know mine isn’t just as dangerous?”

“I think I’d have guessed by now.”

“Could you have her for a weekend and just give her a break?”

“Can I think about it? I can see my career going down the pan.”

“Perhaps you should see it as a diversification for a few years.”

“How am I going to finish my PhD with children distracting me?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t finished mine, mainly because I keep meeting children with greater needs than just a piece of paper.”

“Just think what it must be like in Gaza at the moment, with all these traumatised kids.”

“I know what it’s like, I was there for a few weeks during the first intifada.”

“I’d have thought with your name you’d be…” I blushed, “Sorry, that was very rude of me.”

“You thought I should be Jewish, you’re right, I am. I’m also a supporter of Save the Children. I was there in my holidays, helping them and other medical charities.”

“I take my hat off to you.”

“I don’t believe in an eye for eye, I prefer the gentler teachings of Rabbi Hillel, be kind to your neighbour.”

“Is that while standing on one leg?”

“You know who I mean?”

“I’ve read bits and pieces and belonged to a peace group while I was at Sussex.”

“Not all Jews, especially secular ones, support what certain governments do.”

“I know, I read the Guardian.”

“So what about Patricia?”

“I need to think about it, especially with this case still hanging over me.”

“I understand that, but I’d be really grateful if you could seriously consider having Patricia for a weekend. Jemima would enjoy it and I know Patricia would. She’s a nice kid.”

“When does she go back to the home?”

“Straight after this appointment.”

“Can I use your phone?”

“Of course, you need to dial nine to get an outside line.” He walked out and left me in his cluttered little office. On the desk was a picture of a woman and two children, which I assumed were his family. Then I saw another, it was of a man carrying an injured child with a background that looked like a refugee camp in Palestine. I looked hard at the picture, it was Dr Rose and he was crying the child had blood on it’s face. Did he really need that to keep him on his toes every day?

“Hi, Stella, can you patch me through to Simon?” I waited while she handed him the phone.

“Hi, Babes, is there a problem?”

“Sort of, Dr Rose has a young child here who had a similar injury to Mima, only she’s still not walking. He wondered if we could have her for a couple of days, she knows Mima, they were in hospital together. There might be an element of psychosomatic illness involved.”

“Hmm, a psycho, eh?” He paused, “With you, that would make two psychos.” He laughed at his own joke.

“That’s not all I have in common.”

“You haven’t banged your head as well have you?”

“No, silly, this little girl used to be a boy, at least officially.”

“What?”

“The child is transgendered, or claims to be.”

“Well, surely they are if they say so, they’re hardly old enough to play mind-games, are they? Anyway, when are they coming?”

“Tonight?”

“Where are they going to sleep?”

“We could put the two of them in the spare room, next to ours.”

“Have you spoken to Tom?”

“No, because I needed your support first.”

“You’ve got it, and Stella is nodding too.”

“Tell her, thanks.”

“Ring Tom.”

So that was what I did, thankfully he was just about to dash off to a meeting and I caught him quickly. He said yes before I could explain half of it, “It’ll be nice for Mima,” he said and rushed off.

“How long would it take to get her bag packed and her stuff delivered to my house?” I asked the doctor.

“It’s three o’clock now.” He waved to the support worker from the home, and she came in. “If I gave you an address, when could you deliver Patricia?” he asked her.

“She has a bag of stuff in the car, just in case you wanted her in again. I suppose I could take her straight wherever you want me too. I’d need to tell them at the home,” said the young care worker.

“I already did, well that it was possible. If you follow, Lady Catherine (he winked at me) back to her place, then you’ll have the address as well. It’s all in here,” he handed her an envelope. “And you, your ladyship, are any details I feel you need to know about Patricia. As far as I know, she doesn’t have any special dietary requirements. Her only medication is laxatives, not moving about doesn’t help her go.” I nodded.

“When you’ve had enough of her, phone the home and they’ll come and get her. She’s a lovely kid, and her and Mima get on tremendously, least they did here.”

“Tell me, have I got, sucker written across my forehead?”

He glanced behind me, “No you haven’t, but I can see where your wings are behind, you’re a positive angel, and I can’t thank you enough for this. If anyone can get Patricia walking again, it’s you and Jemima.”

“I’m not promising anything but to look after her as best I can. If I remember correctly, it was supposed to be one of your lot who used to do miracles,” I threw back at Dr Rose.

“Nice one, maybe he did or could, we’re not as convinced as you lot. But I know an angel when I see one, and they perform little miracles all the time.”

“Yeah, but on my grade, that’s restricted to dormice.”

“Au contraire, you’ve performed one already–Jemima, if you remember.”

I looked at my watch, and said, “Gosh look at the time, must fly.” Dr Rose nearly fell over.