Eve   Chapter 45   by Topsy   © 2010 Topsy   Nurse & Housewife

 
Previously:
 
Eve's mum finally says that Eve was a twin, but her sister was stillborn. She then has a breakdown and ends up in hospital for two nights because of this revelation.
 
Now the story continues.
 
Eve Chapter 45

It was nearly midday when mum arrived home. She walked indoors and sat with me on the couch, Dr Preston had phoned me and suggested we sit where it was less likely for mum to hurt herself accidentally.

"I'm sorry Eve."

"Mum, I'm just glad we know now."

"I'd forgotten it, the doctor suggested that perhaps I blanked it out, it wasn't until you were in that hospital that it came back to me. I'd even forgotten why I'd changed the names your dad and I had chosen."

"Look mum, there is an explanation now. That's all that matters."

"Eve, I love you."

"Mum, I love you too."

We hugged and mum started crying quietly. I picked up a tissue and wiped her eyes. "Mum, it's over now. The worst is over, now you need time and a few hugs."

I got a small giggle from her, then a bear hug. She kissed me and said that she fancied a cuppa. My aunt was in the kitchen and already had the kettle boiling so the tea was served fairly quickly.

"Mum, we promised last week to be honest with each other, didn't we?"

"Yes, Eve."

"So, I don't want to see you going back into hospital for a third time this month. If there is anything else that bothers you, tell me. Even if it is going to hurt me, tell me."

"Yes, Eve, so long as you do the same for me."

I hugged mum and tears once again came to our eyes. I think they were tears of joy, but I wasn't minding either way right now. Aunt Sue brought the tea into the lounge with some sandwiches Sharon had made. This was almost surreal.

I spotted Claire out of the corner of my eye, hovering in the kitchen. She'd managed to get dressed but plainly hadn't visited the shower yet. She came to give me a kiss, as well as mum, but I sent her back either to her deathbed or the shower. I received a smack and a promise she would be back. I didn't see her for the rest of the day.

We had enough food in the fridge to prepare some food. I wanted to do it but mum took over, I wasn't going to argue. While we ate mum commented how nice the nurses were, I don't think she realised she was in a private room. At least there's no complaint this time, a positive improvement. Of course there is still the issue of seventeen years ago, but now was not the time to discuss that.

We watched some telly but I was still recovering from my bug so excused myself at eight, I heard mum come up half an hour later.

Friday morning I was in the kitchen just after eight when I saw Claire outside. I walked over and gave her a kiss.

"Are you well enough to go in today?"

"I hope so."

"Why?"

"Doh! It's the last day before half-term. I've got to be there. By the way, Annie asked if you had any more work to hand in."

My turn to say doh! I rushed upstairs just missing a dishevelled mum heading for the loo and shower. I grabbed my coursework folder and gave it to Claire with express instructions to give it to Annie.

"I know, I know. don't you trust me?"

I answered that with a kiss and went back to making breakfast. I'd found bacon, eggs, mushrooms and hash browns, now what could I make with those? I had about fifteen minutes before mum was down, so no rush.

I suddenly heard a crash from upstairs and ran up as fast as I could. The bathroom door was locked but we keep a key hanging outside to open the simple lock in case of emergency. I pushed the door open carefully and saw mum was in the bottom of the shower. There was no blood and the glass wasn't damaged.

I helped her up and sat on her on the loo seat. This was the first time I'd ever seen her naked but now was not a time to worry about it.

"Mum, what happened?"

"I slipped."

"Is that all?"

"No."

"Tell me, I won't be upset."

"I felt dizzy."

I couldn't see anywhere on her head where she'd hit the wall or the glass, definitely no bruising. I checked her forehead and she was burning. I knew immediately what that meant. She still needed a shower, regardless, she should have had one yesterday. I pulled my mobile out and asked Sharon to come over quickly.

I suggested to Sharon that she help wash mum while I checked her bed, it was damp where she'd been sweating all night. I stripped the bedding off and quickly put clean sheets on. Sharon was bringing her from the shower, wrapped in a towel. I got a clean nightie out of the drawer and dropped it over her head.

We sat mum in a chair and Sharon used a dryer to get her hair dry enough for her to go back to bed. Before she did I picked up the packet of paracetamol from my bedside cabinet and handed them to Sharon. A quick trip to the kitchen delivered a glass of iced water. Mum swallowed the pill and we laid her out. She was out for the count. I thanked Sharon and she left us.

So, I was now a nurse for my mum. I made sure she was okay then went to the kitchen. The breakfast ingredients were on the worktop ready but my appetite had flown out of the window. I had a bowl of cereal and some fruit.

I was due at the doctor's surgery for my weekly check-up but there was no way I would leave mum. I phoned them just before nine and gave my apologies, expecting that to be it. The receptionist however told me that Dr Khan wanted to speak to me.

"Miss Jones?"

"Yes."

"Can you let me know why you can't be here today, it was quite important."

"My mum was released from hospital yesterday and has gone down with a viral infection, I've just recovered from the same bug. I'm not leaving her alone, especially as she's been into hospital for psychiatric care and only came home yesterday."

"Oh. I'd best tell you over the phone what we've found. Are you sat down?"

This is ominous. "Yes."

"I did a search of yours and your mum's medical records and it appears you had a twin."

"Yes, whose genitalia was ambiguous. I found out yesterday for myself. So, that was seventeen years ago, what now?"

"Your mum's pregnancy file has the birth recorded as two girls but then amended to a girl and a boy, the girl being stillborn."

So I was mistaken for a girl at birth, or was I a girl mistaken for a boy?

"As I said, how does this affect me now?"

"I have scheduled you for a scan."

"I've had ultrasound, CT, MRI, the lot. I'm going under the knife on Monday because no-one can make their mind up."

"I understand, but I scheduled the scan for this afternoon."

"Sorry, my mum is more important, plus she would have to sanction the scan and I wouldn't suggest her going anywhere near the hospital for a few days."

I rang off, today was not a good day for the medical profession, I decided. I'd run out of school-work and was twiddling my fingers again. I'd have liked to have gone out on my bike but that was out of the question. I pulled my laptop down and put it on the kitchen table, I did some trawling around the web but that didn't help me. I felt like putting some music on, loud, but that might wake mum.

I put the kitchen radio onto Radio 2 with the volume low and took a look in the cupboards. There were enough ingredients to make a fruit cake so I decided on that, first however I discovered some yeast and bread flour. We'd bought these a few days earlier but had simply put them away. I'd always fancied baking bread but didn't know how.

Finally my laptop had a use for this morning. I used the BBC's large recipe database and decided on a classic loaf. i spent the next two hours making the dough, then making the cake, finally putting both into the oven. The smell was wonderful. I had a gammon joint in the fridge and that went in as well, coated in honey and wrapped in foil.

I'd turned the cake and loaf out to cool when Sharon arrived at midday to make sure everything was fine. I hadn't been upstairs for a while so Sharon went to check. She was back down a minute later.

"She's still got a fever and I've given her another tablet but don't give her any more until teatime."

"Right."

"When did you start baking?"

"Today."

"Never done this before?"

"No."

"You'll make a good housewife one day. Claire can't cook, Annie got that gene."

"But she can cuddle so that makes up for it."

"If you say so. How about a piece of that cake?"

"Not yet, it's still warm. Come back this afternoon."

The oven was still on, the gammon would be another half hour, it was was warm enough in the kitchen to leave the door open. In the time while I was waiting for the loaf to bake I'd got mum's bedding into the washing machine. My clean bedding, washed the previous day, was now drying on the line. I'd actually managed to occupy myself for the morning, I had turned into a housewife. There's a PC word for it, Domestic something, home something, nah - housewife.

When the oven pinged at twelve thirty I took the gammon out and immediately carved off a few slices. I treated myself to a hot gammon sarnie. Claire wandered in as I started eating.

"That smells good, can I have some?"

Before I could stop here she'd sliced some for herself straight into waiting bread. My first loaf was disappearing. She joined me at the table.

"How mmm didmmmmmmummmm?"

It was pointless trying to talk whilst eating so didn't bother trying to reply to a meaningless question.

After our sandwiches Claire went for the cake, this time I did get there in time and gave her hand a slap. That was the start of a very silly chase around the kitchen, stopped when Annie walked in.

"That smells nice."

"I'd offer you some bread but your sister appears to like thick slices."

"I've eaten, and mum was waiting for Claire to have some lunch, I'll let her know that you've eaten, sis."

"Annie, did Claire give you that coursework this morning?"

"Yes, how did you persuade her?"

"Can't tell."

"Never mind, I got some more for you, but it's not much as I explained you would be in hospital for part of the holiday. By the way, Andrea and Suzie are coming over tomorrow."

"I'll have to see how mum is before I know about tomorrow?"

"Why?" That was in stereo.

"She's got the bug! She's in bed."

"Can't you sort something out?"

"I'll try. No promises."

I asked Claire to collect our dresses and gave her a tenner with the ticket. Claire and Annie then went back, leaving me to clean up the kitchen. I then sorted out the laundry and got mum's bed linen out on the line. While the weather was dry I'd make the best of it.

I was sat back in the kitchen just after two when I heard movement upstairs. I helped mum to the toilet, she now had a poorly tummy. I found a clean pair of knickers, a sanitary pad and helped her into the knickers. Again, no embarrassment, just expediency. I helped mum back to bed after a mouthful of water.

Back downstairs I made a pot of tea, I was drinking tea more than coffee right now. I had just put a knife in the cake when three gannets arrived, make that five as I just saw Jenny and Aunt Sue appear. Sharon and my aunt intended to check on mum but stayed in the kitchen long enough to see my cake disappear. If I hadn't kept a piece for myself I wouldn't have got any at all, and I almost lost that piece.

Eventually the two adults went up to see mum, I'd given them an update so they knew what to expect. I instructed Claire to clear the table and got a blank look. I used simple terms.

"Plates. Dishwasher."

The look I got could kill, fortunately I've already been killed enough recently so I was quite impervious. I just sat and folded my arms. The adults came back down, Sharon had obviously heard the conversation.

"Claire?"

"Yes mum"

"Did you enjoy the cake and your lunch?"

"Yes."

"Have you thanked Eve?"

"Can't remember."

"Then I think you should clear the table and put the dishes into the washer, and you can't kiss Eve until you do so."

"Ahhh mum?"

"You heard."

Claire looked at me, I just shrugged then gave Sharon a quick glance to let her know I was playing along.

That did the trick and the table was cleared, although I still had to get a damp cloth to wipe it down, then get the vacuum out to pick up all the crumbs. So much for my first loaf and first cake.

All bar Claire left and we settled in the lounge, locked to eachother. I think we fell asleep as Sharon walked in with a tray, dinner for us.

I checked mum quickly as it was gone six. I woke her gently and took her to the bathroom then checked her forehead, her temperature was coming down. I gave her another pill and put her back to bed. I then got back down and gave my plate a quick zap in the microwave. Claire had virtually finished her plate by the time I sat down to eat mine.

I was feeling a bit run down so decided at eight to call it a day. I gave Claire a choice, hers or mine but I was staying here. She chose mine, I checked mum once again before midnight before returning to my lover's arms.