It was best part of an hour before the throaty tones of the Hymer announced Mum’s arrival at the house. I shot up from my perch on one of the lounge sofas and nearly crashed into Mater as she ran into the building. After clamping onto her for a quick hug she directed us back into the lounge.

"Everyone okay? Tali?”

The replies were all non committal, okay is a bit subjective under the circumstances. Tali has spent most of the last hour sniffling in Gret’s arms.

"We’ve not heard anything since Mr Bond left,” Claire advised.
"Right, Gaby, kettle on, I need a cuppa even if no one else does, I'll see if I can get hold of your Dad.”
"I'll give you a hand,” Sal offered levering herself from her seat.

By the time we returned to the lounge bearing trays of hot beverages Mum was ending her call.

"So?” Mand eagerly asked.

She grabbed a mug of tea and took a sip before offering a reply.

"Well the good news is that no ones seriously hurt...”
"Phew!” Claire interrupted.
“...but,” Mum went on, which damped the rise in the rooms mood, "But they want to keep a couple of them in overnight as a precaution, the walking wounded should be back here shortly with Mike?”
"The mechanic,” I filled in.
"That makes sense,” Mum agreed, "Caro and Angela will come back with Dave once they’re settled.”
"So who are they keeping in?” Gret asked.
"He didn’t say, guess we find out when the others get here.”

I suppose another few minutes won’t make much difference.

"I bet they’ll be starving by now,” Laura suggested.
"Dinner’ll be cold by now,” Mand noted.
"You think,” I opined, "Come on Sal, you can give me a hand, you want something Mum?”
"Sandwich wouldn’t go amiss.”
"What’re we doing?” Sal asked as she followed me towards the dining room.
"Feeding the bent and battered.”

There are some things that on a subconscious level you just know or recognise, a smell, a feel or in this case a sound. there’s something about the noise of cycling cleats on hard floors that marks it apart from say someone wearing stilettos or football boots. Whatever it is, the sound of multiple wearers of cycling shoes in the entrance area was enough to alert the house that the ‘walking wounded’ were back from the Klinik.

I arrived in time to see Tali almost take out Josh.

"Easy up Hen.”

A quick head count revealed the missing to be Cav and Jamie although Darren was nursing a sling and clearly Josh and Geth were sporting dressings on what looked like a fair bit of road rash.

"I've done some food,” I offered.
"Great, I'm starving,” Daz cheerfully stated nearly taking another tumble as his shoes skated on the hard floor.
"Careful,” Mike warned, "Don’t want any more broken bones.”
"Broken bones?” Claire queried.
"Aye,” Josh advised, "Sling boys broke his shoulder.”
"Shouldn’t it be in plaster?” Sal suggested.
"Its only cracked,” Daz retorted.

By now everyone was in the dining room and a barrage of questions were being fired about.

“QUIET!”

The effect was immediate, like flipping a switch, once a teacher, always a teacher I guess.

"Right,” Mum went on, "Girls, lounge, that includes you Tali, Josh won’t disappear.”
“Mum?” I queried.
"Sort the food then leave them alone.”
“’Kay.”

The other adults arrived before the food was consumed and so we missed the story telling as Mum insisted we head home. So we all climbed into the A, they’ll sort out bikes and the camper tomorrow, and with Mum at the wheel set off home.

"So?” Mum asked as we joined the main road.
"They were lucky,” Dad started with a sigh, “van with a trailer pulled out on them over in Heimbach, they didn’t stand a chance of stopping.”
"Why are they keeping Jamie and Mark in?” Mand enquired.
"Jamie took a knock on the head, not much left of his helmet, Mark apparently did an impressive somersault, he’ll have some impressive bruises.”
"Been there,” I mentioned.”
"But nothing broken?” Mum suggested.
"Young Darren’s got a hairline in his scapula but apart from some ‘rash we got off very lightly.”
"What happened to you?” Mand dug.
"Car did the same to her in a club ten,” Mum supplied before I could reply, "She had to wear skirts for a couple of weeks.”
"So?” Mand pushed on.
"I thought I was a boy?”
"Oh right,” she allowed, "I can’t imagine you as a boy.”
"I was a boy at Manchester last year.”
"Only in your dreams, we’d all got you sussed.”
"You did? Why didn’t anyone say anything?”
"Not our business, it was fun watching the lads getting their bums kicked.”

Mum snorted from the front and Dad suddenly needed to blow his nose.

"So they still racing the weekend?”
"Well Darren’s out for a week, its not bad, just needs some rest, Mark might be a bit sore to ride but the others should be okay,” Dad suggested.
"Guess the bikes are trashed,” I suggested.
"Few bent wheels, Mark’s forks are trashed but its mostly paint by what Mike’s seen, looks like a busy day tomorrow.”

With Mum’s lead foot and an empty autobahn we were already dropping down into Ahrweiler barely thirty minutes after leaving Niederbieber. Even so it was after eleven so I headed straight for my eyrie when we got indoors – I have got work in the morning!

"You look crap,” Con announced.
"I love you too.”
"So what kept you up?” Nen asked.
"Its a long story.”
"We’re not exactly busy this morning,” Con pointed out.

And so I started in on a very much abridged version of last evenings events.

"That your Handy Gabs?”

I paused from scrapping the hot plate, sure enough it was the familiar ‘brring’ sounding from my bag.

"Who’s ringing at this time?” I mused aloud as I wiped hands.
"Well its not Max,” Nen offered, "He’s just arrived.”
I fished my Handy from its nest, "Bond?”
"Gaby? Its Doctor Martin, can you talk?”
I glanced at the others, "Hang on, I'll just go outside.”
I slipped out of the door and headed over to the low wall at the river bank, "Sorry, curious ears.”
"Connie Thesing,” my doctor surmised.
"Yeah,” I agreed.
"We’ve got your results back, you aren’t pregnant.”

I let out the longest of sighs.

"You alright?”
"Er yeah, just relieved I guess.”
"I wasn’t looking forward to facing your mother either.”
"You weren’t! I'd rather walk on hot coals!”
"I got them to do some other tests at the same time Gaby,” the Doc went on.
"Oh?”
"Well no point in wasting your red stuff, so you aren’t expecting but there are some anomalies which I think we need to check out.”
"Anomalies?”
"Its probably nothing, your white cell count is a little low, lots of things could cause it.”
"Is it serious?”
"Hopefully not, we can treat it at least but its best if we find out why, how are you fixed on Monday, I've an opening at five?”
"Er, should be okay, no wait, I have to lock up the kiosk at five.”
"Half past?”
I quickly calculated the journey time, if I ride up I can just about make that, "Er okay.”
"Right then, I'll see you Monday, bye.”
"Er tschuss.”

I broke the connection and stood staring at the rushing waters below, what now.

"Gab! You coming back?” Connie’s voice brought me back to the present.
"Er sure,” I agreed.
"Everything alright?”
"Just the surgery, women’s stuff.”
"You’re not pregnant are you?”
"Be daft! it’d have to be like the virgin birth,” I hurriedly joked.
"Yeah?”
"Yes, now come on, we haven’t got time to stand here gossiping.”

"You alright?” Max enquired as we sat down for lunch, "Nena said there was an accident last night?”
"Yeah, a truck pulled out on the lads.”
"They okay?”
"Few bumps and bruises.”
"Well that's good, so why do you look like a wet Sunday?”
"Just stuff.”
"Oh mein gott, you’re pregnant and its not mine!” he was struggling to hold a straight face.
"That is not even half way to being funny!” I mentioned giving him a firm prod in the arm.
"Ow!”
"I hardly touched you.”
"You don’t know you’re own strength,” he suggested rubbing his bicep.
"I do know you aren’t eating all those Frites.”
"I'm not?”
"Correct answer,” I grinned nicking several sticks of deep fried potato and popping them in my mouth.
"Hey!”

My mood was lifted, the only question now is how did both Max and Con land on pregnancy as a cause of my mood?

Maddy Bell © 04.07.17