The night of bliss I might have planned with Simon, given he was back to work tomorrow was spoiled by Mima being sick–as in all over her bed. I know she couldn’t help it, but I had to change everything and calm her down. She had frightened herself being sick as she woke, or waking as she was sick, I don’t know which way round it happened. Trish woke up too, and called for me. I was downstairs at the time, relaxing after having been to see Tom. He was doing fine and expected to be home in a few days.

Back to Trish, I was having a cuppa and a cuddle with Simon, when a little voice rang out, “Mummy, come quick Mima’s been sick.” Just what I needed. Simon, to be fair came to help then retreated as soon as he smelt vomit. So, muggings had to sort it, single handed.

I asked Simon to run a bath and dipped Mima in it, it seemed the quickest way to clean her. Then when she was out, added a bit of detergent and threw her bedding in it, to soak overnight. Fortunately, I had a spare duvet, so within half an hour she was tucked in–can you tuck in a duvet? You know what I mean–and asleep again. I left a bucket for her if she felt sick again, but didn’t really expect her to use it.

I wanted to go up to Bristol to check out my houses. Yes, Des’ old one as well, although I had someone keeping an eye on both of them, it had been a long cold winter. Maybe sometime in the week depending upon what Mima has wrong with her.

I awoke with two little bodies climbing in my side of the bed. “We’re cold, Mummy.” They were too. Trish squeezed in between Simon and me, and Mima I held close to me, while Trish cuddled behind. “I thought, Mima had better go near the edge of the bed, in case she feels ill again, I brought the bucket, Mummy.”

This kid was cleverer than I was, maybe she should be looking after me? “Thank you, darling, cwtch down quietly and lets all have a nice snooze.” Which was more or less what we did. I woke at eight to find Simon in the shower and two kids cuddled in tight to me. They both said they felt cold and were shivering, I felt fine.

I left them in bed and went to phone my GP. I caught him just as he arrived at his surgery, he said he’d pop by later and check on the kids, once he’d got over his surprise that I had not one but two. He knew Sam Rose, so he chuckled through my explanation.

I warned Stella, we could be incubating anything from Lassa fever to bubonic plague and were waiting for the doctor. She called back she would stay in her room, except for meals. I wasn’t sure if I felt she was wise or being over reactive. It all depended on what the kids had. It could be a 24 hour bug or something else, I had no idea of their inoculations record.

Life seemed to be like this–a bitch, I mean–with someone sick or injured all the time. Thankfully it wasn’t me, so I was grateful for small mercies. If I was ill, the rest would starve to death, unless Tom was here, and then they’d have to get used to curries. Actually, he’s better than that, but he does like his curry.

When I saw him in hospital, he was bemoaning that they didn’t seem to have one on the menu. I did point out that he wasn’t there to give the place a gourmet rating, but to get better. His reply was, “I’d get better awfy sooner, if I’d a curry inside me.”

When he came home I’d make him one to celebrate, but I wouldn’t be eating it, can’t stand them. Yeah, curried parsnips, that would be my nightmare scenario, in a gastronomic sense, I hate both–can’t eat them.

While Simon kept an eye on the girls, I made some breakfasts and took them upstairs, toast and tea for Stella, some toast and milk for the girls, and toast and tea for me. I left scrambled egg on toast downstairs for Simon, he shot off like a rocket. I wasn’t sure if that was his desire to escape the sick room or eat his breakfast. I decided that I didn’t need to know that badly.

I couldn’t stay upstairs all day, so I made up a bed on the sofa in the dining room and put on the gas fire. The girls lay head to toe under the blanket and each had a bucket. I didn’t remind them what it was for in case it encouraged a practice run. They had eaten and drunk a little, and both were sleeping; mind you the room was very warm with the central heating and the fire on.

I went to see Stella, who regarded me very suspiciously. “I hope you’re not carrying whatever bug the kids have got.”

“So do I, or you’re likely to starve to death.”

“I’m quite capable of making myself something,” she huffed. I thought, yeah, what about the rest of us?

“I’ll bring up some lunch, probably soup.”

“Okay,” she said. I left, before I said something I’d regret. She was such a lovely person when she was on form, so what was affecting her now? Maybe when she was in a better mood she’d share it with me.

I went down to check my patients, they were fast asleep and stayed that way until just before lunch, when my doctor arrived. “Hello, Dr Smith.”

“Nice to see you again, Cathy. Now, these two aren’t registered with me, so we need to sort that out as soon as we can, so I’ve got records and things.”

“Well, Trish would be registered through the home and Mima, God knows where her records are?”

“No chance of contacting the mother?” he asked.

“Sorry, she’s on the run in Africa, last heard of, pursued by about three different countries for smuggling guns.”

“Oh, I see, like that. Okay, let’s have a look at your children.”

“Just one thing, Dr Smith, Patricia was born Patrick, but believes herself to be female and Mima doesn’t know yet.”

He gave me a wide eyed look, “Well I suppose you’re as well placed as anyone to deal with that.”

“Maybe,” I said hesitatingly.

“What you have a problem with it?”

“No, of course I don’t, I just wonder if I’m the best person to deal with it. I don’t intend to tell her if I can help it.”

“Why not, surely you’d show her what was possible?”

“Yes, but I’d rather appear to be a role model as a normal woman, even though I didn’t start out that way. Plus, I don’t know how long I shall have either of them, it might be months, it could be years.”

“You’re not adopting then?”

“I’d like to, but that’s a long time away at the moment.”

“What will either or both of them do if they ever find out? It is in the public domain, after all?”

“I’m still making this up as I go along, a few months ago, I didn’t think I’d be looking after one child let alone two. Things are still evolving and we’re all getting used to each other, except the girls get on so well together, Trish is a delight, she mothers Mima all the time. I’ll bet she’d mother me, given the chance.”

“Hmm, let’s meet these two paragons,” he said and I showed him into the dining room.

They were awake but sleepy. He used one of those thermometers you stick in someone’s ear and it gives an electronic reading. “No temperature, so it’s not a febrile condition. They’re not dehydrating, I’ll write you out a script for Calpol, that’s a paracetamol syrup, use as necessary but no more than three or four times a day. I’ll give you a big bottle then there’ll be enough for both.”

“Thanks Dr Smith, so what is wrong with them?”

“I’ve no idea, possibly a virus of some sort, hopefully short lived. I’ve checked throats, ears, tummies and temperatures. If it doesn’t improve in a couple of days, or worsens, let me know.”

“Thanks, I will.”

“I can’t get over you as a mummy, but you seem well at home in the role.”

“I’m trying to do my best.”

“I’m sure that’s as good as anyone else’s. How is your sister in law, wasn’t she pregnant?”

“Yes, she’s hiding in her room in case she meets one of us lepers.” He snorted at this and shook his head.

“Pregnancy does strange things to some women, I know you’d have loved to have experienced it, but be thankful that at least you didn’t go strange because of it.”

“No I was strange long before it.”

“Cathy Watts, I wish you’d stop all this self-deprecation, you’re an okay woman, and that’s a medical opinion, so do what the doctor ordered and accept yourself, okay? The rest of us do with no difficulty whatsoever.”

I blushed and almost felt a tear in my eye. “Okay, I’ll try,” I managed to blurt out without actually crying. He left and I went back to my soup making after watching both kids go to the loo.

He was right, of course, so why was I the only one who had problems with it, or did many other new women.