Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1584

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The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike)
Part 1584
by Angharad

Copyright © 2011 Angharad
All Rights Reserved.
  
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I was worked up the next morning and despite having little sleep, adrenaline seemed to keep me going enough to get the girls to school–their first day back–and me to the university. I even had my old office back–yeah the broom cupboard that was too small for storage.

I sent Julie a text telling her I was thinking of her and would call the hospital in the evening–she was due to go down for surgery about one o’clock. I had some teabags and milk with me, so made myself a cuppa and ran through my lecture notes. Mima had been drawing on the back of some of them–yeah, I know, I should have put them safe.

The lectures were an introduction to ecology, so I could wing much of it anyway, and I gave them a reading list as a handout. The thing is that the lectures are a primer for later fieldwork, which is when it gets interesting. We do an assessment of a few sites including the foreshore–get to practice my bird watching and a woodland environment.

The course is an optional one, so I’m not sure how many will take it up–hopefully not many, then they’ll either drop it next term and I won’t have too much marking to do. I finished my tea and shoved my notes back in my lappy-case along with my laptop which I’d use to control slides and so on. I was using my favourite lecture theatre–not. This was the very room in which Spike did the famous abseil down inside my blouse.

The technician was a new guy named Tim Mortimer, who was introduced to me by Gloria, who was now doing part time since she’d had a baby–I didn’t mention that before, did I. She hadn’t married Neal yet, but she would when she got round to it. She showed me piccies of her new wain and I showed her some of Catherine and the others that I had on my Blackberry.

Tim set up my laptop and told me everything was ready. I went into the lecture theatre and it was absolutely packed. It holds over a hundred, and they were standing at the back and sitting on the stairs. 'Oh shit, enough marking here to last a couple of years. Oh double shit.'

I navigated my way down the steps and onto the dais which has a large desk or table for demonstrations and so forth.

When I stepped onto the dais a loud cheer went up which made me blush–after this anything I do short of a striptease is going to be an anticlimax. I held up my hand and called for quiet after clipping on the microphone.

“Okay, thank you for the enthusiastic welcome, but let’s not forget this is a place of learning, not the X-Factor. I’m Cathy Watts and I’m overwhelmed by the number of you here obviously keen to learn about ecology. My own specialty is small mammal ecology, so at times we’ll use examples from that, but ecology refers to any habitat anywhere. For the more perceptive of you, yes this is where the Youtube clip happened. I have now mentioned it, and as far as I am concerned that is it. Anyone else who mentions it out loud will likely fail my course for not paying attention. For those who haven’t seen it.” I clicked on my computer and the lights dimmed and in glorious high definition, I watched Spike get spooked, run up my sleeve and jump down my blouse. Needless to say, I was wearing a pair of jeans and a polo-neck jumper, not the blouse.

It got a huge laugh and I blushed again. I did every time I saw it. “So that’s it over and done, as I said, anyone who mentions it again will get a fail.” I then ran through the timetable and also that I would see if we could get a bigger room next time after asking if everyone there intended taking the course–they apparently did.

An hour and half later, I was exhausted as I watched them all file out of the theatre. Tom came down to see me. “Oor celebrity teacher hasnae lost her touch.”

“I am knackered. How am I supposed to run fieldtrips with a hundred students?”

“Aye, I ken, we’ll hae tae split them up, e tak’ some an’ Neal can tak’ some.”

“They’re supposed to get ten hours of practical, and thirty hours of tuition–it’s not possible with that sort of number because I can’t do any more hours.”

“Wuld ye believe, I haed tae turn doon anither twenty students.”

“Why?”

“Ye’re famous, ye’re a titled lady, a film maker, superhero and wonder mum, they all ken aboot yer exploits. Nearly every female first year wanted to do yer course, even those daein’ chemistry.”

I’m a non-celebrity, get me outta here. I shook my head, “If you have another twenty students wanting to do this, can we run two groups of sixty–at least that way they all get a seat.”

“Aye we cuid,” he nodded.

“However, if I’m doing twice my hours, I want some extra preparation time and double pay.”

“Okay,” he shrugged.

That surprised me. He agreed without argument, simply handing me an envelope which stated exactly what I’d suggested. The crafty old sod had pre-guessed me. I was a little miffed, but realised it brought extra money to my budgets in the university and would give me a bigger pool to recruit my dormouse patrols from.

It was one o’clock when Tom took me to lunch together with Pippa. We were back at two and I went and did preparation for two classes for the remaining hour before going to get the girls and take them home.

Stella whinged about Catherine, but shut up when I told her about my day. At six my mobile peeped and the nurse I’d left a bottle of wine, texted to say Julie was back from theatre, but wouldn’t be available to visitors until the next day. I sent her a bouquet of flowers. I also called Tash to say she was back in her room, and I’d go to see her tomorrow.

I told the others and they all whooped with joy. I changed and spent the next hour making a large cottage pie which the girls love, so does Simon. I was so tired I nodded off in the kitchen while reading a text book. Actually, I was looking for a reference, but couldn’t find it. Trish found me and woke me up, then made me a cuppa. Then she asked what I was doing and when I explained, she flicked through the book and found it in ten minutes. I suppose I was a bit tired.

I did stay awake long enough to get the girls to bed, but I was in mine not long after, and fast asleep. It wasn’t to last–it never does, does it? At about midnight–two hours after I’d been in bed–Simon came and woke me.

“Wossamatta?” I grumbled at him.

“Babes, wake up, the hospital phoned, we have a situation.”

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Comments

Not again

Poor Cathy.

Now who is it this time. Jenny? Julia? or just the doctor calling because someone needs her special attention

When will she ever get some peace.

Karen

That's not...

That's not how I'd have worded things, but the sentiment fits.

I even wondered if someone had snuck into Julie's room, figuring she was Cathy's kid, to get her personal miracle and/or maybe a reporter, etc.

Wow- going in expecting a small group of students and having it turn into 120... At least she only has one prep for the lectures. But grading/evaluation and field work... Extra money doesn't mean there are more hours in a day. (Just ask my wife who is a professor...)

Thanks,
Anne

That was not

the last line i wanted to read .... Poor Julie, I really hope the situation Simon mentioned is nothing too serious , But a phone call at 12 midnight does not sound good .... Oh well, Guess i had better get back to biting my nails, And hoping it all turns out okay ....

Kirri

Question is...

With the hospital staff already familiar with Cathy's 'exploits', will it be Cathy and Trish 'tag team-ing' Julie with the 'Blue Light', or will Cathy have to go solo this time?

PB

Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1584

might be Julie's parents or she might be intersexed

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

On the first bit...

On the first bit - maybe. But, if she were intersexed - and that was only discovered during surgery - the notification would have been earlier... Not six (6) hours after the surgery was over with Julie in the recovery room.

So - yes, the first bit IS a possibility. Up there with reporters and such.

Anne

There'll be days like this.

Yallah (come on) can't a girl get a break? We sort of new that Julie was worried, or maybe Jenny has something cookin? Poor woman.

Gwendolyn

An interesting thought, Stanman

Whatever, calls at that hour are not welcome and will inevitably involve driving.

Susie

Uh oh...

Ordinarily, the most likely reason for the hospital phoning would be complications following surgery - perhaps excessive bleeding.

However, given this is Bike, it could possibly be the other hospital (Southampton); and the reason could also be intruders, terrorist threats, something happening to Tash / Caroline, or something else I haven't thought of.

Let's hope that it's either one of the alternatives, or the complication can be resolved. The last thing Cathy needs now is another family fatality.

Assuming the situation is quickly resolved and Cathy can resume her university career, I can imagine Trish proof-reading lecture handouts in advance...

 

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There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...

As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!

Hospitals

I just had the same idea.
First thought: Something happened to Julie.
Second thought: Well, this is Bike... ;)

--
M - I am I

Martina

It seems like she can't go

It seems like she can't go anywhere near a hospital without something weird happening.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Oh, dear! This has Bonzi's

Oh, dear! This has Bonzi's paw prints all over it!

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}

Sounds right

... but Izzy is apparently the sneaky one of the household so I will not discount any connivances from that quarter either.

My money is on Julie at the moment but what is wrong with her ...

Luckily this is Bike and the cliffhanger only lasts a day or two at most.

Kim

Caroline

Wonder if she is involved.