(aka Bike) Part 1732 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad
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I woke up to find myself in hospital–not again. I had an oxygen mask on and something on my finger–by which they measure oxygen content of the blood, clever these doctors.
“Ah, you’re awake?” said a semi-familiar voice.
“How are the girls?” I asked.
“Typical Cathy, eh? In muck up to your eyeballs and you ask how the others are. Well, Lady C, they are fine. Simon took them home hours ago.”
“What time is it, Ken?”
“Two in the morning.”
“And, Stella?”
“She’s not so well.”
“What d’you mean?”
“Well she had a bigger dose than the rest of you.”
“Meaning?”
“She’s recovering but it’s going to be slow.”
“Is she going to be alright?”
“Um–that kind of depends.”
“On what?”
“On if brain damage occurred through the monoxide poisoning.”
“That poor woman, she’s had so much to put up with, from terrorists to post natal depression to my cooking.”
“Your cooking? I’d heard it was quite good.”
“From whom?”
“Ah, that would be telling.”
“Yes, I want you to be telling, telling me who’s casting nasturtiums about me.”
“You’re quite something, aren’t you? Half poisoned and you’re cracking jokes.”
“Yeah, but the ones I tell when I’m fully poisoned are dead boring.”
“I see. Just rest, I’m off to check your sister.”
“Thanks, Ken, oh and she’s my sister in law–no one family could have two loonies like us in it.”
He chuckled and walked off shaking his head.
After I collared a young nurse for a cuppa, I did eventually fall asleep, waking up to discover the mask had gone and I was breathing by myself. I needed a pee and got off the bed to look for the loo. On the way back I got pounced on by a nurse who played hell with me. I threatened to discharge myself there and then except it was six o’clock on a Sunday morning, mind you I could walk home by seven and get the others up for breakfast–except, Simon had my keys.
I sat about waiting for it to be late enough to go home without waking all the others to get in. I asked if I could visit Stella, and the nurse said no, then rang the ward and asked if I could. They said yes–she was in ICU again. Perhaps we should endow a bed here, we use one quite regularly.
I wandered over to ICU and found Stella linked up to all these machines. I went and sat by her and held her hand and talked to her for a while. However, I must have fallen asleep because I was sitting there and Billie was standing in front of me.
“Hello, darling,” I wanted to hug her but she didn’t actually come close enough for me to do so.
“Hi, Mummy, I came to say I love you, and that we’ll take good care of Gareth for you.”
“I love you too, darling.”
“Auntie Stella will get better, but it will take some time. Gotta go, bye,” she waved and disappeared.
“Billie? Billie where are you?” I woke myself up calling after her.
“What’s the matter, Lady Cameron?”
“Did a nine year old girl come past you?”
“No, children aren’t allowed in here and at this time of the morning–be sensible.”
“But I saw her as large as life.”
“Saw who?”
“Billie, my daughter.”
“You must have dreamt it.”
“But I saw her.”
“How old is she?”
“She was ten when she died.”
“Died? How could you see her then? I think you must have dreamt it–probably the after effects of the gas.”
“Yes, I must have,” I wanted to burst into tears. I’d have loved to see her, and what was that about Gareth? She’d look after him? I must have dreamt it, unless she was going to watch over him until Stella was better.
Stella came to and smiled at me then went off again. I went back to my own ward to have a bite of breakfast and the sister told me Simon would be in at nine to collect me.
At eight a junior doctor came to assess me prior to discharge. “How are you, Lady Cameron?”
“Okay, how are you–you look awfully tired.”
“Me? I’ve just got up,” he said in total astonishment. “I’ve just got to ask you a few questions to make sure you’re okay, if that’s alright?”
“Yes of course.”
“What’s your full name?”
“Lady Catherine Cameron of Pitlochry.”
“Wow, a genuine aristocrat.”
“No, I’m fake, my name’s Aubretia Rose Pettigrew.”
He gave me a funny look then continued. “What’s your date of birth?”
“Well, that would depend upon which of me you ask–I’m really only four and half years old.”
“Very funny–who’s the reigning monarch?”
“We’ve just had her diamond jubilee, haven’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Queen Victoria.”
“You do want to get home today not end up in a psychiatric ward?”
“Don’t send me to bedlam, please, I’ll do anything.” I touched his leg and he fled the ward. I couldn’t do anything for laughing. I just lay on the bed and convulsed, tears running down my face.
“What have you done to Alexander?” demanded the nurse, which brought on another fit of giggles. When I calmed down, I told her and she shook her head.
“That was rotten of you–mind you it couldn’t happen to a nicer person,” she chuckled and left.
I dressed myself ready and went off to see Stella again, asking the nurse to send Si up to me when he came to collect me.
She was awake and drinking a cup of tea with difficulty. The nurse held me back, “She’s got to learn to do things like this again.”
“I thought you said she’d be okay?”
“No, I didn’t because she’s got a long way to go yet–the poisoning may have damaged her brain–we’ve got a scan organised for later. This could take some time for her to recover.”
“That’s what Billie said.”
“Your dead daughter?”
“Yes.”
The nurse shook her head and walked off. I went to see Stella who’d now finished her cuppa. We chatted and a few minutes later she was fast asleep again–obviously my conversation isn’t what it was.
Then Simon arrived and kissed me then Stella, she woke with a start, “Oh, I thought it was Des,” she said and went back to sleep.
We said goodbye to her and left. “What was that about?” I asked.
“What?”
“Well, when I said Gareth will be in later, you tried to shut me up.”
“He won’t be in later.”
“How d’you know?”
“He’s dead.”
“Dead lucky, the gas didn’t affect him, is that what you were going to say?”
“No, he’s dead.”
“Stop pissing about, Si. It’s been a long night and I just want to get home.”
“I’m not, babes, he was killed trying to fix the gas boiler–there was an explosion...”
“You’re joking? You’re not joking are you?”
“No, babes, even I wouldn’t joke about that.”
“What’s Stella going to say?”
“I don’t know, we don’t even know when we can tell her.”
“Billie was right.”
“Billie? What our Billie?” he looked puzzled.
“I had a dream sitting with Stella, Billie came to me and said she was looking after Gareth. I assumed it meant she was keeping an eye on them, or it was just my imagination working overtime.”
“Billie told you?”
“Yes, it was her alright, she told me she loved us.”
“But she’s dead, babes–she’s dead.”
“And so is poor Gareth.” I stopped walking and fainted, Simon just caught me in time.
Comments
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1732
WOW! Poor Stella! She can't seem to keep a man!
May Your Light Forever Shine
Can't seem to 'keep' a man?
Is that supposed to be funny?
Love, Andrea Lena
Thank you Angharad,
Another wonderful post,taking us from crazy to reality,
and then back again.How is that I'm laughing my head off
one moment then crying the next,you really are quite astounding.
Poor Stella,she is now quite a tragic figure who we all should
cry for,she will need a lot of support now.
ALISON
Poor Stella
The possibility of even more mental health problems courtesy of the carbon monoxide, added onto Gareth's death, possible amnesia and her existing depression. She really doesn't have much luck, does she?
I must say alarm bells triggered when Billie said "We'll take care of Gareth for you", but then quickly dismissed it as Cathy did, assuming she meant that the family would take care of him. But her second statement that it would take Stella some time to recover suggests that Cathy will probably be assuming temporary guardianship over Puddin' and Fiona in addition to her existing brood...
However, the circumstances of Gareth's death do seem very suspicious. Gas work is only supposed to be done by qualified professionals (for obvious reasons), but even so, given Cathy had opened most of the windows to air the house before she fell unconscious, if he'd left the windows open, turned the boiler off and the gas supply (basic safety precautions), there shouldn't have been sufficient gas volume to trigger a lethal explosion.
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
alarm was loud,clear, and definite
when Billie said Gareth. only the mode of demise was unknown. poor stella.
Poor Stella
What is it with Stella? When we first met her, she was alive, vivacious, with a good job and great prospects. Since she met Cathy, her life has fallen apart one bit at a time. Now, Gareth is dead, almost on the eve of their marriage. And, her brain is damaged. What next? I really feel for her.
Red MacDonald
Perhaps To Dream
Hopefully, she's just having a dream within a dream. Stella deserves better.
Portia
Crickey.
This gets more intriguing with every chapter. God help Stella and God help Cathy cos' she's going to have her work cut out.
Bev.
OXOXOX
Angharad,Stella will
Angharad,
Stella will recover, marry someone totally suitable, and live a long and happy life. As soon as Ang stops writing Bike.
As to the dream idea, the remake of Dallas has just aired here. I stopped watching when they did the entire year as a dream. Cheap writer's trick to get ratings. Ang doesn't need tricks, cheap or otherwise.
Bear
Oh you...
sod! That hurt. There was me replying to Melanie about caring for characters, and you drop a hand grenade in. Ouch.
God damnit smile and be happy.
You are after all totally entitled and within your rights. You are lovely in that outfit.
Gwendolyn
Assassination of Simons family.
Rather than taking on a hard target like Catherin may be those who are out there decided to wipe out an easier target. Why would Gareth try to work on a gas line, that does not make sense. I am quite the DIY person, I can manage wiring welding ETC but gas I always let that to the pro's even though I understand the basics well. I would not touch anything hooked up to city gas's. Any way the gas has a special skunk small added to it to make it stink so you know it is there. And Catherin hearing picked up the sound of the boiler running. Things don't add up, all someone would need to do is to stuff a rag into the vent pipe and the boiler would vent into the house, thus the sound. But it would need some help to become a bomb that went boom. But it going boom would erase any evidence of tampering. Elementary my dear audience. That is if I am correct about any of this.
With those with open eyes the world reads like a book
Oh, what a terrible twist of
Oh, what a terrible twist of fate! Now Cathy may have to take care of a brain-damaged Stella and her two little ones.
Why would Gareth try to do repairs like that himself? How could he botch it so badly? Or was it suicide?
Ang, tell that wicked Bonzi to stop putting these evil plot twists in your mind!
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
Gee, Stan...
Don't you think your comment might have been insensitive or even in bad taste since the guy just died? I mean, well, you can say whatever you want, but was that really it?
Just asking,
Ole
We are each exactly as God made us. God does not make mistakes!
Gender rights are the new civil rights!
Gee, Stan...reply
What I mean is that she has met, had children with two different men who both died before she could realize the joy that Cathy and Simon share. Me, I am hoping that Gareth's death is a bad dream caused by cathy inhaling fumes because otherwise, Stella might need to go to the hospital.
May Your Light Forever Shine
After all, it's just Stella.
What you said was that Stella can't seem to keep a man. That expression implies that it is her FAULT, since it is usually a means of disparaging someone by making fun of them. She's a widow twice over; unmarried with children, who is often the target of snide comments, both by her family and by commentary as being unstable or mentally ill' You may not have intended to leave the impression that it was funny, but that's how it reads. For those of us who suffer from the stigma of mental illness, I sure hope you choose your words more carefully next time.
After all, it's just Stella.reply
I mean no disrespect to any who suffer any form of mental illness.
May Your Light Forever Shine
Another Cliff Hanger
which no one seemed to recognize. The cliff hanger with Stella's condition is settled, but not what the future holds for all the Camerons.
Bonzi, how do you come up with these plots! I don't even have enough imagination to copy anyone! And here you are just being the Cat in charge, seemingly unconcerned with the humans around you, and writing one of the best stories I have read!
I am wise to this story now! It is Bonzi that has done all the writing, not Angharad! But how can you keep this story going? I have no idea of any future story lines, except it will keep us on the edge of our seats!
++VOTE++ ++VOTE++
Don't let someone else talk you out of your dreams. How can we have dreams come true, if we have no dreams?
Katrina Gayle "Stormy" Storm
Oy vey...
Perhaps Stella'd better not try to get married again... 'course she'll feel guilty about it too...
I've heard that winding up people in authority can get you in trouble - as can answering to honestly... (And, yes, there's a story behind that, but not for tonight.)
Thanks,
Annette
What a sad
day this is turning out to be for Stella... I don't know what higher powers she might have upset but luck as bad as she seems to be suffering is more than most can stand, You would like to say things can only get better but in all honesty could you say it with any conviction ?
Seems to me that once again the burden of care will once again fall upon Cathy, Whilst we know she can cope, You do have to wonder if she will blame herself for driving Stella out... Hopefully Cathy will be rational enough to accept that sadly these things do happen in life, It won't be easy but if anyone can cope its Cathy...
Kirri
Not another one!
In the last 4+ years, Cathy has had so many died around her, it is mind numbing really.
She has had so much joy and tragedy mixed together since that fateful day with Stella that I am amazed she is still sane.
Now we have a mentally disabled Stella who will need a lot of help taking care of herself, who has lost her fiancee. This means her two kids will need looking after and I doubt even Cathy has the time to do it alone. Sammi and Jacqui will have to work double time to take care of them also on a formal basis as well as probably helping Stella.
Her living alone is out of the question but there is still the enmity that still exists for Cathy.
Oh Joy.
Kim
I was afraid of this,
For Stella to try to get married means Bonzia has to have her husband to be killed. Tain't fair!