The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2264 by Angharad Copyright © 2013 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

Dr Rose came past the cubicle and looked in, “How’s she doing?”

“All right.”

“Let’s just see,” he looked at the machine. “Her heart is stable now,” he then checked her blood pressure. “That’s fine, too.” He looked in her eyes and she moved her head. “Good reflex,” he looked at me, “I don’t know, Catherine Cameron, but you seem to be making us all redundant.”

Another doctor poked his head in, “How is she?” he asked Sam.

“I think she’ll be fine.”

“Good, so this is our mystery lady is it?”

“No, this is her mother, Lady Catherine Cameron.”

“No relation to that prat in Number Ten, I hope?”

“Uh no, I’m afraid we voted against him.”

“They’re destroying the health service by stealth...”

Sam interrupted him, “C’mon, Phil, she doesn’t want to hear your political diatribes.”

“Yeah, what with that and bloody bankers, no wonder this country is in a mess...”

I blushed at the mention of bankers. I was after all married to one of them. So he wasn’t the best paid, apparently, some HSBC investment bankers get six million pound bonuses. Even to Simon, that is serious small change.

I continued to sit with Danielle. A nurse came in with her notes, Danni’s notes, that is. She flicked through them. “Crikey, for a kid she’s had a chequered career, hasn’t she?”

I shrugged.

“What’s this about a broken ankle–she walked out on it less than an hour after it was X-rayed and with no treatment. Did they make a mistake?”

“Something like that I suppose.”

“Yeah, this says Daniel Maiden–oh; oh hang on, he used to be a boy. Name change, sex reassignment surgery, sexual assault. You his mother?”

“His adopted mother, yes.”

“How did he get a sex change at his age?”

“How did she, you mean?”

“Well alright, she–how did she get a sex change at thirteen?”

“She was attacked by a supposed friend who mutilated her.”

“Poor kid, couldn’t they repair his todger?”

“Not according to Mr O’Rourke.”

“Well he should know. He’s done a few of those operations now. The first one was on some bloke who married a lord or something.”

“Nooo.” I said in feigned surprise.

“Yeah, when it’s done to someone his age,” she indicated Danni, “they might get away with it, but not some bloke in his twenties or thirties. I mean, anyone would be able to spot them, wouldn’t they?”

“I’m sure you’re right.”

“Well us real girls would be able to spot ’em a mile off.”

“At least that, I’m sure.”

She entered a series of figures into Danni’s notes from a chart on the foot of the bed. “Looks like she’s gonna be okay.”

I was glad when she left, she was so full of prejudice it was untrue. I almost reported her but then my attention was taken by a little voice saying, “Mum, canni’ve a drink?”

“Wait there, sweetheart, I’ll get you one.” I went out and found the same nurse.

“Excuse me, my daughter has just woken up and asked for a drink?”

“Your son, you mean?”

“I think I know what I mean,” I glared at her.

“Is there a problem, Lady Cameron?” asked Dr Phil or whatever his name was.

“Lady? OMG, you’re that bloke, aren’t you?”

“What the hell are you talking about, Sally?”

“Her–she used to be a bloke, an’ now she’s had her son get a sex change an’ he just tried to top himself.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sally, this lady is married to a lord.”

“Yeah, so was the bloke I said about.”

“Go on, you read too much of that trashy tabloid stuff.”

“She or is it he, didn’t answer me–did you?”

“I don’t have to answer your insulting questions and I’m going to complain. I find your transphobic attitude out of place in a place like this. You seem signally ill equipped for your job.”

“You what?”

“I’m going to complain to the chairman of this trust.”

“Oh yeah, go ahead an’ I’ll talk to the Echo.”

“If you want to add breach of confidentiality to your other sins, carry on. I’ll get you struck off within a week.”

“Yeah, an’ I’ll back her.” Dr Phil whatever was on our side.

She flounced out dumping the notes on a table.

“I’m sorry about that but she did get up my nose.”

“Look, I don’t care if you’re married to that twit of a banker, or if you used to be a bloke called Charlie; I watched you sit with that kid in there and I saw you pour love into her–yeah, her, like only a mother could. If what she said was even half correct, I think you deserve a medal not a haranguing.”

“I’d prefer not to discuss it, I only came to get my daughter a drink.”

“Drinks dispenser just along there,” he pointed along a corridor and I could see it. I filled a cup with cold water and took it back to Danielle.”

“You’ve been a long time, Mummy.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, I got lost in the corridors.”

She sipped the cool water. “Umm, this is nice.”

“Sorry it took so long.”

“Yeah some ’orrible nurse came in and told me I was disgusting and so were you.”

“What just now?”

“Yeah, while you were out getting this water.”

“Lady Cameron, how nice to see you again?” I looked round and Ken Nicholls was standing at the entrance.

“Mr Nicholls,” I returned the greeting.

“You haven’t got two minutes, have you?”

“What about, Danielle?”

“You’ll be okay for two minutes, won’t you?”

Danni nodded.

“Well don’t let that awful transphobic nurse back in here.”

“Who’s that?”

“Sally somebody.”

“Sally Knott?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s the one,” said Danni. I asked her to explain what had been said to her while I was out getting water.

“Wait here,” he stormed out and brought back the senior charge nurse. Danni had to repeat her story, I told her what had been said to me in front of Dr Phil.

“She won’t bother you again, Lady Cameron, I’m going to suspend her as soon as I can find her.”

Ken walked me off to another cubicle. “This guy has less than a day to live unless some of your magic can save him.”

“His kidneys are shot, aren’t they?”

“How d’ya do that?”

I shrugged, I didn’t know how I did it, but somehow the necessary information came into my mind.

“Anyway, he’s too ill for a transplant assuming we could get a donor kidney in time.”

“Is he awake?”

“No he’s very ill and sleeps most of the time–the toxins are building up all the time.”

“I’d prefer he doesn’t know who I am.”

“Cathy, he couldn’t tell you from a cow in a barn...”

“Gee thanks,” I interrupted.

“I meant he is that sick.”

“He’s gone into a complete glomerular meltdown.”

“He’s very ill.”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.” I went into the cubicle. The man in there was swollen faced and looked very ill. He was unconscious. I held his hand–it was cold. A day? This man would be dead in an hour were it not for the machine attached to him.

I sat down still holding his hand. “Stan, I know you can hear me. Your god has sent me–I’m an angel, you see–and apparently it isn’t your time just yet. I’m going to do some healing on you–it might not be very comfortable but you will recover. Right, here we go.”

Essentially, I poured energy into him, especially to his kidneys. His face contorted with pain but I kept going–I had warned him. A short while later, he went back to sleep–a peaceful sleep. Tomorrow he’d feel a hundred per cent better and better each day for the next week when they’d send him home as cured.

The doctors would take the credit and he wouldn’t remember any of it. Did it matter who got the credit? Not to me, the less people know the safer I am. I went back to Danni.