Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 366

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Easy As Falling Off A Bike
by Angharad & Hampshire Air Ambulance
part:366 leap year?

Author's Note: I wasn't going to continue this story, thinking it had run its course and 365 episodes is enough for most people. However, I had emails and PMs (not PMS!)which convinced me otherwise. Also I couldn't spoil a special person's birthday, so here's the next one.
Angharad.

They tell me I was stabbed. It apparently punctured my lung and I nearly bled to death. I’m in an intensive care unit, which explains all the bleeps and other electronic noises I can hear. They also tell me they had to operate on my lung, so I’ll have a scar–just what I needed, then when I think about it, I’d probably have a scar where I was stabbed anyway.

I feel like shit, or how I imagine that feels after it’s been mangled by your guts and pooped out the end. If someone told me I’d been hit by an express train, I’d believe them, pretty well everything hurts. The way I float in and out of consciousness, means they are probably giving me loads of sedation.

Simon has been here constantly, it’s lovely to wake up and see him or Stella sitting there, or feel them squeezing my hand. They saved my life, or certainly helped to. The paramedics who answered the call from Stella and the air ambulance who took me to hospital, also helped. Once I feel stronger, I shall do a sponsored ride to raise money for them, but it might be a couple of weeks, yet.

I have lovely young nurse called Trish, who bustles around the place ordering people about. According to Simon, she helped to save me, apparently my kidneys stopped working for a short time and I was very ill. I don’t know, I was out of it sort of floating above it all, until the pain kicked in and I found myself back in my body and feeling like–you know what!

I remember a voice calling me from far away, telling me to fight, insisting I get better, that I concentrate on staying here and not give way to the urge to leave. That was Trish, apparently–she pulled me through, this far at least.

Stella told me about what happened. They were fifty or a hundred yards behind me, when this bloke in a black hoodie ran from nowhere and seemed to hit me. They didn’t know I’d been stabbed, they just saw me fall. Stella rushed up to help me and Simon went after the attacker. He told me that had he known the bloke had a knife, he might not have been so reckless, except he was so angry.

Stella tells me, Simon ran the bloke down on the bike. He ran downhill, so he was never going to outrun a Tarmac SL2, was he? Simon, apparently hit him from behind and then when the bloke came at him with the knife, Simon tried to shove the bottom bracket down his throat–that’s the bit of the bike the crank fits it. It apparently broke the bloke’s jaw in four places and dislocated it removing all his front teeth, but he dropped the knife.

The attacker’s name is, Darren Entwistle. I don’t know him, nor he me; he just hates cyclists for some reason. According to the police, they aren’t sure why he stabbed me, possibly because I was riding too fast up the hill. He thought bikes went too fast and were a danger to pedestrians and little furry things. He cares about the environment, apparently. Ironic that I’m also trying to save the planet and his lunacy nearly stopped me.

I’m trying not to get upset by what happened. I keep telling myself, he was some loony and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet, I was having a wonderful time, riding as well as ever, looking to do so much with the university in developing new courses, seeing Stella looking so well–then some dickhead with a knife nearly ended everything for me.

Stella is looking really well, I keep focusing on that. My problems have given her a chance to forget her own, and she did help at the scene of the attack. I can’t remember anything about it, just these strange dreams I have and they’re horrible. But I get so tired and then I sleep and dream.

My dreams seem to consist of this large black thing which is trying to catch me, sometimes I’m running from it, sometimes I’m riding. They’re not very nice.

“Hello, Sleepyhead.”

“Hi, Trish,” I said back, through the oxygen mask. “When can I take this off?” I pointed to the mask.

“When your lung has healed enough, I’ll tell you when, don’t worry.” She bustled around me, adjusting my pillows and things. “You’re not drinking enough; come on, let me see you finish that.” She handed me a glass of juice with a straw.

It’s an effort and I get breathless just drinking. Maybe my sponsored ride had better wait for three weeks? She reminds me my kidneys need fluid and if I don’t drink, they’ll connect me up to the mains. I’ve already got various drips running into me, so it feels like they’ve already done a mains connection.

I take my pills and then another sip of juice. I’m so tired…

Something touches me on the face and I open my eyes, Simon is standing there smiling at me, he’s just kissed me I presume. I smile back, although I don’t know if he can see it in the mask.

Tom is there too, he’s managed to sneak off work for a short time. They both take one of my hands and squeeze, I squeeze back, but I feel so feeble and I know that, much as I want to see them, I shall fall asleep while they’re talking to me–I can’t help it; I’m so tired, just so tired.

I have these two men I love so much, sitting with me. Nothing can hurt me, so why am I so frightened, why do I have these dreams, even when they are with me? Could it be the pills? Trish brings me more bloody juice to drink!

I feel full up, I don’t want to drink anymore, but Trish insists. I take another sip and pretend I’ve gone to sleep, but she knows I’m pretending. Now Simon is bullying me too–it’s not fair, and I tell them so!

“What happened to my bike?” I suddenly remember, I was riding it, what happened to it.

“It’s fine, the police took it home for you.” Simon tries to reassure me.

“It’s safely locked in the garage,” said Tom, “where it will stay until you come home.”

“Did it get blood on it?” I ask.

“Some, but we washed it up for you.” Simon isn’t usually someone I’d associate with that, too squeamish, so probably Tom or Stella did it.

“Thank Stella for me, will you?”

“How did you know she did it?” Simon looked surprised.

“Because she knows you didn’t,” said Tom, laughing. “See, she knows you better than you thought.”

Simon pouted and I zoned out again. I was vaguely aware of voices in the distance, they sounded like they were coming through water. They were quiet at first, then I heard beeping and raised voices. I didn’t worry, they were getting farther and farther away and I was quite happy. I could see that bright light again, like a shaft of brilliant sunshine, it was shining all around me, like being out on a bright summer’s day.

Maybe I was outside, I felt a bit cold, but the light was drawing me closer and I so wanted to go towards it. The voices were far away now and there seemed more of them, I was too tired to care who they were or what they wanted. I tried to concentrate on the light. I don’t think I was breathing, but as that had hurt before, I didn’t care too much. It wasn’t hurting now, now I was in the light, this brilliant blinding light. Nothing mattered much now.

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Comments

leap into the unknown

kristina l s's picture

So just what does happen next? Well I guess that's one of those questions innit. You might keep asking , 'are we there yet?' and then all of a sudden someone answers 'yes'. Trouble is, us lot don't get invited... yet.

Been a grand saga, it truly has, but I do get it.

Kristina

Not having been through THAT...

... The fading in and out sounds sooo much like what others have described about that condition.

Nice light bit toward the end. Soooo in character that she asked about her bike... And figured that Stella was the one to clean it. :-)

I do wonder how much longer you're going to continue this... Yet another ending to an episode, thta could end the story as well.

Hmmm. Maybe I should just pretend that there's one more episode, that makes "everything all better" and they live "happily ever after"...

Best wishes to you Angharad, and thank you for sharing this.

Annette

Geez, talk about a downer.

I stopped reading EAFOAB about episode 325, thinking I would wait until another hundred episodes built up before starting again, but after all the talk of the stabbing and all that I figured OK, maybe not. I dunno if I could handle going back and reading the rest after hoping for an admittedly trite and unrealistic happily ever after and instead finding... yeah. Angharad, I love your style and characters too much to care for this ending. It is your decision if you choose to stop here, though.

Melanie E.

A bit Reichenbach Falls.

And we all know that Conan Doyle then wrote 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes' because of popular demand. However, I have a feeling Angharad won't be persuaded now she's satisfied all 366 days of this Leap Year. I can't say I blame her; it must have been a chore at times.

I can't honestly say I like the way she's brought EAFOAB to a conclusion (I assume) but I'm very grateful for the entertainment she's provided over more than a years of almost daily episodes. That in itself would be an achievement whatever the quality but the humour and insights she's offered make it doubly so.

Many thanks and I look forward to more, and different, contributions. You can't allow the skills you've acquired to slip away. See you down the road ;)

Geoff

How do you say thanks

For all your effort and the time it took you to write this wonderful tale.I can tell you now I'm in tears writing this but don't feel saddened by it.If you hadn't developed characters worthy of them I wouldn't be.As others wish I can only hope you continue to create more story's worthy of my tears.Thanks Amy----"May your pen never run out of ink and your brain out of ideas"

This was a wonderful series

This was a wonderful series even if it did get alittle too soap opera at times. I appreciate that there is an ending here, all too often we readers are left haning in the middle of a serial story that drops off never to be continued or concluded. The previous chapter did not finish off the story this one did and I thank you for that.

Get those machines working - save our heroine!!!

Oh no, you can't kill off your heroine, how much of a bribe would you need to give us a happy ending?

But well done on the achievement of a whole years' episodes with such amazing quality, even if you don't save Cathy (poor dab).

Hugs,

Alys

It's been a great ride!

With lots of thrills and spills. If you decide to wind the story up, thanks for the marathon effort. If you continue, this is one fan that will look forward to reading more of Cathy's exploits.

Hugs
Sue

I remember vaguely a promise

of children, of her own.

Now I'm pretty sure it was in this story, and so far it hasn't quite been a supernatural like some of the others, but still.. a girl can wish, no?

I understand closing down a sage, but i'd wish a happier ending unto her. Thats just my hopes though.

Thanks for a fantastic saga

Love,
Amber

This Has Been A Most Wonderful Story

All that I ask that it not end with her dying. I can understand if you want to stop posting bike for awhile, but it's your choice. I am actually crying for Cathy.
May Your Light Forever Shine

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Does This Mean Stella Will Give Up Completely?

jengrl's picture

As I recall, It was Cathy needing Stella to help her plan her wedding that gave Stella a sense of purpose and the will to live. Will Stella join Cathy in the hereafter? I can't see how she will recover from another terrible blow to her life and losing her sister would push her past the tipping point. What about her mother telling her that she would have children and be a major force in the world for helping to preserve the environment and the cause of wildlife preservation? I can understand how grueling it would be to continue something as long as this. I would like to suggest an epilogue chapter to tie up loose ends at least. We have grown to love all these characters dearly and it just seems like it would just resolve so many questions if this is really the end. We have been on a wonderful ride and it is so sad to see it end like this.

Hugs,

Jenn

PICT0013_1_0.jpg

I'll stop here

Unlike the others I have no problem ending here. I see that apparently Angharad has been convinced to continue Cathy's story but for me the story ends now. As much as I've enjoyed this saga I am not one of those people for whom the story and character becomes real and, in fact, going beyond this point would make it surreal. This 'ending' in its way completes the circle. The story began with a her nearly getting killed on her bike and in a way seems apropos that it ends the same way. Life is like that.
An author should always leave us wanting more but that doesn't mean she has to give us more. It's time to move on and explore new avenues. No disrespect Angharad but I think your first decision was the right one. It was for me.

Commentator
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Cathy

LibraryGeek's picture

Reading through this, knowing that the story continues I can't quite experience the pathos that those reading it as it was published could. But if this had been the ending it would have been a solid ending. But then if it had ended now I'd have never read the story. In ways I envy those who were reading it as it came out, the impact this episode would have had. I know I would have cried.

Yours,

JohnBobMead

Yours,

John Robert Mead

Is it cheating?

Here is the dramatic end with 366 chapters, and I look forward and see thousands more. Kinda ruins the suspense. Oh well, I'm still along for the ride.

This series is why I stopped

This series is why I stopped reading any serial until the author says it's finished. I stopped at this chapter and have never gone on and have done the same with all the other incomplete or never ending serials here. I don't watch soap operas for the same reason. I now wait to buy books until the series is complete unless the stories are free-standing with a long standing character. If the TV guide says there will be multipart episodes I tape them and wait until they are all shown and then watch them.

Commentator
Visit my Caption Blog: Dawn's Girly Site

Visit my Amazon Page: D R Jehs

Threw us a googlie did you

For what it's worth, as I write this, Angharad has submitted another Bike chapter.
Cathy is the first rider to be stabbed, what caused the escalation ? I hope you weren't going to kill Cathy off !
That would cause me to find a warm bath and a sharp knife.
Cefin

Cathy lives!!!!

Rhona McCloud's picture

Angharad came so close to ending Bike at this point and, as well as Ang, I'd like to thank everyone her persuaded her to continue

Rhona McCloud