Chapter *9.17*

Sickbed

“She'll be down,” Dave started to tell the gaggle of teens in the hallway.

“In five minutes!” the girls chorused.

He couldn't help but join in the chuckles.

“Go on in.”

“Thanks Herr Bond.” Connie offered.

Of course, as usual it took me closer to ten to get dressed, with the drain anything like jeans was out so I had to find a skirt or dress to wear. Not of course that that's difficult just, well, girly, not the way I dress. I settled on one of my denim jobs teamed up with a baggy sweat top.

“There you are.” Dad stated the obvious.

“Duh!”

“I'll leave you—er—g irls to it.”

“Thanks, Dad.” I told his departing back.

I was pretty much engulfed by the girls at that point.

"Give over!"

"We were worried." Anna exclaimed.

"You don't have to crush me."

"Are you alright?" Steff asked.

"I'll live, um anyone want a drink?"

"We'll sort them." Con offered.

"Kay." I agreed finding a seat; my bum is still pretty sore so I opted for the sofa.

A few minutes later everyone was clutching beverage containers and tales of Silverberg Gymnasium dried up.

"So come on then Gabs ," Pia pressed, " what happened on Sunday?"

"I won the Grand Prix."

"Geez Bond, you are so obtuse at times!" Nena opined.

"Moi?"

"You know damned well what she meant," Anna scolded, "now spill."

No escape.

"I er had a um plumbing malfunction." I offered.

"But it's sorted now." Steff stated.

"Well not exactly, they kinda repaired things, did a temporary fix like but I'll have to get some more surgery."

"Stefan's sister Anke had something like that." Brid noted.

I bet she didn't! I can hardly tell this lot exactly what happened or the treatment, heck, I'm not even sure of that myself.

"So you going to school tomorrow?" Con enquired.

"Don't think so, I have to go see the specialist on Thursday so I shall likely be off all week.

“Come on you lot, the invalid needs some sleep and you've all got school tomorrow.” Dad suggested some time later.

“Aww, Daa-ad.”

“Don't you aww me, young lady.”

“Your Dad's right Gabs, we should get moving.” Pia agreed.

And so the Ahr Angels gathered their stuff and left me with the old man.

“That was nice of them.” Dad mentioned rejoining me in the lounge.

“Yeah, they coulda stayed longer, it's not like I'm really ill.”

“Listen to me young lady, Sunday was a wake up call, not just for you but for all the family. Regardless of what you may think now, you were in real danger of not making it, you lost a lot of blood and your condition is serious. It's not a game Drew, this isn't a few bruises from falling off your bike.” He finally ran out of steam.

There wasn't really anything for me to say; of course I know it's serious, but still.

‘Doodle doot, doodle doot, doodle doot.' The house phone chirped from the coffee table interrupting our ‘conversation'.

Dad picked it up, “Bond…oh hi…yes…uh huh…yes she's here, I'll put her on, its for you.”

I took the phone from him, there was a bit of a tweak ‘down below' when I sat back into the cushions.

“Hello?”

“Drewbie!”

“Geez , Mad, you don't need to shout, why'd you ring the house?”

“Your mobile's been switched off for like days.”

“Er right.”

“You okay?”

“Apart from splitting my insides and losing gallons of blood?”

“Your Dad said when he rang on Monday, so?”

“So I'll live but I think the wedding's off.”

“Wedding?”

My attempt at humour sailed straight over her head.

“So how is Hel?”

“Oh much better, she should be home by the weekend, she's gonna have a doozy of a scar though.”

“I bet she prefers that to not being around.” I proffered.

“Anyway, she sends her love, of course that goes double for me and Ali too.”

“Still no word from Rhod?”

“I think they're at his Gran's, Sylv's was shut when I went round at the weekend.”

Gran. She'll know what I should do; I'll ring her tomorrow.

“Uh huh.”

“You still coming over?”

“Hell yeah! Well I hope so, the Doc didn't say I couldn't ride or anything.”

“Kewl.” Mad allowed.

“Er Dad's making wind up signs, thanks for ringing.”

“No problemo chica.”

“Whatever, oh can you say high to the others for me Mads ?”

“This isn't a message service you know! Yeah of course.”

“Thanks.”

“You just get well eh.”

“I'll try, bye Mads .”

“Bye Drew.”

I was actually feeling pretty tired by now so I made my excuses and made a slow ascent to Camp Drew.

When you're at school or I guess it's the same if you are at work, the idea of just taking a day off, doing what you like is something that I'm sure everyone at least fantasises about. I guess a lot of the attraction is the ‘naughtiness' of taking the time off. By ten o'clock I was just about pulling my hair out.

“Just because you're not at school doesn't mean you can laze around the house all day.”

“Yes Dad, I mean no Dad.”

“Hmm.” He wasn't sure if I was pulling something, I can tell, “ Stick the dishwasher on while I'm out please, we'll go and do a shop when I get back okay, grab some lunch.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“I'll be about an hour.”

“'Kay.”

As soon as I heard the Saab start up I collapsed onto the sofa, wincing slightly as my stitches resisted my abuse. I could do with a good ride really, I think best when I'm pounding the tarmac and I've certainly got some thinking to do. Thinking, hmm, Gran! That's it, I'll ring Gran.

“You've reached Josie's phone,” the answer machine started, “I'm not able to take your call right now, leave a message after the tone and I'll get back to you…beeeep.”

“Gran, it's Drew, I really need to talk to you…”

The phone clicked, “Drew love, sorry I didn't pickup straight away, I've had a lot of funny calls lately.”

“Gran.” I pretty much sobbed. “It's all wrong Gran.”

“There, there love, tell your ol' Gran all about it, eh.”

I don't talk to Gran nearly enough these days but she's always ready to listen to my woes. I got my tears under control and drew a breath.

“I guess Dad's told you about the weekend?”

“How my favourite grandson won the race or afterwards?”

“ Don't you mean grand daughter, afterwards.”

“Yes he's told me kiddo.” She soothed.

“I don't know what to do Gran, I don't want to be a girl, not for real, not for always, I mean it can be fun sometimes but afterwards I can go back to being me.” I sniffed.

“You'll always be you, Drew.”

“Yeah but I'll be a girl, Gran.”

“Lot's of us are.”

“But I'm not supposed to be, I'm a boy.” I wailed.

“Drew love, we've talked about some of this before, I can't make the decision for you, as long as you are you, whether you decide to try to be a man or a woman, I'll love you whatever.”

“The Doctor thought I should get fixed as a girl cos like everything inside sort of works.”

“I can see his logic.” Gran opined.

“My outside bits,” I blushed down the phone, “my outside bits, he said they're sterile so like I can't ever be a dad like.”

“I didn't know that, how do you feel about that?”

“I dunno, a bit sad I guess, I mean it's not like I want a family right now or anything but, well it's like there'll always be this space?” a tear ran down my cheek.

“You could always adopt, when it's time.”

“It'd never be the same Gran.”

Josie had to agree, adoption can help fill a need but however much the child is loved, they are never 100% yours.

“And if they made you a girl, sorted out your plumbing?”

“You mean be a mother myself?”

“You'd have all the equipment.” She pointed out.

“I'm not gay, Gran!”

“No Drew, I didn't think for one moment you were , it wouldn't bother me if that was the case. But girls, women are equipped to produce the next generation.”

“But I'd have to have sex. With — a -- a boy !”

“That's how it usually works.”

“I said, I'm not gay!”

“A man and a woman Drew, you'd be the woman, the mother.”

She has a point. Maybe I need to think beyond my body image. But like snogging a boy !

to be continued....