| "Kate, The Dream Angel" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1997. |
| CHAPTER 5 |
| A long, lazy stretch, then a hand to hide a yawn, and Kate opened her eyes. Golden sunlight streamed through the cabin windows. Her family was stirring in their beds, and it was a great day to be alive. |
| |
| Kate got out of bed, thoughtfully noted that she was dressed just as she had been last night, grabbed her toiletries bag, then went outside. Beautiful parrots were arguing among themselves in the trees, while everything Kate looked at seemed sharper, brighter and more real than before. She found herself skipping towards the amenities block, and stopped herself. |
| Kate had not skipped in at least a year; that was a game for little kids. |
| Kate glanced around, in case someone had seen her, and was relieved that she was alone. An impish grin appeared on her face, and her eyes sparkled. |
| Who cares what other people think? She told herself, I'm going to skip if I want to; in fact, I might even do a couple of cartwheels! |
| Kate startled a woman, who came around another cabin. The woman wore a dressing gown, was half asleep, and not expecting to see a young girl, dressed in a green nightshirt and blue knickers, doing cartwheels across the lawn. |
| "Isn't it a fantastic morning?" Kate asked, too hide her embarrassment. |
| "I, ah... Yes, lovely." The flustered woman replied, before she returned Kate's beaming smile. "You must be from that family we saw come in last night, with the caravan?" |
| "We drove all the way from the Gulf. It was too hot over there." |
| "I dare say it would be. It does get a bit hot here, too, though there's always the sea breeze in the afternoon to make things pleasant. I'm Scarlett Martin, by the way. Pardon my bad manners." |
| "I must have surprised you. My name's Kate, and I don't usually act like this in the mornings. I guess I looked a bit silly." |
| Scarlett grinned. "Not a bit silly. You looked a lot silly, but I wish I had the nerve to act silly whenever I felt like it." |
| They kept talking as they continued to the amenities block, and even as they showered in adjacent stalls. |
| Kate learned that Scarlett had an eleven year old daughter and two sons, fourteen and fifteen years old. They were on holidays from Sydney, and were due to return at the end of the week. |
| Their conversation was interrupted by a girl's voice. "Hey, Mum! Are you in here?" |
| "In the shower, Piper. I won't be long." Scarlett answered. "Kate, that's my favourite headache, Piper." |
| Kate leaned out of the stall, water dripping off her hair. "Hi. Piper. That's a cool name. I'm Kate." |
| "How's your love life, Kate?" Piper gave a half-hearted smile. |
| "Probably the same as yours. Hang on a sec'." Kate turned off the shower, and towelled herself dry enough to pull on her nightshirt. |
| Piper was blond, skinny and wore yellow bike pants over a purple swimsuit; she tried to act cool, though her curiosity got the better of her. "I guess you haven't found a guy around here, either?" |
| Kate laughed. "That bad, huh? I got in last night, and I'm hanging out for a new face. I've been stuck with my brother for over a week." |
| "Consider yourself lucky, Kate. I've got two. You ready? Come and see the cool crab I caught yesterday." |
| Kate followed Piper to the younger girl's cabin. On a table outside, was a big, aluminium cooking pot, which had its lid tied down with string. The two girls knelt on opposite benches, with the pot between them, and Piper untied the string. A loud scraping and banging came from inside the pot. |
| "Show us your ugly face, crab." Piper ordered. |
| When the lid was off, they peered inside. Piper's dry, blond head, against Kate's damp, blond head. |
| Strands of their equally long hair dangled into the pot and were snapped at by a pair of huge claws. |
| Kate screamed, as did Piper, who began laughing. It took Kate a moment to join her laughter to Piper's, because for the briefest instant, she imagined a gigantic claw reaching out of a doorway, to grab her. |
| The cabin door opened, and a man dressed only in shorts came out. "What's going on, Piper? Is this another of Judd's B.B.s? |
| "The crab tried to bite us." Piper giggled. |
| "Who's your friend?" He asked, his eyes hard and suspicious. |
| Piper introduced Kate to her father, and then her brothers came out. The fourteen year old was named Hanley, but it was fifteen year old Judd who took all of Kate's attention. What a hunk! she thought to herself, while shaking his hand and smiling at him. "What's shaking, Judd?" |
| Oh, no! Did I really say something so uncool? Kate mentally kicked herself. Then she realised she was standing in front of the best looking jock she had seen in ages, and all she had on was a stupid green nightshirt with stupid rabbits on the stupid front! |
| Judd was smiling, too, then let go of Kate's hand. "How are you, Kate?" |
| "Can I catch you guys later? My Mum's expecting me to help. See you around, okay?" |
| She waved and turned around, realising that she could not run to her own cabin, because the nightshirt was too short. Kate felt ready to die of humiliation. First to talk like an unsophisticated turkey, then to almost flash her knickers! Kate blushed at the thought. |
| |
| Once safely in the cabin, Kate put on her swimsuit and a beach wrap, then joined her family for breakfast. |
| The four of them were cleaning up the table outside their cabin, when Piper came to talk to Kate. |
| Everyone was introduced to Piper; Sean did not make a fuss over Piper, as he usually did when her met a cute girl, but Piper was only interested in playing with Kate. Besides, she was much too young for his fifteen year old tastes. |
| "They've got video games in the shop. Want to come?" Piper asked Kate. |
| "Let me get my purse. Oh, Mum, is it okay?" |
| "Enjoy yourself, Kate. You haven't had much of a holiday. As long as you're back for lunch." |
| "What if I can afford to buy my own lunch?" Kate suggested, hopefully. |
| "Stop fluttering your eyes. Anyone else might think you're a good girl, but I know different. Yes, okay. When will you be back?" |
| "I don't know. But I'll let you know if I go anywhere else." |
| "Be sure that you do. Have fun. Nice to have met you, Piper." |
| Kate got her purse, then she and Piper walked to the shop, where they each changed five dollars for twenty cent pieces. Kate liked Piper, even though Kate thought the younger girl was too loud, and tended to exaggerate things a lot. She and Piper liked the same bands, and had similar taste in boys, though Piper could not understand what Kate saw in Judd. |
| "It's an unwritten law, Piper, that a girl automatically feels nauseous at the mention of her brother. Take Sean, for example. Please take Sean! Far away." |
| Piper laughed, and they started telling each other "brother" jokes, and all the annoying things their brothers did. After Kate finished the story about the lizard Sean had put in her nightshirt, Piper told about how Judd got drunk at a school dance, walked into her bedroom by mistake, and threw up over Piper's dressing table. |
| "Then he said he thought it was the bathroom, but since it was my room, I should clean it up. And it stank! I couldn't stand to be in there, 'cos I nearly puked, too. Judd can be so gross, sometimes. He used to be fun to play with, until he started going out with girls. Now he's a pain in the bum." |
| "I know what you mean. Sean's been the same since last summer, when he took one of my mates to a disco. He says he's going to lose weight one day. Mum and Dad have finally admitted that it's not puppy fat, after all, and he should get more exercise." |
| "He is a bit heavy on the pork, but he's got a nice voice." |
| |
| For lunch, they shared a bag of chips, washed down with a milkshake each, then they went to spy on two men who were playing tennis. |
| "They're pretty old." Piper said. "Not as old as Dad, but probably at least twenty five or thirty." |
| "Closer to twenty five." Kate offered. "That one's got lots of muscles. You can have the other guy." |
| "Rack off! You can keep them both. They're old!" |
| The man that Kate said had muscles heard Piper, and turned his head long enough for the ball to get past him. Kate and Piper took off, so he would not catch them, and they hid in the amenities block, laughing till their sides were aching. |
| "How about we go for a swim on the beach?" Piper suggested. |
| A few minutes later, with beach towels and parents' permission, they were on their way. |
| Kate was laughing at something Piper said, when they stepped off the footpath to cross the road. Piper jerked Kate's arm back, making Kate trip back onto the footpath; less than a heartbeat later, her towel was ripped away by a car that cut so close to Kate it was just a red blur. |
| Kate brushed dirt off her bruised behind, as her towel was left to float to the roadway. |
| "They didn't even slow down." She gasped, as she stood up. |
| "Stupid turkey!" Piper screamed. "Where'd you get your licence." |
| "He didn't slow down." Kate repeated. She began to shake, while Piper recovered the towel. |
| "It's torn. Sorry, Kate. Are you okay?" Her eyes scrutinised Kate for injuries. "No blood, guts or bones sticking out, so you must be all right." |
| Kate's knees went weak, so she sat down again, head on her knees, feet in the gutter. |
| "Kate? You can't stay there. There's too much traffic. Want to go back?" |
| When she got no answer, Piper went behind Kate, put her arms under Kate's and across Kate's chest, then lifted Kate to her feet. |
| "You're too heavy to carry. Give me a hand, Kate, and walk." |
| "I was almost run over. I might have been killed!" She stared at the ruined towel in her hands. |
| "You're alive. So shut up, and get your feet moving. Didn't anyone teach you to look first before crossing a road?" |
| Kate locked her knees, bringing both of them to a standstill. She took a deep breath, and let it out in a big 'whoosh'. |
| "Thanks, Piper. You saved my life. I'm okay now." |
| "You sure?" Piper was doubtful. |
| "Let's go for that swim. And this time I'll look to the right, then left and right again. I promise." |
| |
| They reached the beach without further incident, and Piper stopped to read a sign. |
| Kate pretended that she had not heard her friend swear. The beach was closed to swimmers, because of marine stingers. Several men were fishing off the beach; some people were sunbathing, but no one was in the water. |
| "What do you want to do, Kate? Catch some sun, like them?" Piper suggested, indicating the people lying on the sand. |
| "I got burned the other day, through my clothes. Do you want to end up with burned you-know-whats?" Kate shook her head. |
| "I haven't got any to burn. Well, there's always the swimming pool, but that's where Judd hangs out." |
| "That's our best bet, then." Kate shrugged. She was wondering what Judd looked like in a swimsuit. |
| "Do you want me to hold your hand while you cross the road?" Piper asked sweetly. |
| "Very funny." |
| |
| At first, Kate could not see Judd near the pool. |
| Sean was there, along with a few other kids, most of them in swimming costumes. Then Judd stood up from where he had been lying against a gazebo. He had a can of drink in one hand, and was using his other hand to help an over-padded girl get up; the girl with the pillows stuffed in her bra was giggling at something Judd said. |
| "He might ignore us, now that he's picked up another brainless bimbo." Piper said. |
| "Brainless bimbo?" Kate grinned at Piper. "Who taught you that one?" |
| "That's what Dad calls all the girls Judd goes out with. That or B.B.s It makes me want to puke, the way he slobbers over them, sometimes." Piper took off her bike pants, then dove into the water. |
| Kate left her beach wrap on a vacant chair with her towel, and followed the younger girl. The water was cool, and a pleasant shock to her skin. Kate forgot about anyone else, when Piper sneaked around her, and dunked her. That sneak attack demanded immediate revenge! The battle was on, though Kate did not have it all her own way, despite her greater weight, strength and reach; Piper was agile, clever and experienced in dirty fighting. A draw was declared between the two exhausted warrior maidens. |
| As they dragged their battle weary bodies out of the water, they heard applause. Judd was watching them, and clapping. |
| "Very educational, girls. Piper, you've got the loudest mouth this side of the equator. Have you ever thought about renting it as a fog horn? Or a siren?" |
| Piper made a few suggestions to Judd, though it would have been painful if not physically impossible for him to carry them out. Kate chose to ignore the swearing. She was watching Judd drinking his cola, as if Piper did not exist. He looked so cool and...and what? Mature? Manly? |
| He was a hunk! |
| "Oh, no." Piper groaned, and poked Kate in the ribs with a bony finger. "Not you too?" |
| "What do you mean?" Kate asked, annoyed. |
| "It's like a movie, called The Attack Of The Brainless Bimbos. The bug's got into you, and now you're turning into one of them. Fight it, Kate! The safety of the human race depends on your overcoming this deadly disease!" Piper clasped her hands in front of Kate, pretending to beg. |
| Kate could not help smiling, despite her annoyance at Piper thinking she was chasing after Judd. Just because she thought Judd was handsome. |
| "That's dumb, Piper. I'm no bimbo." |
| "How about brainless, then?" Piper put on a sweet-little-girl voice. |
| "You're getting to be a pain, Piper. What's your problem?" |
| "I'm just fine. Maybe I'll catch you later, unless you do end up with the fatal B.B. disease." Piper grabbed her things and stormed off, her own anger obvious. |
| Kate watched her go, wondering if maybe, Piper was right. As she was thinking, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to look up into Judd's face. |
| "My baby sister's having problems. She's not growing up like the rest of us. You're much more mature than she is, Kate. What've you been up to?" |
| Kate felt a awkward, having him so close to her. Part of her enjoyed having his hand on her shoulder, while another part was telling Kate to pull away from him. |
| Kate's dilemma was solved by Sean calling her. "Hey, Kate! Want a game of snooker? The table's free." |
| Judd let his hand fall away when Kate turned towards her brother. |
| "Not now, Sean. I don't feel like it." Why did she say that? She did want to go away from Judd, didn't she? Her shoulder tingled where Judd's hand had been, but he did not touch her again. Instead, Judd asked Kate if she wanted to visit a local disco later. |
| "A disco! Here? What time?" |
| "I'll meet you at your cabin at eight, okay?" |
| "I'll be waiting. I love discos." Kate assured him. The thought of one of her favourite social events submerged any uneasiness she felt. |
| |
| Kate was in luck, as her parents agreed that she could go to the dance. The only condition was that Sean had to go, too. |
| Their parents did not consider Kate old enough to go on a date without someone there to keep an eye on her. That was not the reason they gave, but it amounted to the same thing. |
| After dinner, Kate showered and washed her hair again, then used a dryer to get it into shape. She had to choose clothes, which was not hard, since she had only one good "going out" dress; she could get by without a slip, but with that dress Kate needed to wear a bra. She gave her best shoes a wipe with a cloth, and wondered if she should tie her hair up with a ribbon, or plait it. |
| "Wear it loose." Her mum suggested. "It's beautiful, when its down, so why hide it?" |
| She was ready at seven thirty, while Sean had not even started. |
| "If he's not ready when Judd gets here," Kate warned, "I'm going without him." |
| "Is that so, young lady?" Her dad said. "I could easily say you can't go, and that would be the end of it." |
| "Daddy! Please? I have to go. I'm going stir crazy on this holiday. All I want is for him to get dressed." After more pleading, Kate got her way, and Sean was persuaded to get changed. |
| Kate was prepared to tolerate the blue shorts, but when he pulled a green and yellow singlet-top over his head, Kate protested. She was overruled; Sean was on holiday, too, and entitled to dress comfortably. |
| At five to eight, there was a knock at the door. |
| Kate's dad let Judd in, and Kate's spirits sank lower. Judd was dressed almost the same as Sean, except for the colours. The three of them walked out, after Kate's parents embarrassed her by laying down curfew rules. Judd did not look upset, his face showed no emotion at all; when they reached the park gate, Kate understood why. Piper and Hanley were waiting for them. |
| "What a cosy little party we all make." Judd observed, his voice sarcastic. "Just remember. Kate and I are together, so you three aren't to hang around us. Understand?" |
| "Hang on, Judd. I'm responsible for Kate." Sean protested. |
| "Mind your own business. If Kate wants you around, she'll tell you. Right, Kate?" |
| "Ahh. Right." Kate was hesitant. |
| She had never been in a situation like that before, and she was not sure of what to do. She did not hear what Sean mumbled, and she thought it best not to ask, in case the others thought she was afraid of making her own decisions. |
| |
| Judd and Kate led the way, Piper and Hanley came next, with Sean last. There was a ten or fifteen minute walk, and they arrived at an old, wooden hall. A few cars were parked on the road, lights were on inside, and rock music was blaring. |
| Most of the people inside were older than Kate, though there were one or two girls her own age. Piper was the youngest person there. |
| There were no parents anywhere. |
| Kate started to have second thoughts about the dance. Before she had a chance to object however, Kate found herself inside. Judd's hand was pressed against the small of her back, directing her towards a table, where other people were already gathered. |
| A man in a leather jacket and a dirty beard was selling cans of beer from buckets of ice near the table. Judd bought two beers, and handed an open one to Kate. |
| "I don't..." She began to say. |
| "Get it into you, Kate. It'll put hair on your chest. Unless you're a wimp?" |
| People were looking at her, some were grinning. They were going to laugh at her. |
| Kate felt scared, and searched for Sean. |
| He was still near the door, talking to Piper and Hanley, not looking at her. |
| Maybe, if she only took a couple of sips, she would be all right. She put the can to her lips. The beer was bubbly and bitter. It was revolting. How could anyone drink it? |
| "That's not a drink." Judd said. "Have a mouthful. It won't kill you." |
| A girl, her face plastered with make-up, laughed. "Who let this one out of kindergarten?" |
| A couple of others gave nasty laughs, as well. |
| Kate blushed, and she could feel her face and ears burning with shame. She got angry. Damn them! Kate gulped a mouthful of beer. It was as bad as the first sip, but she did not cough or pull a face. That'll show them! |
| "Let's dance." Judd said. He did not wait for her answer. He took her arm and led her to a clear piece of floor. |
| At first, they danced apart. At least they were not the only people dancing. Kate had no where to hide her can of beer, so she held onto it. When Judd saw she was not drinking, he told her to have another drink. |
| "I'm not that thirsty. Besides, I don't like beer." |
| "What are you going to do? Waste it? One can's not going to give you any pain. Finish it, and no more, unless you want to. Deal? Good. There's peanuts, to help absorb the alcohol. Would you like a packet?" |
| "Do they really? Absorb alcohol, I mean?" |
| "It works for me." His smile was self-assured. |
| They shared the peanuts, and, because the nuts were salty, and the hall was getting hot, Kate drank from the can. |
| "It doesn't taste so bad, after all." |
| "You're getting used to it real fast, Kate. You must have a natural immunity to the effects." Judd assured her. |
| "Yeah?" She asked unsure what he meant. |
| Somehow, she was getting a little mixed up. She decided it was a touch of the heat, still affecting her. It couldn't be the beer, could it? |
| "No chance, Kate. Hang on, while I get another can." |
| Had she spoken aloud? Then his offer sank in, and it was too late to tell Judd not to get her another can. |
| |
| Most of the night was gone, when Kate spread her wings and flew away from her bed in the cabin. Bill and Mary were waiting for her at the Gate. |
| "You were pretty stupid this evening, Kate." Mary told her. |
| "What?" Kate was puzzled. She could not remember doing anything especially stupid. Unless it was accepting that second can of beer. Then she must have gone back to the cabin and fallen asleep. |
| "You got so drunk, you could hardly walk. When Sean came to help you, your boyfriend told him to go away." Bill answered. "A fight started, you began screaming and tried to separate them. Your dress got torn and then you threw up over everyone within range." |
| "No I didn't! I don't remember." Kate protested. |
| "That's because the amount of beer you drank was enough to kill off some of your brain cells, the ones that deal with memory." |
| "I only had two cans!" |
| "Two that you remember. Kate, why would I lie to you? I'm helping you. Did you think that a girl like Piper was alert enough on her own to pull you out of the way of a speeding car, when she was not watching the road either? For that fraction of a second, I was in her head, long enough to pull you back. That was the first time I acted as a guardian angel." |
| Kate was shaking her head. Was it all true? |
| "Was Sean hurt?" |
| "Bruises and a loose tooth." Mary answered. "He'll get over it before you do. He can be proud of what he did. What do you think's going to happen to you, Kate?" |
| "A belting?" It had been years since she had felt her father's hand in punishment. |
| "Have you ever heard of a hangover? You'll find out after you wake up. Kate, you were so dumb! Going out with that moron. The only thing Judd thinks about, if he thinks at all, is how to trick young girls into giving themselves to him." |
| "Let it go, Mary." Bill said, gently. "Let's show Kate, not tell her." |
| What did Mary mean, about giving themselves to him? Surely she didn't! |
| |
| Bill led the way, as usual. He would not answer any of Kate's questions as to their destination. It did not take long, though, to get to a hospital. |
| Again, Bill refused to speak; he showed Kate through to a maternity ward, and pointed to a girl asleep. She looked so much like Kate, they could have been twins. |
| Except for the mound of the sleeping girl's belly. |
| "In two months, I'm going to have to come back." Bill was saying. "The doctors haven't noticed yet, but her little girl is not going to survive. A problem with her heart. The doctors will do their best to save baby Sally, but it won't do any good. The problem for this little mum is that she can never have any more babies." |
| "Was it Judd?" Kate whispered, not considering the distance they had flown. |
| "No. Would it make any difference if it was?" Bill asked. |
| Kate silently watched the sleeping face that was so much like her own. "Was she an ordinary girl?" She asked. |
| "She wasn't a brainless bimbo, if that's what you want to know. She's got a good family, lots of friends, went to a nice school and was kind to her puppy. She's lost a lot of that now." |
| "Can I touch her?" Kate looked at Bill, who shrugged. |
| Kate put her fingertips on the girl's face, brushing blond strands away from the slightly open mouth. |
| Kate stared at the swollen belly, then reached out, her fingers nearly touching the stretched hospital gown. From beneath her hand, Kate could feel a very faint pull from the tiny, struggling life inside. |
| "Come on, Kate." Mary nudged her wing. "Time to go. There are people who need you now." |
| "Will I be able to come back, when Sally's going Home?" Kate was too frightened to ask the real question on her mind. |
| "I'll see, when the time comes." Bill replied. Instead of leaving the hospital, Kate and Mary waited in the casualty room, while Bill went off on his own. |
| He was back before the girls had to take anyone Home. "They're on their way." He said. |
| "Who are?" Kate asked. |
| "Another car accident by a drunk driver. That's their ambulances you can hear. I've already taken a boy Home." |
| Four people were brought in. A man, two women and a teenage boy. |
| Kate glared at the man, thinking her was responsible, until Bill told her that the boy was the cause. |
| "But he's too young to have a licence!" She protested. |
| "That didn't stop him. He'll survive. That man, his wife and his sister are coming with us to join his son." |
| "What kind of justice is that?" Kate exploded. |
| "Who ever said that there's any justice in their life? Justice comes after. And mercy, too." |
| "Why should he have mercy? He's a murderer!" |
| "The only difference between what he did and what you did, is that he was unlucky enough to steal a car." Mary pointed out, in a matter of fact tone. |
| |
| Bill kept Kate and Mary busy. Close to dawn, though, Mary had to go to her home. |
| "What about me?" Kate wondered, turning to Bill, who shook his grizzled head. |
| "You're not going to wake for hours yet, Kate." |
| "Do we have to do any more accident people?" |
| "No more today. There's an old woman who has been waiting to go Home for several months. She's been a devout Moslem all her life, and one of those few special people chosen to guide future religious leaders." |
| "What are they called?" |
| "They don't need names, Kate. They know what they are." |
| "Um, Bill." Kate was hesitant, frightened, yet determined to know. "Did I, uh...with Judd, I mean. Am I like that girl in the hospital?" |
| "No. You didn't. Not this time, any way. Thank God for brothers, eh?" |
| |
| Kate went where Bill told her. It was easy to find, because the old woman drew Kate to her like steel to a magnet. There were many other women, praying and crying around the special lady. |
| Kate stood behind them, and waited for the woman to be ready. |
| "What is that beautiful light." Her ancient voice called. Her bedroom went silent. "I can see it. Very bright and clean." |
| Kate hovered up towards the ceiling, and asked "Do you see me?" |
| "Ah! Allah be praised! An angel. Can you not see, my sisters and children?" |
| The others in the room looked to where the lady's eyes were staring, but only she could see Kate. |
| "Can you give me a word for my children, since they can not see you, Oh Mighty One?" |
| Kate wondered if she was permitted. What would happen, if she did say something? |
| "Will you repeat exactly what I tell you?" |
| "Yes!" The old woman's eyes blazed with strength. |
| "You have been chosen to guide the leaders of Islam." Kate said, and the woman repeated her words. "Do not look for revenge. All men are one in the eyes of Allah. God is great. He is full of mercy. He does not judge men as men judge men. Punishment and reward do not come in this life." |
| Kate would have said more, but she saw Bill standing in the wall behind the old woman; he was shaking his head. |
| The strength passed out of the lady, and she lay back, while the women crowded around her. Kate flew down and took her hands, then carried her to the Gate. |
| Bill and another angel were waiting with the Gate open, while a third stood in front of the wide door, his wings blocking it from opening. The man with the fishing rod guided Kate and her passenger past all the waiting people. Before Kate put her down, the old woman kissed her cheek. |
| "The truth comes as no great surprise to me. I have long suspected that our real purpose is to show love to everyone." |
| Kate set her down on her feet, and the lady walked through to where another angel was waiting to carry her to Him. Kate watched her go, then turned away. The man with the fishing rod touched her cheek, and his fingers came away wet. |
| He smiled. "It's a rare privilege to meet someone like her. I rarely see more than two or three dozen in every million who pass me." |
| "What's your name, and how long have you been here?" Kate asked. |
| "If I told you the answer, you would be upset, because you won't be ready until you can come Home forever." He was still smiling, though his head was shaking. "My friends call me Pete." |
| Bill told Kate she had best go back to her bed, as she would be waking up soon. |
| "You are in for a difficult day, and you won't remember anything after that second drink you had. Put up with it, because the alternatives are worse. Next time...next time, you'll know better. I hope you'll learn from what happened to you." |
| Kate went back, started to lie down, then found her nightshirt under the sheet. There was no sign of her other clothes. She was alone in the cabin when she got into bed. |
| |
| Agonising spikes of pain hammered through Kate's brain. |
| She groaned, tried to move, and found it hurt too much. Her eyes forced themselves open; they felt like they were full of sand. Kate's mouth tasted like something a dog would roll in. Every muscle was protesting against any movement. |
| It was Kate's tummy that gave her the most worry. Her stomach was recoiling, churning and cramping; her bladder felt close to bursting. If she did not get up soon, Kate felt sure she would either throw up or wet the bed, or both. |
| She rolled onto her side, slowly. |
| Fresh daggers sliced her skull and neck. Pain roiled in her stomach. She rested a moment, then pushed herself into a sitting position. The cabin reeled around her, but it was like seeing everything through a torn, dirty curtain. A raging thirst tore at her throat. |
| "Mum." She croaked. "Daddy!" |
| Her voice was barely audible. No one heard her. |
| No one came, and she was dying. |
| Kate could not stand; she half slid, half fell to her knees, setting off further pain and nausea. Crawling slowly, she reached the door. |
| The door knob was moving away from her, but she eventually trapped it, after several attempts. With the support of the door, Kate was able to stand. She stood, swaying. The knob was slippery, yet she managed to get the door open a crack. Dazzling sunlight speared her eyes. There was a sound. |
| "Kate? Holy cow, Kate. You look like the zombie after it fell in the bath of acid." |
| Was that Sean's voice? |
| "Sean? Where's Mum?" |
| "Hang on. Want a hand to get to the chair?" His arms were on her elbow and waist, virtually carrying her towards the table and benches. Then she was sitting, her head pillowed on her arms on the table. Someone was shaking her shoulder. |
| "Give me a hand, Sean. I want to get her to the showers. Bring her towel, clean knickers and...that'll be enough. I'm going to have enough trouble as it is." |
| "Mummy?" Kate managed to say. |
| "Here, baby. You really did yourself proud. Let's walk. Sean will be at the showers before we are." |
| "I'm sick. Take me to hospital." |
| "You don't need hospital, Kate. You already emptied your stomach, several times. What you need is a hot shower, then a damned good belting." |
| "Toilet." Kate whimpered, as she felt ready to explode. |
| "That first. You smell like beer left in the sun. Your hair is glued together with dried vomit and you're the colour of... Don't throw up yet, wait until we get inside." There was no sympathy in the older woman's voice. |
| |
| The next thing Kate knew, she was leaning over a toilet bowl, spitting out what she was sure were all her insides. |
| She rested her head against the porcelain, because it cooled her feverish head. |
| Her mother lifted her up, led her to another wall, and sat her on the damp tiles. Kate heard a shower come on, then felt her nightshirt being pulled over her head. "Upsy daisy, Kate. In you get." |
| Kate gasped, as cold water pounded against her lethargic body. She felt herself being directed here and there under the stinging spray. |
| Kate heard her mum's voice, but could not understand most of what was said. Shampoo in her hair. Fingers massaging her scalp. It hurt and felt good at the same time. Was there another voice? Kate could not tell over the sound of the water. The shower went off, and a towel roughly dried her. |
| Who was that with her Mum? Piper? |
| They helped Kate dress, then supported her back to the cabin. Kate sat outside at the table with Piper, while her mum brought out the bedding. Five minutes later, when her mum was back, Kate spoke. |
| "What happened, Mummy?" |
| "Your brother brought you home at eleven thirty. You were drunk, your clothes were ruined, and you smelled terrible. Not only that, but Sean had a black eye and may have a broken tooth. He's gone to a dentist with your father. Piper, would you say that's an accurate description?" |
| "Spot on. You were blind, Kate. Told you what would happen. Now you're a real member of the B.B. club." Piper teased. |
| "What's the B.B. club? Or shouldn't I ask?" Kate's mum said. |
| "Brainless Bimbo. Do you feel happy about it, Kate?" Piper sounded smug. |
| "Shut up." Kate grumbled. "It wasn't my fault. He made me drink the beer." |
| "It didn't look like he had you tied down. From where we were, it looked like you lifted those cans on your own." Piper accused. |
| "Why, Kate?" Her mum asked. "Haven't we warned you a thousand times about getting into just this kind of situation? Were you being clever, popular, or just plain stupid? What do you think of yourself now? You can blame Piper's brother, but who else is to blame?" |
| "Leave me alone! My head hurts, Mummy. Do you have anything to make it go away?" |
| "Wait here, baby." |
| |
| Kate felt as if she were at death's door all day. |
| Piper's mum came by to apologise for Judd's behaviour, and to see how Kate was. Kate was too ill to worry about who saw her lying in bed, where she was hugging a bucket. Her dad came later, and read the riot act to her, though Kate was too far gone to pay attention. |
| Sean smiled at her, as he said "At least I only got a black eye and a toothache. I really hope you're suffering, Kate, because it was you who elbowed me in the eye. I should have left you there." |
| |
| Kate could not eat anything, though she drank a lot of water. No one would help her walk to the toilet each time she needed to go, so Kate had to struggle on her own. At dinner time, all Kate could manage was chicken soup and a few crackers. Then she went back to bed, and lay in misery, until she fell asleep. |
| |
| "I see you survived." Mary said as Kate sat up. |
| "I never knew how bad it could be." Kate admitted. "And people do that to themselves deliberately? There's got to be something wrong with them." |
| "If you want to see what it's really like, come to my home. See how some of my people live. Do you think this is what I'm like in my mortal life? There's ten people in my family. We're always dirty and sick, sometimes we eat well, most times we don't. And don't ask me what I have to do to earn money." |
| Kate stared at her friend, shocked. Before Kate could think of anything to say, Mary flew up, waving for Kate to follow. |
| "Where are we going?" |
| "Somewhere special. Bill said he'd take care of things for awhile, since it's supposed to be a quiet night." |
| When Kate saw their destination, her heart sank. "Somewhere special" turned out to be another hospital. |
| What was there in hospitals, besides sickness and pain? |
| First, the two girls watched a perfect little boy come into the world, screaming angrily. He was red and sticky, and all wrinkled, but he was the most beautiful person to see. His tiny fingers and toes struggled against the air he was not used to, and it was not until a nurse put him against his mother's breast, that he quietened. Kate would have watched for longer, except that Mary took her to another wing of the hospital. |
| A strange looking girl sat up in bed. Pillows kept her from falling sideways. What was unusual about her, was that she was in two places at once. Her physical body was in bed, but her other self was wandering around the room, searching for something. |
| Kate was amazed; she never expected to see a person's body alive, when their soul was outside the body. |
| "Where is it?" The girl asked, when Kate and Mary passed into the room. |
| "Where's what?" Mary asked back. |
| "My body. I left it somewhere, and now it's lost." |
| "That's it on the bed." Mary pointed. |
| "Where? I don't see anything." She wailed. |
| "How did you lose it?" Kate asked. |
| The girl turned sad eyes on her. "I was playing net ball. Another girl bumped me. I don't remember much else." |
| "What can you see around you?" Mary said. |
| "I can see you. You're strange. A brown angel, and a white angel." |
| "What else?" Mary prompted. |
| "There's lots of grey stuff. I can move it, but it falls back in again. Sometimes, I hear voices." |
| "Can I try a way of putting you back?" Mary offered. |
| Hope blazed in the lost girl's eyes. "Please." |
| Mary took one of the girl's arms, and told Kate to take the other, then they led her to the bed, and made her lie down on top of her physical body. |
| "It's lumpy." The girl said. "And the grey's still there." |
| "Try closing your eyes, and see if you can have a rest." Mary suggested. |
| "You must be very tired from all your searching." Kate added. |
| "But I'm not tired." |
| Kate thought about all the ways her mum used to get her to sleep when she was a little girl. |
| "Would you like me to sing to you?" |
| "I like singing." |
| Kate started an old lullaby, and Mary joined in. |
| Their angelic voices began to have an affect, not only on the girl, but also on all the people in the hospital, as they slept. For the half hour or so that Kate and Mary sang, everyone was peaceful and without pain. Slowly, the girl began to relax; she settled lower, until she was wholly within her body, sleeping. |
| "How are we going to know if it worked?" Kate asked Mary. |
| The other girl shrugged. "I guess we don't. Unless we can come back when it's daylight. Or, we could drop by tomorrow night, and see if she's still here." |
| "I think I'll go back to my bed." Kate said. "I feel like I need to be close to my family." |
| "I'll see you later, Kate." |
