Remembering Ellie, page 21
Sam was growing rapidly and becoming quite sturdy on his chunky little legs. He loved nothing more than crunching the dry leaves underfoot with his wellington boots, kicking them into swirls and laughing as they blew away from him on windy days.
It was after one of her and Sam’s autumn walks that an unexpected visitor arrived in the form of Angie Pearson, Dave’s wife. The anxious-looking woman was waiting on the doorstep as Ellie approached her home, a willowy figure of about the same age as her and quite pretty, except for the permanently worried expression on her face.
‘Hello.’ Angie spoke softly. ‘Sorry to call unannounced but I wanted to see you before I left the area.’ Ellie and Phil had welcomed the appearance of a ‘for sale’ sign at number 40 as good news, and the conclusion of a time they would rather forget.
‘Won’t you come in?’ Ellie asked, not expecting the offer to be accepted, but Angie smiled and nodded. Once inside the house with Sam settled with his toys, Ellie offered coffee which was again accepted. The women settled somewhat uneasily in the lounge, Angie concentrating on hugging the mug in her hands, chewing on her bottom lip, unsure what to say.
‘I’ve come to apologise… for Dave’s despicable behaviour,’ she blurted out.
‘It’s not for you to apologise, you didn’t know what he was doing and you’ve been just as badly hurt by his actions as I have.’ Ellie felt a rush of sympathy for this woman. ‘Were we ever friends, Angie?’ she asked.
‘No, not really, acquaintances maybe? We’d pass the time of day, but as I’ve worked practically every hour God sends, there was never the chance for a friendship to develop. Dave was the one who was around more than me – and it appears he took advantage of it. I’m so sorry, Ellie – as if you don’t have enough problems to cope with.’ Angie shook her head sadly.
‘Really, there’s no need for you to apologise. You did nothing wrong. But tell me, did you know about the incident before – the time Phil broke Dave’s nose?’ Ellie was curious.
‘No way! He told me he’d fallen down the stairs and as there was no way of knowing otherwise – well, you believe your husband, don’t you? It’s a kind of default setting, or perhaps I just wanted to believe him. Dave was always one to admire other women but I thought he was only window shopping – if I’d had any idea he was pestering you…’ Angie chewed on her bottom lip and Ellie’s heart went out to this woman.
‘It’s history now, and you don’t have to apologise for his behaviour. So, what’s next for you, Angie? I noticed the house is up for sale.’
‘It is, and we’ve got a buyer. I’m moving out tomorrow, which is why I wanted to come over today. I’ve rented a flat near the hospital where I work and now the shock of the split’s over, I’m quite looking forward to starting a new life. Dave and I married when we were both twenty, it was too young, and so I’ve decided to live a bit and enjoy the single life.’
‘I’m sorry things have worked out badly for you, Angie.’ A twinge of guilt nudged Ellie, although she knew it was ridiculous, she wasn’t to blame.
‘Well I’m not. We were talking about starting a family but thank goodness it never happened. It’s a shame you had to suffer Dave’s attention for me to find out what a bloody pig he really is, but quite honestly, I feel more relieved than upset. This has done me a huge favour.’ A hint of a smile crossed Angie’s face. She left after a few more minutes, and Ellie wished her well; a broken marriage isn’t easy but Angie appeared to be moving on swiftly.
‘Guess who came to visit today?’ she asked Phil later.
‘Obviously someone you didn’t expect, so go on, tell me?’
‘Angie Pearson.’ Ellie grinned.
‘Not to cause any trouble, I hope?’ His expression suddenly changed to one of concern.
‘No, just to say sorry, and goodbye. She’s leaving tomorrow. They’ve got a buyer for the house and Angie’s renting a flat, she seems keen to move on. I felt quite sorry for her – none of this was her fault – she just picked the wrong kind of man to marry.’
Ellie later reflected on how fortunate she was to have met and married Phil. Angie’s visit served to put a full stop at the end of the Dave saga, a nightmare she wouldn’t wish on anyone. There were still problems for Ellie and Phil to face in the future, but they would do so together, knowing the door was now firmly closed on the ugly chapter they’d suffered due to Dave Pearson.
Chapter Forty-Four
Autumn passed in happy domesticity and Ellie found herself anticipating the joys of a family Christmas, taking Sam to meet Father Christmas, the decorations and the presents. Unable to remember her son’s first Christmas, she consoled herself with thinking he’d been only a few months old and wouldn’t have understood the excitement of the festivities. However, this year he would certainly be more aware and his parents were determined to make it the best celebration ever.
By mid-November, Ellie had compiled lists for every aspect of Christmas and was firmly set on being super-organised well before the big event. A trip to York Designer Outlet at Fulford was planned with Grace, a girls’ day out, so Phil would be left in charge of their son. It was a day to purchase presents, to put a tick beside many names on her list, and Ellie was intent on enjoying every moment.
The centre was amazing, already decked out for Christmas with giant baubles sparkling from the high ceilings, an enormous tree and a grotto, ready and waiting for the big man himself, who was not yet in residence. Fairy lights adorned every pillar, creating a bright and sparkling magical setting, the mood designed to enchant and encourage shoppers to part with their money.
Their first stop was for coffee and a good chat to catch up with Grace. Now that Ellie was settled at home, they didn’t see each other quite as regularly as before, so there was always much to talk about.
‘Has Josephine decided if she’s coming for Christmas?’ Grace inquired.
‘She has, yes, and I’m delighted. I know things were strained at first but I really like her, Mum, and am so looking forward to seeing her again.’
‘And has she had any thoughts about staying in Spain or coming home?’
‘She’s staying in Spain, at least for the foreseeable future. Josephine’s been remarkably prudent in her decisions and is taking her time over them. For now, her life is in Spain, she and Jim made so many friends, and naturally she’s reluctant to leave them. It could be she’ll change her mind in the future, but Josephine’s still relatively young, very fit, and certainly enjoys the lifestyle over there. We’ve promised to go over in February, which is something to look forward to after Christmas and we often speak on Skype. It’s so important for Sam to know his other grandma.’
‘I’m glad you’re getting on well, you always did, you know, and with Jim too. He was a lovely man, Josephine must miss him dreadfully. But come on, we can’t spend the day gossiping. There are presents to buy and your dad’s credit card’s burning a hole in my pocket!’ Grace laughed and they set off to begin the serious task of shopping.
Even for a Wednesday, the stores were busy; it appeared everyone was intent on getting a head start on their Christmas shopping. Of course, the big temptation for both women was to look at toys and clothes for Sam, but Ellie was determined not to spend too much on him, he wanted for nothing, and she was conscious of having only one salary coming into the house. Grace didn’t wish to spoil her grandson either but couldn’t resist some cute dungarees and a matching shirt.
‘Oh, they make such lovely things for children these days!’ she exclaimed, hiding the price tag from her daughter. Ellie smiled; her mother would buy what she wanted; protesting was futile. Grace joined the queue at the checkout to pay for the dungarees on which she’d set her heart. While Ellie waited, she browsed some more practical items which her son needed, pyjamas and vests, he was growing so quickly and clothes didn’t seem to fit him for very long. As she compared sizes, her attention was caught by a commotion near the till. Turning to see what was happening, Ellie was horrified to see Grace sprawled full length on the floor, unconscious.
‘Mum!’ She ran to the till and knelt beside her mother. ‘Do you have a first-aider?’ she asked the assistant who was standing with her mouth open. A supervisor appeared and took charge, checking Grace’s pulse and asking what had happened. Ellie could tell her nothing but the lady who’d been next to her in the queue told them she just appeared to faint.
‘Call an ambulance,’ the supervisor instructed the till girl, who finally jumped into action. Grace moaned and opened her eyes.
‘What happened?’ she asked.
‘You fainted, Mum,’ Ellie answered, ‘Are you hurt?’
‘No, I don’t think so. Where are we?’ she asked, puzzled at all the fuss. Ellie looked at the supervisor, silently asking her opinion.
‘I think we need the paramedics; your mum was out for more than a couple of minutes and seems a little confused. What’s her name?’
‘Grace.’ Ellie felt useless and was trembling with shock.
‘Grace, do you think you can stand up and we’ll find you a chair somewhere a little less crowded?’
‘I don’t need a chair. Where’s Derek?’ she said, really scaring her daughter then. Finally, a chair was found in a changing room which offered a degree of privacy. The supervisor, a competent lady, stayed with them until the paramedics arrived twenty minutes later. Grace’s confusion was a concern, but the calm way the paramedics assessed the situation and took over reassured Ellie.
‘Can you tell me where you live, Grace?’ the younger paramedic, who introduced herself as Jane, asked.
‘In Spain, of course, but where am I now?’
Jane looked at Ellie who shook her head briefly. ‘And who’s this with you, love?’
Grace studied her daughter for a moment before smiling and saying, ‘It’s my daughter!’
Ellie breathed a sigh of relief to hear her mother say those words. She waited anxiously for Jane and her colleague, Gavin, to finish their assessment. It seemed to take an age.
‘I think we need to take her to hospital for a few tests. We can do an ECG in the ambulance and the results will go straight through to A&E. Do you want to come with her in the ambulance?’ Gavin asked.
‘Yes, of course.’ Ellie thought of her car, but knew she could get Phil to run her back later to pick it up. She had no intention of leaving her mother’s side.
The patient was lifted onto a wheeled chair and pushed, protesting, through the shopping centre and out to the car park. Once inside the ambulance, the paramedics examined Grace more thoroughly and prepared an ECG as promised.
‘What do you think it is?’ Ellie hardly dared to ask.
‘Too early to say, love, but not to worry, she seems to be perking up already.’ It was true, colour was returning to Grace’s cheeks, and she managed to smile, pulling a face as if it was all a lot of fuss about nothing. Then, in about fifteen minutes, they set off to the hospital, a place Ellie wasn’t keen to see again, but there was no way she was going to leave her mother’s side.
Chapter Forty-Five
Being back in the York hospital was an unpleasant experience for Ellie. Although she’d visited Mr Samms as an outpatient twice since her accident, the very atmosphere took her back to the confusion and upset of her time as an in-patient. Worry about her mother, however, provided a focus other than those memories. As the paramedics handed over care to the A&E staff, Ellie tried to comfort Grace, assuring her all was well.
‘Are you a relative?’ a triage nurse asked.
‘Yes, I’m her daughter.’
‘And can you tell me exactly what happened?’
Ellie could only repeat what she’d told the paramedics – that her mother seemed fine before appearing to faint and had remained unconscious for about three minutes, coming round to a degree of confusion. After a brief physical check, the nurse smiled and said there was no apparent damage from the fall, but the doctor would still need to see her and probably want to do tests to discover why she lost consciousness and was confused. By this time, Grace was dozing, so the nurse again addressed Ellie.
‘Has your mother any medical problems we should be aware of; heart disease, diabetes, or any recent surgeries?’
‘She had a pacemaker fitted about six years ago. Actually, when I think about it, she had similar symptoms to this around that time, fainting fits and confusion afterwards. Could it be connected?’
‘It could, yes, but we’ll leave the doctor to decide. It might be some time before she’s seen, as we’re rather busy and it’s not life-threatening so you may have to wait.’ The nurse smiled an apology and left the cubicle. Ellie thought it was time to ring her father and Phil to let them know what had happened.
Derek, concerned at the news, left home immediately to get to the hospital. However, Phil had Sam to consider and wouldn’t be of any use, so they decided he’d stay at home and she would keep him updated as to any change in her mother’s condition.
‘Who are you ringing?’ Grace asked sleepily.
‘Dad, of course, he’s coming straight away, and I’ve rung Phil, but he’s got Sam to look after.’
‘You shouldn’t have bothered them; they’ll only worry and I’m feeling fine now. Can I not just go home; a cup of tea and a couple of paracetamols and I’ll be as right as rain.’
‘No, Mum, the doctor’s coming to see you but we might have to wait. You were very confused when you came round and told the paramedic you lived in Spain.’
‘Did I? How silly, it must have been because we were talking about Josephine, but I’ll be okay now and the doctor must have more seriously ill people to attend to.’
‘Well, you’re staying here until the doctor’s seen you. Your symptoms are similar to the time they discovered your irregular heartbeat and you had the pacemaker fitted. So perhaps it’s something to do with that. Maybe an adjustment is needed or something but you gave me quite a fright.’ Ellie noticed her mother looking at her strangely.
‘Are you feeling ill again, Mum? Shall I call a nurse?’
‘No.’ Grace smiled at her daughter. ‘What did you just say about the pacemaker?’
‘Just that you seem to have the same symptoms as you did then, why?’
‘Ellie, do you know when I had the pacemaker fitted?’
‘About six years ago… oh my goodness, Mum, I can remember!’ Ellie looked suddenly paler than her mother and flopped down on the high-backed chair beside the bed, feeling quite light-headed herself.
‘What do you remember?’ Grace’s face was a picture of anticipation and wonder.
‘You suffered a few fainting fits and periods of dizziness. It was in the summer because initially, we put it down to the hot weather. But, I remember, Mum, I can remember!’
‘Can you remember anything else?’
Ellie closed her eyes. A strange feeling of seeing things as if through clouds almost made her dizzy. Memories were coming towards her, unclear and only in snatches. But the fog in her mind was lifting and the images were becoming clearer. Phil was there, smiling, and she was holding a baby and crying with joy.
‘Are you all right, love?’ Grace was concerned for her daughter but excited too. ‘Tell me, sweetheart, what can you remember?’ But Ellie remained silent for several minutes. Her head swam with images, snapshots of memories jumbled together and bouncing off the inside of her head.
‘Shall I get the nurse for you?’ Grace offered, swinging her legs over the side of the bed to sit up.
‘No, I’m fine, honestly, Mum.’ A starburst of fractured images swirled around the inside of her mind, her own personal light show. ‘I can remember – my wedding, university, Australia, it’s all there, Mum, it’s coming back to me!’ Ellie was crying and laughing at the same time. ‘I know now who I am, I remember!’
Derek Watson entered the cubicle at that precise moment to find his wife and daughter in an unprecedented emotional state. He looked from one to the other, unable to comprehend the strange cocktail of laughter and tears.
‘Grace, are you okay?’ he asked, grabbing his wife’s arm. ‘What’s going on? What’s happened?’
‘It’s Ellie. She can remember, Derek, her memory’s returned!’ A garbled explanation followed and the couple watched their daughter as tears rolled down her face.
The family of three remained cosseted in the cubicle of the A&E department as if in their own micro-world. In other areas of the hospital, other dramas played out starring other people, but nothing could surpass the delight of the Watson family. Even the fears for Grace’s health melted into the background as Ellie, unable to get her words out quickly enough, related everything she could remember, the memories which were assaulting her mind with remarkable speed and clarity. Admittedly, the chronology of events was somewhat chaotic, but she didn’t care, confident that everything would come back to her in time.
It was almost an hour before a doctor arrived to examine Grace. ‘Mrs Watson, tell me how you’re feeling.’
‘Absolutely fine!’ she replied to the doctor’s surprise.
‘I believe you had a pacemaker fitted several years ago?’
‘Six years to be exact.’ Ellie laughed as she spoke. She remembered! The doctor, ignoring the strange behaviours, explained that the most likely cause of this recent episode was a battery failure in the pacemaker.
‘So, will I have to come back to have it replaced?’ Grace asked.
‘No, we’ll do it today. There are risks to allowing you to go home. You could black out at anytime, anywhere, so we’ll admit you to the ward, do a few tests and replace the pacemaker as soon as a theatre is available.’ The severity with which the doctor spoke brought them all down to earth. Grace required urgent care.
‘Mum, I think perhaps I should get home. You’ll be okay now Dad’s here, won’t you?’
‘Of course, love. Wait till you tell Phil, he’s going to be amazed! Your dad can run you home if you like. I’ll be fine here on my own for a while, I’m ready for a little nap.’
