Home » The Archives » Chapter 5 » Learning to Live in Paradise
| Re: Learning to Live in Paradise [message #1375 is a reply to message #1374] |
Thu, 26 July 2012 20:40   |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma:
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Field Commander
Switzerland |
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Tracy Island, Tuesday, April 17th - 5.30 p.m.
Kat looked at her computer screen. She had read the message once; the words seemed to be blurred and dancing in front of her eyes. She blinked, and realised that it wasn't the words that were blurred and dancing; the effect was caused by tears in her eyes. She wiped her hand across her eyes and reread the message.
Darling Kat, her father had written,
There is no easy way to tell you this. Your mother has been suffering with chest pains for quite some time now. She didn't want to tell you because she felt that it might compromise your decision to work with Tracy Industries. She knew how much that job meant to you.
~Oh, Mum, Mum, Kat thought. ~I was entitled to know, wasn't I?
To cut a long story short, her father continued, she complained of severe chest pains, and collapsed at a friend's house. She was rushed to hospital where she was diagnosed with heart disease, and has just undergone a heart bypass operation.
She is recuperating well, and I am hopeful that she will be fit enough to return home sometime next month. She is in the very capable hands of an eminent cardiac surgeon. Please try not to worry.
~Try not to worry, Kat thought. ~How on earth can I not worry, when I'm so many miles away?
The message went on. Your brother and sister-in-law are currently over from the States, and your mother has expressly wished that you not drop everything and fly home. There is really nothing you can do at the moment, and she would love to see you later in the year, when she is feeling fitter.
Kat continued to stare at the screen. She suddenly felt so alone. Who could she turn to? There was nobody there to whom she felt she could open her heart. Suddenly, the chiming of her door brought her back from her thoughts. She opened the door and there was Nikki smiling.
"Hey, are you ready to go to Callie's? It's almost time."
Kat shook her head. "Sorry. Nikki. I won't be very good company tonight. I'll have a snack here."
Nikki saw how sad Kat looked. "What's wrong? Have you had bad news?"
Kat nodded, unable to speak for fear of crying.
"Oh, honey; can I help?"
"It's my mother. She's had a serious heart operation. I've just received an email from Dad."
"Shall I tell the others at dinner?"
"No, Nikki. No, I don't want to cause a fuss. I'll just stay here for the evening, and will probably reply to my Dad."
Nikki looked rather doubtful about leaving her friend alone. "Are you are sure you want to be on your own?"
Kat nodded, and reluctantly Nikki left her alone in her apartment. When Callie opened her apartment door, she noticed that Nikki was alone and asked, "Where's Kat?"
"Oh, she has had some bad news. Her mother's had a serious operation and she felt that she wouldn't be very good company at the moment.."
Callie looked thoughtful. "Maybe Dr. Tracy should be told. After all, Kat shouldn't be alone at a time like this. I'm sure that Dr. Tracy will be able to comfort her and maybe give her something to help, like she did with Elise."
Nikki nodded, and went to ring the villa. Grandma Tracy answered the phone.
"Mrs. Tracy, do you know where Dr. Tracy is?"
"At the moment she is tending to Alex and Tyler. Can I be of any help?"
"It's Kat. She has had some rather bad news; her mother has had a serious operation. She was supposed to be having a meal with Callie and myself. But when I went to get her, she wouldn't come along, saying she wouldn't be very good company at the moment."
"Leave things to me, Nikki," Emily replied. "I'll take her something to eat and see if I can't snap her out of it."
"Thank you, Mrs. Tracy." Nikki replaced the receiver.
Emily headed for the kitchen to dish up some food, and left for the Cliff House apartments.
Kat answered the door, and was surprised to see Emily carrying a plate covered with a cloth on a tray. "Why, Mrs Tracy! What brings you here?" Then remembering her manners said. "Won't you come in?"
"Kat Williamson, you ought to eat something. Nikki has just told me that you have had some bad news from home. You really need to eat to keep your strength up."
"Mrs. Tracy, it's very kind of you," Kat said, cross that Nikki had told someone about her news, "and please don't think I am not grateful, but I was planning on having a snack later."
"Well," Mrs. Tracy replied. "This will save you having to make yourself a snack, and I have specially brought you a vegetarian meal."
"Oh, Mrs. Tracy, I didn't mean to offend you, and it is very kind of you," Kat said, setting the plate on one of the kitchen counters.
"Now, what bad news have you had?" Emily asked. "Nikki said something about your mother having had an operation."
Then it all came out in a jumble. "Oh, Mrs. Tracy. Before I came down here, Mum was suffering from chest pains. She didn't tell me because she knew how much I wanted this job. She thought that if she told me, I would have stayed at home." Kat paused for breath. "She collapsed at a friend's house and was rushed into hospital, where she was diagnosed with a heart condition, and has had a by-pass operation."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Kat," Emily said. She put her arms around Kat's shoulders, while the young girl just sobbed. "I know it's hard, being away from loved ones, especially when they are ill. You feel so helpless," she said. "Believe me, I went through that enough with Grant."
"You are so kind." Kat smiled a watery smile and sniffed to clear the snot from her nose. How un-ladylike, she thought.
Emily held Kat at arm's length and gave her a stern but friendly look.
"Now, I know you've had bad news," she said, "don't forget: you need to be strong, y'hear? No shutting yourself away and moping alone. That's not going to help you and you know it. Now, eat up and then go to Callie's apartment; it'll help take your mind off things."
"O-okay," Kat said. "Thank you, Mrs Tracy."
Emily smiled and tweaked Kat's cheek.
"You're welcome," she said, before she gave the woman one final smile and turned to leave.
Post by Tawnyangel22 on 17/06/2005
  
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