Chapter 4

David and Moira sat their Finals. For both they went well and each was hopeful for an Honours pass. David rang his admissions contact at Blakely Engineering and told him, asking whether it was worth his while looking for accommodation in the Basingstoke area. He was given an unqualified 'yes'.

Both went home to David's parents and used that as a base for house hunting. They were not looking for much more than a roof over their heads. A long term house could wait until they were both settled into their jobs and were married.

Moira also applied to a number of prep schools in the area and received tentative yesses dependent on her degree.

They both achieved Honours and were both at work in September having found a minute cottage in a small village which was only twenty minutes away from work for both of them. At last they were together and blissful. They were just about to announce their engagement and plan their wedding when the blow fell. Moira's father had a major heart attack.

He underwent extensive surgery and was in hospital for four weeks. Moira took compassionate leave and went to look after Bridget and subsequently her father. She and Daniel were quite clear that both their parents should go into care. The shock of the heart attack had a major effect on Bridget.

Moira knew her mother had Parkinson's Disease and that she was becoming more and more forgetful but when she arrived home she found Bridget in an appalling state. She was dirty, unkempt and very smelly. She was almost incoherent and incapable of taking anything in. Moira arranged an appointment for her with her GP the very next morning. Bridget was immediately admitted to the psychiatric unit. While there she was diagnosed as having Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). She would be kept in for a minimum of two months so Moira only had her father to look after initially.

David rang every night. He had been horrified the first night. "Poor sweet Bridget," he thought, "and my poor darling Moira."

The second night was marginally less shocking but still thoroughly unpleasant. Moira told him of Bridget's diagnosis.

"What does DLB involve?" he asked.

"Two things really, dementia and exacerbated symptoms of Parkinson's."

"Oh, my Moira! That's awful."

"Not much fun!"

"How long are they going to keep her in?"

"I don't know. Couple of months or so to get her drugs balanced. Mum's GP tried to explain it all to me but it seems that the drugs for the Parkinson's side of it war with the brain part of it..."

"Brain part of it?"

"Hallucinations, hyper-activity, listlessness, forgetfulness including washing and going to the loo."

"Oh shit!"

Moira giggled. "That's what I said."

David laughed too. "You've got a lavatorial mind," he scolded.

"Yessir!"

"So are you going to organise care for her?"

"Yes. Daniel's coming up when Dad gets out of hospital and we'll organise it then."

"OK, my love. Are you coming home until your father comes out of hospital?"

"No, my sweet, much as I'd love to but I've got to visit them both regularly and often, particularly Mum being in a strange place."

"Understood. I'll fly up on Friday evening and leave at sparrows' on Monday."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I love you."

"I love you and that's why I'm coming. Not just selfishness but support, my Moira."

"Thank you, darling."

David duly flew to Scotland. Their meeting was ecstatic as was their love-making later. The following afternoon was visiting time. They agreed that David would give Moira's father a miss. It might cause him a further heart attack! David waited in the car and read the paper.

He did go in with Moira to see Bridget though and was thoroughly depressed, not just by Bridget but by the other listless souls. He was impressed though by the cheerfulness, gentleness and genuine caring of the nurses.

"If nothing else," he said to Moira as they left, "your mum is in good hands. How those nurses remain so cheerful is beyond me. It would drag me down in no time."

Moira nodded. "I'm not looking forward to Mum coming home," she said. "I just hope that the treatment works for her to at least some extent."

"Well it might not even happen, my love, if you and Daniel have got the care home sorted by then."

"Mm, fingers crossed."

On Sunday evening David took Moira's hand. "I can't afford to come up every weekend, my Moira," he said softly.

"No, Dai. I wouldn't expect you to." She kissed him softly. "Bless you for coming this weekend."

"I'll come up again in a fortnight's time. After that I'm not sure. I don't want to upset your father."

"No. Let's play it by ear."

"OK."

David did indeed leave early on Monday and was back at his desk by nine-thirty. He rang Moira religiously every evening. Fortunately, they had a telephone arrangement that gave them free evening calls for the first hour because they seldom talked for much less.

The second weekend visit was a repeat of the first, happiness, indeed ecstasy, at being together again and the misery of watching Bridget floundering although Moira said that there had been a marginal improvement. David could not see it.

The following week Moira's father came home. His surgeon was quite clear.

"He's going to be a bit frail for a while," he said, "but feed him normally and encourage him to take exercise; nothing too much to start with but twenty minute walks without steep hills. Let him set the pace. After that encourage him to go further and exert himself a bit. We'll have him back in for an ECG and a scan in a couple of weeks' time and see where we go from there."

Everything went smoothly at first. Her father was more than happy to be cosseted and gently exercised. He showed little interest in Bridget's condition or what things might be like when she came home.