smallhobbit

“Hello, Dr Turner.  I wouldn’t expect to see you here,” Bernie Mullucks replied.

“Shelagh has taken the girls to buy new party dresses, and she gave me the option of coming with her or staying home and entertaining Teddy.  I thought this was the easier option.”

They both turned to watch their sons as they ran around on the grass using up some of their pent-up energy.

“Same here,” Bernie agreed.  “It must be the season.”

Patrick Turner sighed.  “And do you find that your girls have one idea of what they want, and their mother totally disagrees?”

“Most certainly.  And it’s never a good idea to get into the middle of that argument.  Even our Susan has strong opinions now.”

“How is Susan?”

“She’s doing very well.  Surprisingly well.  It’s funny…” Bernie stopped.

“What’s funny?”

“You’ll think me stupid.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

“I occasionally have nightmares about the children ending up with no arms or legs but just hands and feet.  Which you could understand.  But it’s always either Belinda or Perry who end up like that, I never dream about Susan that way.”

Patrick nodded.  “We all worry about our children, that’s only natural.  And having a thalidomide child will be uppermost in your mind.  So when your brain worries about Belinda or Perry that’s the easiest fear it can grab hold of.  Whereas with Susan you know that she and you can cope, so it no longer worries.”

“I suppose that makes sense.  Not that I don’t worry for Susan; she’ll never have an easy life.  But I can see why you’d say that.  Thanks, Doc.”

“No problem.  And now I think I’d better get Teddy home and get the worst of the dirt off him before Shelagh sees the state he’s in.”

Bernie laughed and called out to Perry that it was time for them to go home too.