The Pill-Box and the Song

"Mind if I join you?"
Maureen hadn't seen the man approach and sit down on the bench beside her. She was sitting upside down, with her head on the ground and her legs stretched up over the back of the bench.
"I'd sit the right way up, if I were you.” He took a quick look at the sky. "It's going to rain."
She didn't hear. She was deep in relaxation, a difficult state to get into, considering her position, and listening to soothing sounds on her iPod.
It started to rain. The man got up and headed for the cover of a nearby shelter. Maureen stirred and attempted to stand. She fell over, one leg caught beneath her body, the other twisted at an unnatural angle beneath the seat.
She struggled to her feet, regained her balance and walked shakily to the shelter.
"Why don't you sit the right way up?" the man asked, "Like everybody else."
"It's healthy to sit with your feet higher than your head," Maureen replied. "I read it somewhere."
The man shrugged. "If you say so."
Maureen looked out across the park, into the rain. The man took out a plastic bottle and filled a small cup. He held it out to Maureen.
"Coke?"
Maureen turned.
"No thanks. Too many E numbers."
"What?"
"It's got additives. It's not good for you."
"Oh," the man replied, slightly taken back. He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a packet of cigarettes, "Do you smoke?"
Maureen didn't answer.
The man pulled out one cigarette and put it in his mouth. Then he took out a lighter and lit up. He sat back and blew out clouds of smoke.
Maureen watched him for a few seconds, impatiently fanning away the smoke that drifted in her direction.
"It's Richard, isn't it?" she asked tentatively. The man nodded, slowly, with a look of confusion. "I'm Maureen," Maureen explained. "We're in a group session together."
Richard smiled for a moment, then sat back deep in thought. After a few seconds he shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm new here. It's all a bit confusing."
"Don't worry," Maureen replied. "You'll soon get used to our ways."
"I think I will like coming here," Richard went on. "It's nice and friendly. A bit like my work."
"Where do you work?"
"I don't work any more, I got made redundant."
"Oh, sorry."
"Before I left, they trained me up on lots of stuff. Things they thought might be useful for me. But after that, I just sat around at home and worried about things. And then it all became too much."
Richard picked up his bag and took out a some sandwiches. "I got these in Tesco yesterday," he said, almost gloomily. "I didn't know there was a canteen here." He unwrapped the sandwiches, and offered one to Maureen.
"What's on it?" she asked.
"Egg."
"Oh no," Maureen replied, with some alarm, "I don't eat egg. Not since Edwina Currie."
"Edwina who?"
"Sorry, it would be before your time."
"I've also got some cheese ones, but I put them my locker. I was keeping them for next week. Will they stay fresh till next week?"
"Nurse Ratched will probably find them anyway," Maureen said, "She empties the lockers every day. You're not meant to keep them."
“Who’s Nurse Rached?
“The centre manager, that’s what we call her.”
"Why do you call her Nurse Ratched? Her name is Sylvia - Sylvia Summers."
"It's from the film."
"What film?"
"The one with Jack Nicholson. You've probably not seen it.”
"It's a nice name �" Sylvia Summers. It sounds very warm, very friendly. But I don't think she is a nurse.”
"No, we just call her that. Just a joke.”
“Oh. I’m not very good at jokes." Richard stopped and looked blankly out across the grass. "Does she really empty the lockers? She'll probably find my condoms."
Maureen turned to him, surprised. "You've got condoms in your locker?"
"Yes."
"What for?"
"For safe sex."
Maureen shook her head. "Too much sex is bad for you," she said, wagging her finger at Richard. "It destroys the brain cells."
"Is that right?"
"Yes," said Maureen, "I read it somewhere."
"My wife likes sex," Richard replied. "She's on the pill."
"I'd never use the pill."
"She's having a baby."
"I don't believe in pills. Not even asprin."
"Max is moving in, to look after my wife and the baby, till I feel better."
"Dr. French wants me to take asprin. Every day. But I'm not going to. I don't have a headache."
"He's my best friend. And he likes my wife."
"Do you take any pills?"
Richard stopped his line of thought for a second. "Pills?" he said.
Maureen nodded. "Mmm.
"Of course." He put his hand in his side pocket and took a small plastic box. "This is my pill-box," he said, with a degree of pride.
Richard opened the box. It had several small compartments, each of which had their own set of pills.
"What are they for?" Maureen asked.
"They're my medication."
"When do you take them?"
"I take the white ones once a day," Richard explained. "And the yellow ones at bed time, to help me sleep."
"What about those ones?"
“These are just aspirins, just in case I get a headache, or a toothache, or a tummy-ache, or a ..."
“No, I mean those ones.” Maureen pointed to some small red tablets.
"Oh, they're my favourite," said Richard. "But I only take them when I'm really stressed. They calm my nerves."
"What are they?"
"Placebos," Richard replied.
Maureen laughed. “Do you know what placebos are?” she said.
"Dr. French gave them another name, but Max told me they were called ‘placebos’, and he swore when he told me. I think he was really stressed too."
Maureen shook her head.
"They'll kill you one of these days," she said, with a firm nod in his direction, "All those chemicals."
Richard gazed down at the pill-box for a few moments, perplexed. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders, closed the box and put it back in his pocket.
"I've not been sleeping very well," he said, sadly. "I moved into the spare room."
Richard took a bite from his sandwich and then, before swallowing it, puffed at his cigarette. Maureen winced. "Aw, Richard," she said. "That's disgusting."
"No, it's a nice room," Richard replied, "Max decorated it for me."
"No, I don't mean that," said Maureen, "Your cigarette. You can't eat and smoke at the same time."
Richard looked at his cigarette, and realised what he was doing. "Oh, sorry," he replied, carefully extinguishing the cigarette so that he could re-light it later.
Maureen shook her head, and changed the subject. "My husband was called Max."
"What's he called now?"
"He's not my husband now."
Richard furrowed his brows, but said nothing.
"We're divorced," Maureen went on. "He said I was obsessive. About my condition. But I've got to be careful. If I don't look after myself, I might have to go into hospital."
She patted her chest. "So I've got to make sure the old heart keeps ticking."
"And he left you because of that?"
"No. He walked out when I had the breakdown," Maureen explained. "He called me a loony."
"So where is he now?"
"Ran off with another woman. Set up home in Cumbernauld."
"Cumbernauld?"
"Aye. And he thought I was a loony."
Maureen looked out at the grass. Richard watched her for a minute or two. Then he perked up and said with a smile.
"I'm going to Acapulco for the summer."
Maureen looked at him, surprised. "Acapulco?"
"I saw it on the telly," Richard went on. "It looked sunny. The doctor said I needed some sun."
"But don't you have appointments here?"
"I'll come back for my appointments."
Maureen laughed. "You can't come home from Acapulco just like that. It's too far away."
"I'm going in an aeroplane."
"But Acapulco must be five thousand miles away."
"Oh." said Richard, sadly. "I didn't know that." He thought for a moment. "Maybe I'll go to Largs instead."
Maureen smiled. "I've been to Largs," she said. "With Max."
"Was it sunny."
"It was windy. We had ice cream."
"I like ice cream."
"I don't eat ice cream now. It's not good for me."
Maureen stood up and walked over to the front of the shelter. She stood for a few minutes, with a far-away, lost look in her face. When she eventually turned back to Richard her eyes were moist and misty.
"They were good times," she said. "Me and Max. We had lots of laughs." She sighed deeply, her eyes dilating as she relived the memory. "We used to race each other along the sand," she went on, enthusiastically. "Loser bought the ice cream." She licked her lips, as if tasting the very words. "Ice cream," she repeated.
Richard stood up and walked over to her. "It's stopped raining," he said.
Maureen didn't hear. She was still in a world of her own. "Maybe I am too obsessive," she said. "Maybe I should lighten up a bit."
She turned and looked out across the park. There was another little shelter, about 100 yards along the path. And after that the path led back to the building that housed the centre. She hadn't realised she'd come so far.
A mischievous smile crossed her face. "Race you back to the centre," she said, excitedly.
She took off, leaving Richard standing. By the time he realised what was happening, she had reached the next shelter, where she stopped and went in. When Richard caught up with her she was hunched over the bench breathing heavily.
"Are you okay?" Richard asked.
"I'm just a bit breathless."
She sat down. Breathing deeply and holding her arm.
"Have you got any asprins?" she asked.
"You don't take asprins."
She put her hands to her chest, and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I need one."
Richard took out his pill-box, opened it and handed Maureen an asprin. She held it tightly in her hand.
"And something to wash it down with," she cried. "Have you got any Coke left?"
"What about the E numbers?"
"It doesn't matter now." Maureen sat back against the back of the bench.
Richard took the bottle of Coke out of his bag and picked up the cup.
"S**t," he said, "It's dirty. Do you mind?"
Maureen said nothing. The asprin she had been holding, had fallen from her hand.
"Are you all right, Maureen?"
He looked at her pale face. Then he shook his head and sat back.
"You might have told me," he said, carefully pouring the Coke back into the bottle. "If I'd known you were going into a trance again, I wouldn't have poured this out for you."
He put the cup and the bottle back in his bag.
As he did so, a woman came into the shelter.
"Here you are, Richard," she said, in a kindly voice, "We were worried about you two, when the rain came on and you disappeared."
"Nurse Ratch... I mean, Sylvia."
"Have you eaten," Sylvia asked. "You're a bit late anyway. You'll probably have to make do with cheese sandwiches."
"Cheese sandwiches," Richard shouted, angrily, "My cheese sandwiches. From my locker."
Sylvia shook her head, puzzled. "No," she said, with a laugh, "I don't know what you keep in your locker, but it's not your sandwiches." She turned to Maureen.
"Maureen," she said.
"She's meditating," said Richard, "It's good for her. She read it somewhere."
"Maureen," Sylvia repeated, slightly louder. "She's awfully pale."
Sylvia looked closely at Maureen, and a look of alarm came over her face.
"Help me get her onto the ground," she said, "How long has she been like this?"
Richard helped her lift Maureen off the seat and down onto the floor of the shelter.
"A few minutes," he said, "She asked for an asprin, then went into a trance."
Sylvia lifted Maureen's neck slightly and unbuttoned the first few buttons of her blouse. She listened for her breathing, and hearing nothing, pressed her mouth against Maureen's, watching for her chest to rise.
"Have you got a mobile phone, Richard."
“Yes, I have an iPhone. It’s brand new, it’s got lots of apps, and I can text and email and…”
Sylvia tried to sound calm. "Ok, Richard. Please concentrate, I have to look after Maureen, so I need you to dial 999 and get an ambulance."
"Okay," said Richard, slightly bemused.
Sylvia continued to try to resuscitate Maureen. Richard watched her for a moment.
“Can you do it now please Richard, it is really important.”
“Oh, sorry, I’ll go and get it. It’s in my locker.”
Richard began to walk away.
“No Richard, come back - you can use mine.” Sylvia took a phone from her pocket, dialled 999 and handed the phone to Richard.
“Emergency, which service do you require?”
“It’s Maureen, she needs an ambulance.”
Maureen still wasn't breathing. Sylvia reached for her wrist checking her pulse. She shook her head.
Putting both hands across her chest, she pushed down hard several times.
Richard looked down at Maureen, pale and lifeless.
"Is Maureen dead?" he asked, simply and without emotion.
Sylvia looked up, gesturing to the phone �" “The ambulance, Richard.”
“I don’t think the signal is any good �" HELLO.”
There was a pause while the operator spoke.
“My name is RICHARD.” Another pause.
“We’re in the SHELTER, in the PARK - but I can’t hear you very well.”
Sylvia gestured to him, “Go outside, if you can’t get a signal.”
“That’s Sylvia,” Richard explained to the operator. “She’s is doing CPR, but she not doing it very well. She’s not even singing the song.”
Sylvia looked up and spoke sharply. “Richard, talk sense, this is really critical.”
“But you have to sing the song.”
Sylvia jumped up and snatched the phone from him. “Sorry, Richard, but I’ll have to do this, it’s too urgent.”
Richard looked really hurt. “You have to sing the song.”
Sylvia stepped out of the shelter into the park until she eventually got a good enough signal.
Richard knelt down beside Maureen and looked at her sadly. “Sorry, Maureen, I thought you had just gone into a trance, I didn't know you were dead."
He sat for few seconds.
"Sylvia did her best. But I told you she wasn't a nurse. Otherwise she would have known about the song..”
He took deep breath. Then he reached forward and placed the heel of his hand on the centre of her chest and interlocked his fingers. Then he began to sing.
“You can tell by the way I use my walk, I’m a woman’s man.”
Leaning forward so the weight of his body was on Maureen, he pushed down on her breastbone, then released.
“Music loud and women warm, I’ve been kicked around since I was born”
He repeated the motion over and over, in time with the song.
“Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.”
He kept pushing, over and over, until he felt quite breathless.
“Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.”
He continued for what seemed like an age, singing the song over and over, until he eventually he ran out of energy and ran out of words.. He stopped, and sat in silence.
“It didn't work," he said, finally. "I sang the song... but it didn’t work.”
He put his hand onto Maureen’s chest, and held it there for a moment, while he gathered himself together to try again.
"You can tell by way I use my walk..."
As he pulled his hand away, he felt the slightest of movements in her chest.
Up, very slowly…. then down - a bit shallow, uneven, but her chest was gradually starting to rise and fall on its own - Maureen was breathing.
Richard turned her carefully onto her side, just as Sylvia came back into the shelter.
“The ambulance is on its way.” Sylvia’s words were rushed. “And I spoke to Dr French, he’s in the centre today and he'll be here any moment, and he's bringing the defibrillator, I just hope it’s not too… Richard, what are you doing?”
“This is the recovery position,” Richard replied, “This is how you should place someone when they are getting better.”
“No Richard, that’s only once they are... breathing?” She knelt down beside Maureen and looked closer. “Maureen’s breathing.”
“Yes,” said Richard, “I did CPR, and I sang the song - and it worked.”
"But how, I didn't know you could do CPR."
"They showed my how to do it in my training course, after I lost my job. I can also do that thing where you stop people choking, but I don't like that so much - there isn't a song."
Sylvia checked Maureen again.
"Yes, she's breathing quite well now. Richard, you saved her life."
Richard nodded, then stepped outside the shelter.
"I wonder when the ambulance will come. I hope it uses its siren. Do you think it will use its siren."
Sylvia laughed. "Richard. You've just saved someone's life, what does it matter about the siren."
"It's important, otherwise how will the cars know to get out of the way. I hope it uses its siren."
Richard listened for the ambulance. It seemed to take a while, but finally he heard it.
"Here it comes, it's using its siren," he shouted, with an almost child-like excitement, "It's driving across the grass. And look, Dr. French is running along behind."
Sylvia got up as the ambulance arrived. And spoke briefly with the paramedics.. They checked Maureen’s condition, and then moved her onto a stretcher and made her comfortable
Richard waited outside the shelter while the paramedics tended to Maureen. Finally, they lifted her into the ambulance. Dr French got in with her, and the ambulance drove off.
Sylvia walked over and stood beside Richard.
“Are you okay?”
Richard nodded.
"We need get back to the centre," he said, “I don't like to be late, it will mess up my afternoon."
They began to walk down the path.. Suddenly Richard stopped.
“Oh, wait a minute,” he said, “I forgot something.”
He turned and went back to the shelter. He looked down to where Maureen had lain and looked around. He seemed agitated, but finally he found what he was looking for. It was the the unused asprin he had given to Maureen, lying under the seat where she'd dropped it. He knelt down and picked it up.
He stopped for a moment, looked at the tablet. Then he took out his pill-box, put the asprin back neatly in its proper compartment, and walked off with Sylvia down the path, back to the centre.
 

Reviews

[William Richards]

Cool. I enjoyed your story. Two individuals with issues and their interaction. Dramatic ending as well. I wrote a cpr story called "Saving Life" so it was nice to see how they differed. I particularly liked the fixation on singing the song. Of course another song with the correct tempo is "another one bites the dust" but that's not usually taught!