milliways_bar | (no subject)

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(no subject)

The circle of chairs is out. In the middle is a table with a wide selection of food, but most notably a big apple pie, the smell of which is wafting pleasantly across the bar.

Behind the circle, on the wall, is a large sign.

LIFE SUPPORT
OPEN TO ALL

Do you have worries here or at home?
Thinking of counselling or just looking for an informal chat?
Just want some free food?
Come and join us!

[ooc: Open until the next one, all tags will be picked up by at least one of the LS crew :)]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I don't blame them, but it's a little frustratin', as Turtle is a cop and he would have spotted a break-in."

He nods.

"If he was looking in the right place, certainly."

"I told the boys that these things happen, but that if they do it again I'll be takin' their keys off them and they'll have to wait for an adult to get in and out of the house." Bonnie says. "Which they decided was probably fair."

"Giving them warning makes it fair", he agrees.

"I always try to make any sanction appropriate." Bonnie says. "You leave the light on too many times, I wire a timer into it. You refuse to turn down your music after too many times askin', I rewire yer stereo. Had one boy who used to thieve once, came home once to find I'd removed his bed." Beat. "I put it back, I'd made my point."

"You've had troubled children in your care before, then?"

"Oh yes." Bonnie says. "I don't take 'em unless they're difficult to place. Criminal records, mental health problems, runners, kids who cain't be put on a farm as so many end up. Siblings. I had one with learnin' disability, thought he was gonna stay ferever but he's all growed up now and moved out."

"You must have done very well", he says respectfully, "to be given so many."

Bonnie barks a laugh.

"Maybe. I will admit I got good results with a lot of my boys, albeit not all, but in all honesty I think they were just glad to put 'em somewhere."

There is a noise from the pram, apparently wakened by the barking, and Bonnie reaches over to scoop out the little person.

"Well good evenin', squishy-face." she says, putting the small infant on her knee. Billie has gained something of head control in the last few months since being born, and blinks blearily.

"Somewhere with a person who cared and would not give up easily." He reaches a hand out towards the baby. "Hello, there."

Billie clumsily grabs towards the finger, missing a few times.

"Well, it was easier when we had Bill." Bonnie admits. "After he died I couldn't physically separate the bigger boys when they got in a fight, so I didn't take any more rough ones, just Ernest, my boy with the learnin' difficulties."

He holds his hand steady until she can get hold of his finger.

"That makes sense. Ernest was gentler?"

"Yeah. And smaller, at the time. He used to hit his head sometimes if he was real upset, but not so much other people."

She guides Billie's hand to meet Cadfael's finger. Couple more weeks and she'll have that skill in the bag.

"Was it difficult to restrain him from hurting himself, when he was upset?"

"Generally safer not to try." Bonnie says. "He never knocked himself out, and it's quite hard to bang yer own head enough to cause major damage."

"Only using your hands, yes, I suppose so."

"Yeah. Frightened the hell outta everyone watchin', but worst he ever did was miss and give himself a nosebleed." Bonnie says. "You start grabbin' his arms when he's in a panic and then someone's gonna get hurt. Ain't done it fer a long time now, thank God, he's a big guy. Got himself a long term girlfriend and everythin', she seems to keep him mostly steady. Ain't gettin' himself caught up with throwin' his money away so much as he was a few years ago."

"That would be a good thing for him, to have another steadying influence in his life."

"Yes. He's talkin' of marryin' her." Bonnie says. "Though she ain't a huge amount more capable than he is, so I hope they wait a bit so I got more time to help."

"Do they want to have children of their own, in time?"

"Well, we've talked about that. I had the talk with Ernest a good few times. He knows how it all works, as it were." She sighs slightly. "They have talked about havin' children, but in all honestly they would need a lot of help."

"And for quite some time", he agrees. "But they may feel it is meant to be a part of marriage."

"They might. Her parents are dead set against her havin' children, even though they like Ernest well enough. We'd have to keep them away from the attention of social workers."

"You fear the children might be taken away just for a risk of harm coming to them?"

Bonnie nods.

"They're pretty big on takin' babies away from 'unsuitable' couples and placing them with 'normal' couples who cain't have their own children in my time. Neither Ernest or his girlfriend would ever harm a baby on purpose, but they are probably gonna need tellin' a lot of things that to others are common sense, like not to feed it french fries or leave it in the house alone."