milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(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

"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."

"And perhaps supervision", he agrees. "To make sure they don't do something that nobody thought to tell them about."

"Yeah. Fair chance I'm gonna end up raisin' this baby." Bonnie says. "So I am hopin' they will at least hold off a few years."

"But if they do", Cadfael says carefully, "is there not a chance you won't have all the time you might like?"

(People die younger in his time, the narration reminds the reader.)

Eyebrow raise.

"How old do you think I am?"

Answer carefully, Cadfael!

"In your fifties, perhaps?"

It's an honest answer, but still doesn't change his first assumption.

"In my fifties?!" Bonnie covers the baby's ears. "You got to be freakin' kidding me." she uncovers them again.

"How many women in their fifties do you know who just gave birth to a baby?"

"...there is that", he allows. "Not unheard of, but rare enough. I apologise."

She waves a hand. "It's fine. Forty seven. By the time Billie is eighteen, I'll be sixty five. In the event of my death, custody arrangements would be sorted out by Turtle or Alvin fer anyone I have in my care at the time."

"Alvin is one of your grown sons?" he guesses.

"Yeah, he's a preacher." Bonnie says. "Far too well-behaved to be one of mine really, it was his brother who was difficult." small sigh. "He's the one in jail now."

"Perhaps being in jail will help him", Cadfael offers. "If such things are possible."

"I thought that too, at first. Right up until he killed his cellmate."

He winces.

"May I ask why?"

"When John went to jail, he was on alcohol and cannabis and had a gambling debt - stole a car to try and pay off loan sharks. When he went into jail his cellmate got him on heroin. When he said he wanted to quit, his cellmate threatened to send people round to my house to get the money. John agreed to carry on taking it, and shortly after they shot up together and he killed his cellmate, trying to make it look like an overdose. Confessed in the end."

"And is it not taken into account that he was trying to protect you from harm?"

Bonnie shook her head.

"No, we tried that, but the judge didn't buy it."

"Because he was using this drug?"

Bonnie nods.

"Said he was so high most of the time he probably just made the excuse up later."

"That hardly seems fair. But what will happen to him now?"

In the world he knows, the young man would already be dead.

"He's got a life in prison." Bonnie says. "No parole any time soon. That's why I'm raisin' his daughter."

"Ah." He nods. "And I have no doubt he's glad you are."

"He is." Bonnie says. "He didn't even admit he had a daughter until it became clear he was goin' down fer a long time."