KANDY, The Love Story of Kat and Andy

[Olympic]

Andy is soo funny. Fancy him sayong about Alfie eating condoms.lol

I loved that episode Catherine. Keep up the good work.

[Catherine]

Thanks - this story has been in limbo for too long!

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Still Kat had married Alfie over him and Andy smiled despite how hurt he felt. Alfie was a good man, just gormless at times, and Kat had been right, Andy was too soft and allowed people to walk over him. Kat included.

Andy naturally hopes that Zoë miraculously recovers. And realises that having chosen Alfie over him, Kat should continue her married life now with minimum complications and forget him. He’s certain that once in New York he will be the farthest thing from her mind.

He forgets however, that when he and Kat make love, they never use a condom.

Chapter Eight:

The flight to New York is pleasant and the air stewards are very attentive to the Slaters and they’re treated as good as royalty. There are no delays and the weather is good for flying. The plane finally lands in New York where Zoë is immediately whisked away by ambulance with the various members of her family, before any other passenger is allowed to alight from the plane.

Nerves creep in as Zoë realises here she shall meet her destiny. She clutches Kat’s hand frantically now, her grip weak however, as the trolley is wheeled briskly along corridors. Larger than Walford General Hospital; it contains all the hustle and bustle of all the busy American hospitals that you see in the movies. But this is the best hospital money can buy. It still stinks of strong disinfectant and there is still the odd patient on trolleys in the corridor and some even throwing up in the corridor. Big Mo and Charlie are both pale as they enter the hospital. Zoë’s to be examined first and then shall be allocated a room.

They’ve brought all her previous hospital notes with them, but the consultant scarcely looks at them. He knows that he’s to treat Zoë and her mum Kat extremely well and put all those members of her family at ease. He has the most experience with the disease since he treated Andy’s daughter, Rebecca for it, and he’s also treating three other cases in the hospital. Well two actually, because unfortunately the one patient has recently died.

“We’re going to take some blood,” he explains to the Slaters. “Blood pressure checks, the usual type of checks, Zoë, honey, you’ve been through it all already.”

He wants to speak to Kat on her own. Settle Zoë in first. Professionally he doesn’t discuss his other cases with them, nor does he mention anything regarding Andy Hunter. It’s been a long time since he saw Andy and wonders how the man is bearing up. He knows that Andy has never gotten over the death of Rebecca; but had never expected the man to sob as openly as he did when she died.

He even feared for Andy’s sanity.

“How long does the treatment last?” Kat asks. “What does it entail?”

Zoë looks up worriedly.

“All in good time, Mrs Slater,” the consultant says.

“It’s Mrs Moon actually,” Kat corrects him.

[Catherine]

Big Mo and Charlie have located the drinks machine. They are both jetlagged and flop down in the corridor.

“Well this doesn’t look so bad,” Charlie says. “Looks a nice place actually.”

“Yeah I suppose, Charlie,” Big Mo says. “But it’s still a hospital ain’t it. I don’t like the smell of hospitals.”

Kat comes down the corridor. She’s whacked also and sits down besides them gratefully accepting the tea Big Mo offers her.

“Let’s check into the hotel,” Kat says. “Zoë’s in her room and the nurses are taking care of her. She’s exhausted poor love.”

They hate the hotel, but remind themselves frequently how worse it is for poor Zoë. The treatment is harrowing, too harrowing and Kat soon comes to realise it’s fruitless too. Big Mo and Charlie need to seek salvage in a bar, but the hotel’s bar is too pokey and neither are in a position to familiarise themselves in New York. They have to be there for support Kat with Zoë. They consider taking up smoking to calm their nerves.

It’s not long before Kat begins to look as ill as Zoë. Lack of sleep, forgetting to eat and constantly being besides Zoë whilst she’s undergoing all the punishment of treatment is enough to make anyone ill.

Zoë makes her mother proud, she faces up to her ordeal without complaining and makes Kat feel very humble in her presence. Within one month they both know that the treatment isn’t working. Alfie was due to arrive in New York in a week, and then Big Mo and Charlie will go home.

“There’s no point him coming over here, mum,” Zoë says wearily.

“Why? This is what we decided we’d do. Everyone take it in turns. Alfie and Lynn, even Belinda will be coming!”

Zoë shakes her head. “How about we forget the treatment now, mum?”

“No,” Kat wails, realising that as tortuous as the treatment is, it is her daughter’s only hope of survival.

“I coughed up blood again this morning, mum,” Zoë says. “My hair is coming out in handfuls. I want to stop the treatment.”

“I’ll talk to the doctor,” Kat says. She gets up from the chair and goes searching for him. He’s been called away to an emergency. No one else will give her any information. So she dials Andy.

Andy is surprised to hear from Kat, he’s been kept informed of Zoë’s progress by the consultant. He already knew Zoë’s chances were slim, but he hoped that news would be better. He believed Zoë stronger than Rebecca as the illness had been diagnosed earlier.

“It sounds too aggressive the treatment for her,” Andy says sadly at the other end of the phone. “Speak to the consultant, Kat, see what he advises.”

“Did this happen to Rebecca? Did her hair fall out, did she start bringing up blood?”

There’s a pause at the other end. “See the problem is…there’s not enough cases with this disease yet, Kat. And everyone responds differently to treatment anyway. Rebecca was sick a lot, that’s how it affected her. She didn’t bleed though and she kept her hair. But I believe hearing that the consultant has written a journal on this disease now and he has had some progress with one of the other patients he’s treating.”

Kat frowns. “How do you know that?”

TBC