St. Elsewhere

The hardest thing to do for Mia was to make the phone call to Lauren.

It was half relief half disappointment when Lauren didn't pick up the phone and Mia had to leave a voicemail.

With as much of a steady voice as Mia could manage, she explained that she was having family problems and that she might not be back in London for a while. But she shouldn't worry she'd talk to her real soon. She also asked Lauren to say hi to Sean for her, she couldn't bring herself to call him.

After that Mia called Madame de Reyon and explained the situation clearly.

She had to now be her mother's carer who now had to travel around in a wheelchair. She could still talk normally but even that was only a matter of time.

The doctors had gently explained to Mia what MS was. The motor neurons that carried messages from the brain to the muscles telling them when to move, were dying and slowing down all at the same time. This meant that the muscles weren't being used and so they started breaking down, causing Mrs Ferguson serious manoeuvring difficulties.

Mia's mother spent that night in the hospital for closer observation.

The next day she was brought home.

The Ferguson's were unable to afford the expensive health care and so Mia took over looking out for her mother. From the day of her return back home, Mia spent every passing minute with her mother; helping her eat, helping her get dressed, reading to her and cooking for her.

Almost two weeks passed in this fashion.

Lauren had called a number of times but Mia avoided answering. Until one day when she couldn't take it any more and she picked up.

Lauren didn't sound angry, rather distraught and Mia to comfort her, elaborated her tale and said that her mother was in hospital and nobody quite knew what was going on, and Mia had no idea when she'd be in London again.

Lauren then went on to inform Mia that Sean had been asking repeatedly for her and that he had been trying to reach her.

This was true.

In fact there were probably more missed calls from Sean on Mia's phone than from Lauren.

But she refused to answer his calls. Doing this she would have to explain everything. About her mother's illness, and Mia's own capability to own up to the responsibility towards her mother. On top of this it also meant acknowledging that Mia might not be returning to London any time soon.

It could be weeks before she was back in her ballet school.

If at all.

It was just something that she was going to have to accept.