I'm taking my time about this I know. Workmen took over my life for a while and it's been hard to think of anything but kitchen tiles and central heating systems since January.
So back to Munich. The ward was small and square. Bright morning sunshine streamed in through a large window at one end of the room and reflected off of gleaming walls and floors. My son lay beside me in a cot still sleeping.
My head was pounding less and I started to think about insurance companies and £100,000 emergency landings. I'd left everything regarding holiday insurance to my father. I hadn't given him any information or checked any documents. Convulsions and maybe seizures would be classed as pre-existing conditions. Were we covered? Panic set in. When my Dad and my Step Mum got back I told them and all three of us panicked. Dad couldn't remember what he'd said although he thought he'd mentioned convulsions and at the time I hadn't checked or helped. I had been dealing with a messy marriage break up and it had been a struggle to arrange the E111. I decided to pluck up courage and call the insurance company and ask very tentatively and very casually who picks up the bill. "Oh no, you're ok, the airlines insurance covers that".
Celebratory clanking of tea cups and huge smiles of relief followed and young man started to wake. He was so little he thought he was now on holiday. We kind of went along with it. He couldn't understand what had just happened and I didn't want to scare him or disappoint him. So started our very special holiday.
Once the panic had gone and little man was up and at it, we found the play room full of wooden toys and most importantly his beloved Thomas the Tank Engine. Every day for over a year I had laid out a brio track and played Thomas, Percy and Gordon. It was becoming a strain to add smiles, thrills and genuine enthusiasm into the story but just one look at the delight in that little face gives you the energy drink you need to complete the marathon.
It was beginning to dawn on us that we had no clothes to change into. We were told that our luggage had reached its destination and would stay at the hotel until the return flight a week later. Nice to know Buzz Light Year would be spending the week on a sun-drenched island and we laughed at the thought of Buzz sunning himself in his speedo's and shades, whilst we all tried to work out where to wash our undies. I resolved the matter that night in a hospital bath. Sitting there, deep in water, scrubbing my socks with soap that smelled like school. I hung them to dry on the metal bars of the hospital bed and unfolded my rickety put you up and moved it close to little ones. I slept in all my clothes as I was surrounded by other patients who were all boys, some in their teens. I had no idea what the next day would bring and just lay watching my son until I drifted off into the early hours.
