Disclaimer - I don't own the Bill.
No more time
Chapter 2 – Getting back to normality
Eventually Sophie went to Smithy's spare room, she shut the door behind her and sat down on the bed while looking around the room. She still couldn't believe that her mother, the person who had looked after when she was sick, picked her back up when she fell down, comforted her when she was scared or sad was gone.
She had always dreaded what would happen if something happened to her Mum. And part of her had known, when she'd started getting ill, that it was serious. She had ignored the symptoms, the nausea, tiredness, loss of appetite. Her Mum had been drinking a lot, she'd just put it down to hang over's, she'd got her aspirin and water and then left her alone. Anything to pretend that nothing was wrong.
If only her Mum had told her, she'd have made sure that her Mum had got treatment, she could have called her brother, maybe he'd have been able to do something. But it was too late her Mum was gone and there was nothing that she could do to change that.
She picked her bag up from where she had left it on the floor and pulled out her teddy bear. She held it tightly to her chest as tears slipped down from under her closed eye lids.
She sat like that all night unable to sleep unaware than in the next room Smithy was doing just the same.
He had been concentrating so much on ensuring that Sophie was ok that he'd hardly had time to think about what had happened. It still hadn't sunk in that his mother was dead. She hadn't always been an amazing Mum, but she was all that he had. She's been there for him after his Dad had left. She'd made some bad choices but she was still his Mum.
He'd always thought that eventually something would turn up and they'd sort things out. He thought they had so much time but it was too late, his Mum had died thinking that her son didn't care. He'd never be able to tell her that he loved her, he could never take back the things he'd said, shouted, screamed at her. He'd been so angry with her but only because he was worried about her, he just wanted to protect her and it scared him that he couldn't.
Then she'd taken Sophie and disappeared, he'd tried to find them, contacted Sophie's school but they wouldn't tell him where they'd sent her records. He could have tried harder to find them, should have, he's is a police officer, if anybody can find someone then he should be able to. He felt an overwhelming feeling of guilt.
After a sleepless night all round Smithy got up and dressed. When Sophie came out of her room she found him sat miserably over a cup of coffee.
"Hi." She said quietly.
He turned around to face her. She was pale, her eyes were red, puffy and sore. "Did you get any sleep?"
"Some." She lied.
"What do you want for breakfast?"
Sophie just shook her head.
"You have to have something Soph, you didn't eat anything last night, you'll make yourself ill. I'll make you some toast, just try, please?"
"Ok." She nodded.
He came back a few minutes later with a piece of buttered toast on a plate and gave it to her. She took a small bite from the edge.
"Is there anyone that we need to contact, friends of Mum's, to tell them what's happened?" Smithy said, gently.
"She didn't really have any friends, not that I know of anyway." Sophie replied putting the toast back on the plate.
"Was she working?"
"Yeah, she was a working as a cleaner for EazyClean."
"We'll have to let them know. And we need to arrange the funeral, Mum and I never talked about it, do you know what she have wanted?"
"She said once that she didn't want to be buried, that she wanted to be cremated."
"Alright, I'm going to ring a funeral director later." Smithy's mobile rang and he stood up to find it.
"Hello?"
"Smithy, how are you?" It was Gina.
"I'm not really sure, it hasn't really sunk in yet."
"How's your sister?"
He moved into his bedroom and shut the door. "She didn't sleep last night, and she won't eat anything. I don't know what to do."
"You just need to be there for her, give her time. Have you done anything about the funeral?"
"I'm going to contact a funeral directors later, Sophie reckons that Mum would have wanted to be cremated. I need to contact her work, let them know that she's died as well. I don't really know where to start."
"I'll contact her work if you like."
"Would you? I'm not sure that I could do it."
"Of course I will, where did she work?"
"EazyClean."
"What was her name?"
"Lynda James."
"Do you want me to contact a funeral director, get them to come round to your flat?"
"Yeah, please."
"Ok, you just concentrate on your sister. I'll ring you once I've done it."
"Thank you, Gina."
"No problem, Smithy." He hung up and went back into the living room.
"Who was that?" Sophie asked.
"My inspector. She wanted to know how we were. She's going to contact Mum's work and the funeral directors for us."
They sat quietly, Sophie took another bite of the toast. "Is there anything that you want to do today?" He asked.
"No." Sophie lent against him. "I couldn't stop thinking about her last night. I can't believe that she's gone."
"I know. I just kept thinking that I should have sorted things out years ago, now it's too late."
"I'm very sorry for your loss, Mr Smith." The man said as soon as Smithy opened the door. He was dressed in a black suit with a black tie, it was obvious who he was even without the sombre expression. He looked like he'd never smiled in his life.
"Thank you. Come in." Smithy replied standing back to let the man in and showing him into the living room where Sophie was sat huddled on the Sofa.
"My name's John French, I'm from Canley Funerals. I understand the death of your mother has come as a shock."
"Sit down. Yeah, we didn't know that she was so ill."
"Have you had any thoughts about the funeral?"
"Yeah, we want her cremated."
"Ok, we'll move your mother's body from the hospital to our funeral home, if your happy with that, and contact the crematorium for a date for the funeral. I'll leave you with a brochure of coffins, you might also want to think about any songs or hymns that you want played."
"Ok."
"Have you got any other questions at all?"
"No, I don't think so."
"I'll leave the two of you alone. I'll contact you when I've got a date from the crematorium. Here's my card, contact me when you've decided about songs and the coffin, or if you've got any questions, thoughts or concerns."
"Thank you."
A week after the funeral.
"Soph, I need to talk to you." Smithy said walking into the newly decorated room and sitting down beside her on the bed. "How do you feel about going back to school, I don't want you to miss too much?"
"I thought you'd say that sooner or later."
"So?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
"I know it's going to be weird getting back the normal things without Mum."
"I know but as you said 'life goes on'. I can't sit around here forever, can I?"
"I'll speak to your school, start again on Monday?"
"Ok."
"And if I went back to work on Monday as well, do you think you'd be alright with that."
"Of course, bet the crime levels have shot up over the last few weeks without you."
Smithy smiled. "You're sure that's alright, I can take longer off if you want."
"It's fine, I'll be fine."
"Sure?"
"Sure."
Monday
"You alright?" Smithy said watching Sophie pick at her breakfast.
"Fine." Sophie muttered, pulling at her tie to loosen it.
"Are you nervous?"
"Yeah, it's stupid. I'm only going to school, I've done it a thousand times before."
"You'll be fine. If you have any problems just ring me alright, even if you just need to talk. I'll have my phone on me all day, if I don't answer it's because I'm in an interview but I will ring you back straight away, ok. And you've got the number for the station haven't you?"
"Yeah, it's in my phone."
"If you can't get me on my mobile, ring the station and ask for me."
"I'll be fine, don't worry."
"Can't help it, it's a big brother privilege."
"Have you got all your books ready?" Smithy said picking the empty plates from the table.
"Yeah."
"What lessons have you got today?"
"English, maths, drama, science and double French."
"Sounds like a fun day."
"Yeah, think about me while you're out chasing criminals."
"It's not quite as exciting as it sounds. I'll probably spend most of my day catching up on my paperwork."
"Bet it's still more exciting than double French."
"Yeah, it is. Come on, I'll give you a lift to school."
"It's ok, I can catch the bus."
"Nah, I'll give you a lift this morning."
"Thanks." Sophie replied, she picked up her bag and blazer and followed Smithy out of the flat.
"I'll pick you up after school."
"Won't you be working?"
"It'll be fine, I'll just sneak out for half an hour."
"Dale, I don't want you getting in trouble just to give me a lift, I'm thirteen, I'm old enough to catch the bus home from school."
"I won't get in trouble and I know that you're old enough to catch a bus but it's your first day back and I want to be there for you. So I'll see you here a three thirty, ok?"
"Ok."
"Now go on or you'll be late."
"See you later, have a good day."
"You too." She slammed the door shut and waved before turning and walking through the school gates.
Smithy arrived at the station late and had to rush to get changed in time for the briefing, which he got to with seconds to spare.
"Morning, come on sit down." He said picking up a clip board. "Right, PC Stamp and PC Valentine are in the area car, PC Armstrong and PC Gayle are on the High Street, PC Brown and PC Taylor on the Jasmin Allen. PC Green CID want a hand with some CCTV and finally PC Ryder with Sergeant Weston following up on a burglary from last night. Go on then, go and do some work."
Everyone stood up and made their way out, chatting loudly as they went.
"Nice to see you back, Sarge." Tony said as he passed Smithy. "Bet it's nice to get back to normality."
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