Friday 12th December 2020

Nikki's Diary

-8.54am

Ahhh thank god for that, start of first vaguely normal day since the snow on Monday. Joycelin finally back at school (sure it could have opened yesterday, think the teachers just had too much of a good thing and wanted one last lie in) and business as usual at work, just having to be careful of potential health and safety hazard at outdoor crime scenes. Similar goes for Leo as does with Josi's teachers; is finally back in work after not being able to get in all week due to menacing snow and ice (Harry says that's what they all say.) Will be nice to get back to normal.

Then again, things aren't exactly going to be normal even now, far from it, in fact. Is just minor issue of Sara still being here and situation with Pieter still being… well… don't quite know what to call it, really. Have been trying not to think about it too much, in all honestly. Just don't know what to do. So badly wanted to make it all better for them both, but after disastrous phone call to Pieter the other day is no way am trying that again. So don't know what to do.

Sara seems worse today if anything; lower somehow, more depressed. Think is most likely because Zaretta, Ethan and Callum are due home today from respective universities; should be at home having pre-Christmas family time. Would be at home with them having pre-Christmas family time if only Pieter hadn't… well, yes. That. Definitely think she needs to see her kids, but know she has no plans of going home any time soon- asked me last night rather quietly when Harry was upstairs reading Joycelin a bedtime story post London Underground disaster when we wanted her out by. Said not to be so silly, can stay as long as she likes, Christmas and New Year included, and she's not to worry about imposing, we're happy to have her.

Trouble is, know Sara will go home to Cape Town and risk running into Pieter over her dead body. Which means that chances of seeing Zaretta, Ethan and Callum any time soon are relatively low.

Feel for the poor kids, too. Know they're grown up now and don't need their parents in the same way as they did when they were Joycelin's age, but still. Must have been horrible for them, coming home from university for Christmas and finding your mother had left home. God only knows what they've been told about what's happened. Not sure if Sara's spoken to any of them since walking out and leaving for London, actually- did try to bring it up the other day but then Josi came in looking for her left tap shoe and never got an answer. They must feel unbelievably caught in the middle, assuming Pieter hasn't exploded on them the way he did with me down the phone, that is. And if so, don't particularly want to think about the mess they're potentially in too right now.

Going to have to come up with a plan B, can't sit by and watch Sara and Pieter's relationship fall to pieces permanently. Plan A, the phone call, was a complete and utter disaster, so will have to try a drastically different approach. Just hope can come up with something before Christmas.

Brought Sara into work with Harry and me today, am hoping will take her mind off things, at least a little. Am trying to come up with daily distractions to stop her thinking about home and Pieter and family and everything that seems to have fallen apart this month, in light of mini breakdown on the tube yesterday afternoon. Today's distraction is witnessing British-style pathology, tomorrow's is coming to watch Josi's dance show. Haven't got as far as Sunday yet- am thinking potentially ice skating, with Harry firmly on solid ground taking photos after last year's three broken fingers. And then next week is a whole other issue.

"Niks?"

"Hmmm?"

"This mortuary is fucking freezing! It's like walking into a bloody freezer, how the hell do you manage to get any work done in here?!"

Hehehehe, distraction appears to be doing the job.

"It's meant to be freezing in here Sara, you've hit the nail on the head, it's a mortuary!"

"Well, it's not this bloody freezing in South African mortuaries!"

"That's because there's no air conditioning! And it's why the bodies start decomposing so quickly in the summer, because it's too hot in there!"

"Exactly! It's colder in England, you should have central heating!"

"Let me get this straight; you want central heating in home office mortuaries?" Could almost convince self that nothing is wrong when having completely and utterly bizarre but brilliant conversations like this with Sara. Almost.

"Well why not, hey? Come on, don't tell me you don't bloody freeze to death down here in the winter?"

"Well yes…"

"Exactly, point proven! Central heating in mortuaries, it's a winner. Seriously, though, do you not end up wearing bloody thermals under scrubs in here?"

"Umm… no! You just sort of get used to it after a while. Remember Harry near passed out last Christmas in Cape Town trying to help you with that PM mid-afternoon? British pathologists are used to the cold just like you lot are used to the heat."

"You lot? What do you mean, you lot?! You're one of 'us lot' Nicola Alexander, don't you tell me otherwise!"

Hehehehe, can tell she's going to go all patriotic on me now and ask me where my loyalties lie. May be so far failing hopelessly at coming up with a plan B for getting Sara and Pieter back together, though at least seem to be succeeding in making Sara laugh and taking her mind off it all, even if it's only for a few minutes.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sara, this is where I've worked for the past 20 odd years!"

"Yes, but where did you train? Who trained you?! Your loyalties lie in a nice warm mortuary in South Africa Niks, face it!"

"No they don't, they lie in the freezing cold Lyell Centre with me, isn't that right Nikki?"

Ohhhh Harry's back from his crime scene, wasn't expecting him for a while yet. Haven't seen anywhere near enough of him in last 24 hours, what with covering for Leo and Charlie and Zak yesterday and having to rescue Sara and Josi from London Bridge and calming Sara down and finishing Josi's Bellatrix tutu and Harry's scene this morning and all that.

"Oh I don't know about that, Harry Cunningham, maybe Sara's right. Nice sunny Africa does sound rather appealing right now…"

"Oi you, don't push it!" Lips so close to mine now are almost touching, could just reach out and…"

"Shall I take that as a no, sunny Africa's not so appealing after all, Dr Alexander?"

"Does that question really need an answer, Dr Cunningham?"


I'm in the middle of a major catch up session, and tonight and tomorrow are entirely dedicated to both catching up with writing and with reading :) And when I catch up with reading everyone else's fanfic I will be reviewing, promise :) Hope you enjoyed this one, let me know by hitting the review button, and hopefully the 13th will be up before the end of this evening- told you I'm having a major catch up session!

Reviews would be seriously incredible, you guys know you're the reason I write and I love to know what you think, even if it's just a couple of words :)

Flossie xxx