4
"I see." Mary looked through the hole that Mike's fall had caused. The jagged edges obscuring the floor beneath. "He landed on his back. Not his head."
"Yes." The Captain nodded. "Alison, when she fell."
"When Julian pushed her out of the window." Mary reminded him. "Because he did do that."
"Only because you all wanted her to go." Julian snapped, feeling slightly guilty - not an emotion he was used to. The Captain knelt, looking through the hole.
"My point being." The Captain ignored them. "He is not going to see us. Alison hit her head. Spent time in a coma. He is not that unwell. He is on his way back here. You saw him. He was awake. Alison, poor girl was not. Now, it may well be Hallowe'en but please can we stop this nonsense!" He stalked away as the other ghosts watched him go.
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"Are you ok?" Alison asked as she drove the small car towards Button House. Mike had been quiet since his release from the hospital. He nodded.
"Pain killers are amazing."
"Ok." Alison smiled. "We get home, you go straight to bed."
He raised his eyebrows as she laughed. "To rest. You cannot be thinking about that! You have had a serious fall. You could have been badly hurt." Her tone turned serious again. "I could be living with another ghost."
"Don't say that." He kept his voice quiet. "Maybe I will go for a lie down. Not for long. There's too much to do. We have the Christmas wedding season to get ready for. The hole I caused has to be looked at. The."
"The pandemic is causing most of our weddings to be cancelled. Anything more than 15 people are not happening. Its ok. You rest. Somehow, somehow we will make it work." She sighed as she pulled the car up in front of the house. The plague girl she had taken to calling Rosie waited on the front step as she turned the engine off. Alison smiled at her as the little girl waved, taking a few steps towards the car. Mike opened the door, apparently oblivious to the child as he stepped out into the drive.
"Ring a ring a roses."
"A pocket full of posies." Alison replied as Mike's eyebrows raised.
"She's here?"
"Rosie? Yes." Alison smiled at the ghostly child. "Can you let the others know we are home and Mike needs to rest? Please."
The child tilted her head before nodded and running back into the house. Alison sighed. "Its heart breaking really. A little girl like her. We don't even know her real name. I just call her Rosie because she sings that bloody nursery rhyme all the time." She shook her head sadly. "She never says anything else."
"That's so sad." Mike agreed. "You know? If we have kids."
"Big if." Alison mumbled under her breath. Mike pulled a face. "Don't look like that! We have to get the house safe first. Imagine if a baby or toddler fell like either of us have? "
"True." He agreed, a shudder going down his back. "I don't think I could cope if anything happened to them. I didn't think I would when you were hurt. I wonder how Rosie's parents did. Even if she had them." He shook his head, feeling sad for the dead child that he had no idea was another of Alison's distant ancestors. He took Alison's hand as she led him into Button House, glad to be home.
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"Oh!" Kitty appeared in front of them. "You are home."
"Yes." Alison smiled. "We are."
"Mike?" Robin appeared at her side with Fanny. "Not dead then. Good." He slipped past them as he headed to his favourite chair near the window.
"No. I'm not dead." Mike answered as they all stopped in their tracks.
"Mike."
"What?"
"You just answered Robin. You spoke to a caveman."
"I didn't."
"You did." Alison and Kitty spoke at once while Fanny did a passable impression of a goldfish. "You so did."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Robin said that its good you're not dead and you answered him." She glanced at Kitty who seemed ready to burst with excitement. "I was here, I saw you."
"I don't know. I didn't see anyone. Only you." He paused as she hugged him. "What's happening?"
"I don't know but I think we just roll with it? See what happens?" She smiled as he closed his eyes hugging her tightly. While he was no longer afraid of the unearthly housemates, being able to communicate with them was a whole new ballgame.
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