chapter 25

Laura took a deep breath and knocked on Tom's door. "Come in", came Tom's voice from inside, and Laura opened the door and walked in with Becky. "I've brought someone to see you", Laura said in her calmest demeanour and smiled at Tom. "Laura, I didn't expect to see you this morning", Tom looked at Laura suspiciously. "Oh, I was passing Becky this morning and we chatted, I'd thought I'd walk her to your office". Laura was exceptionally good at lying under pressure and an idea had just come to her that, if she was lucky, just might work. She quickly mouthed to Tom and pointed at Becky behind her back 'She's not right'. Becky was oblivious to the exchange. Tom looked at Becky and then back at Laura and nodded. "Right Becky, I'll leave you with Tom, I will see you later". "Okay", came a short cheery response from Becky as she sat down happily. Laura had managed to tuck in the open tabs of Becky's jeans and had just left the fly completely unzipped. The jeans were so tight on Becky now that they were almost part of her so they would not be falling down, and with the pullover nobody could tell they were undone. The only unfortunate result was that Becky's large midriff was now noticeable under the pullover, as the woolly fabric rested on Becky's unconstrained belly. Laura took a last concerned look at Becky and quickly left the room. She honestly had not a clue how this was going to go down.

"So, Becky, How are you feeling, it's been a while, everyone has been really rather worried". Looking at Becky, Tom noticed that her face had changed slightly since her had last seen her around two weeks ago now. It had filled out and was appealingly round with her broad inviting smile. It really suited her, but there was was something else in her face that he couldn't quite yet work out. "I'm feeling great", was all Becky said and smiled at Tom. Tom paused and frowned slightly. "You feel great? Is that it? Becky it's been two weeks". Becky looked at Tom for a moment seemingly deep in thought. "I'd like to come back to work", Becky said proudly, smiling again at Tom. Tom was beginning to understand why Laura had mouthed what she did to him a moment ago. He lent forward in his chair to get a better look at Becky. "Becky are you ok?", Tom was now looking at Becky very suspiciously. Becky, thinking she may have said something wrong went blank for a moment thinking deeply again. Hadn't she just answered this question? Perhaps that was a different conversation. She decided to answer it again. "Yeah, I'm feeling great". She repeated, smiling again at Tom. Tom's frown grew larger. "Becky, are you high?". Becky looked at Tom confused. What did height have to do with anything? Becky looked at the ceiling confused and then back at Tom, "High?", she pointed upwards with genuine confusion. "Becky this is serious, are you on something?". Tom was getting irritated now, suspecting that Becky might have been intoxicated, and he was partially right. Becky was very confused. She was trying to speak but couldn't find any words, she genuinely had no idea why people were getting angry with her and snapping this morning. Becky was shaking her head from side to side slightly and her mouth was moving but no words were coming out. "Becky!", Tom said angrily and raised his eyebrows. "I, I don't know what you mean", Becky managed. "Right, I've seen all I need to see here, Becky you're dismissed, you're off duty from this point forward. I need to call Iain about this. Please leave now. And wait for us to contact you, we will both need to see you shortly". Becky started to cry. What was happening, why was everyone being so mean to her? She sobbed loudly and held her hands up to her mouth, she got up slowly as if she didn't know where to go and then left the room sobbing loudly. Tom watched her leave and then immediately called Iain.

Laura had been waiting around the corner down the corridor and heard a door bang and sobs go down the corridor the other way. She closed her eyes. "Ohhhh Shit!", she said muttered to herself and then went dashing off as fast as she could up the corridor after Becky. "Becky, Becky stop". Laura had managed to catch up to Becky quite quickly as she looked like she didn't know where she was going. Laura grabbed her arm and pulled her to a halt. "What happened?", Laura asked as Becky slowly calmed down. "I, I don't know", Becky said, sobs subsiding. "Tom asked me if I was ok, I just said yes, then he asked me if I was high?", Becky shrugged conveying her lack of understanding. "He told me to leave, and said I was dismissed from duty or something". Becky was remarkably calm now, almost back to normal, well absent Becky normal anyway. "Ok sweet, I think I need to go and have a word with Tom. Do you know how to get back to you room?", Laura asked softly. Becky nodded. "Good, well go back to the room and wait for me there, I won't be long ok?", "Okay", Becky said, and smiled a sweet smile to Laura. She started to walk off. Laura sighed, "Becky.... that way", Becky turned to see Laura pointing down the other end of the corridor. "Oh", Becky shrugged and smiled as she walked back past Laura. Laura shook her head in mild despair.

For the second time in 10 minutes Laura knocked at Tom's door. She heard a phone receiver being put down and then came a frustrated "Come" from Tom. She went in. Tom looked at Laura as she came through the doorway. "Laura. Why am I not surprised to see you back in here". Tom looked at Laura with a frank expression. "Tom, can we cut the bullshit I need to talk to you about Becky, something is very wrong". Laura closed the door and stood with her back against it. "Evidently. And why do I get the feeling you have something to do with it?", Tom asked dubiously. "It's nothing to do with me", Laura lied, nevertheless getting defensive at the completely true accusation, "As you probably know by now me and Becky are very close..... very close Tom", Laura, being the excellent liar she was, knew that revealing some uncomfortable truths was an excellent way to cover an even greater lie, "We have been spending so much time together in the evenings, but since Becky went off sick something has happened to her". "Laura, are you telling me that yourself and Becky are intimate?", Tom asked bluntly. "Fuck it, yes, but what does that matter, Tom she is ILL!". Laura let her emotions come through. "Is she using drugs Laura?", Tom asked with concern, "Are you for that matter?", "For fucks sake Tom no, we are not, Becky hasn't taken any drugs, I would have known, and she's just not like that, you know Becky Tom as well as I". "Laura, she is on something, conscious of it or not, I know what it looks like, have you seen her eat or drink anything she shouldn't? Has anyone else been spending time with Becky?", "No, no and no, to be fair she hasn't really been eating much since she was off sick, and she hasn't seen anybody else to my knowledge". An image of Becky's anxious face staring back at Laura with the cake bag forcibly in her mouth popped into Laura's head. "Laura, it's a little hard for me to accept that Becky is like this but nothing has changed, something has to have happened to her for her to be acting this way", Laura jumped in quickly, "Tom I'm not saying something hasn't fucking happened, I'm telling you something has but I don't know what, Becky is Ill, you and Iain need to take a look at her, she needs help". "We are in agreement about that Laura, I've already spoke to Iain, he is coming down here immediately and we are going to see Becky. In the mean time, you are forbidden to see her until we get to the bottom of this. I suggest you go back to your own room until we work out what to do with you too, you and Becky are in enough trouble as it is, I hope you know that if you're responsible for leading her on you've most likely cost her her job". Tom looked at Laura with sincerity. "Please just help Becky", Laura said guiltily, trying to bury the acknowledgement that she was solely responsible for this whole mess.