What indeed would Ruth do next? She certainly liked the idea of meeting Jason and, having got the idea in her head, she did not wish to be thwarted. Having to lie in bed day after day was frustrating but she was learning how to get her own way, despite relying on others, by using her newfound hold over men and her developing friendship with Karen. Though only yesterday she had had a very enjoyable sexual experience with the fluorescent orange vibrator, now back in Karen's possession (not the thing to leave lying around a sick girl's bedroom for all to seeâwhat with visiting aunts, nephews and nieces and all!), Ruth was again feeling in need of sexual stimulation.
"I was thinking," said Ruth.
"Oh, and what was that about," replied Karen as she put another spoonful of lunch in Ruth's mouth. Karen had to wait for the answer.
"I can't wait until I can feed myself again this is so awfulâbut that isn't what I was thinking."
Karen still had to wait for the revelation about what Ruth was thinking because she presented another spoon of lunch to Ruth.
"This lunch is better than usual Karen, thank you. Well I was thinking..." she began again and yet another spoonful appeared.
"Look, I'm not a baby, hold on a second and let me tell you."
"It'll get cold."
"I was thinking..."
"Yes, I heard that bit."
Ruth may have been incapacitated in a big way but she could still glare, "...about how I could get to see Jason."
"Oh, yes?" but the loaded spoon re-appeared and Ruth gave up until feeding time was over. In her mind it was never breakfast, lunch or dinner. Always 'feeding time'. Feeding time for baby, feeding time at the zoo, feeding time for the crippleâit didn't matter which. She hated her incapacity.
Having your nails cut does not prevent talking and Ruth launched into her plan. Why couldn't Karen and James or Karen and Bob take her around to see Jason? Surely it was possible to move her by stretcher. She really didn't need to stay at home all the time and it would be great to get out.
"Jason could come here just as easily."
"But it was my idea."
Karen said she'd talk to colleagues, talk to Jason and see what could be arrangedâbut she wasn't promising anything.
And so it came about that Ruth, for the first time in weeks, found herself leaving her bedroom, strapped to a stretcher, and taken downstairs and out of the house, out of what she increasingly saw as her prison and into the outside world. To sense the wind and sun on her face, the fresh air and the feeling of escape from her bedroom gaolâeven if only for a few hoursâwas wonderful.
It was Bob helping Karen rather than James. Karen had reminded Ruth that she had James thinking he had to be naked in her presence, because of her allergies, and it would have looked a bit strange to have a naked man holding one end of Ruth's stretcher out in the road. Ruth had giggled and hoped James would come to bathe her again soon. She liked him being naked. Ruth could not help noticing that Bob looked nervous and wary of her. He hadn't forgotten his earlier experience.
Carefully Ruth was set down on Jason's bed but she could only see him out of the corner of her eye until Karen moved her head and there she was facing him and he facing her neither able to move but able to look and speak.
"Hallo."
"Hallo."
"Well we'll leave you to chat for an hour and then we'll come back and make some tea."
There Ruth was in her pyjamas, Jason in his, a girl and a boyâtwo strangers together in a double bed but nothing could have been more proper: because nothing could happen.
They got on like a house on fire. Of course the first twenty minutes was taken up with talking about their shared interestâthe illness and its problems, their discussion of which became more personal as they became more comfortable with each other's company.
Their mutual friend Karen soon came into the conversation and, via that, the frustration of being unable to masturbate or have sexual relations. They were surprisingly frankâboth knew things about the other from Karen and both knew the other knew.
"Karen described your breasts to me. I would love to see them."
"I'd show them to you if I could. She told me you came when she described themâI would love to see that!"
They laughed together in a good companionable way.
Above the bed, suspended from the ceiling, was a complicated system of ropes, bars and pulleys. "It's to lift me up," Jason had explained, "makes it easier for everyone."
Ruth was not sure she would like to be moved around like a sack of potatoes and was happy enough with the manual movement she experienced but she could see the sense in it.
All too soon it was time to go.
"Karen move my head, please, so I can kiss Jason goodbye."
It was a bit more than a goodbye kiss; it was not just lips to cheek but lips to lips and an exploration of tongues.
"Have you finished?" said Karen with amusement after a couple of minutes.
Back in her own bed Ruth reflected on her day. A smile crossed her face. She had another idea. A really good idea and she would tell Karen tomorrow.
"You want to what?"
Karen looked at Ruth in astonishment. She knew Jason and Ruth had got along well but...