The Guardian by Diana Knightley
Fifty-eight - Magnus
Ipulled out of my unconscious again tae a quiet empty room. I looked around and rang the bell.
A nurse came in. “Ah, you’re up!” She began checking my ‘bells and whistles’ as Kaitlyn would say.
“Where is Kaitlyn?”
“The queen? She is in the waiting room consoling Madame Hayley.”
“Och, what has happened tae Madame Hayley?”
“Her husband, Fraoch MacLeod, is in intensive care, sire, he is in a very dire situation.”
“Am I allowed tae get up?”
“Let me call in the physician to give you a check. We might be able to let you up for a short visit.”
I was told that I could be wheeled out to see them in a chair, so that I wouldna put weight upon m’leg, since it was where the robots had entered me. The physicians spoke about it verra scientifically but I got him tae explain it in robot terms because I liked the idea of it and looked forward tae telling Archie about having robots inside my body.
Getting up from bed was an exertion and then shifting myself over tae the chair with the help of the nurse, was embarrassin’. She was small and I was verra large compared, but she was strong enough tae heft me up and over. She pulled along some of the drippin’ bags and wheeled me through tae the waiting room.
There was Kaitlyn, her face lightin’ up when she saw me. She had her arm around Madame Hayley who looked verra frightened. The nurse wheeled me right in front of them. Kaitlyn kissed me. “So glad you’re up.”
“Thank ye. I am glad tae be up.”
“You’re more lucid too, remind me to tell you what craziness you were talking earlier. You were saying that your cock is how you listen to me.”
“Tis nae crazy tis true.” I took Hayley’s hand and held it on m’knee. “How are ye?”
“Not good.”
“I am sorry, Madame Hayley, what do they say on his health?”
She dabbed at her eyes and sniffled. “They say they don’t know yet. They say he’s got a blood infection.”
“Och, it daena sound like something ye want, but he is a strong man. I daena think we should consider it hopeless, I believe he is strong enough tae fight it.”
Madame Hayley nodded.
“Would ye pray with me, Madame Hayley?”
She nodded again so I bowed my head and prayed while she silently cried.
Then we sat quietly for a moment. “When will ye ken more news?”
“The doctor said he’d know more in the afternoon.”
“Then we hae some time tae waste, and the nurse might allow me tae remain here for a short time. I tell ye, Madame Hayley, she daena listen tae a word I say, forgettin’ I am a king.”
“Maybe we should tell stories about Fraoch,” said Kaitlyn.
I said, “Och I hae one, did he tell ye about the fish we tried tae catch one day on Loch Awe?”
Hayley said, “I think so, but I can hear it again.”
“There was a fish, the biggest fish in Loch Awe. He weighed at least two stone, we named him Iasg Mor.”
“What does that mean?”
“Big fish.” I grinned. “And so on this day in August we took Archie and Ben and went out on the loch tae search for him. Iasg Mor was last spotted at Fraoch Eilean—”
Kaitlyn asked, “And what is Fraoch Eilean?”
“The island Fraoch named after himself — did ye hear of it before?”
She shook her head.
“When he wakes ye should ask him tae sing ye the song he wrote for it. Tis an ode tae Fraoch Eilean, tis where he finds the best fish. He said if he wasna at the castle I could always find him at Fraoch Eilean.”
“I’ll definitely ask him to sing me the song.”
“So we went tae a wee inlet, surrounded by rocks. Fraoch and I had our rods and the sun was just coming up. Fraoch told the boys he was goin’ tae ‘try tae surprise the fish with a mornin’ snack and catch him for our dinner.’”
Kaitlyn said, “I don’t remember eating the biggest fish from the loch any time last year, so I’m thinking there’s an unhappy ending to this.”
“There is a funny ending because we got tae the inlet and Fraoch was verra wound up tae catch him. He was talking tae the fish the whole time and the boys thought twas verra funny. ‘Here Master Fish, where are ye Master Fish....?’ Then he spotted Iasg Mor and yelled, ‘Och! I hae ye now, Iasg Mor, ye will come home with me tae feed m’nephews.’” He leapt from the boat tae the rock and crouched low tryin’ tae pick him up from the water. The fish swam away. The boys were laughin’ verra hard at their Uncle.
“But then Fraoch said, ‘He thinks I am a man and I can be tricked. He daena ken I am really a bear.’ He dropped intae the water, twas verra cold. He stood shiverin’ and declared, ‘Now I will stand here verra still and be a bear, and he will come by me and I will grab him.’
“He was whispering as if twas a secret and he went verra still. I laughed and asked him, ‘Fraoch, ye might do better with a rod and reel?’ He was shiverin’. His teeth chatterin’, ‘Nae, I daena need anythin’.’
“I said, ‘But tis verra cold.’ He answered, ‘Tis all part of m’plan, he winna expect me tae be in water this cold, tis how I will trick him.’ He tapped the side of his head as if he was outsmartin’ the fish. Whenever the boys asked him how it was goin’ he’d say in a whisper, ‘Wheesht! Ye are ruining the plan!’
“He looked down in the water and after a long few moments he said, ‘I canna feel my dinglewhilly anymore, but tis okay, I will warm up when I am cooking the fish.’ He was grinnin’ verra wide.”
Hayley said, “This sounds just like him, to put himself in the cold water to feed his nephews.”
“Aye, he is a selfless soul, our Fraoch, he has been a friend and guard for a long time.”
Kaitlyn asked, “He didn’t catch the fish?”
“He was visibly shivering. I said tae him, ‘Fraoch, ye are goin’ tae turn intae a popsicle.’ He said, ‘I canna be a popsicle, I am a bear.’ And lookin’ intently in the water he said, ‘Wheesht!’ And from up on the boat I saw Iasg Mor swimmin’ past his body. He said, ‘I am a bear!’ And dove down tae catch the fish and was submerged, thrashing in the water, as if there was a mighty struggle between them and when he finally came up, fully drenched, a bit blue in the face from the cold, he said, ‘Och, I missed him.’
“The boys and I laughed verra hard as we helped him into the boat. I said, ‘It looked like you were in a big battle!’ And he laughed and said, ‘Nae, I never touched him.’ And he just laughed and laughed. ‘He was too smart for me, boys, I might be a bear, but I am a dumb bear, and he is a smart fish,’ and so we turned around and came home.”
Magnus smiled at Hayley. “Dost ye ken the best part?”
“What?”
“The boys were beginning tae think fishin’ was the most boring thing tae do, but after our day at Fraoch Eilean they loved going out with Fraoch on the boat. They always wanted tae go look for Iasg Mor. If ye think on it, the hearts of the nephews was what Fraoch wanted tae catch all along.”
Hayley dabbed at her misting eyes. “The man does love to fish.”
“Aye, a man who loves something that much canna leave the earth, he has too much to live for.”
“I think I might play some part in it.”
“Ye might, I believe he loves ye a great deal more than fishing.”
“Thank you, Magnus.” She got up and hugged me in my chair and clung around my neck for a moment then she sat back on the couch.
Kaitlyn asked me, “Are you able to see the kids? You look pretty fresh.”
“I feel verra fresh, I am missin’ them. Can ye send them in?”
Kaitlyn left the room and Madame Hayley and I sat in companionable silence, until it was broken by the door opening and the bairns rushing in, Isla toddlin’ and Archie comin’ up timid. He seemed reserved, but I put out an arm. “The physician says I am good, wee’un, ye daena need tae worry.” He climbed in my lap with his arms around me with his face buried in my shoulder tae hide his tears.
Kaitlyn said, “Is that comfortable?”
“Aye, tis fine.” Isla climbed up on my other side, too young tae understand what I had been through, she asked, “What this, Da?”
I said, “These are m’tubes, and did ye ken, wee’un, there was a tube inside m’body and a robot went right through it, up intae my chest, and it worked upon m’heart? Did ye ken it?”
Isla shook her head solemnly.
I said, “The robots hae reported back that tis all verra good about m’heart now, and I hear that in a few weeks we winna ken any difference, I will be well and m’heart will be strong and I will be able tae play all the games where we kick the ball and chase it and your mother winna need tae worry on me anymore. Winna it be a good thing?”
Archie said, “What about Uncle Fraoch?”
“Well, we need to keep prayin’ for him. He is nae well yet.”
Isla said, “Frookie, Frookie, Frookie.”
Kaitlyn sat down beside Hayley again and they held hands and I held the bairns, until Isla said, “Go see Ben.”
Kaitlyn said, “Archie, will you take Isla back to Beaty?”
He dutifully took his wee sister’s hand and I said, “Archie, if ye want tae come back tae see me, ye can, even if I am in m’room. I like tae hae yer company.”
“I will Da.”