Non, non, non!

‘I’ll go, Ben,’ I said. ‘You stay here, don’t worry!’
Despite the look on Mum’s face I couldn’t wait to get out of the sitting room and leave Ben and Suzie to sort things out.
‘What is it?’ I demanded.
‘Just come and help me,’ Mum implored. ‘Quick – upstairs!’
I raced up the stairs after Mum and into the twins’ bedroom. They were both standing up in their cots bouncing up and down and jabbering happily enough, considering it was their bedtime. Nothing wrong with them then – no, it was our new au pair, Isabelle, who was in trouble. She lay on the floor, thrashing about in a most alarming way, her limbs clenching at odd angles, her head flailing. It was really quite frightening to watch.
‘Heck – is she having a fit?’ I asked.
‘Looks like it,’ said Mum. ‘Looks like epilepsy to me – but I’m not sure. There was nothing on what she sent us about her being epileptic. Anyway, I shouldn’t leave her – I didn’t want to come down but I couldn’t make you hear. Can you go and check the Internet – see if you can find out what we should do.’
‘I know you’re supposed to clear everything away so they’ve space,’ I said. ‘And you don’t try to hold their mouths open or anything.’
‘Yes, yes, I know,’ said Mum. ‘And I made a space - but I think she should probably see a doctor – I don’t know if this is a new thing or whether she’s used to it happening. Just go and check, love – can you manage with your hand like that? I wish Ben had come – get him if you can’t do it.’
I didn’t bother trying to explain to Mum that this wasn’t the best moment for Ben – I just hurried to see what I could find out. I was pretty sure all we had to do was wait until the fit was over, then keep the patient warm in the recovery position – and take it from there – but it was difficult because we knew nothing about how Isabelle normally was.
It was surprisingly hard to find out what I needed to know on the Internet. There was endless background information about epilepsy – but what to do when someone was actually having a fit was more difficult. By the time I got back, Mum had got Isabelle into the recovery position and had put a duvet over her.
‘Well?’ she said.
‘You’re doing the right thing,’ I said. ‘Apparently she might be drowsy when she comes round properly or she might be perfectly normal.’
‘I though that was what might happen,’ said Mum. ‘Look, could you stay with her, love? Your dad’s got a late night at the salon so he won’t be back for a while and I need to get the girls fed and into bed.’
‘Fine,’ I said though actually I felt quite anxious about it – and in dire need of a cup of tea after all that stress downstairs! But I knew I’d have to wait for that. Mum scooped up Rebekah and then Hayley and staggered through into her bedroom – they’re getting rather large to carry both at once!
I sat down on the floor beside Isabelle – what an awful thing to happen when you’d just moved in with a family of complete strangers in a foreign country. I felt really sorry for her. I wondered what Mum was going to do about it. I mean, was Isabelle safe to be left with the babies? If she was prone to having fits, that could be very dangerous. I wondered what mothers who had epilepsy did about it.
Just then, the phone downstairs went. Darn – would Ben and Suzie be able to tear themselves out of each others’ arms for long enough to answer it? I went to the door, my eyes still fixed on Isabelle.
‘Ben!’ I yelled. ‘Answer it – I can’t come down!’
I heard reluctant movement from the sitting room – you know how you can tell it’s reluctant – slow steps and moany voices. I sat back down next to Isabelle. Her eyelids fluttered. Perhaps she was beginning to come round.
Ben yelled up the stairs.
‘It’s Chas, Kate. He wants to talk to you.’
‘Tell him I can’t come down – tell him he’ll have to ring my mobile.’
‘What’s going on?’ Ben asked.
I explained as fast as I could.
‘Crikey,’ said Ben. ‘What’s Mum going to do?’
Honestly – little brothers! Ten minutes ago he’d been all maturity and good sense. Right now he was being thick as a brick.
‘How should I know, Ben?’ I demanded. ‘How would Mum know yet? It’s only just happened! Now go and be useful and make us all a cup of tea. I haven’t recovered from you and Susie doing your big kiss and make up scene yet and now I’m doing hospital drama up here!’
I settled down again. I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk to Chas just then – I felt drained after the scene with Ben and Suzie and felt Isabelle needed to come round to peace and quiet – so I wasn’t at my best when I answered my mobile.
‘Kate, hi – I need to talk to you,’ said Chas.
‘What about?’ I said, keeping my voice really low. ‘This isn’t exactly a good time.’
‘Why not?’
Honestly! Hadn’t Ben told him? No, I suppose he was still too absorbed in all that had happened with Suzie to be bothered with the little matter of our epileptic au pair!
Briefly, very briefly, I explained. ‘So I don’t want to talk now because she might come round any moment and I think things should be quiet for her,’ I added.
‘Well, can you call later? When she’s sorted out?’ There was an impatience in Chas’s voice that I took exception too. I was tired and crabby. It felt like it had been a very long evening already – and my wrist was really beginning to hurt – it does that in the evenings at the moment – in fact it’s hurting right now while I’m writing this.
‘Oh, can’t it wait, whatever it is?’ I demanded. ‘Oh, in fact, it’ll have to – Isabelle’s coming round. Bye – see you soon.’
I put my phone down and turned to Isabelle who was slowly beginning to push back the duvet and sit up. She looked very puzzled.
‘Did I …did I….?’ She was clearly struggling to find an English word.
I nodded. ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘You had a fit. Perhaps you are epileptic?’
For reply, Isabelle burst into tears. ‘Non, non, non,’ she wailed, so loudly that I shushed her quite fiercely – I was worried about Rebekah and Hayley being disturbed.
‘It’s all right,’ I said. ‘You’re all right now. Mum will need to talk to you about it though.’
At that Isabelle began to wail terribly. 'Non, non, non!' she kept repeating. 'Non, non, non!'
I waited for a minute or two but Isabelle seemed to be getting more agitated rather than less. There was no help for it. I went to get Mum.