John had flown to the UK, seen Mimi for her birthday accompanied by the kids i.e. Jules, Sally and smurfette, then traveled on with them to Cyn's for lunch. A whistle stopof a visit for him before he had to hop the next flight back to New York.

It had been fun surprising Mimi, she cried which John thought was hysterical after her heartily berating him on the telephone just the night before... about going soft with the new baby grandchild.
He was a grandfather ~ farkkkk, still can't get the old head around that one at times.

Mimi was besotted as Sally laid tiny Ivy in Mim's arms, her smile was worth the quick trip across the pond.

He was back now because the record executives were still the hounds of hell. Hounding for another album... or he was toast.

Feeling like going rouge but not brave enough to do it right off the bat, John used the people in his life once again for inspiration.

Ivy, Julian, the recent user of idiotic men- Heather, Sally and even Isabelle to evoke tunes from his arse and attempt to make some lyrical nonsense to placate the executive's wallets and not let it be an embarrassing monumental flop to his name.

Heather....

Heather had turned the corner that day early in his AA sessions and slammed into John hard as he exited the Alcoholics Anonymous group meeting.

The members were all great- full of eccentric oddballs like himself, women with bigger thirsts than his shameful self and Vietnam Vets that thanked him for his work with the peace movement.

And she was a head turner, something lip-smacking like he would go for in the old days.

Blonde, big blue eyes, nice handful sized 'anything mores a waste' mammaries and knew not a fucking thing about the Beatles.

It was all terribly refreshing.

It was also annoying that she would stare at him like a deer on acid as he spoke about anyone or thing that meant something to him.

A song on the radio- blank, dead eyes.

Paul- who's that- he isn't important.

George- haven't heard of him - not important either.

Ringo- what ring- what are you talking about?

John had grumblings in the back of his mind the very first week.

Fair enough she didn't know the fab four but not hearing of him at all or any of Paul's insipid silly love songs or even George's monumental diarrhoea of deserving work- All Pissed Must Fast no that's not it, it's All Things Must Pass or even Rings with his UFO song... Which, by the way, John loved. He had had a blast doing that with Rings. Just like old times.

Well it was pretty absurd.

She pretty much gazed blankly a heap of the time she was around.

Didn't do the old ego any good either.

She also didn't use her brain, no colour to her thoughts, no witty comebacks, no dissecting the New York Times to create interesting debate.

Her whole demeanor was as if the balloon deflated and the plastic was shriveled and ready for the bin.

He liked colour, movement. Biting, sucking. Ok, a little licking too. Oh and most importantly-  brains .....

A set of pins that went on forever were all very well and good but when they didn't come attached to a brain or much of an appetite for sex, he was done. Don't laugh- a man has his needs.

Heather was no more, didn't last more than a fortnight which seemed like bloody eons at the time and his body, and ego, were relieved.

His mind too was now clear of the whimsical nonsense of her pop culture, cartoon, lollipop sucking personality.

She couldn't even suck all that well either, come to think of it.

Calling Isabelle after being back in the states a mere day, John smiled thinking about her reaction to the tiny 'G' pendant he had sent.

He definitely would have some fun with that.....

Had he been hitting the 'G spot'.

Did she touch her 'G spot' today.

He could just imagine Isabelle's bubbling laughter as he dialled.

Nothing.

Probably off Mermaiding.... John hazarded a guess to her whereabouts.

Sally told him that Issy had been busy remodeling and he couldn't wait to see all the work she must be doing. Isabelle would be good at that, she had great hands, easy to see her being creative and crafty, she also knew how to place choc chips deftly in her mouth with them too..

John picked up the AA brochure and grinned, Isabelle would be right pleased with his progress and he had a surprise for her too.

Forgetting about the phone call John sat and pounded out a few melodies on the piano, quickly banging out some early Chuck Berry classics, pounding through Great Balls of Fire, and a tinkering about with a few other fun ditties. When I'm Sixty Four got a whirl too. Not much of a whirl though, who wants to think about when they're sixty fucking four!

So engrossed in the piano playing the morning fled, and with the p.m,  boredom set in.

He wasn't much good at sitting about alone, even with music he needed people, needed banter, needed mind stimulation.

He gave up and wandered to the kitchen for a sandwich around one. Ham and pickles it was and he sat and watched the wind pick up leaves in eddies in Central Park. He then tossed the rubbish in the trash and dialed Isabelle's number.

"Hello" The voice was young, not Sally of course, she was still in the UK and not Isabelle, Isabelles voice was like her name, tuneful and warm.

"Have I got the wrong number luv. I was after Isabelle?"

"Issy?"

"Yeah Issy" Bloody gnat that.

John stretched the phone cord to reach his packet of smokes and lighter off the table, tapping the cigarette on the pack before he lit up.

"I'm her neighbour just popped round to feed the animals. Issy is in hospi-"

"What? What the hell happened. Is she ok?!!?" Stubbing out the cigarette, John walked back over to the window, the sky had darkened, a storm loomed.

"She hurt herself. She's a bit banged up but she'll be right. It's Issy isn't it .... She's one tough cookie, she is" Max barked from somewhere outside and John imagined the dogs pinning for their mistress. 'Hold on Maxy'

"Yeah I guess so, but what the hell happened"

"Umm fell off a ladder I think, banged her arm up bad and her ankle is broke. Mum checked in on her yesterday and took her a magazine, so she's awake now"

"What hospital?"

"Oh, just the little annex at Gloversville, you know the one next to the doctors practice. She told the docs not to send her further away"

"That sounds like Isabelle. Well ok then, ummm thanks for the info- I'll try and pop-up for a visit"

"Byeee"

"Yeah, see ya luv"

John dialled Sally at Cynthia's but banged the phone down right before it connected with the overseas operator, he had better see Isabelle first, make sure it wasn't just a sprain and bruising. Isabelle wouldn't like Sally panicking. Being so far away it would cause all sorts of strife.

Not up to driving after the international flight John got Frank, the security guard now doubling as a chauffeur, to drop him off at the Gloversville Medical Unit with a duffle bag of clothes, dark sunglasses and not very inconspicuous armful of records.

Going through Isabelle's collection he had seen some very big holes in her timeline of music so having the resources and the interest in seeing justice served to a half arsed record collection John bought a pile of black 'plastic' for her. 'Plastic' being Isabelle's jokey name for them as she pushed his buttons. Cheeky girl she is.

He dumped the vinyl on the reception desk, it was f-ing heavy.

The hospital wasn't very big, just a small annex for a larger medical centre further away ... a few beds and one doctor running about, John spotted a kid getting plaster on his arm, a guy with a massive timber splinter the size of a cigarette 'ewww', and a pensioner crying.

A bit dreary and sad, but anyhoo, John walked on. To the room at the end. On the right.

'You won't miss it' the girl on reception pointed out helpfully.

Well he wouldn't would he....

It's the room~

at the end~

on the right.

Isabelle's hair fanned over the pillow and her shoulder was strapped completely, leg sorted into a big brace. John quietly placed the albums on the dinner table trolley and walked up to her, dumping his bag quietly by the chair as he went.

Asleep and looking serenely calm...

She always radiated calm.

Even flogging her heart out to him in the lake her aura was halo of calm.

Even with her arms over her head and staring with eyes dilated and dark, into his ugly red, profusely sweating, face, she was calm. Sexy moaning granted, she moved beneath him well but an aura of calm all the same.

As opposed to his eternal melee of storms.

An interesting combination ...

He had missed it/her, a lot he mused. Surprising himself with that little thought.

His mind was off wandering again, leading him to revelations.

*

He was leaning gazing out the window when she woke, Isabelle stared at his back, her mind fuzzy and playing trick's she decided. John wouldn't be in her hospital room in tiny Gloversville. Turning her head slightly she spotted the vinyls piled high, the pile seemed to equate to the figure hovering by the window "John?"

Spinning like a top John grinned broadly making Issy grin which quickly morphed into a grimace as she shifted trying to sit higher, she ran fingers through her hair, she must look a mess. "What are you doing here?!" Isabelle reached for the paper cup of horrid town water, her nose turning up at it before even thinking about getting a whiff.

Empty.

John plucked it from her hand and found the water urn pouring her a half a cup.

"Come to bring you gifts and look after your clumsy arse" John sat on the edge of the seat closest to Isabelle and touched her shoulder ever so gently "When can you come home?"

"Home?" Issy grinned, she was high on whatever the doc had laced her with and felt wonderfully lightheaded currently.

"Home" John rolled his eyes, they were crinkled in a teasing, fun manner "Mermaid lake house of course Isabelle, keep up luv!"

"I can't go home without a nurse maid apparently. Know any applicants?" Issy pouted then smiled gingerly; all big eyes, innocently staring him down as he sat with his elbows holding his chin up off the bed "I'd rather a male nurse if you know what I mean. Wink, wink" Issy winked and John jumped up to hurry from the room. Issy called him back "I didn't mean to scare you John! Please don't run away"

"Oh, I wasn't running away luv" John stuck his head back around the door "I was fetching the doctor for release forms and whatever LSD concoction you're currently on" He grinned happily and saluted her before walking off to find the doctor.