Nightmare on Shrubbery Street

We go to bed. Usually around 9 p.m.

I have a hot water bottle. Ade sets his alarm, he slaps the side of the clock so the alarm remembers to go off.

We curl up, all cosy. My back to his front. He holds me tightly, the only time he does is in bed. I am happy and comfortable.

His breathing slows and becomes steady. As he goes to sleep he twitches. Like a puppet being pulled by invisible strings. Jerk - his elbow flicks upwards. Jerk - his hand leaps an inch and back.

As he relaxes, I tense.

I become conscious of my legs - they are aching. My ankle - it throbs. My shoulder hurts. I have things crawling on me - gotta itch.

I free my arm from under his and grapple for my calf. I itch and the crawling sensation subsides. That's all it is - a sensation. Then another, on my back.

Can't move, don't want to wake him up. He needs to sleep.

It irritates me. I try to reach down my back but cannot get to the spot. Dammit.

I gently lift his arm. I've got to move. Roll carefully onto my back. His arm still on top of me. I can stretch my aching legs out.

That's better, much better. I relax.

Two minutes pass.

God, my ankle is throbbing.

I flex it out, crackcrackcrack. Sounds like tinfoil being scrunched. Feels like there are strings inside the joint and they are catching and releasing as I stretch.

I have to keep moving it to ease the ache. Each time the grinding gets worse. Where are the pipes and the monkey? I could play myself a lullaby.

No good. I turn another 45 degrees. Onto my other side, facing Ade. My knees can't move, his are there. I wriggle. Try to get comfy.

He sighs. Rolls over onto his other side. I wrap my arms around him. That's better.

Two minutes.

Boy, my shoulder is hurting. Feels diseased. Definitely not right. I move it a little. Does that help?

Nope. Still hurting. Can't breathe too deep without getting a spasm of pain. Breathe shallowly, try not to disturb Ade.

Roll onto my front. Stretch both arms out beneath me. Head on pillow face down, turn it to one side.

Shoulder subsiding. Can relax. Breathe deeply now. Better.

Hmmmm. Lying with toes pointed and ankle flat to bed is not good. Ankle cannot bend out that far. Push myself down a bit. Toes now over end of the bed. Ankle bent. Better.

Argh - toe caught cold metal bedstead. No good. Pull foot back under duvet. Nice and warm.

Arms have gone totally numb. Better than aching I suppose.

No, have to move. Make the final turn back onto left side. Where I started from.

Now back to back with Ade. Better. Not so likely to wake him if I need to move.

Oooo legs aching. Something crawling on back of my arm. Itch and it goes. Bones feel like they are rotting. Extend legs, stretch them right out.

Still aching. Curl them up. That seems to help. Knees sticking out over side of mattress. Can feel edge of mattress. Little ridge round edge. Sticking right in me.

Gotta turn over.

Revolving like a woman on a spit.

All night.

Ade sleeps through, thank goodness.