Sounds Like Radio Episode 24
Cesca had scribbled notes on her script of the two points at which Kevin had cut off a fade abruptly, making the PA and the director jump.
She would re-fade in the edit, which luckily she was doing another day. Kevin, she thought, must be tired.
Monica came to fetch Kevin, and was in the kitchen with Cesca and Miriam while Kevin was doing one of his thorough checks of the studio.
Miriam was washing up.
“I’m just wondering if Kev needs his ears syringing?” Cesca said.
“I’ll see if I can persuade him to call our practice nurse,” Monica said.
“What nurse?” Kevin had appeared in the doorway.
“Just to get your ears cleared out, sweetheart,” she said.
“Actually I might do the same – I’ve swum a lot in the last few weeks and the cold water –”
“I’m fine,” Kevin said.
Cesca chose her words carefully – there was no point in annoying him.
“That play sounds great. Your work on the car chase was fab. But I feel you may have missed a couple of . . . nuances.”
“We can get a ten-minute appointment,” Monica added.
“Or,” Cesca said, feeling supported by Monica in her bid to get Kevin to the GP, “why don’t we all – you, me, Gerry even – nip into the audiologist’s?
“We’re supposed to go annually and I bet we’re late this year.” She grinned. “It’s tax-deductible!”
“I haven’t got time,” Kevin said.
Cesca could see Miriam was impatient.
“There’s always time for health,” Monica said.
“I’m working all hours on our windows,” Kevin said petulantly
Miriam put down the dish brush with a bang.
Monica sighed.
“I’ve brought the car. I’ll see you out there,” she said, and left.
“It is too much. You know that, don’t you?” Miriam said.
“What’s too much?” Kevin was picking up his bag and making for the door.
“I have to say this, Kevin: I’m at your house quite a bit now and she’s a flipping saint, making pasta while you bang nails in, coping when you turn the water off three times on a Sunday, wiping MDF dust off all the surfaces again.”
“The house is old and needs a lot of work,” Kevin said.
Miriam rolled her eyes.
“She’ll walk out. I didn’t know your first wife, but I feel sorry for her.
“Maybe you should listen to Monica about your ears. Maybe you should rethink the living-on-a-building site thing.
“Do you think that the time might have come to settle for a home that’s perfect enough?” Miriam looked suddenly upset.
“You should be grateful you have a home.”
Cesca was amazed. Miriam had never asserted herself before, and she had especially never criticised her seniors.
“I’ve been to the practice nurse,” Kevin mumbled.
“Oh,” Miriam said, glancing at Cesca.
“He sent me to the audiologist,” Kevin went on.
“I have hearing loss. I went without telling Monica and to prove you all wrong.
“I’ve seen you, and Gerry even, doing a double-take sometimes when I’m listening or mixing.
“I knew that there was something going on. I’ve caught myself letting the levels creep up.”
He leaned against the door jamb and looked at the ceiling. Cesca thought he might be about to cry.
“Cesca, you’d have guessed in the end. I turn things up to hear the subtleties.”
“You cancelled the order for a replacement warning bulb,” Cesca said quietly.
Kevin nodded miserably.
“It was coming on more and more often, and obviously I knew you’d see it.
“I know I was risking my ears even more but . . . I didn’t want to face it.”
Cesca sighed.
“I may as well get it all out now, Cesca. The bulb didn’t break; I removed it.”
Cesca whistled.
“I’m so sorry, Kev,” Miriam said.
“Why?”
“I was so mean.”
Kevin put his hand on the door knob to leave.
“I do understand, sometimes, why people get impatient with me.”
He slipped out of the door, and for at least a minute Cesca and Miriam were silent.
“He’s a good guy,” Cesca said.
“I know he is,” Miriam said. “He’ll be OK, won’t he?”
“I just hope Monica doesn’t leave him, Miriam.
“I was with Kevin the last time that particular catastrophe happened, and it was dreadful.
“He’s clueless, and he won’t listen, and he’s weird, but he suffers just the same as anybody.”