Queen Daughter Short Stories

In Safe Hands

This is a deleted scene from The Original Taylor Daughter that comes between chapters America and Tour Curse.

April 1974

Alice loves watching her dad play the drums, he puts so much passion into playing and accompanied by Brian and John's guitar it just sounds right.

Many times Roger has tried to teach her how to drum but they could only do so much before it starts to hurt her hands.

On night six of supporting Mott the Hoople in America, Roger comes off and one of the tour medics is dressing his hand and she thinks what it does to his hands.

Roger is quieter than normal in the changing room after the show. When he goes to the bathroom she turns to Brian, "Uncle Bri?" She climbs into his lap pulling his attention from his conversation with John, "Is daddy okay, he's too quiet?"

"It's normal for him," John assures her before Brian speaks.

"Because the amount of drumming your dad does on stage causes sores and blisters on his hands, he has to build up the tolerance for every tour. You've seen him practising in advance for tours, that's to get his hands ready for it. By the end of the tour, his hands are used to it but sometimes his hands hurt more than others in the first few days after a break."

"Hmm..." She climbs off his lap and goes after Freddie who is on the phone in the hallway to Mary, his back to her.

She stands there and waits for him to finish since it's rude to interrupt someone on the phone. She's waiting a little while, Roger even comes past her to go back to the dressing room, "What are you waiting for Monkey?" He whispers.

"To talk to Uncle Freddie," She tells him in the same hushed tone.

Smirking Roger leaves her to wait, he's sure that Freddie hasn't clocked her standing behind him or he would have finished his phone call quicker.

Putting the phone back on the hook, Freddie turns around, "Shit!" He jumps a mile out of his skin and has to take a moment to steady his heart rate, "Don't creep up on me like that, I almost met my maker."

"Sorry," She looks at him innocently.

"Your too cute to be annoyed with, I'm going to get you a cat bell though," He bends to her level and playfully taps her nose, "Now how can I help?"

"I want to speak to the tour medic."

Switching to a more serious tone he crouches, taking her small hands in his, "Are you hurt, lovie? Or unwell?"

"No, but Uncle Bri said that Daddy's hands hurt from playing and I wanted to ask him if I can do anything to help him," She bows her head blushing madly, "He helps me when I hurt so I have to help him."

Grinning, Freddie lets go of one of her hands but keeps hold of the other and heads in the direction of the tour crew, "Adam dear," He gets the tour manager's attention.

"Freddie," He addresses the singer.

"Is Roxie about? My sweet Ally would like to ask her something."

He nods, "Roxie!"

The medic from earlier comes over, "Roxie dear. Ally would like to ask you some questions."

The woman knees in front of the girl, "Ask away Ally."

Alice asks her questions and Roxie gives her a few things she can do to help him, "I'm glad you came to ask me. Your dad lets me treat his hands but I know they still hurt him after so I'm hoping since your his daughter he'll let you help."

"Thank you," She puts the hand cream given to her in her backpack and hugs Roxie before taking Freddie's hand to go back.

------

With his hands hurting him that night, Roger decided against going for a few drinks in favour of going back to the hotel room for an early night and spending some time with his daughter.

They now have a three-day break before the next concert so a hotel was agreed to over the tour bus. They aren't the comfiest beds in the world.

In her pyjamas, Alice sat on the sofa watching TV in the room while her dad has a shower. He joins her on the sofa once he's in his pyjama trousers, "Ten minutes, Ally," He gives her the bedtime warning.

"Okay but I have to do something before I go to bed," She abandons the sofa and retrieves her backpack from the bedroom.

He eyes her suspiciously as she climbs onto the sofa again until she pulls out the cream Roxie gave and he immediately knows it's the antiseptic cream that soothes his hands, "Alice you don't..."

"Shh..." She scowls at him, setting the open pot in her lap and taking one of his hands. She tuts frowning at the sores and blisters, rubbing some of the cream between her hands and starts massaging it into his palm the way Roxie showed her.

Roger smiles down at her watching her work, "You really don't have to Monkey."

"Yes I do," She insists moving onto the other hand, "You help me feel better when I hurt so I'm going to do the same for you, it's only fair so I asked Roxie to show me what to do."

He leans forward kissing her forehead, "Better?" She asks him once she's done. He nods and she puts it back in her bag, he's not lying either, his hands do feel less painful.

Yawning she then crawls into his lap for a cuddle, he wraps his arms around her and kisses the top of her head, "Thank you Monkey."

She falls asleep against him and he carries her to bed, tucking her in with another kiss on the forehead.