Light In The Darkness
TEN
The next morning I woke up, nerves were already present in my stomach. I sat up quickly, suddenly aware of what was going to happen today. "Lauren?" came a muffled voice behind me. I realised I'd woken Cole up and turned towards him.
"Sorry," I said softly. He sat up next to me.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I...I'm having surgery today," I whispered. Not sure how I felt.
"You'll be fine, baby," Cole whispered and held me close to his side. I wrapped my arms around his waist. I took a deep breath, my nose filling with Cole's distinct smell, and the recognisable smell of sleep.
"I didn't mean to wake you up," I said pulling away. "You can go back to sleep."
"Baby, I'm up," he said softly and kissed my shoulder. "I'm not going to leave you alone so you can start worrying about this..."
"I won't..." I trailed off, realising that if I did have a chance to think, I probably would start freaking out. "Thank you."
"I love you, baby," he said tenderly and I smiled and leant against his shoulder.
"I love you, too," I said gently. Cole wrapped his arms around me and we sat calmly for a short time. "What time is it?" I whispered after a while.
"10.30," Cole said and I nodded.
"We have to leave at 11.30," I said and Cole nodded.
"I know, baby," he said and kissed my temple. "Did you want anything before we leave?"
"No," I smiled. "I just want to have a shower but otherwise..." I trailed off with a shrug.
"Alright," he whispered. "Come on, then."
About an hour later I was sitting in the kitchen in a pair of grey trackies and a black hoodie. "How you doing, baby?" he asked. I wasn’t saying very much because I was unsure about what would come out if I did talk. I nodded and Cole put a mug of hot chocolate in my hands. I smiled.
"Thanks," I said appreciatively.
"Anytime, sweetie," he said and kissed my cheek before moving off to do something. I smiled as I heard him moving about. I found it amazing how much I loved him.
About 25 minutes later, we were sitting in the car and on our way to the hospital. The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering madly and I kept taking deep breaths. Cole didn't comment but I knew he was aware I was scared. The car journey was silent but I refused to think about what was going to happen this afternoon.
When we pulled into the car park and when the car came to a stop, my stomach lurched. "Lauren, you're going to be fine. It's all going to be great," he said and kissed me tenderly. I nodded when he pulled back but didn't want him to move away and so put my hand on the back of his head and kissed him deeply. "Lauren," he whispered against my lips as he pulled away several minutes later. "You'll be fine. There's no reason to worry. Everything will be great. I promise."
"You're staying here, aren’t you?" I asked, worriedly.
"Of course," he said as though he wouldn’t have it any other way. "I asked Les if he could walk and look after Pacca."
"When did you ask him that?" I asked, shocked.
"I phoned him last night when you had gone to sleep," he said and I smiled. I nodded and then slowly pulled away from him and swallowed.
"Let's go then," I whispered and opened the car door and climbed out.
We walked across the car park again, hand in hand, and through the doors. "Morning," the same receptionist from before said.
"Morning," Cole said. "Where do we need to go? Lauren's having surgery."
"Go to the office where you made the appointment," the woman said. "They will tell you what's going on."
"Thanks," Cole smiled and then led me by my hand through the hospital. I heard him knock on a door a few minutes later and then we walked inside.
"Good morning," a woman said as we walked in.
"We came to find out where we are supposed to go," Cole said walking into the room. "Lauren's surgery is today."
"Oh, yes," she said, typing on a keyboard. "You are in room 36A. I will have someone escort you upstairs. There should be a doctor along soon to talk to you." I nodded and smiled weakly.
"Thank you," Cole said just as there was another knock on the door.
"This is nurse Siselly," the woman said. "Please can you take them to 36A?"
"Of course," a young woman replied. We then walked out and Cole held my hand as we walked through the hospital.
"This is 36A," the young nurse said and the door was opened. "Dr Reece will be along in a couple of minutes."
"Thanks," Cole said and we walked into the room. The door was shut behind us and Cole led me to the bed and I sat down. "You alright, baby?"
"Yeah," I smiled. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he whispered and kissed my cheek softly and sat next to me just before there was a knock on the door and it opened.
"Hello, Lauren," Dr Reece said as she walked into the room.
"Morning," I smiled back.
"How are we doing?" she asked.
"I'm alright," I said honestly.
"Great," she said. "We want to get started soon, so nurse Siselly is going to give you an anaesthetic injection, okay?" I nodded, the butterflies suddenly flying into life again. "This is a pretty straight forward procedure. You don’t need to worry, Lauren. It will be over before you know it." I nodded. "We need you to change first. Please can you put this on?" Something was put in my hands. A thin, cold hospital gown. I nodded and stood up. Cole led me to the bathroom, where I got changed quickly, wanting to be back in reach of Cole.
I sat back on the bed and Cole took hold of my hand tightly again. I smiled slightly. Someone moved to my other side and rolled up the sleeve of my t-shirt. I turned my head away and buried it in Cole's shoulder. I winced slightly when I felt the needle puncture my skin, but other than that it was relatively painless. "You will be getting sleepy soon," Dr Reece said. I could already feel my eyelids getting heavy and I leant on Cole more heavily.
"I'll be right here, baby," Cole whispered as his arms tightened around me. "You're going to be fine." I smiled weakly before sleep enveloped me completely.
"Sorry," I said softly. He sat up next to me.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I...I'm having surgery today," I whispered. Not sure how I felt.
"You'll be fine, baby," Cole whispered and held me close to his side. I wrapped my arms around his waist. I took a deep breath, my nose filling with Cole's distinct smell, and the recognisable smell of sleep.
"I didn't mean to wake you up," I said pulling away. "You can go back to sleep."
"Baby, I'm up," he said softly and kissed my shoulder. "I'm not going to leave you alone so you can start worrying about this..."
"I won't..." I trailed off, realising that if I did have a chance to think, I probably would start freaking out. "Thank you."
"I love you, baby," he said tenderly and I smiled and leant against his shoulder.
"I love you, too," I said gently. Cole wrapped his arms around me and we sat calmly for a short time. "What time is it?" I whispered after a while.
"10.30," Cole said and I nodded.
"We have to leave at 11.30," I said and Cole nodded.
"I know, baby," he said and kissed my temple. "Did you want anything before we leave?"
"No," I smiled. "I just want to have a shower but otherwise..." I trailed off with a shrug.
"Alright," he whispered. "Come on, then."
About an hour later I was sitting in the kitchen in a pair of grey trackies and a black hoodie. "How you doing, baby?" he asked. I wasn’t saying very much because I was unsure about what would come out if I did talk. I nodded and Cole put a mug of hot chocolate in my hands. I smiled.
"Thanks," I said appreciatively.
"Anytime, sweetie," he said and kissed my cheek before moving off to do something. I smiled as I heard him moving about. I found it amazing how much I loved him.
About 25 minutes later, we were sitting in the car and on our way to the hospital. The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering madly and I kept taking deep breaths. Cole didn't comment but I knew he was aware I was scared. The car journey was silent but I refused to think about what was going to happen this afternoon.
When we pulled into the car park and when the car came to a stop, my stomach lurched. "Lauren, you're going to be fine. It's all going to be great," he said and kissed me tenderly. I nodded when he pulled back but didn't want him to move away and so put my hand on the back of his head and kissed him deeply. "Lauren," he whispered against my lips as he pulled away several minutes later. "You'll be fine. There's no reason to worry. Everything will be great. I promise."
"You're staying here, aren’t you?" I asked, worriedly.
"Of course," he said as though he wouldn’t have it any other way. "I asked Les if he could walk and look after Pacca."
"When did you ask him that?" I asked, shocked.
"I phoned him last night when you had gone to sleep," he said and I smiled. I nodded and then slowly pulled away from him and swallowed.
"Let's go then," I whispered and opened the car door and climbed out.
We walked across the car park again, hand in hand, and through the doors. "Morning," the same receptionist from before said.
"Morning," Cole said. "Where do we need to go? Lauren's having surgery."
"Go to the office where you made the appointment," the woman said. "They will tell you what's going on."
"Thanks," Cole smiled and then led me by my hand through the hospital. I heard him knock on a door a few minutes later and then we walked inside.
"Good morning," a woman said as we walked in.
"We came to find out where we are supposed to go," Cole said walking into the room. "Lauren's surgery is today."
"Oh, yes," she said, typing on a keyboard. "You are in room 36A. I will have someone escort you upstairs. There should be a doctor along soon to talk to you." I nodded and smiled weakly.
"Thank you," Cole said just as there was another knock on the door.
"This is nurse Siselly," the woman said. "Please can you take them to 36A?"
"Of course," a young woman replied. We then walked out and Cole held my hand as we walked through the hospital.
"This is 36A," the young nurse said and the door was opened. "Dr Reece will be along in a couple of minutes."
"Thanks," Cole said and we walked into the room. The door was shut behind us and Cole led me to the bed and I sat down. "You alright, baby?"
"Yeah," I smiled. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he whispered and kissed my cheek softly and sat next to me just before there was a knock on the door and it opened.
"Hello, Lauren," Dr Reece said as she walked into the room.
"Morning," I smiled back.
"How are we doing?" she asked.
"I'm alright," I said honestly.
"Great," she said. "We want to get started soon, so nurse Siselly is going to give you an anaesthetic injection, okay?" I nodded, the butterflies suddenly flying into life again. "This is a pretty straight forward procedure. You don’t need to worry, Lauren. It will be over before you know it." I nodded. "We need you to change first. Please can you put this on?" Something was put in my hands. A thin, cold hospital gown. I nodded and stood up. Cole led me to the bathroom, where I got changed quickly, wanting to be back in reach of Cole.
I sat back on the bed and Cole took hold of my hand tightly again. I smiled slightly. Someone moved to my other side and rolled up the sleeve of my t-shirt. I turned my head away and buried it in Cole's shoulder. I winced slightly when I felt the needle puncture my skin, but other than that it was relatively painless. "You will be getting sleepy soon," Dr Reece said. I could already feel my eyelids getting heavy and I leant on Cole more heavily.
"I'll be right here, baby," Cole whispered as his arms tightened around me. "You're going to be fine." I smiled weakly before sleep enveloped me completely.