Angels With Dirty Faces
XI
He took her hand in both of his, bile rising in his throat as he kissed her knuckles a couple of times, as reality began to settle in grief clutched his heart, he pulled himself closer to her, kissing her cheek avoiding the OG tube that trailed from the corner of her mouth, his eyes swept over her sallow skin, his head fell next to her as chesty sobs escaped him, he covered his face for a moment before looking back up at her, he cupped her face, listening to her laboured breathing, he took a deep breath, holding her hand tighter,
“I’m sorry love, I’m so sorry, it should have been me, you shouldn’t have gone in” he placed his head on her shoulder allowing more sobs to escape, he sat up pushing his hair from his forehead, with blurred vision he removed her wedding ring, a simple gold band, identical to his, “you don’t have to fight anymore Dolly, not if you don’t want to, not anymore, you’re tired I can see it, please just rest now love” he choked on his words “Don’t worry about Ruby I’ll make sure she makes you proud” he swept her hair away “I bloody love you”
--
She dumped the last box on to the kitchen side, smiling as a pair of arms snaked around her waist closely followed by delicate kisses on her neck,
“What do you want?”
She sighed happily,
“Nothing” he laughed “why do you always assume I want something?”
“Because you usually do!” she turned on the spot, “I’ve got a job for you anyway”
she purred running a finger along the collar of his t-shirt, his grip tightened as he pulled her closer, raising his eyebrows,
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Grab some cash out of my purse and pop to the chippy! I’m starving!”
She laughed as he walked away sighing playfully,
“Fine what do you want?”
“Usual! And treat yourself my love!”
She laughed as he walked away, she continued unpacking, taking a few moments to savour her new surroundings, her new family home, albeit unconventional, the three of them on a small 2-bedroom houseboat but this was her new heaven, just her Kevin and Ruby.
He fingered his pocket nervously, he sat in the car waiting for the lights to change, chewing his cheek he began to think about the best way to go about this, “Just come out with it” he thought to himself as he rounded the last corner to home,
She smiled to herself as keys clicked in the door, licking her lips at the thought of saveloy and chips,
“I’m not smelling salt and vinegar!”
She called out as she heard the door click shut,
“Sorry love it was shut, I did get you something else though”
She sighed turning to face him
“It had better be a diamond ring, to make up for the disappointment”
He smiled at her,
“Not quite diamond”
He said quietly rooting around in his pocket, he took her hand in his slipping the ring on to her finger,
“Kev, what’s…what are you doing?”
“Making an honest woman of you” he smiled still looking at the ring on her hand, “If you’ll have me”
Unable to contain herself, she threw her arms around his neck,
“Of course I bloody will! I’ve put up with you for this long!”
He threw his head back letting out a sigh of relief,
“I thought you’d say no!”
Her eyebrows twitched in confusion as she cocked her head at him,
“Why would I have said no?”
“after” he paused choosing his next words carefully “Everything”
“I thought we put that behind us?”
He nodded not making eye contact
“yeah, we have” he shoved her jokingly “Now go and get your glad rags on, we’re going out for dinner”
They threw themselves in to the evening, enjoying each other’s company and filling the hours with laughter and glasses of champagne, ideas for their nuptials swirled through the air as they excitedly spoke.
-
He still couldn’t bring himself to leave, he had made peace with her fate but was still unable to leave her side, just in case, he had watched her come through so much physically and mentally, a flame of hope still flickered inside him that she’ll come round, the doctor had said that the antibiotics were working, maybe she would get through this as well.
Every move she made, every change in her breathing pulled his attention igniting that flame inside of him.
As the evening drew in he remained unmoved, unable to bear the thought of her waking alone frightened and in pain, he knew she would do the same if it were him laid up in that bed, movement in the door way caught his attention, the usual young nurse walked in, his heart dropped knowing what she was about to say before she said it,
“Evening Kevin, time to leave now I’m afraid”
He leaned in to his wife kissing her warm cheek gently,
“You will call though” he sniffed trying to remain calm “if anything happens?”
The nurse nodded placing her hand at the top of his arm,
“Of course we will” her voice almost a whisper she smiled at the young fireman sympathetically “You’re the first on the list”
He looked back at her as he pulled his coat on, her chest rose and fell slowly, the nurse set about checking her cannulas and slipping her arm in to a blood pressure cuff, she nodded to herself making notes on her charts.
He sighed sadly feeling his chest tighten as his eyes welled, he turned quickly and left.
“I’m sorry love, I’m so sorry, it should have been me, you shouldn’t have gone in” he placed his head on her shoulder allowing more sobs to escape, he sat up pushing his hair from his forehead, with blurred vision he removed her wedding ring, a simple gold band, identical to his, “you don’t have to fight anymore Dolly, not if you don’t want to, not anymore, you’re tired I can see it, please just rest now love” he choked on his words “Don’t worry about Ruby I’ll make sure she makes you proud” he swept her hair away “I bloody love you”
--
She dumped the last box on to the kitchen side, smiling as a pair of arms snaked around her waist closely followed by delicate kisses on her neck,
“What do you want?”
She sighed happily,
“Nothing” he laughed “why do you always assume I want something?”
“Because you usually do!” she turned on the spot, “I’ve got a job for you anyway”
she purred running a finger along the collar of his t-shirt, his grip tightened as he pulled her closer, raising his eyebrows,
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Grab some cash out of my purse and pop to the chippy! I’m starving!”
She laughed as he walked away sighing playfully,
“Fine what do you want?”
“Usual! And treat yourself my love!”
She laughed as he walked away, she continued unpacking, taking a few moments to savour her new surroundings, her new family home, albeit unconventional, the three of them on a small 2-bedroom houseboat but this was her new heaven, just her Kevin and Ruby.
He fingered his pocket nervously, he sat in the car waiting for the lights to change, chewing his cheek he began to think about the best way to go about this, “Just come out with it” he thought to himself as he rounded the last corner to home,
She smiled to herself as keys clicked in the door, licking her lips at the thought of saveloy and chips,
“I’m not smelling salt and vinegar!”
She called out as she heard the door click shut,
“Sorry love it was shut, I did get you something else though”
She sighed turning to face him
“It had better be a diamond ring, to make up for the disappointment”
He smiled at her,
“Not quite diamond”
He said quietly rooting around in his pocket, he took her hand in his slipping the ring on to her finger,
“Kev, what’s…what are you doing?”
“Making an honest woman of you” he smiled still looking at the ring on her hand, “If you’ll have me”
Unable to contain herself, she threw her arms around his neck,
“Of course I bloody will! I’ve put up with you for this long!”
He threw his head back letting out a sigh of relief,
“I thought you’d say no!”
Her eyebrows twitched in confusion as she cocked her head at him,
“Why would I have said no?”
“after” he paused choosing his next words carefully “Everything”
“I thought we put that behind us?”
He nodded not making eye contact
“yeah, we have” he shoved her jokingly “Now go and get your glad rags on, we’re going out for dinner”
They threw themselves in to the evening, enjoying each other’s company and filling the hours with laughter and glasses of champagne, ideas for their nuptials swirled through the air as they excitedly spoke.
-
He still couldn’t bring himself to leave, he had made peace with her fate but was still unable to leave her side, just in case, he had watched her come through so much physically and mentally, a flame of hope still flickered inside him that she’ll come round, the doctor had said that the antibiotics were working, maybe she would get through this as well.
Every move she made, every change in her breathing pulled his attention igniting that flame inside of him.
As the evening drew in he remained unmoved, unable to bear the thought of her waking alone frightened and in pain, he knew she would do the same if it were him laid up in that bed, movement in the door way caught his attention, the usual young nurse walked in, his heart dropped knowing what she was about to say before she said it,
“Evening Kevin, time to leave now I’m afraid”
He leaned in to his wife kissing her warm cheek gently,
“You will call though” he sniffed trying to remain calm “if anything happens?”
The nurse nodded placing her hand at the top of his arm,
“Of course we will” her voice almost a whisper she smiled at the young fireman sympathetically “You’re the first on the list”
He looked back at her as he pulled his coat on, her chest rose and fell slowly, the nurse set about checking her cannulas and slipping her arm in to a blood pressure cuff, she nodded to herself making notes on her charts.
He sighed sadly feeling his chest tighten as his eyes welled, he turned quickly and left.