Angels With Dirty Faces
VII
Another three weeks had passed by, another three weeks of cannulas, pain killers and physiotherapy, a nurse poked her head in,
“Morning pet” She said quietly, “No husband today?”
Scarlett shook her head,
“Not yet, hopefully soon though I’ve got physio again this afternoon and as cheesy as it sounds I don’t think I’d get through it without him”
The nurse smiled,
“From looking at your notes you’re doing amazingly well anyway!” she walked over to the bed “Did you want to stand up and have a stretch? We’ll get you in to your chair?”
--
Her eyes snapped open as her alarm beeped next to her, her stomach still ached from the night before, she smiled to herself noticing the glass of water on her night stand with a short note
“If you need me call me. Kev x”
she carried on her waking routine, food, shower, hair care, dressed and leave. Although she enjoyed Kevin’s company she savoured her alone time, enjoying the silence and her own pace and only worrying about getting herself ready without having to nudge and yell for him to get a shower.
She glanced at the calendar, squinting hoping she had read it wrong,
“Bollocks!”
She muttered grabbing her car keys and bag before rushing out of the door.
He sighed and rolled over pulling the duvet tighter to his chest, groaning at the sudden noise,
“Kevin! Wake up!” she nudged him “Now!”
He opened his eyes trying to focus on what was going on,
“Scarlett? What time is it?”
“twenty to four”
“In the morning?”
“No Kev if it were morning we’d already be at work, can you just get up please I need to talk to you”
He sighed sitting up,
“Fine, go and make tea and we can talk!”
She sighed loudly dropping her head back and rubbing her eyes with both hands,
“Okay, whatever but this is important!” She returned to the bedroom moments later, a mug in each hand, she kicked her boots off and leaned over passing Kevin a mug, “Move over!” she sat next to him, he adjusted the duvet around her letting her move closer to him, tucking herself under his arm, “First things first, do you have a spare tie? I forgot mine”
He sniggered,
“probably, in the second drawer, that’s hardly life altering Scarlett”
“That’s not what I had to tell you”
He glanced over at her as she became forlorn,
“What’s up Dolly?” He tucked his fingers under her chin tilting her head towards him “What do you need to tell me?”
She sighed, barely making eye contact,
“I’m late”
He looked at her confused,
“What do you mean? we don’t start until six? It’s only ten to four?”
She sighed resting her head on his chest, she pulled his hand towards her, placing his palm on her stomach,
“I’m late”
She whispered, he pulled her closer, heaving a loud sigh,
“How will we know for sure?”
“I bought a test,” she sat up suddenly balancing on her knees “I’m not sure I want to know”
“You’ll find out one way or another”
“Kev!” She furrowed her brow “We’ve been together six months! We don’t live together neither of us have mentioned marriage, so how are we meant to raise a child?”
He took her hands
“We will be fine go and get the test and we’ll decide what we’re doing when we know the result”
She nodded admiring how level headed he was, it was always easier to be calm about someone else’s drama, she had never been able to stay calm when she was at the centre of it.
She sat on the bed, Kevin pulled his shirt on, glancing at the testing stick on the nightstand every few seconds, he’s not sure what he expected, he just knew that his whole future was behind that little plastic window, he walked over to the draw pulling ties out and throwing one to Scarlett,
“Should I look?”
She took a deep breath and nodded towards him, her heart hammering against her ribs, he picked the test up almost too frightened to look himself, he held the plastic in one hand whilst tucking his shirt in with the other,
“Well,” he threw the test over to her “looks like we’re stuck together”
She looked at the test, two blue lines glared back,
“What should we do?”
He smiled over at her climbing across the bed to sit next to her, he pulled her in to him,
“well you could move in here? Raise the baby here”
She smiled tears welling in her eyes,
“I’d like that” she didn’t have to think twice about her answer, she knew Kev would be a wonderful father “it stays out of the station!”
He glanced at her confused,
“You seriously don’t think I’m going to let you stroll in to a housefire in your condition?”
“Leave off Kev! I’m still capable at the moment I’ll be okay for at least another 3 months”
“You can’t be serious!”
“Kevin! I mean it! I want to work!”
“And if anything happens?”
He stood up raising his voice,
“Nothing will happen!” she shouted back “I trust the rest of the crew and the baby is the size of a pin head if that!”
He shook his head at her, folding his arms,
“I don’t believe you!”
“Well you best believe it cause that’s what’s happening Kevin! Like it or not!”
She stormed towards the door, grabbing her bag on her way
“Where are you going?”
“Work!”
She slammed the door behind her. He stood stunned in to a frustrated silence, picking the test up from the bed and passing it hand to hand.
--
She placed her foot on the cold tiles,
“I’m here if you need me Scarlett” the nurse nodded towards her, “You’re doing really well”
With stiff legs, she stood up right, still at first, she turned slowly placing one hand on the now empty bed next to her, she placed one foot in front of her and shifted her weight, her chest throbbing with excitement she took a step forward, she looked at the nurse her face stretched in to a wide grin, she looked at the nurse, tears welling in her eyes,
“I can do it!”
She spluttered her voice thick with emotion,
“Well done Scarlett!”
She sat back down her hands still shaking, she smiled at the nurse, biting her lip,
“Don’t tell Kevin”
“Morning pet” She said quietly, “No husband today?”
Scarlett shook her head,
“Not yet, hopefully soon though I’ve got physio again this afternoon and as cheesy as it sounds I don’t think I’d get through it without him”
The nurse smiled,
“From looking at your notes you’re doing amazingly well anyway!” she walked over to the bed “Did you want to stand up and have a stretch? We’ll get you in to your chair?”
--
Her eyes snapped open as her alarm beeped next to her, her stomach still ached from the night before, she smiled to herself noticing the glass of water on her night stand with a short note
“If you need me call me. Kev x”
she carried on her waking routine, food, shower, hair care, dressed and leave. Although she enjoyed Kevin’s company she savoured her alone time, enjoying the silence and her own pace and only worrying about getting herself ready without having to nudge and yell for him to get a shower.
She glanced at the calendar, squinting hoping she had read it wrong,
“Bollocks!”
She muttered grabbing her car keys and bag before rushing out of the door.
He sighed and rolled over pulling the duvet tighter to his chest, groaning at the sudden noise,
“Kevin! Wake up!” she nudged him “Now!”
He opened his eyes trying to focus on what was going on,
“Scarlett? What time is it?”
“twenty to four”
“In the morning?”
“No Kev if it were morning we’d already be at work, can you just get up please I need to talk to you”
He sighed sitting up,
“Fine, go and make tea and we can talk!”
She sighed loudly dropping her head back and rubbing her eyes with both hands,
“Okay, whatever but this is important!” She returned to the bedroom moments later, a mug in each hand, she kicked her boots off and leaned over passing Kevin a mug, “Move over!” she sat next to him, he adjusted the duvet around her letting her move closer to him, tucking herself under his arm, “First things first, do you have a spare tie? I forgot mine”
He sniggered,
“probably, in the second drawer, that’s hardly life altering Scarlett”
“That’s not what I had to tell you”
He glanced over at her as she became forlorn,
“What’s up Dolly?” He tucked his fingers under her chin tilting her head towards him “What do you need to tell me?”
She sighed, barely making eye contact,
“I’m late”
He looked at her confused,
“What do you mean? we don’t start until six? It’s only ten to four?”
She sighed resting her head on his chest, she pulled his hand towards her, placing his palm on her stomach,
“I’m late”
She whispered, he pulled her closer, heaving a loud sigh,
“How will we know for sure?”
“I bought a test,” she sat up suddenly balancing on her knees “I’m not sure I want to know”
“You’ll find out one way or another”
“Kev!” She furrowed her brow “We’ve been together six months! We don’t live together neither of us have mentioned marriage, so how are we meant to raise a child?”
He took her hands
“We will be fine go and get the test and we’ll decide what we’re doing when we know the result”
She nodded admiring how level headed he was, it was always easier to be calm about someone else’s drama, she had never been able to stay calm when she was at the centre of it.
She sat on the bed, Kevin pulled his shirt on, glancing at the testing stick on the nightstand every few seconds, he’s not sure what he expected, he just knew that his whole future was behind that little plastic window, he walked over to the draw pulling ties out and throwing one to Scarlett,
“Should I look?”
She took a deep breath and nodded towards him, her heart hammering against her ribs, he picked the test up almost too frightened to look himself, he held the plastic in one hand whilst tucking his shirt in with the other,
“Well,” he threw the test over to her “looks like we’re stuck together”
She looked at the test, two blue lines glared back,
“What should we do?”
He smiled over at her climbing across the bed to sit next to her, he pulled her in to him,
“well you could move in here? Raise the baby here”
She smiled tears welling in her eyes,
“I’d like that” she didn’t have to think twice about her answer, she knew Kev would be a wonderful father “it stays out of the station!”
He glanced at her confused,
“You seriously don’t think I’m going to let you stroll in to a housefire in your condition?”
“Leave off Kev! I’m still capable at the moment I’ll be okay for at least another 3 months”
“You can’t be serious!”
“Kevin! I mean it! I want to work!”
“And if anything happens?”
He stood up raising his voice,
“Nothing will happen!” she shouted back “I trust the rest of the crew and the baby is the size of a pin head if that!”
He shook his head at her, folding his arms,
“I don’t believe you!”
“Well you best believe it cause that’s what’s happening Kevin! Like it or not!”
She stormed towards the door, grabbing her bag on her way
“Where are you going?”
“Work!”
She slammed the door behind her. He stood stunned in to a frustrated silence, picking the test up from the bed and passing it hand to hand.
--
She placed her foot on the cold tiles,
“I’m here if you need me Scarlett” the nurse nodded towards her, “You’re doing really well”
With stiff legs, she stood up right, still at first, she turned slowly placing one hand on the now empty bed next to her, she placed one foot in front of her and shifted her weight, her chest throbbing with excitement she took a step forward, she looked at the nurse her face stretched in to a wide grin, she looked at the nurse, tears welling in her eyes,
“I can do it!”
She spluttered her voice thick with emotion,
“Well done Scarlett!”
She sat back down her hands still shaking, she smiled at the nurse, biting her lip,
“Don’t tell Kevin”