Smoke
Eighteen
He heard it, he knew he did, his eyes snapped open as he forced himself up, a familiar sensation on his hand triggered a sense of relief, he lay eyes on her, choking on the realisation that she was awake, her hand was on top of his,
“Dolly?”
She mustered a small smile, her eyes still heavy, he lifted her hand to his face kissing her palm, holding her there with both hands, she could feel him shake,
“what happened?”
Her voice was hoarse, he seemed taken aback by her question,
“Let me go and get your mum eh love? She’s been dying to see you”
“No! Kevin” her voice broke “Just tell me”
He sighed,
“what do you remember?”
“I remember Bill shouting, I remember him looking scared”
Kevin sighed rubbing his temple with one hand, holding hers in the other,
“It was just a standard call, love, you went in on BA you were downstairs, the ceiling caved in” He went cold at the memory, it felt a life time ago when in reality it had been four days, four days since either of them had stepped foot in to the station, four days since either of them had seen their home or their daughter, four days since he had watched his colleagues drag his wife’s unconscious body out of a burning house, “They thought we had lost you, punctured lung head injury broken legs fractured ribs, you were just soot and blood, I thought I had lost you”
“Where’s Bayleigh?”
“At my mums, she doesn’t know what’s gone on”
“I should hope not Kev, she’s only three!” She managed a small laugh “when can I go home?”
“I don’t know love, you were in theatre for nearly 7 hours” he cleared his throat “you’ve really done a number on your legs though love, they might have to teach you to walk again”
A week had passed, she was being kept steady on a cocktail of drugs and hadn’t taken her situation well, He watched the colour fade from her, he held her while she cried, feeling every tremble and tremor of her broken body,
“What about work Kev? They won’t have me back! I won’t be able to get on to the bloody boat! That’s it I’m done for!”
“No, you’re not love!” Her mum cooed “You’ll get through this, it just takes time”
“Mum!” She wailed “I can’t even get in to my own home!”
“I’ll carry you on to the sodding boat!” Kevin interrupted “Or set you up a tent on the dock”
She laughed,
“And work?”
“they’re holding your position until you’re ready to come back love, there’s a temp for the time being, they’ll have you back as soon as you’re ready”
It took a few more days before the colour started to return to her skin, as the pain began to subside, and the painkillers took hold she was able to sleep, building Kevin’s hopes of her returning home,
“Kev give us a hand!” he stood grinning at her “did you bring my hair brush?”
He helped her sit up, she was more herself after a few decent night’s sleep, she still became emotional about her current state. He’d catch her sitting staring at the blood mottled bandages, a haunting vacancy to her,
“It’s not going to be okay is it? I’m stuck like this!”
“No you’re not you’re better than this, stronger!”
“And who wants the battered recluse kev? The sad little woman with mangled legs? Who wants to carry their bloody wife around like a child until retirement?”
“I do” He whispered sitting on the side of the bed holding her close to him, she balled her fists in the fabric of his t-shirt, “You daft old tart I’ll always want you and I know someone else who does, we’ve been through a hell of a lot worse than this before now and it all worked out!”
“Who?”
She responded without looking at him,
“Bayleigh”
“Bayleigh Boo!!” Scarlett cooed at the toddler who had just walked in “Come and give us a squeeze! I bloody missed you!!”
She felt herself tear up as she watched her daughter climb on to the bed,
“Mind mummy’s legs Boo”
Kev reminded her as she clambered about, curling next to her mum holding on to her nightie as if it meant she could stay, Kev adjusted a few of the wires and pipes around the child to avoid them being snagged,
“Have you been good for Nanny?”
The little girl nodded
“Sleepovers cause of mummy’s ouchies!”
Kevin sniggered,
“That’s right Boo” He said the words lovingly making Scarletts heart flutter “When’s your next physio?”
“This afternoon”
“Do you want me there?” She nodded glancing at her legs again “Don’t be so sad love, you’re really getting there now!”
“Dolly?”
She mustered a small smile, her eyes still heavy, he lifted her hand to his face kissing her palm, holding her there with both hands, she could feel him shake,
“what happened?”
Her voice was hoarse, he seemed taken aback by her question,
“Let me go and get your mum eh love? She’s been dying to see you”
“No! Kevin” her voice broke “Just tell me”
He sighed,
“what do you remember?”
“I remember Bill shouting, I remember him looking scared”
Kevin sighed rubbing his temple with one hand, holding hers in the other,
“It was just a standard call, love, you went in on BA you were downstairs, the ceiling caved in” He went cold at the memory, it felt a life time ago when in reality it had been four days, four days since either of them had stepped foot in to the station, four days since either of them had seen their home or their daughter, four days since he had watched his colleagues drag his wife’s unconscious body out of a burning house, “They thought we had lost you, punctured lung head injury broken legs fractured ribs, you were just soot and blood, I thought I had lost you”
“Where’s Bayleigh?”
“At my mums, she doesn’t know what’s gone on”
“I should hope not Kev, she’s only three!” She managed a small laugh “when can I go home?”
“I don’t know love, you were in theatre for nearly 7 hours” he cleared his throat “you’ve really done a number on your legs though love, they might have to teach you to walk again”
A week had passed, she was being kept steady on a cocktail of drugs and hadn’t taken her situation well, He watched the colour fade from her, he held her while she cried, feeling every tremble and tremor of her broken body,
“What about work Kev? They won’t have me back! I won’t be able to get on to the bloody boat! That’s it I’m done for!”
“No, you’re not love!” Her mum cooed “You’ll get through this, it just takes time”
“Mum!” She wailed “I can’t even get in to my own home!”
“I’ll carry you on to the sodding boat!” Kevin interrupted “Or set you up a tent on the dock”
She laughed,
“And work?”
“they’re holding your position until you’re ready to come back love, there’s a temp for the time being, they’ll have you back as soon as you’re ready”
It took a few more days before the colour started to return to her skin, as the pain began to subside, and the painkillers took hold she was able to sleep, building Kevin’s hopes of her returning home,
“Kev give us a hand!” he stood grinning at her “did you bring my hair brush?”
He helped her sit up, she was more herself after a few decent night’s sleep, she still became emotional about her current state. He’d catch her sitting staring at the blood mottled bandages, a haunting vacancy to her,
“It’s not going to be okay is it? I’m stuck like this!”
“No you’re not you’re better than this, stronger!”
“And who wants the battered recluse kev? The sad little woman with mangled legs? Who wants to carry their bloody wife around like a child until retirement?”
“I do” He whispered sitting on the side of the bed holding her close to him, she balled her fists in the fabric of his t-shirt, “You daft old tart I’ll always want you and I know someone else who does, we’ve been through a hell of a lot worse than this before now and it all worked out!”
“Who?”
She responded without looking at him,
“Bayleigh”
“Bayleigh Boo!!” Scarlett cooed at the toddler who had just walked in “Come and give us a squeeze! I bloody missed you!!”
She felt herself tear up as she watched her daughter climb on to the bed,
“Mind mummy’s legs Boo”
Kev reminded her as she clambered about, curling next to her mum holding on to her nightie as if it meant she could stay, Kev adjusted a few of the wires and pipes around the child to avoid them being snagged,
“Have you been good for Nanny?”
The little girl nodded
“Sleepovers cause of mummy’s ouchies!”
Kevin sniggered,
“That’s right Boo” He said the words lovingly making Scarletts heart flutter “When’s your next physio?”
“This afternoon”
“Do you want me there?” She nodded glancing at her legs again “Don’t be so sad love, you’re really getting there now!”