Smoke
Twenty Three
He walked to a large door, leading to a room he didn’t recognise, heat rose up his spine as he tormented himself with what he may be fronted with, was she dead? Where they taking him to see her body? Why had they been so desperate for him to go in and yet seemed to be in no rush when he had arrived?
He took a deep breath and straightened his back, pressing his hand on the door he pushed, his pulse thundered in his head as he braced himself,
“Hello love”
A little voice greeted as he walked in, leaning on her mum and shuffling across the room was Scarlett, a smile spread across his face as a wave of euphoria rose in his chest, he choked on the words that he couldn’t find, he put his hand out to her, almost expecting it to be a blissful dream, expecting her hand to slip through his, he gasped as he felt her warmth in his palm, Rita, with tears in her eyes, shifted Scarlett’s weight on to Kevin, with an arm around her waist, she placed a hand on his neck, still in shock he laughed the tears away, sniffing as he cleared his throat,
“Hello Dolly” He held her close to him, feeling his eyes brim, he looked at Rita, she shook her head a smile fixed on her face, Scarlett pushed away, “How are you feeling?”
“Tired”
She replied her voice still groggy, he couldn’t help but laugh supporting her weight with one arm, he tucked her hair behind her ear,
“You’ve slept for two weeks!”
“What’s your point?”
He shook his head, a doctor entered the room, Kevin turned and looked as the doctor shuffled through her folder, his eyes scanning her notes intently, they waited in silence for him to speak, he cleared his throat slotting the folder back where it came from,
“Well, Mrs Medhurst, your recovery is nothing short of miraculous, although there is a small amount of muscular atrophy, so you’ll need to exercise to build muscle back up, particularly in your legs, I suggest walking short distances at first with a round of physio”
She sighed,
“Am I ever going to get out of this bloody place! I’ve been here five months doc I just want to go home!”
The doctor cleared his throat, looking over his glasses at the young couple,
“All in good time, you’ll need a saline drip for at least twenty four hours to rehydrate” she sighed feeling her stomach drop the doctor continued “I’m sure the physiotherapy team will be happy to see you as an outpatient until there comes a time you can be fully discharged so you should be able to be discharged as an inpatient within the next forty eight hours I should imagine!”
She felt Kevin’s grip tighten around her,
“Thank you so much!”
She beamed first at the doctor and then at her husband, relief crashed through him, his heart fluttering at her smile, the first time he had seen it in what felt like a life time.
She sat on the side of the bed, looking around the room at all the machines, all of them silent, she sighed happily, smiling to herself, the door clicked open Kevin strutted in with a handful of paperwork and a bag of medication, he sat on the bed next to her putting a hand on her thigh, she had lost a lot of weight and her skin was still pasty but he was almost certain she would perk back up once she was home, she leaned against him,
“Let’s get you home then Dolly”
She stood on the dock, watching as Kevin climbed the side of the boat, putting her bags inside, he popped his head back out of the door,
“Come on then!”
“I can’t Kev! I fucking told you this would happen!” He exhaled through his nose furrowing his brow at her, climbing out, she looked at him puzzled, squealing as he scooped her over his shoulder “Put me down! What are you doing?!”
“I told you I’d carry you on to the bloody thing!”
She laughed as he dropped her gently on the sofa, she took a deep breath and felt her muscles relax, she sunk herself in to the soft fabric pulling the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapping it around her shoulders,
“Thank you love”
He smiled warmly towards her,
“Welcome home Dolly”
He lay next to her, watching as her chest slowly rose and fell, she looked peaceful, comfortable, he smiled to himself, he thought he’d be able to sleep better once she was home but he couldn’t sleep, it was almost as if he were too afraid, as if he would wake up and she wouldn’t be there. After an evening of junk food sly kisses and soft cuddles, he couldn’t think of a better ending, of anywhere he’d rather be, than with her in his arms, despite the fact she was still bruised from cannulas and still had plasters dotted on her body, after eight months of sheer hell, everything had settled in to place, everything had gone exactly how it was supposed to, but he would never forget how close he came to losing everything, he would never forget her frail frame or his daughters bone chilling scream.
gently he kissed her warm cheek, freezing slightly as her breathing changed, her eyes fluttered open,
“Will you leave me alone”
“I didn’t mean to wake you”
“You’re worse than the doctors!”
She smiled, curling in to him, placing her hand on his warm chest, he lay his hand on hers squeezing gently, he scoffed, settling himself off to sleep barely able to wait until the morning, when Bayleigh would inevitably jump in between the two of them, demanding cuddles and breakfast but not allowing anyone to leave the bed, he finally had his piece of heaven back.
He took a deep breath and straightened his back, pressing his hand on the door he pushed, his pulse thundered in his head as he braced himself,
“Hello love”
A little voice greeted as he walked in, leaning on her mum and shuffling across the room was Scarlett, a smile spread across his face as a wave of euphoria rose in his chest, he choked on the words that he couldn’t find, he put his hand out to her, almost expecting it to be a blissful dream, expecting her hand to slip through his, he gasped as he felt her warmth in his palm, Rita, with tears in her eyes, shifted Scarlett’s weight on to Kevin, with an arm around her waist, she placed a hand on his neck, still in shock he laughed the tears away, sniffing as he cleared his throat,
“Hello Dolly” He held her close to him, feeling his eyes brim, he looked at Rita, she shook her head a smile fixed on her face, Scarlett pushed away, “How are you feeling?”
“Tired”
She replied her voice still groggy, he couldn’t help but laugh supporting her weight with one arm, he tucked her hair behind her ear,
“You’ve slept for two weeks!”
“What’s your point?”
He shook his head, a doctor entered the room, Kevin turned and looked as the doctor shuffled through her folder, his eyes scanning her notes intently, they waited in silence for him to speak, he cleared his throat slotting the folder back where it came from,
“Well, Mrs Medhurst, your recovery is nothing short of miraculous, although there is a small amount of muscular atrophy, so you’ll need to exercise to build muscle back up, particularly in your legs, I suggest walking short distances at first with a round of physio”
She sighed,
“Am I ever going to get out of this bloody place! I’ve been here five months doc I just want to go home!”
The doctor cleared his throat, looking over his glasses at the young couple,
“All in good time, you’ll need a saline drip for at least twenty four hours to rehydrate” she sighed feeling her stomach drop the doctor continued “I’m sure the physiotherapy team will be happy to see you as an outpatient until there comes a time you can be fully discharged so you should be able to be discharged as an inpatient within the next forty eight hours I should imagine!”
She felt Kevin’s grip tighten around her,
“Thank you so much!”
She beamed first at the doctor and then at her husband, relief crashed through him, his heart fluttering at her smile, the first time he had seen it in what felt like a life time.
She sat on the side of the bed, looking around the room at all the machines, all of them silent, she sighed happily, smiling to herself, the door clicked open Kevin strutted in with a handful of paperwork and a bag of medication, he sat on the bed next to her putting a hand on her thigh, she had lost a lot of weight and her skin was still pasty but he was almost certain she would perk back up once she was home, she leaned against him,
“Let’s get you home then Dolly”
She stood on the dock, watching as Kevin climbed the side of the boat, putting her bags inside, he popped his head back out of the door,
“Come on then!”
“I can’t Kev! I fucking told you this would happen!” He exhaled through his nose furrowing his brow at her, climbing out, she looked at him puzzled, squealing as he scooped her over his shoulder “Put me down! What are you doing?!”
“I told you I’d carry you on to the bloody thing!”
She laughed as he dropped her gently on the sofa, she took a deep breath and felt her muscles relax, she sunk herself in to the soft fabric pulling the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapping it around her shoulders,
“Thank you love”
He smiled warmly towards her,
“Welcome home Dolly”
He lay next to her, watching as her chest slowly rose and fell, she looked peaceful, comfortable, he smiled to himself, he thought he’d be able to sleep better once she was home but he couldn’t sleep, it was almost as if he were too afraid, as if he would wake up and she wouldn’t be there. After an evening of junk food sly kisses and soft cuddles, he couldn’t think of a better ending, of anywhere he’d rather be, than with her in his arms, despite the fact she was still bruised from cannulas and still had plasters dotted on her body, after eight months of sheer hell, everything had settled in to place, everything had gone exactly how it was supposed to, but he would never forget how close he came to losing everything, he would never forget her frail frame or his daughters bone chilling scream.
gently he kissed her warm cheek, freezing slightly as her breathing changed, her eyes fluttered open,
“Will you leave me alone”
“I didn’t mean to wake you”
“You’re worse than the doctors!”
She smiled, curling in to him, placing her hand on his warm chest, he lay his hand on hers squeezing gently, he scoffed, settling himself off to sleep barely able to wait until the morning, when Bayleigh would inevitably jump in between the two of them, demanding cuddles and breakfast but not allowing anyone to leave the bed, he finally had his piece of heaven back.