– you bitch. Did you think it was okay to take off with half the house? You’ve broken the rules and acted like the grasping slag I’ve always known you were. We were supposed to discuss and agree on property division. My solicitor will have something to say about this. And where in the hell are you? You don’t answer emails I’ve sent you. What kind of fool do you think you are playing me for? Don’t forget we are still married, as my wife you are still answerable to me. Watch your step Christine; you’re acting like we’re already divorced. I will clip your wings yet.
If the situation wasn’t so tragic and Richard wasn’t such a cruel bastard, his actions would appear comic. It has been a long time since Richard made Christine laugh. Rather than his love life becoming heavenly it has become a melodrama. He need not worry too much longer; Ben Thornton will contact him, setting him free to forge ahead with his new romance.
He should thank me for leaving without resistance or a showdown. I would have thought that this situation is to his liking.
Kim taps Christine on the shoulder. ‘Haven’t you got a home to go to?’
‘I live here; I’m just finishing up showing Olivia how to reposition this patient’s broken arm.’
‘Actually, front desk phoned. Your brother is waiting for you downstairs.’
‘Is it that late already?’
‘It’s 4.45 and you better go, now. Annie’s finishing up with a patient in the other ward; she’ll oversee the rookie.’
Julian sits in the corner opposite the entrance that faces the front desk. He has a take-away drink from the cafeteria and reads a magazine. He’s always had the ability to occupy himself and finds it difficult to remain still. Christine reflects: being switched on all the time is a well-documented health hazard. Julian looks like the type that when not working is engaged in some other project; pushing himself to the point where he is likely to have an unfortunate accident. She calculates that he is at a high risk of burnout.
His skin is paler than she remembers. Greying hair has increased and extended from the temples. A fresh scar runs down the right side of his face, starting at above the eye and travelling diagonally before breaking then continuing in an almost vertical line stopping before the jaw line above the chin. He wears every one of the nine years since she last saw him. He seems unperturbed that she is over half an hour late. This seems unusual for a man in the habit of racing against time.
She wonders what he will think of her. It strikes her that she has only glimpsed a fleeting glance at herself in the mirror. She thinks that if her appearance is a reflection of her wretched state of existence, Julian may find her unrecognisable. She imagines that she resembles the frightened, alien figure in that painting
The Scream
bursting from the canvas. She catches herself thinking that her body aches. As she watches Julian she hears the deafening sound of her heart beat, the pulse in her veins racing.
Although very much alive, her vital signs register stress and distress. She retreats to the bathroom and notices her hair is dull. Skin and eyes are the usual tell-tale signs of deteriorating health and Christine is confronted by her appearance of exhaustion. Her skin is pale. She is lined around the eyes and mouth; her hair and nails are brittle and breaking. She appears to have aged five years in the past weeks. Before facing Julian she flushes water over her face, pinches her cheeks to add colour to them. She runs lipstick along her lips and brushes her hair. Finally she rearranges a scarf to cover her thin, ropey neck and rubs hand cream over her chapped hands.
Julian is still engrossed in a magazine. When he looks up and sees her he absorbs her presence before speaking and coming to terms with how long it has been since they last met. He thinks of how the passage of time changes an absent friend or relative, transforming that person into a
If the situation wasn’t so tragic and Richard wasn’t such a cruel bastard, his actions would appear comic. It has been a long time since Richard made Christine laugh. Rather than his love life becoming heavenly it has become a melodrama. He need not worry too much longer; Ben Thornton will contact him, setting him free to forge ahead with his new romance.
He should thank me for leaving without resistance or a showdown. I would have thought that this situation is to his liking.
Kim taps Christine on the shoulder. ‘Haven’t you got a home to go to?’
‘I live here; I’m just finishing up showing Olivia how to reposition this patient’s broken arm.’
‘Actually, front desk phoned. Your brother is waiting for you downstairs.’
‘Is it that late already?’
‘It’s 4.45 and you better go, now. Annie’s finishing up with a patient in the other ward; she’ll oversee the rookie.’
Julian sits in the corner opposite the entrance that faces the front desk. He has a take-away drink from the cafeteria and reads a magazine. He’s always had the ability to occupy himself and finds it difficult to remain still. Christine reflects: being switched on all the time is a well-documented health hazard. Julian looks like the type that when not working is engaged in some other project; pushing himself to the point where he is likely to have an unfortunate accident. She calculates that he is at a high risk of burnout.
His skin is paler than she remembers. Greying hair has increased and extended from the temples. A fresh scar runs down the right side of his face, starting at above the eye and travelling diagonally before breaking then continuing in an almost vertical line stopping before the jaw line above the chin. He wears every one of the nine years since she last saw him. He seems unperturbed that she is over half an hour late. This seems unusual for a man in the habit of racing against time.
She wonders what he will think of her. It strikes her that she has only glimpsed a fleeting glance at herself in the mirror. She thinks that if her appearance is a reflection of her wretched state of existence, Julian may find her unrecognisable. She imagines that she resembles the frightened, alien figure in that painting
The Scream
bursting from the canvas. She catches herself thinking that her body aches. As she watches Julian she hears the deafening sound of her heart beat, the pulse in her veins racing.
Although very much alive, her vital signs register stress and distress. She retreats to the bathroom and notices her hair is dull. Skin and eyes are the usual tell-tale signs of deteriorating health and Christine is confronted by her appearance of exhaustion. Her skin is pale. She is lined around the eyes and mouth; her hair and nails are brittle and breaking. She appears to have aged five years in the past weeks. Before facing Julian she flushes water over her face, pinches her cheeks to add colour to them. She runs lipstick along her lips and brushes her hair. Finally she rearranges a scarf to cover her thin, ropey neck and rubs hand cream over her chapped hands.
Julian is still engrossed in a magazine. When he looks up and sees her he absorbs her presence before speaking and coming to terms with how long it has been since they last met. He thinks of how the passage of time changes an absent friend or relative, transforming that person into a
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