through the door. He leans over the bed and switches off the button that I’d pressed. “She more than helped. She saved your life. Pulled you from a burning car.” He nods in my direction, smiling, giving a knowing look to James. “So how are you feeling?” he asks James, but James doesn’t respond. He’s just staring at me, wide eyes fixed on me. “You saved my life?” The surprise audible in his raspy voice.
“ I –” I look down, away from his heavy stare. “– I – well –” My mouth's not functioning as it should. My lips feel heavy and clumsy. “Yes. I saved you,” I finally manage. I glance up at him, his eyes take hold of mine and that’s it, I can’t look away.
“ I – I don’t know what to say.” His voice suddenly low, warm, caressing, our eyes still locked together. “I mean, what can I say?”
“ Thank you is usually a good place to start,” the nurse says with a laugh, and just like that the moment's broken. I look away.
“ Right, you need to go,” the nurse says, finger pointing at me. My eyes flick up.
“ Go?” James and I both echo.
“ Yes, go. You’re not supposed to be in here, as you well know.” He gives me a pointed look. “And he needs his rest.”
Go, I can’t go. I’ve barely spoken to James. I can’t leave now. I need more time with him.
“ But she can’t go,” James says urgently, his words practically repeating my thoughts, except mine sound more panicked and slightly unstable. I glance at him. His eyes are on me again and I feel a warm glow erupt deep inside me, lighting the whole of me. “I need to talk to you – about the accident, about what happened. About everything.”
I open my mouth, but the nurse speaks before I have chance. “She can come back in the morning, at visiting time. It’s not that far off now anyway.” And I can tell by the firm look on his face he’s not going to play ball.
James looks at me, a hint of shyness in his face, something I’ve never seen him wear before. It’s captivating. “Will you come back in the morning?” he asks. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I really want to –”
“ I’ll come in the morning.” I smile. He wants to see me again. I feel exhilarated, exuberant. It’s hard to contain my happiness. He actually wants to see me again.
I look at the nurse. “What time is visiting time?” I ask.
“ Nine-thirty.”
I look back at James. “I’ll come at nine-thirty.”
James’ lips curve into a faint smile. “Thanks.”
The nurse signals to the door and I follow him.
“ Will you be okay getting home? It’s so dark out,” James says, pulling me back, and I willingly return. The nurse is by the door, finger on the light switch, his impatience radiating through the room. But I don’t care. I’ll eek this out for as long as I can.
“ I’ll be fine.”
“ You’re sure?”
“ I’m sure.”
James' sleepy eyes gaze at me. “So, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“ Yes.” I smile. “You’ll see me in the morning.”
The nurse flicks the light off and closes the door behind us.
“ I don’t want to see you back here till visiting time,” he says firmly, but with a warm smile on his lips.
“ You won’t see me until nine thirty.” I return his smile, then turn to leave.
“ That’s quite a bond you guys have now,” he says.
I turn back to him. “What do you mean?”
He glances up from looking at the papers in his hand. “Well when people share a life threatening incident, it ties them together in a way no one else can understand. I mean, how could you ever forget the person who saved your life, or the one whose life you saved?”
Utter happiness is filling me and I continue on down the hall, floating on an air of complete euphoria. I press the exit button and wait until the nurse buzzes me out. Now I’m stood in the lift lobby, unsure what to do.
The lift doors ping open and a man pushes out a wheelchair with a young woman in it. They both smile at me. I
“ I –” I look down, away from his heavy stare. “– I – well –” My mouth's not functioning as it should. My lips feel heavy and clumsy. “Yes. I saved you,” I finally manage. I glance up at him, his eyes take hold of mine and that’s it, I can’t look away.
“ I – I don’t know what to say.” His voice suddenly low, warm, caressing, our eyes still locked together. “I mean, what can I say?”
“ Thank you is usually a good place to start,” the nurse says with a laugh, and just like that the moment's broken. I look away.
“ Right, you need to go,” the nurse says, finger pointing at me. My eyes flick up.
“ Go?” James and I both echo.
“ Yes, go. You’re not supposed to be in here, as you well know.” He gives me a pointed look. “And he needs his rest.”
Go, I can’t go. I’ve barely spoken to James. I can’t leave now. I need more time with him.
“ But she can’t go,” James says urgently, his words practically repeating my thoughts, except mine sound more panicked and slightly unstable. I glance at him. His eyes are on me again and I feel a warm glow erupt deep inside me, lighting the whole of me. “I need to talk to you – about the accident, about what happened. About everything.”
I open my mouth, but the nurse speaks before I have chance. “She can come back in the morning, at visiting time. It’s not that far off now anyway.” And I can tell by the firm look on his face he’s not going to play ball.
James looks at me, a hint of shyness in his face, something I’ve never seen him wear before. It’s captivating. “Will you come back in the morning?” he asks. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I really want to –”
“ I’ll come in the morning.” I smile. He wants to see me again. I feel exhilarated, exuberant. It’s hard to contain my happiness. He actually wants to see me again.
I look at the nurse. “What time is visiting time?” I ask.
“ Nine-thirty.”
I look back at James. “I’ll come at nine-thirty.”
James’ lips curve into a faint smile. “Thanks.”
The nurse signals to the door and I follow him.
“ Will you be okay getting home? It’s so dark out,” James says, pulling me back, and I willingly return. The nurse is by the door, finger on the light switch, his impatience radiating through the room. But I don’t care. I’ll eek this out for as long as I can.
“ I’ll be fine.”
“ You’re sure?”
“ I’m sure.”
James' sleepy eyes gaze at me. “So, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“ Yes.” I smile. “You’ll see me in the morning.”
The nurse flicks the light off and closes the door behind us.
“ I don’t want to see you back here till visiting time,” he says firmly, but with a warm smile on his lips.
“ You won’t see me until nine thirty.” I return his smile, then turn to leave.
“ That’s quite a bond you guys have now,” he says.
I turn back to him. “What do you mean?”
He glances up from looking at the papers in his hand. “Well when people share a life threatening incident, it ties them together in a way no one else can understand. I mean, how could you ever forget the person who saved your life, or the one whose life you saved?”
Utter happiness is filling me and I continue on down the hall, floating on an air of complete euphoria. I press the exit button and wait until the nurse buzzes me out. Now I’m stood in the lift lobby, unsure what to do.
The lift doors ping open and a man pushes out a wheelchair with a young woman in it. They both smile at me. I
Similar Books
