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was would hurt. Besides, any brother or sister who could stand back and not help Mark when
his father did what he did, wasn't worth much.
Drew Hunt
28
"You are correct, Mister..." She hesitated, not knowing my name.
"Peters, Simon Peters."
"Mr. Peters. It's true Mr. Smith doesn't need medical care as such."
I nodded. "I only just found out he'd been hurt. I lo...I mean I'm sure I'll be able to cope. So long
as he gets a professional to change his dressings."
She smiled; she knew what I'd almost said. "Mr. Smith can't do very much for himself."
"Yes, Sister, I know I'll have to feed him, bathe him, even attend him while he uses the toilet."
This was a polite way of saying I'd have to wipe his bum. I'd do that in a heartbeat. "I guess it's a
bit like looking after a baby; you have to do everything for them."
"It's similar," she smiled again, "although you'll have to cope with his mood swings if he
develops them. Patients who can't do things for themselves tend to get very frustrated."
I nodded. "I'm sure I can cope. Besides, it's almost Christmas, and I'd hate to think of him stuck
in here when he could be at home with me."
Her smile widened. "Have you discussed this with Mr. Smith?"
I shook my head. "I wanted to see how the land lay first. I guess I didn't want to promise
something I couldn't deliver."
"Thank you for being so understanding. It's true, we do try to discharge as many patients as
possible at Christmas time. It's better for them, and of course we are short staffed over the
holidays. Go back and talk to him, and if he's agreeable, I'll ring the doctor on-call and arrange
for Mr. Smith's discharge."
I shot out of that office as though there was a herd of wild animals in hot pursuit.
"Don't run!" she called after me.
But I was still on my mission to spring Mark. All I had to do now was convince him he had to
come with me.
"Whoa, what's the hurry? Mark said.
"Mark," I paused to catch my breath, "I absolutely will not take no for an answer. I've thought it
over carefully, spoken with the medical staff, and I am totally serious about this."
He looked confused.
Fireside Romance 1: First Flames
29
"I want you to come home and live with me." I held up my hand to stop his protest. "You're not
going to spend Christmas in this place. You're going to stop with me for as long as you want." I
hoped he would want to stay for a long time, but kept that to myself.
"Urm."
"I can take some time off work, and there's The Holidays as well. And if you still need to be
cared for, you can come to the library with me sometimes." I got very close to his ear and said
quietly "I don't want you to go back onto the streets, it isn't safe. I'd not be able to rest knowing
you were in danger. You've been given another chance now Jake is dead. Please, please, Mark."
He didn't say anything for the longest time. I grew more and more convinced he would refuse.
"You've thought all this out, haven't you?"
Was Mark going to do it? I nodded, but said nothing, holding my breath, hoping...praying.
"You know I can't do much for myself."
I nodded. "Yes, I've thought it through, and I know you'll need a lot of help."
He went quiet again. Maybe a minute passed before he sighed. "Okay, you win."
"YES!" I exclaimed a bit too loudly. A few of the other patients and their visitors looked at me,
but I didn't care.
Eventually, after a load of form filling, and a letter to be given to Mark's family doctor
explaining his injuries and treatment, and to make arrangements for his dressings to be changed
by the nurse at the doctor's surgery, we were on our way.
At The General, as with many other hospitals I suspect, patients have to be escorted from the
hospital in a wheelchair. It doesn't matter what's wrong with you, in Mark's case he had injured
his hands. He could walk, but no, he had to sit in a wheelchair. The nurse pushed Mark in the
chair as far as the hospital's main foyer, where we could ring for a taxi.
One good feature in the foyer was a direct and free phone to one of the local taxi companies. All
you had to do was pick up the receiver and press the button. The only trouble was rival taxi
companies didn't like this arrangement and frequently vandalised the phone. Of course sods law
was in evidence here, the phone didn't work. The kind nurse who escorted us down went to the
reception desk and got the receptionist to call a cab for us. This done, she departed with the
wheelchair back to the ward.
"Shouldn't be too long," I said to Mark.
"Good, I'm getting hungry."
Drew Hunt
30
"Yeah, the food is pretty crap in here isn't it?"
"Bloody well is," he said with feeling. "The most edible thing we had for lunch today was the
skin off the rice pudding."
I pulled a face. "Never mind, I've got plenty of food in at home. Stocked up for Christmas as
usual."
"Thanks," he said quietly. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]