by Nikki Ashton
I let out a painful sob unable to speak any further.
“Y-yes.” Amy stuttered, evidently in as much pain as I was. “Elijah and his parents are with him, but of course. That’s why I called you, Yvetta thought you might want to go.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I rushed out breathily as I scrambled out of bed. Then a thought struck me. “Frankie,” I gasped. “What do I do about him? My parents are away and my sister will probably only just be on her way home from some club, I have no one to have him.”
“Why don’t you drop him here?” Amy offered.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I can’t go because of Bella, so it’s fine.”
“Oh god, what am I going to tell him, Amy? He’ll be devastated.”
The line was silent for a few seconds and then Amy said. “How about Sam’s car’s broken down, so you’re going to pick him up. That’ll do for now.”
Giving Amy my thanks, we quickly finished the call and I rushed to get dressed and then giving Frankie the cover story Amy and I had agreed on, got him wrapped up warm and into the car, trying to keep my tears at bay as I drove through the almost empty streets hoping that Sam was going to be okay.
Maisie
the present
I had been at the hospital for hours, my back was aching, my eyes were sore and my head was thumping due to the dry heat and the constant worry. There was no way I was leaving though, not until I had some good news for Frankie – not that he knew that anything was wrong. By the time I’d laid him into the spare bed at Amy and Elijah’s house, he was already fast asleep.
Every time the door to the waiting room had swung open, I’d hoped that it was someone with some news, but the hours had stretched on and on and before we knew it the sun was coming up. I’d told myself that I was waiting for Frankie’s sake, but I couldn’t stand the thought of not being there if Sam woke or…shit, I hadn’t wanted to think about the alternative.
All our nerves were on edge; mine, Elijah’s, and Mr. & Mrs. Cooper’s, but I had an extra worry throwing itself around my brain. I couldn’t help but think about Josh being out on bail and wondering whether he’d had any part in Sam’s accident. For a long time Sam’s parents and Elijah were too pre-occupied for me to bother them with it, so when the policeman who’d found Sam popped in to check on him, I’d mentioned it to him. He’d radioed it in and stayed for quite a while until he got a reply, but he heard back that Josh’s dad had vouched for him being in the house all night. I wasn’t so sure he was telling the truth, but the police seemed satisfied. Apart from which, the policeman said nothing looked particularly suspicious when he found Sam.
Having to accept what they were saying, I’d tried to get comfy as I’d continued waiting, hoping that I hadn’t risked Sam’s life by getting him involved in mine.
Giving up the idea of trying to get any sleep, I alternated between pacing the floor, watching through the first floor window, and sitting and staring at the wall. While I was flicking mindlessly through a magazine, Elijah came into the waiting room, rubbing at his eyes.
“You okay?” he asked with a tired sigh, flopping down onto the chair next to mine.
“I’m fine. Any change?”
He shook his head. “Nope. He’s back from his scan, but he’s still dead to -.” He clamped his mouth shut and inhaled deeply. “What a dick.”
“It’s just a phrase,” I replied, placing a comforting hand on his bicep. “He’d laugh if he knew what you’d said.”
Elijah looked up at me and smiled. “Yeah, yeah he would.”
“When will the results be back?”
He shrugged. “They didn’t say, but the doctor is hoping it’s not a clot, but just swelling, but he’s worried that he can’t seem to keep consciousness.”
“If it’s a clot?” I asked, a cold fear sweeping over me.
“They’ll need to operate.” He averted his eyes, looking through the window to grey light outside.
“What the hell could have happened, Elijah?”
I chewed on my bottom lip, wondering whether I should mention Josh.
“The copper thinks he just slipped and that maybe it was on a wet floor. There was a mop and bucket nearby and he only had one slider on, the other was near his body. Who wears those fucking stupid things anyway?”
As Elijah turned to me, I saw the utter torment in his eyes as he thought about what might happen to his brother.
“He’s always been there for me, you know,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “When Amy left, Sam was the one who held me together and when Amy came back, well Sam was the one who made me see I had to get her back.”
“He told me all about it,” I replied. “How you were with someone else, but he made you see sense.”
Elijah rumbled a low laugh. “Yeah, you could say that. I just wish he’d told me about that fucking sick bitch who was his swimming coach when it happened.” His head shot up and he looked at me with wide eyes. “Amy said you knew, you do know don’t you?”
“Yeah,” I said, nudging Elijah with my shoulder. “He told me. I think he thought it might explain why he’d wanted nothing to do with Frankie when he was born.”
“And did it?”
“A little, but like I told Sam, he couldn’t use that as an excuse. I would have hoped he’d realise that what she did was wrong but I wasn’t the same type of person as her.”
“It must have still been pretty fresh for him at that time I guess.”
Elijah leaned forward, rested his forearms on his knees and stared down at the floor.
“Even so, thank you, Maisie,” he said without looking up. “You allowing Sam to be a dad to Frankie and letting him come into our family has been the best thing to happen to Sam.”
Elijah finally looked up at me and the tears in his eyes caused my throat to tingle with emotion.
“He’s going to be okay,” I said softly, not sure I believed it.
As Elijah nodded and gave me a weak smile, the door to the waiting room swung open and before I knew what was happening, Frankie was throwing himself at me. As he landed on me, I heard Amy.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice cracking. “He heard me on the phone to Eli earlier. I thought he was still asleep, but he’d gotten up to go to the toilet and since then he’s been really upset, so as soon as I thought they were awake I dropped Bella off with my mum and dad and brought him here. I didn’t know what else to do, I couldn’t console him.”
Elijah grabbed Amy’s hand and pulled her to him, resting his head against her stomach and as he looked down at the floor she bent forward and kissed the top of his head.
“It’s fine, Amy,” I replied as I pulled Frankie closer to me.”
“Where is he Mummy, I want to see him,” Frankie cried, verging on becoming hysterical.
“He’s being looked after by the doctor baby, so I’m not sure you’ll be allowed.”
“Please Mummy, please,” he begged, shaking my shoulders with his little hands. “I want to see Daddy. I want to see him.”
There was movement beside me and Elijah appeared, placing his hand on Frankie’s shoulder.
“He’s sleeping buddy, but if you want me to I’ll go and ask if you can go in there.”
Frankie’s chest heaved as he nodded and tears dripped from the end of his wobbling chin. I looked up at Elijah, hoping he saw the thanks in my eyes.
“Hey, come on,” I soothed, rocking him gently. “Uncle Elijah is going to ask, so try and stop crying, okay.”
Frankie nodded again, but the tears and hiccupping sobs continued.
“I’m so sorry,” Amy mouthed as I glanced at her.
“It’s fine, I’d have had to tell him at some point.”
We waited, the silence of the stark waiting room only broken by Frankie’s sniffles. Finally, Elijah came back with his dad following. As soon as James Cooper walked through the door, his eyes immediately went to Frankie still shaking in my arms. He paused, vis
ibly flinching and then taking a deep breath and pulling back his shoulders came over to us. As he reached Amy he cupped her cheek gently and gave her a soft smile. Once she smiled back, he continued to me and Frankie.
“Hey Frankie,” he whispered, leaning down to his level. “You okay?”
Frankie looked up at him with tear filled eyes and shook his head. “Can I see Daddy?” he asked.
James looked over to Elijah who rubbed a hand over his head and then back to his grandson. His eyes searched Frankie’s features and I saw his Adam’s apple bob sharply.
“Yes, come on.” He held his hand out to Frankie, who placed his tiny one in it instantly.
“Dad-.”
He didn’t look at Elijah, keeping his eyes on Frankie.
“No, Eli. He needs to see him. Come on, let’s go and see your dad. You should come too, Maisie.”
I nodded and pushed up from the hard chair and followed him toward the door.
“Amy,” I said, turning just before we left. “Do you want to go in before me?”
She shook her head and chewed on her bottom lip, grabbing hold of Elijah’s hand. “I’ll go later.”
Taking a deep breath, I followed James and Frankie, hoping I would hold it together.
As we reached the small private room that Sam was in, James let go of Frankie’s hand and went over to the nurse who was writing on the chart at the end of Sam’s bed. Yvetta looked up and her face broke into a smile as she spotted us. She held out her arms and without hesitation, Frankie ran into them leaving me standing in the doorway, my eyes drawn to Sam’s body lying motionless in the bed.
His face was as white as the sheets that were pulled up to his chest, but he looked peaceful as his chest slowly moved up and down. He wasn’t hooked up to any machines to help him breathe, which had to be a good sign, and the heart monitor next to his bed beeped rhythmically; I would have thought he was simply sleeping if I didn’t know any better.
“Maisie,” Yvetta’s soft voice floated into my ears.
I looked over to see her beckoning me over, holding out her hand, not unlike James had done to Frankie. Her other arm was wound tightly around my son, who was turned toward the bed, watching Sam carefully.
“Five minutes, that’s all,” the nurse said a little sternly to James, who rolled his eyes.
When the door clicked shut, Frankie looked up at James who had moved to the other side of Sam’s bed.
“Why won’t he wake up Grandpa?”
James looked down at Sam and then back to Frankie. “He needs to sleep to get better.” His eyes were soft and his voice gentle and I knew he was going to be an amazing grandfather, just as he was evidently an amazing dad.
“But I want him to wake up now,” Frankie said, pulling away from Yvetta. “I start practicing lines for my school play next week. I’m Grandpa Joe and I want him to help me to learn them.”
“Maybe Grandpa and I can help you,” Yvetta said, her voice breaking.
Frankie didn’t look at her, but stared down at Sam and shook his head vigorously.
“No, I want Daddy.” He laid a tiny hand on Sam’s cheek and leaned down to his ear. “Please wake up Daddy. Please. ”
His plea was heart rending and all three of us gasped in unison. I moved quickly to take Frankie into my arms, but he shrugged me off and cupped Sam’s face with both of his hands.
“No,” he cried. “I want to stay with my dad. I want my dad to wake up.”
“Frankie.” Yvetta’s call of his name was hiccupped out in a sob as she clutched a hand to her chest.
“Daddy please.” Frankie continued to sob. “Please wake up, Daddy, please.”
I couldn’t stand the torment that my baby was going through and wished I hadn’t thought it was a good idea for him to come in and see Sam. It was too much for his little heart to endure.
“We haven’t finished our puzzle,” Frankie cried as James managed to pull him away from the bedside. “He needs to help me finish it.”
The last words were said through tears and sobs to his grandfather, as James enveloped him in his arms and hugged him tightly.
“I’m so sorry, Maisie,” James said, his own eyes full of tears. “I thought it would help him.”
“Baby, please don’t cry.” I swiped under my nose with the back of my hand as I reached for Frankie.
He turned in James’ embrace and almost threw himself at me, wrapping tiny arms around my waist. We stood locked together for a few minutes, until his crying subsided and all that he had left to offer were sniffles.
“Let me take him,” Yvetta offered. “You stay here with James.”
I looked over at the bed and then down at Frankie. “I don’t know, I think maybe I should take him home.”
His grip around me tightened. “No, I want to stay.” He looked up at me, his eyes, so like Sam’s, pleading with me.
“Shall we go and see if we can get you some breakfast?” Yvetta asked, bending down to his level. “Maybe Uncle Elijah and Auntie Amy will come too.”
Frankie nodded and letting go of me, took his grandma’s hand. “You’ll come and get me if Daddy wakes up?” he asked me.
“Of course I will.”
He looked back up at Yvetta. “I am hungry.”
“Good boy.” She gave him a warm smile and led him from the room.
Once they’d gone, James let out a breath. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry Maisie. That was just heart breaking.”
I hugged him. “James, it’s fine. He wanted to come and nothing would have stopped him. I thought it would help too.” My eyes went to the bed. “Is he going to be okay?”
“The doctor thinks so. He’ll know more when he gets the scan results back, but all his vitals are fine, he just doesn’t seem to want to stay awake.”
“I hope he does soon,” I whispered. “I …”
My words tailed off, not knowing what to say or whether I had the right to say it.
“I know,” James said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You love him.”
I opened my mouth to protest his words, but I didn’t, there was no point because he was right, I did love him and the thought of losing him already was making my heart break open into a huge yawning chasm which I wasn’t sure would ever mend.
Sam
the present
“Will someone tell those fucking men to stop drilling,” I groaned with a grimace. “They’re giving me headache.”
“Sam,” Mum’s voice cried. “You’re awake.”
I slowly opened one eye and turned my head toward her voice, wincing with the pain. “You look like shit, Mum.”
She laughed through tears and reached for my hand. “Because I’ve been here all night and all day, waiting for you to wake up and I think you’ll find that drilling is in your head, love.”
“You could be right. I could do with a drink.”
My throat felt like sandpaper and my lips dry.
“Here you go son.” Dad appeared, holding a cup with a straw in it. “Just little sips while you’re lying down. Yvetta love, call for the nurse.”
As I drank, Mum’s chair scraped on the floor and I then heard the door open and close.
“You had us bloody worried there,” Dad said, pulling the straw from my mouth. “Do you remember what happened?”
I groaned and reached to the back of my head, feeling thick wadding. “Yeah, I mopped the floor and I slipped, after that I can vaguely remember lights above my head and someone asking me questions, but not much else.” Then something occurred to me. “Did I dream it or have you and Mum been on a cruise.”
Dad laughed. “No, you definitely dreamt it. Imagine me getting your mother on a cruise.”
“Well when I come to think of it, no. Unless it was to sail out and stop the tuna fisherman killing dolphins.”
I moaned as the pain in my head intensified.
“Okay,” a voice I didn’t recognise said. “If you give us a few minutes, thedoctor would like to examine Sam.”
&
nbsp; Dad gave my shoulder a pat and moved away, leaving me with a nurse and a doctor, who prodded and poked me, asked me a load of questions about feeling nauseous or dizzy and took my blood pressure and temperature. Finally, he gave me a smile and hung his stethoscope back around his neck.
“Everything seems fine, Mr. Cooper. Your scan came back clear of any haematomas, but it appears you’ve had a severe concussion. It must have been a heavy bang of the head.”
“I did have quite a way to fall, doc,” I replied, closing my eyes against the pain.
“Quite.” He gave me a placating smile. “We’ll keep you in another night, just to keep you under observation on a normal ward, but I think you’ll be okay to go home tomorrow. Kerry, if you could give Mr. Cooper some pain relief. The usual dosage.”
“Yes, Dr. Shelton.”
“Thanks, I could do with it.”
“Okay, I’ll be off and don’t let the family stay too long.”
When he’d gone, the nurse helped me to sit up a little more and straightened my blankets.
“I’ll get that pain relief and send your family in. Your little boy is desperate to see you.”
“Frankie’s here?”
“Yes, he’s been here since very early this morning, him, your partner, your brother, his wife, and your parents.” She grinned. “You have quite a fan club out there.”
Emotion grew within in me at the thought of them all being there and I was suddenly desperate to see my son, thinking about what if I hadn’t just got a concussion, what if I’d hit my head harder than I had, what if I...? A huge lump formed in the back of my throat at the possibility that I might never have seen those I loved again and it took everything in me not to sob like a fucking baby.
Within seconds of the nurse disappearing from the room, the door swung open and everyone piled in, with Frankie at the front.
“Daddy, you’re awake.”
The volume of his voice made me wince and just as he was about to launch himself at me, Elijah caught hold of him and snagged him around the waist.
“Hold on, little man. Dad is still feeling a little fragile, so just be careful.”