“Claire, I’m sorry, but I have to ask this and these two nurses have to witness your answer. Was this an accident or were you attempting to take your own life?”
Laura’s head was spinning as she thought about the question. She hadn’t meant to walk in front of the bus, but perhaps she had subconsciously wanted all the pain to end. Well, that hadn’t worked in her favour. Now she was in a hospital bed in even more pain.
“It was an accident.” Whether she meant to kill herself, she couldn’t have these people thinking she was suicidal. If they did, then they wouldn’t let her out of their sight.
“Good. Now, I’m going to talk you through your injuries. It will sound worse than it is, I promise.” Despite the fear welling up inside, Laura still felt butterflies in her stomach as Luke shot her a reassuring smile.
“You have broken your ankle, thankfully it’s a clean break and should heal on its own, but you will be in a cast for a while. You have also broken three ribs, which pierced your lung. We’ve patched you up, but you will be in some pain whilst they heal. As you have already discovered, you also suffered some concussion. You’ll probably have some general pains and bruising, but overall I think you got off rather lightly after being hit by a bus.” Despite being the bearer of bad news, Luke kept his reassuring smile plastered across his face the entire time. Laura was trying to keep calm as she considered all of her injuries, she would be in a lot of pain for a while now. How was she going to sleep rough with all these broken bones?
“How long will I have to stay here for?” asked Laura. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. Despite being fearful of someone discovering her true identity, it was nice to be lying in an actual bed and to know that they would feed her throughout the day.
“Let’s see how your body reacts and how quickly you heal. I know your situation, Claire, we will not be discharging you back onto the streets anytime soon. I have more patients to see, but I’ll pop back and see how you’re doing once I have finished my rounds.” He gave her one last dazzling smile and left the room with the two nurses following behind him, both of whom had told her to get some rest.
Laura knew there was no point lying there and dwelling on what had happened, and so she took their advice and rested. Who knew the next time she would get to sleep in a bed?
Chapter Five
Laura was unsure how long she had been asleep for, but when she woke she was aware of someone else’s presence in the room. She smiled sleepily to herself as she thought about how she would open her eyes to see Luke’s gorgeous green eyes staring back at her. Laura fought through the fog to pry open her sleepy eyes, wanting to say thank you to Luke for being so caring and for reassuring her. She had been wrong to judge him so quickly when he was just trying to help her. As the glaring light flooded her senses, it took Laura a few seconds to adjust to the brightly lit room. However, as she took in her surroundings, it soon became apparent that it was not Luke in the room with her. Every nerve within Laura’s body was tingling, her brain was screaming at her to run, but she was paralysed with fear. Perhaps this was it, this was the end. Being hit by a bus had been a complete waste of time because this was how she was going to die.
There were two men in her hospital room, both wearing black jeans and black biker jackets. She suspected it was a uniform so that they could not be easily identified. Sean had taught her that. During his time as a police officer, he had come across lots of organised crime groups that would adopt a ‘uniform’. What if these two men were the last people Sean had seen? Laura’s head pounded with anger as she considered the pain that these two men could have inflicted on him. The kindest man you could ever meet and yet these monsters had subjected him to such pain and horror, leaving behind just a puddle of blood.
“Good afternoon, Laura.” The man almost spat her name as he strolled closer to the hospital bed. The second man was on the other side of her bed, looking at all the machines that were monitoring her and administering morphine for her pain. Laura only hoped that they wouldn’t be able to fiddle with them and give her an overdose. As much as she wanted to be with Sean, she didn’t want it to be like this. They wouldn’t have the satisfaction of taking her life too.
“What do you want?" Laura’s voice was still raspy from sleep, preventing her from conveying the anger that was bubbling away inside her. She was scared and vulnerable, and there was no way of hiding it with her leg in a cast and hundreds of wires attached to her. Not to mention the stupid heart rate monitor that was not-so-quietly telling everyone just how scared she was.
The man smirked at her, showing a row of rotten teeth. Oversized black sunglasses hid his face, they were the same as the ones the second man was wearing. Both men had beards, they were another aspect of the uniform. Between their glasses and beards, there was very little that would distinguish them. Laura knew from all the discussions she’d had with Sean about his work that this was an organised crime group, they knew what they were doing.
“We want you and everything you know.” The man spat at her. She recoiled from the stench that was emitting from his rotting mouth.
“I don’t know anything.” Laura tried to sound brave, but her voice was a mere squeak. She was feeling far from brave at this moment in time. She was all too aware how easily the men could tamper with her morphine and kill her.
“Well, we think you know everything. Sean definitely did, he just needed a bit of encouragement before he spoke.” The smug look on the man’s face made Laura feel sick. How dare they talk about Sean like that?
Courage welled up inside of Laura. She knew she had to call for help or else she would be dead in the next few minutes. They had already harmed and possibly killed Sean. They wouldn’t think twice about ending her life. She took a deep breath to fill her lungs with air and at the top of her lungs she screamed out, “Help!”. One man gripped her bad leg, sending pain shooting through her body. She immediately stopped shouting and instead whimpered in pain. Meanwhile, the other man pulled a pillow from underneath her and pressed it to her face, muffling her cries of agony, whilst also cutting off her supply of oxygen.
Panic flooded Laura as she realised she couldn’t breathe. This was it, they were killing her.
As Laura’s survival instinct kicked in and she tried to push the pillow from her face, she heard a door open and the sound of someone shouting. Suddenly, the pressure on top of the pillow disappeared and Laura took a few deep breaths before pushing it from her face. She took in the scene in front of her, Luke was sprawled out on the ground. Meanwhile, both of the men were leaping over him and running for the door.
“Stop! Security!” shouted Luke as he scrambled to stand up. The hospital floor was slippery, meaning that the two men had just enough time to run before Luke could alert anyone. Instead of running after them, he approached Laura’s bed.
“Are you okay?” he asked, checking the machines ensuring nobody had tampered with them.
"I think so.” Laura stuttered out, still in shock over what had just happened. She’d just been face to face with people connected to Sean’s murder. She wished she had been smart enough to come up with a plan to catch them or at the very least hurt them. It was too late now though, at least she was still alive. Laura was angry and frustrated. That was the closest she had been to any answers for over a year, and yet she still didn’t know why these men were trying to kill her.
“What happened?” he asked as he took a seat next to her bed, concern etched across his face.
Laura was speechless for a few moments, unsure just how much she should tell Luke. After all, he was a stranger. However, her brain could not come up with a plausible lie and he had seen too much for her to just brush it off. She had to trust him, after all, he had saved her life.
“They’ve been after me for a while, it’s why I’ve been living rough.” She was embarrassed to say it out loud. She had allowed someone to scare her so much that she could not go home.
“Who are they?” he asked her, leaning fo
rward and taking hold of her hand. Laura knew it was wrong in the circumstances, but she couldn’t help the brief smile that formed on her face as his soft hand protectively held hers.
“I don’t know. All I know is they killed my boyfriend.” A silence hung in the air after Laura’s revelation. She did not want to go into detail about Sean being missing and presumed dead. If she did, then Luke could search the case online. It was easier to say that Sean was dead. Luke squeezed her hand, but he didn’t know what to say. Few people knew what to say after you told them your boyfriend was brutally murdered. Even after experiencing it firsthand, Laura wouldn’t know what to say to someone in her position. Nothing you could say could make it better or take away the pain, and so it was one of those occasions where words were better left unsaid.
“Do you not have family who can look after you?” Luke asked her. He was still holding her hand.
“I don’t want to put them in any danger.” Laura knew that if she contacted her family, they would have her home in an instant. They wouldn’t worry if they were putting themselves in danger. They loved her and wanted her to be safe. However, she felt the same about them and that was why she had to stay away. The men would find her at home, and then her family would be in danger.
“Claire, you can’t sleep rough on the streets with a broken ankle. I’m not supposed to do this so please don’t tell anyone I’ve offered, but I’d like you to come and stay with me." Laura opened her mouth to protest but Luke cut her off. "Claire, I insist. How on earth would you even get up and down from the ground with your leg in a cast?” Laura bit back the retort that she had already planned - she had intended to sleep on park benches. Could she really stay with Luke? If she could get out of the hospital unseen, then nobody would know she was there, and nobody would make a connection between her and the handsome doctor. He had proven to her she could trust him, so what did she have to lose?
“Are you sure?” Laura asked. She couldn’t deny that the prospect of getting to sleep in a proper bed for a little longer and having access to food and a bathroom excited her.
“I’m sure. I have other people to see, but I’m going to get a security guard to stand outside your room to ensure those men do not come back.”
As soon as Luke left the room, the smile that she had plastered across her face disappeared. Now that he was no longer sat beside her and holding her hand, the reality of what had just happened hit her. They had found her. How had they found her? She had been going under a false name and so they couldn’t have traced her through any hospital records. Someone must have been following her the whole time, just waiting for a moment where she was vulnerable. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. Was it not enough that she had lost Sean, the love of her life? She had experienced so much trauma and yet here she was still trying to get through each day. She didn’t know why, though. Without Sean, she had no future. Guilt seeped in as Laura realised she was picturing Luke’s friendly face. Did she really have no future? She shook her head to dispel the thoughts. She had to focus on finding answers or else she would continue running away from a danger she did not truly understand.
Chapter Six
The following day, Luke discharged Laura and left her in the hospital cafeteria sipping a rather vile polystyrene cup of coffee whilst he finished his shift. She was wearing a baseball cap to keep her identity hidden, and Luke had asked the security guards to keep an eye on her. Laura couldn’t complain, there were lots of people around and so she was somewhat safe; she was also under the influence of a large dose of morphine, and so she was happy to just sit back and watch the world pass her by. She watched as elderly couples wandered past, hand in hand. Some had smiles on their faces after receiving good news, others looked as though they had been dabbing tears from their eyes. An endless stream of children ran past, followed by a few in wheelchairs. As each person passed, Laura wondered what their story was. Nobody would look at her and guess how much she had suffered, and so it made her wonder what was going on in other peoples’ lives.
As Laura continued to watch the couples wandering through the hospital’s maze of corridors, a wave of emotion crashed over her. She had been forced to be brave and to run to protect herself, but in doing so she had never had the chance to process everything that had happened. She didn’t even know whether they had found Sean’s body while she was in hospital - perhaps she had even missed his funeral. They were thoughts she couldn’t entertain, and so instead, Laura turned her attention to one of the discarded newspapers on the table in front of her. She ignored the news sections and skipped straight to the celebrity gossip. There was enough drama going on in her own life, she didn’t need to hear about how many local stabbings there had been in the last twenty-four hours.
After what seemed like hours, but was probably only half an hour, Luke walked over to her and helped her up from her seat. Luke took her bag from her and passed her some crutches, telling her she would get used to them.
“Do you have a car?" she asked, a sudden realisation hit her she might have to get on public transport. Laura suspected that would not end well, she would probably come out of it with two legs in casts.
“No, I don’t, but don’t worry, I don’t expect you to jump on the tube. I thought we would get a taxi.” Luke had thought it through, much to Laura’s relief, and so she hobbled along after him, still trying to coordinate walking with crutches.
Once outside the hospital, Luke effortlessly hailed them a taxi, and he helped her inside. He gave the driver his address, and they both settled back into their seats to enjoy their journey through rush-hour London. Laura kept sneaking sly glances towards Luke. Even in the artificial light shining down from office blocks and takeaway shops, he looked good. His inquisitive eyes shone as he looked down at his phone. How did he look so good after doing a twelve-hour shift? Laura admired the stranger sat next to her, he was so kind, dedicating his life to helping others.
“Do you live far away?” Laura asked him. She was now feeling excited about her stay with the handsome doctor. She needed to stop her thoughts from straying to how lovely he was to look at. The morphine in her system wasn’t helping the situation.
“I live near London Bridge.” He smiled at her before turning back to the messages on his phone. Feeling a little disheartened, Laura decided not to disturb him again, instead she turned her attention to the window. She watched as the night sky drew in and the bright lights of London twinkled around her. She had been to London Bridge once before, with Sean.
◆◆◆
1st June 2016,
They had visited London to celebrate their eight-year anniversary. Sean had booked it as a surprise and had even arranged her time off work. On the Friday morning, he had woken her up with breakfast in bed, and told her to pack because they had a train to catch in a couple of hours. Sean kept their destination a secret until they arrived at the train station and she spotted the train they were getting. It read London Bridge.
“London? We’re going to London?” She squealed, she was bubbling over with excitement at the thought of her and Sean visiting the bright lights of London. Neither of them had ever been before, but both had talked about going one day.
“Are you happy?” Sean asked, taking her suitcase from her so she could board the train safely.
“I’m beyond happy.”
They chose their seats, and Laura didn’t stop talking the entire journey. She discovered Sean had booked a hotel, theatre performances and knowing her love of food he had carefully booked a different restaurant each night. He had planned it all to perfection - even making no plans on their first night so they could explore.
The weekend had been a whirlwind of excitement as they explored, went to the theatre and ate tons of delicious food. It was the happiest Laura had ever been, and she fell even more in love with Sean. The first night had been heavenly.
“Where shall we eat?” Laura asked as she finished touching up her makeup. The hotel room was breathtaking. As they had walke
d into the room, Laura’s eyes had immediately been drawn to the four-poster bed, in the centre of the room, adorned with luxurious gold silk bedding. The room itself was stunning, with floor to ceiling windows overlooking Hyde Park. Sean had done very well.
“I thought we could just take a walk and see where we end up?” He strolled over to where she sat at the vanity table and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
“Sounds perfect.” She beamed back at him.
Together, they had walked hand in hand around London, taking in the twinkling lights and the jolly atmosphere. Eventually, they came across a little bar near Covent Garden, nestled along a busy street. Inside, the bar was dimly lit with candles on each table. They sat in that little bar for hours, drinking copious amounts of gin and gorging on Tapas.
“I wish every day could be like this.” Laura sighed. Sean’s eyes glimmered in the candlelight as he reached across the table to take her hand in his.
“Perhaps one day it could be. There’s nothing stopping us from going anywhere in the world. You can cook and I can entertain. We could have our own little bar like this.”
Laura smiled serenely in her drunken haze as she considered cooking in her own kitchen, setting her own hours, and her own menu. That was the ultimate dream.
“One day.” She squeezed Sean’s hand and gazed into his eyes. There was nowhere else in the world she would rather be.
The entire trip had been wonderful. It had been absolute perfection as they walked hand in hand along the Thames with the night sky above them, stopping now and then to take in the world around them. The stars twinkled as they discussed their future plans of owning a romantic bar on the edge of a Spanish beach.
◆◆◆
“Claire, are you okay?” A voice pulled Laura from her thoughts and she angrily swiped away at the tears that were running down her cheeks. She had to stop thinking about Sean. He was gone, and their perfect future, that they had planned together, was no longer a possibility. She had tried searching for him, but that had ended in her almost being killed.
Finding You Page 3