Take a Chance

by Simone Jaine

  “I’ll be right back,” Eben promised.

  In the laundry he rummaged around the cleaning products until he found a spray promising to neutralise odours. Grabbing it, he took it back to the garage and sprayed a few puffs in the back half of the car before putting the pump spray bottle down on the closest surface. The bottle had leaked a little of the contents onto his hands and he sniffed them and was taken aback when the scent permeated his nostrils.

  “Whoa, it’s got a strong smell. My sinuses are clear now too,” he said to Jem. “I’d better go and wash it off my hands.”

  When he returned Jeremy was seated in the car and Jem had her arms crossed and stood scowling at Daisy. Aidan stood beside Jem and looked cross with Daisy too.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “I only wanted to make Aidan’s hair smell like flowers,” said Daisy.

  Eben belatedly noticed that Aidan’s hair looked wet. He took a step closer and the pungent odour of the air freshener almost overpowered him. Eben turned his head to take a breath.

  “I’ll have a go at getting it out of Aidan’s hair while you get Daisy in the car,” he suggested.

  Jem tight lipped, nodded her agreement.

  Despite holding Aidan under one arm and shampooing his head over the handbasin, the smell lingered. It wasn’t as bad as before, Eben decided, but he didn’t want to be in a confined space with Aidan either.

  Because of that they drove to the hospital with all the car windows down despite the chilly day. By the time they arrived they had trouble undoing their seatbelts as their fingers were almost numb with the cold. At least the children were keen to get inside instead of wanting to hide from each other behind cars along the way.

  Inside the hospital Jem and Eben ushered the children through the double doors to ICU. Herding them to the bay where Jess rested, Jem was relieved to find her sister awake and without the usual accoutrement of nurses or doctors. She held tight to Aidan’s hand and encouraged Daisy and Jeremy to move forward so their mother could see them.

  Daisy happily skipped to Jess’s bedside and gave her a picture she had drawn that morning.

  “This is for you Mummy,” she said. “I miss you. When are you coming home?”

  “Soon, I hope,” said Jess, her voice cracking. “I miss you all too.”

  Jess bit her lip to stop the tears from falling in relief to see that all her children were okay. She had no memory of the accident and despite being told she was on her own in the car she knew she rarely went anywhere without at least one child accompanying her. She hadn’t truly believed they were all safe until she saw them for herself.

  As a distraction to give her time to get her feelings under control she asked “What have you drawn for me?”

  “The circus tent on the back lawn,” Daisy said. “Lots of people went inside it last night but we’re not allowed to play in there until Aunty Jem and Uncle Eben have taken away everything inside.”

  Jem looked at Eben in alarm, not wanting to have her sister stress about something that was largely over and done with. He looked back at her and shrugged.

  “See how carefully I coloured it in?” Daisy continued, oblivious to her aunt’s hand suddenly patting her shoulder in a futile effort to keep her quiet.

  “What a wonderful imagination Daisy has,” Jem interrupted the moment Daisy paused to take a breath. “How about we set up the picture on the bedside unit?”

  She quickly took the picture from her sister’s hands and rested it behind the cards earlier made by the children. Then she moved the cards around a bit so most of the drawing was obscured.

  Behind her Eben took the seat closest to Jess and pulled Aidan onto his lap, then pushed him forward so the scent of the air freshener on Aidan’s head wasn’t right under his nose.

  “Mummy, does Daddy have more stamna than Uncle Eben?” Daisy asked, unperturbed that her drawing was now largely out of sight.

  “What’s stamna sweetie?” Jess asked.

  Eben coughed into his hand.

  “She means stamina,” said Jem.

  “I really wouldn’t know,” answered Jess, amused.

  “Uncle Eben said you and Aunty Jem could compare notes,” Daisy added helpfully.

  Jess looked at Eben and he could feel his ears getting warm. He looked around, trying to find a change of subject.

  “I think I’ll just go see if I can find a coffee in this place,” he said and passed Aidan to Jem’s unready arms.

  By the time he returned the conversation had fortunately moved onto another topic.

  “Where’s Jeremy?” he asked as he took Aidan from Jem and settled back in the chair.

  Jem turned around to discover that Jeremy was missing. Turning back she was relieved to see Aidan still sitting on Eben’s lap and Daisy holding her mother’s hand.

  “He might’ve gone looking for a glass of water. Will you be okay if I leave Daisy and Aidan with you while I find him?” she asked Eben.

  “Sure,” said Jess on his behalf, as though it never occurred to her that the children would continue to be anything other than well behaved.

  Either that or the drugs are really good here, Jem decided.

  “You two, stay put,” she told Daisy and Aidan. “I’ll be right back.”

  Jem found Jeremy sitting on a bench around the corner from the entry to ICU. He was busy wiping his eyes. She sat down beside him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Mummy’s got tubes coming out of her and she has lots of bruises on her face,” Jeremy sobbed.

  “Oh honey,” Jem soothed and swept him up in a hug. She waited a minute or two until the worst of the tears had fallen then let him go and gave him a tissue from her purse.

  “I know she doesn’t look as good as she usually does but there is no way I would have brought you to see her if I thought it would upset you so. Your Mum has missed you all so much and wanted to see you.”

  Jeremy blew his nose in the tissue so Jem replaced it with a fresh one.

  “Do you think we can go back just to say hello? We won’t stay long because we’re going to the zoo. Would you like that?”

  “Yes,” said Jeremy.

  “Okay. We’ll only stay long enough to give her a big smile and a kiss,” she promised.

  They opened the doors to ICU and Jeremy’s face went white when they saw two nurses and a doctor rushing into Jess’s bay with the resuscitation cart between them.

  Chapter 20

  Daisy ducked out from behind the curtain and ran towards Jem and Jeremy.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “Aidan’s just done something naughty.”

  Behind her the doctor moved onto the next patient bay and the nurses walked towards Jem. One of the nurses recognised her.

  “That nephew of yours is a busy lad,” she said.

  “What’s he done this time?” Jem asked.

  “He disconnected the heart monitor so we got a flat-line showing on the nurses’ station monitor.”

  “I am so sorry.”

  “As much as we’d rather have a false alarm than the real thing we don’t want to be running around because some child has run amok,” said the second nurse. “You need to keep children under close supervision in ICU otherwise find someone to look after them at home. That is what I told the gentleman visiting and that is what I am telling you.”

  The nurse walked back to the nurse’s station without waiting for a response.

  “I am very sorry,” Jem repeated to the remaining nurse.

  “Don’t worry about it too much,” said the familiar nurse. “That one,” indicating the departed nurse with a wave of her hand “doesn’t have any kids so doesn’t realise how fast they can be. We probably would have worked out what had happened if we’d seen you arrive.”

  Aidan, your reputation precedes you.

  “After this we won’t stay long,” Jem promised.

  Eben was contrite upon their return to Jess’s bedside.

  “I had given him a
pen to play with and he dropped it. I only let him get off my lap so he could pick it up,” he explained while Aidan struggled in his arms to be put down.

  Aidan’s behaviour was a good reason to cut the visit short. Jeremy gave Jess a kiss on her cheek without her noticing his red rimmed eyes because Eben lowered Aidan towards his mother for a goodbye kiss making Jess put her hand over her nose.

  “Do you smell that smell?” she asked. “I thought whatever it was would go away but it’s just got stronger. It sort of smells like a floral pine forest, if that makes sense.”

  “Daisy did it,” Aidan said grumpily from Eben’s shoulder.

  Daisy smiled at her mother.

  “I wanted him to smell be-yoo-ti-ful,” she said.

  “She managed the first part,” Eben said.

  “I would give you all a big hug goodbye but at the moment it hurts too much,” Jess told the children. “So I’m going to save them all up for when I get out of here.”

  “You’ll be home soon, won’t you Mummy?” Daisy asked.

  “I’ll be home as soon as I can,” Jess promised. “I hope you are all being good for Aunty Jem and Uncle Eben.”

  “Yes,” the children replied enthusiastically.

  Eben raised an eyebrow at Jem and she shrugged.

  If they really put their minds to it they could’ve been worse.

  “We’ll take the kids to the zoo now. I’ll come back and visit you later if you like. Would you like me to bring you anything?” Jem asked.

  “I would love to have my kindle so I can read something,” Jess said. “It’s sitting on the bedside table. Oh, and could you also bring me some paper and pens? I have a few things to do I want to write down before I forget.”

  Eben smirked at that.

  List writing obviously ran in the family.

  Both Jem and Jess stopped their discussion to look at him.

  “What?” they both asked.

  “Nothing,” he said innocently.

  “So,” Eben said casually to Jem as they reached the car. “Did you two decide who had more stamina?”

  “We decided it was too close to call,” Jem replied.

  “Wow,” replied Eben as they settled themselves in the car. “Jase is pretty good for an old guy. I’d better try harder.”

  Jem checked the children’s seatbelts were done up then turned to him.

  “I’m happy to let you practice on me,” she said magnanimously.

  Eben put his hand on her knee and squeezed.

  “Glad to hear it,” he said.

  The trip to the zoo also required the windows down. They were all chilled when they arrived so Eben suggested they run to see the giraffes to help warm up. After that they were warm enough to walk through several parts of the zoo before stopping to have their picnic lunch on a grassy area. Eben supplemented their fare with hot chips from a nearby vendor.

  Nearby, large Galapagos tortoises were penned in by short metal poles that were too close together for them to walk between.

  “That’s so mean,” said Jem watching one reach for a lettuce leaf that had blown beyond the poles.

  “What is?” Eben asked as he looked in the same direction she was.

  “Those poles. They give the illusion of freedom but there’s no way they could walk out of that enclosure,” she said indignantly.

  “I think that is the idea,” Eben responded and leaned forward to brush a lock of hair that had blown onto her cheek.

  “They probably get to run around after all the visitors have gone home.”

  Jem didn’t look convinced but she dropped the conversation to grab a chip that Daisy was about to throw to a seagull.

  “Don’t do that until we’re about to go otherwise there’ll be hundreds of them wanting one,” she advised.

  “But it looks hungry,” Daisy pouted.

  “They practise looking hungry but they are well fed,” Eben promised her.

  Knowing that the children must be full if they thought to feed the birds Eben and Jem quickly gathered the picnic remains. They weren’t fast enough to stop Aidan take several steps towards the seagull and dump a chip on the grass in front of it.

  There were squarks and several seagulls swept down upon the sole chip and fought over it while others flew down to keep a beady eye out for more offerings.

  A few noticed the fistful of chips that Aidan still held and advanced upon him. He tried to pull one from his hand but they all fell and landed on the grass. Before anything could be said a flock of seagulls descended upon Aidan, swallowing his presence in a flurry of feathers. There were far more seagulls than chips so a lot of screeching and blustering by those birds already on the ground ensued.

  Frightened, Aidan backed up and tripped, only to land on his bottom. The seagulls ran across his outstretched legs in their attempts to tear themselves a piece from the remaining chips.

  Within seconds the chips disappeared and most of the birds flew off leaving only a few to await the possibility of a further handout. The ordeal over, Aidan started crying.

  Eben scooped him up and carried him back to the picnic blanket.

  “What’s the matter?” Eben asked once he had him sitting on his lap. “You’re safe now.”

  “The bird poo on my leg,” wailed Aidan.

  Everyone looked at Aidan’s legs and saw the distinctive brown and white smear on his shin between his sock and the bottom of his track pants which had pulled up when he fell.

  Jeremy burst out laughing.

  “Did you see that Daze? A seagull did a poo on Aidan’s leg.”

  “Not funny!” screeched Aidan amongst his tears.

  Daisy sympathetically patted his arm then spoiled it by saying “Yes it was.”

  “That was something to behold, wasn’t it?” Jem said quietly to Eben as she offered him the pack of wet wipes. “The way they all swooped down on him like that.”

  “It certainly was,” Eben replied with a smile as he took a couple of wet wipes then carefully wiped the mess away.

  “That is the reason we didn’t want you to feed them,” Jem told Aidan, as Eben got up to put all their rubbish in the bin. She had to bite her lip to stop the smile that was threatening to break through.

  “You were very brave though,” she thought to add.

  “Can I feed the birds now?” asked Daisy.

  “No,” said Eben and Jem.

  “I never get to feed the birds,” complained Daisy as she reluctantly took Eben’s hand.

  “I know,” said Eben. “You’re horribly hard done by.”

  “Yes,” Daisy agreed and nodded.

  Aidan insisted upon being picked up so Jem carried him on her hip. She coped with the smell of the air freshener on his hair by only breathing when she looked at Eben on her other side. He grinned at her and took her hand.

  They wandered around looking at the animals with their hands linked and Aidan subdued on Jem’s hip. For the first time that she could remember, Jem felt content. The children were all behaving and although several women they passed had tried to catch Eben’s eye he never gave them a second glance. He was too busy pointing things out to her and Aidan or teasing Jeremy and Daisy to notice.

  Jem caught herself pretending that they were a family: Mum, Dad and their three children on a Sunday outing with the older two running ahead then back to tell them which animal was coming up. It was a nice little fantasy as long as she didn’t remind herself that Eben would soon move on and that the children belonged to her sister.

  Jeremy and Daisy disappeared around a corner and Eben called for them to stay in sight. Jem was considering picking up her speed so they wouldn’t get lost when they both reappeared.

  Jeremy came running up to them.

  “Up ahead are the otters. They smell worse than you do!” Jeremy exclaimed to Aidan.

  Aidan looked pleased and struggled to be put down. Relieved to be free of carrying him, Jem set Aidan on the footpath then watched as he joined Jeremy in running to the wall that Dai
sy was looking over.

  “I can’t see,” Aidan complained when he reached the stone wall that was as high as he was.

  Eben lifted him up so Aidan could see the otters swimming and others running around on the banks of a stream.

  “They stink!” Aidan exclaimed happily.

  Eben and Jem exchanged amused smiles. The things that pleased the children were not always what you’d expect.

  When they finally left the zoo a few hours later it was complete with souvenirs from the gift shop on the way out. They decided to round out their outing by having an early dinner at a fast food restaurant before going home.

  “Who’s the best uncle in the whole world?” Eben asked as he distributed the little boxed meals to the children sitting at the table.

  “You are!” chorused Jeremy, Daisy and Aidan.

  Jem just smiled and shook her head to herself at the affirmation before accepting her food. She had really wanted to catch up on some work contracts today but she hadn’t realised how much she had needed this break until she found herself caught up in the children’s excitement at the zoo.

  By the time they got home the children were worn out from all the running around at the zoo and from the playground at the restaurant but that didn’t stop them from whooping around inside the empty marquee. Eben offered to supervise the children’s baths so Jem could visit Jess. Jem gratefully accepted and left him to it.

  An hour and a half later Eben drifted down the stairs after finishing the bedtime routine with stories and cuddles. In the kitchen he cracked a couple of blocks of ice into a glass and poured a little whiskey over the top. After a few seconds hesitation he doubled the volume of whiskey in the glass then recapped the bottle.

  Taking a sip and approving of the taste, he tucked the bottle under his arm and went into the office. Sitting down in the chair in front of his usual workstation he turned on the screen and gazed at it to see where he had left off. He had just started typing when the phone rang beside him.

  Eben picked it up only to have his greeting cut off by Jason.

  “How is Jess doing today?”

  “She’s doing so well that she’s now sitting up in bed and talked to the kids during our visit today,” Eben assured him. “As soon as she’s in a regular ward I’ll take in her cell phone and text you afterwards so you can hear her for yourself.”