“Good morning,” he said, waking up and seeing her staring at him.
“Good morning, Jayden. Look I'm a bit confused right now, what exactly happened last night?” she asked, concerned.
“Nothing for you to worry about! We danced, I brought you home and you went to bed. I offered to stay on your sofa in the event you needed someone during the night as you were out of it!”
Angelina was embarrassed, wondering if anything else happened. She needed to know. “Did anything happen between us, Jayden, and don't lie to me.”
Jayden pondered her question for a few moments before answering. “Look, there was a little kiss, but it stopped as soon as it started. You couldn't do it and pulled away, okay. I should have known better, Angelina.”
His honesty was not lost on her. She smiled and offered to make him breakfast. “Thank you for staying last night and thank you for being honest with me and not taking advantage.”
“You are most welcome, now get that breakfast on. I'm starving and then I need to head home.”
Angelina cooked them breakfast while Jayden sat back and attempted to impart some advice her way. She mumbled, nodded and occasionally agreed, with very little input. She was ashamed of her behaviour, she had lost it through her anger and knew she had some apologising to do to Lucy. After Jayden left, Angelina pulled out all of Joshua's letters and spent the whole morning reading them again, one by one. By the time she came to the last letter, something hit her square in the face, something that had never entered her mind until this very moment.
She got dressed, jumped into her car and headed over to Lucy's house. After she had rapped on the door for a minute or so like a mad woman, Lucy opened it, wearing nothing but a bath towel.
“Sorry, I was in the bath. What on earth is going on?”
“I know what I have to do, Lucy. It suddenly became clear to me this morning. There is something wrong with Joshua, I just know it. I think something he feels is so bad he does not want to burden me with it. I have decided to drive up to Birmingham and book myself into the Novotel on Broad Street. I know the Midlands like the back of my hand and I know my way around the city of Birmingham very well. I need to see him for myself, Lucy, or I will never be able to move on and if I'm wrong, then so be it. But I can't go through the rest of my life without seeing him again. I need to be absolutely sure in my own mind that I did everything I possibly could to save us both.”
Lucy just stared at Angelina in complete shock. “Are you crazy? I'm not so sure this is a good idea. What if you get there and he refuses to see you?”
“He won't know I'm coming, Lucy. I managed to persuade his friend Sean McKay who was recently treated at the QE to come along with me. He has an out-patient’s appointment there tomorrow and he kindly agreed to let me tag along with him to increase my chances of getting in to see Joshua. I will just turn up and find my way to him somehow. I know security at the QE military wing is tight and they have more staff than the NHS wing, but at least I will be in the building if I'm accompanying Sean. If I went alone, I wouldn't get past security at the entrance,” Angelina said desperately.
“Okay, it sounds like your mind is all made up. All I will say, Angelina, is be prepared for the worst. He may refuse to speak to you and it may not turn out how you hope it will, not to mention you may get thrown out of the hospital.”
Angelina left a spare set of house keys with Lucy so she could keep an eye on her cottage while she was gone, not knowing how long that would be. She drove over the speed limit all the way back home, grabbed an old weekend bag and packed a few essentials that she would need for the next couple of days. She booked herself and Sean into separate rooms at the Novotel.
She'd agreed to pick Sean up on route. She beeped her horn and waited for a few minutes until Sean emerged from his house. She opened the passenger door to let him in and then set off.
It was a long drive up to the Midlands, over four hours, but for the first time since Joshua went MIA, she felt positive and in control of her life, something she thought she would never feel again. She turned on her mobile phone and left an urgent message for her boss Geoffrey.
“Thanks for doing this, Sean. I know it was a lot to ask but I just needed to see him and you are my only chance of getting anywhere near him.”
Sean looked out of the window, feeling rather anxious himself as he hadn't seen Joshua since that fateful day. He was really curious as to how his friend and comrade was doing and was rather eager to see him. He was doing this as much for himself as for Angelina.
Sean was dealing with his own demons, having only one arm and having to come to terms with the fact that his life would never be the same again. He wasn't sleeping during the night, often tormented by recurring nightmares of the attack in Afghanistan. He still couldn’t believe he had survived the explosion and was struggling with feelings of guilt that he survived and the others were killed. His term in the British Army was ended that day, now he had to decide what exactly he was going to do with the rest of his life. At just twenty two years old, single and currently in therapy himself, he also had to deal with depression on top of everything else.
“Angelina, have you prepared yourself for the worst? I have some idea of what Joshua may be going through right now and if he is doing worse than me then trust me, he's in a pretty bad place mentally.”
Angelina looked to Sean and then looked down at his stump. She realized just how much she had asked of him. “Sean, are you sure about coming with me? I don't want to get you into any trouble, it's the last thing you need right now.”
“I'm sure. Like I said, I was due for an outpatient’s appointment tomorrow anyway; my brother was going to take me so it makes sense we travel together. I thought it would help me if I was to help you, if that makes any sense.”
Angelina smiled and gently touched Sean's arm. “It makes complete sense to me,” she replied.
Finally they were on the M6 just outside Birmingham, the traffic into the city was bumper to bumper and they were crawling along at a snail’s pace. Angelina had forgotten how bad the traffic could be in the centre of the city. As they came off the Queensway roundabout and headed towards Broad Street, Angelina felt sad as she looked out of the window at her old home town. This was where she had gone to college and attended her part time job at weekends. This was where she had gone to school and all her childhood memories came flooding back
As she drove down the very busy and bustling Broad Street, the clubbing capital of the Midlands, she looked out of her car window at all the teenagers dressed up to the nines, ready for a night out on the town. There were young girls dressed in barely anything, handing out flyers to entice as many people as they could into their club or bars. People travelled from all over to party on Broad Street. It was also home to many great hotels such as the Hiatt and the Novatel. Angelina had been very lucky to secure a booking at such short notice. She parked and helped Sean out of the car then they headed into the hotel and walked up to reception to check in.
“Look, I know a few great restaurants around here, Sean. There is a lovely Italian place just at the back of Broad Street in Brindley Place called Cielo, it's in a little square and the service is second to none. They do the most amazing pasta dishes and serve the very best wine! Please, my treat; after all, it's the very least I can do,” suggested Angelina.
“Now that sounds like an offer I cannot refuse. I love pasta and to be honest, I'm starving.”
Angelina and Sean checked in to their rooms and met five minutes later in the Novotel bar where they had a quick drink before walking the short distance to Brindley Place.
“See that pub on the corner over there? The Brass House it's called; well, I used to have lunch there quite often during summer time when I was at college. They do great pub food at great prices too, and it used to be quite popular with the Central news team. I saw Charlie the news reader in there once or twice, tucking into a hearty dinner.”
As they turned down the back of the
Brass House, they walked past the Slug and Lettuce and the Pitcher and Piano and took a left turn. There was a beautiful water feature in front of them, standing majestically outside a rather impressive white building with beautiful archways.
“See that building there? As well as being home to several businesses, the reception area became quite popular with tourists and fans of the series Doctors that is shown in the afternoons. If you look through the oversized windows, you will see a rather impressive atrium. Some pretty fabulous architecture, wouldn't you agree? Well, that atrium was used as the reception area for Doctors,” Angelina said.
“Wow, you know an awful lot about Birmingham, those are some pretty impressive stats.”
Angelina continued. “Well, like I said earlier, I used to go to college here in the city and I spent a lot of time around Brindley Place during my lunch hours. I used to sit over there with my Starbucks coffee, or pop over there to Baguette World for some lunch! I had a friend at college who was obsessed with the series Doctors and she is the reason I know so much about the filming that took place in that building! There was nothing she didn't know about that programme. The Central news team was often around this area too, asking the public questions on newsworthy topics or asking their opinions on government policies and so on for one news item or another.”
“Ah, here we are, this is my favourite part of Brindley Place. It's a lovely perfect square with a few beautiful classy restaurants on either side. There's Cielo, and directly opposite is Piccolinos which also serves delicious food. The best time to come here is in the summer as all the restaurants in the square lay out their tables and chairs and you can eat outside. And just down there a bit further are the famous Birmingham canals. Lovely if you want to take a long walk or hop on a barge for a breeze down the canal.”
They walked into Cielos where the maître d took their names and then seated them at a table for two by the window overlooking the square. Angelina wondered how a young man in the prime of his life coped with an amputation.
Sean felt her curiosity. “It's not so bad, you know. I'm not saying it's easy but you either get on with it or allow it to be an obstacle for the rest of your life. It does get me down a great deal some days I can't deny that; however, I'm taking it one day at a time right now and I have a great family behind me.”
“I'm sorry, Sean, I didn't mean to… I mean… oh God, this isn't coming out right at all. I just can't imagine what it must be like for you or any other soldier in the same position. It really brings it home to me just how much you all do for our country, and everyone else's for that matter. I have so much respect for all you soldiers, Sean. You're a very brave man and on the surface you seem to be coping very well. What does your appointment entail tomorrow?”
“It's a check-up more than anything, they want to be sure my arm, or what's left of it, is healing properly, the way it should be. They will also be talking to me about fitting a prosthetic; there are some pretty remarkable prosthetics today which help you to function almost as well as you did before. Of course it will be a few months before I receive mine. I will need to be fitted with the right one for me and my needs but that's way off yet, I just need to concentrate on healing right now.”
“So how are we going to play tomorrow, Sean?”
“My appointment is at eleven o'clock. I think it would be best and quicker if we caught a cab to the QE, I will probably have a short wait before I am seen which gives you the opportunity to go and find Joshua. At least I know roughly where he will be as I was in one of those wards so I will be able to point you in the right direction. I will wait for you in reception until you’re done; I suggest we swap mobile numbers too.”
“That sounds perfect, Sean. I can't thank you enough for doing this for me. I really appreciate it.”
After they finished their meal and wine, they took a short walk along the Birmingham canals through Brindley Place up towards the mail box and then back again before heading back to the hotel.
Angelina couldn't sleep for most of the night, tossing and turning, going over everything in her mind and almost talking herself out of going to the hospital the following day. Eventually, she fell asleep just after four o'clock in the morning.
Chapter Twenty Four
The following morning, Angelina was rudely awakened by a loud intrusive knocking at her door. She climbed out of bed, tired and feeling as if she hadn't slept at all, and opened the door.
“Hello miss, room service,” said a young maid standing in front of her.
“Room service, what time is it?” she asked, confused.
“It's almost ten in the morning, miss.” Angelina apologised, realising she'd over slept. She was supposed to meet Sean in reception at 10.15 a.m. “Please could you come back in ten minutes? I'm sorry, I appear to have overslept,” she pleaded.
The young girl smiled and moved on to the next room. Angelina quickly jumped into the shower before getting dressed and dashing down to reception to meet Sean. The hotel were kind enough to grant them an extension on their rooms for a few hours at no extra charge when they were informed that Sean was a soldier and had an appointment to keep.
Angelina hailed down a black taxi and they jumped in, after deciding it would be far quicker and easier for a taxi to take them through the busy streets of Birmingham. Directing the cabby to the QE. They rode the distance in relative silence, each with their own concerns about the day. On arrival, Sean insisted on paying for the cab fare. They climbed out and stood outside the impressive, brand new building for a few moments before heading in.
“Wow, this is some hospital, Sean. I've heard so much about it but I’ve never actually seen it.”
Sean looked around before answering. “Yes and it's just as impressive inside too. It opened in 2010 apparently. It also has the largest single-floor critical care unit in the world, with 100 beds. The armed forces personnel are treated in single rooms or four-bed bays in a 32-bed trauma and orthopaedics ward. The great thing about this military wing in my opinion is they have created a military environment and cater for the specific requirements of the wounded soldiers. There's both military and civilian staff, more than you would find in an ordinary NHS hospital. Come on, let's go in. Take a deep breath and remember, Joshua may reject you, Angelina, so please be prepared for the worst, okay,” urged Sean.
Angelina nodded her head as she walked alongside Sean into the Royal Centre for Defence and Medicine (RCDM), the main receiving unit for all military patients injured overseas. Once Sean handed over his appointment details to reception, they were asked to be seated for a few minutes.
“Okay, you need to go through those doors over there, then you will see two more sets of double doors, you need to go through the set of doors to your right. Once through, you will pass a physiotherapy suite sporting oversized windows. You need to continue past those and then you will come to another set of double doors; go through them and then follow the direction for the bays. I would assume he is in a four-bed bay but it's just an educated guess. Good luck and be quick. Don't be surprised if you get stopped on route. There is security everywhere so you will need to use your charm and say you’re visiting and you just popped to the toilet or something. Whatever you say, just be convincing or you will be outside this building quicker than you can raise your eyebrow,” Sean said, smiling.
Angelina followed Sean's directions as soon as he was led away by a doctor. She went through two sets of double doors before stopping and holding her stomach. Suddenly she was feeling very sick. She took several deep breaths before continuing. She finally made it to the bays and popped her head around several before asking a young soldier for help.
There was a young man staring right at her. “Hello miss, can I help you?” he asked.
“Yes, I'm looking for Joshua Allen. Could you tell me where I might find him?”
Angelina was feeling sick with nerves, wondering if her spur of the moment trip was the right thing to do after all. “Joshua's in physiotherapy right now; if
you turn the corner, go through the double doors then it's your first door on the left just before the large windows.”
“Thank you so much.” Angelina followed the young man's instructions until she reached the door to the physiotherapy unit. On the other side of the door were three very large windows. She took a few steps and peered through one of them into the large room which was full of equipment. She looked on in shock as she saw Joshua struggling to walk between two bars. There was a man standing next to him, seemingly urging him on and acting as his crutch from time to time. The sweat was pouring from Joshua's red strained face. Angelina slipped out of sight and leaned against the door, taking large, deep breaths. She hardly recognized him; he was much thinner and looked so tired. She paused for a few moments before entering the room; she knew if she didn't do this now, she never would.
She pushed the doors wide open and stood there, waiting for a reaction from Joshua and having no idea what that would be.
Both Joshua and the doctor stood still in their tracks. A look of pure surprise appeared across Joshua's face as a tear escaped from the corner of his eye
“Do you know this woman, Joshua?” asked the doctor in a concerned tone.
“Yes, yes I do,” replied Joshua. “Look, can you leave us alone for few minutes, doc?” The doctor left Joshua and walked passed Angelina, giving her a quizzical look as he passed by.
“You've always been stubborn,” said Joshua with tear-filled eyes.
Angelina said nothing; she immediately took the place of the therapist and acted as a crutch for Joshua, helping him along the bars.
“How the hell did you get in the building and past reception? This place is all sewn up, well so I thought.”
“With a little help from a friend of yours! Sean is here, Joshua. He lost an arm in the explosion and miraculously survived it. For a long time, he was thought to be the only survivor. If it wasn't for him, I would never have gotten inside this building.”
Broken Wings (Contemporary Romance) Page 15