Flight SQA016 (The Flight Series)

by A. E. Radley

  The nurses on Bear Ward had instantly fallen in love with Henry and they all fawned over him. He usually lapped up the attention, however, his strength was low following the second operation and the medical staff, as well as Emily, were struggling to keep his spirits up.

  Emily looked at the uneaten apple slices, a cheese sandwich with one tiny bite taken from it, and the untouched chocolate chip muffin. “Maybe drink a little more milk?”

  Henry shook his head and looked away sullenly. Emily sat on the edge of the bed, mindful of the leads that were connected to the monitor embedded in the wall behind her. “Henry, I know you don’t feel well but you will feel better if you eat something.”

  “I don’t want this, Mommy,” he said. He put his hand on the trolley and carefully pushed it away.

  “Am I interrupting?”

  Emily looked up to see Olivia standing in the doorway with a nervous look on her face and a tray of takeaway drinks in her hand.

  “Olivia!” Henry cried out happily and Emily blinked in surprise at the sudden enthusiasm on her son’s face. “You’re here!”

  Olivia blushed at the attention and hesitantly stepped into the room. “Yes, I wanted to see you,” she explained as she placed the drinks down on a table by the door.

  Emily stood up. “Thank you for coming,” she said with relief that Henry’s melancholy seemed to be disappearing rapidly.

  “I brought you a latte. Simon told me that he guessed you would be a latte drinker, I hope that was okay?” Olivia said as she pulled a cup from the container and handed it to Emily.

  “Yes, a latte is perfect, thank you.”

  Olivia spoke quietly so Henry could not hear her. “I also got Henry something but I didn’t know if he would be allowed?”

  “Well, I am trying to cut back on his espresso drinking.” Emily joked.

  Olivia frowned as she seriously told Emily, “Children shouldn’t be drinking coffee, Miss White.”

  Emily laughed heartily and placed her hand on Olivia’s elbow for support before composing herself. “I was only kidding. What did you get him?”

  “Oh.” Olivia frowned, clearly the joke still didn’t register with her. “I thought he might like hot chocolate? It soothes me when I’m ill so I thought he might also appreciate some?”

  Emily regarded Olivia in wonder for a couple of seconds before turning around to face Henry. “Henry, Miss Lewis has kindly brought you some hot chocolate.”

  His eyes lit up with excitement and Emily smiled at seeing some life flood back to the boy.

  Olivia was looking at Henry’s lunch tray with concern. “I think you should eat a little more lunch,” she said.

  “I don’t like it.” Henry sighed grumpily.

  “Henry,” Emily said in a warning tone.

  Olivia picked up the hot chocolate cup and her own cup and walked around the bed to place his drink in front of him on the trolley. “Then, what would you like?”

  Henry looked up at her in confusion. “What?” Olivia stared at him for a second before he corrected himself. “Pardon?”

  Olivia smiled. “If you could have anything, what would you like to eat?”

  Emily walked back to her seat on the other side of Henry’s bed and carefully sipped at her latte as she watched Henry’s face contort thoughtfully. “Macaroni and cheese.” Henry eventually said, then grinned. “And chocolate fon ant!”

  Olivia nodded and pulled her phone out from her pocket and started to type.

  Emily frowned. “What are you doing?”

  “Sending Simon out for macaroni and cheese and chocolate fondant.” Olivia paused and looked up as if she were afraid she had overstepped her boundaries.

  “Y-you don’t have to do that,” Emily looked at Olivia in surprise. “I’m sure that’s not in Simon’s job description!”

  Olivia frowned. “Simon’s job is to assist me, to do things for me when I cannot do them myself.”

  “Yes, but…” Emily struggled to think of how to explain the strangeness of the situation to Olivia who clearly didn’t have a clue what the problem was.

  “Mommy, I’d like macaroni and cheese,” Henry interrupted with a pleading look. Emily opened her mouth to say something but knew that any further discussion could be saved for another day when he was feeling better. She nodded consent and Olivia continued to type her text message.

  “I’ll just take this out,” Emily said as she picked up the tray of uneaten food and removed it from the room and returning a moment later.

  “I had two operations,” Henry told Olivia.

  “So I heard,” Olivia said as she pocketed her phone. “You’ve been very brave.”

  “Who is Simon?” Henry asked as he pushed himself into a more seated position.

  “He works for me.”

  “Like Mommy?”

  “No, your mother works for Crown Airlines,” Olivia explained. “Simon helps me at my job.”

  “So, Simon helps you be a piggy bank?” Henry asked.

  “Yes, sort of.” Olivia nodded.

  “Miss Lewis came to see you yesterday when you were asleep,” Emily said as she opened the door to the en-suite bathroom. “She brought some things for you.”

  Henry’s eyes lit up again and he looked from the giraffe bag that Emily brought into the room to Olivia with excitement. “For me?”

  “Yes,” Olivia said. Anything else she was going to say was cut off by Henry clamouring forward on the bed. He shrugged out of the bedding and launched himself forward to hug Olivia around her middle.

  Olivia looked speechlessly at Emily who smiled at the two of them before placing the bag of gifts on Henry’s bed beside him.

  “Please be careful,” Olivia asked Henry. Her panicked gaze took in the wires and tubes surrounding the little boy.

  Henry maintained his grip on Olivia as he turned around and looked at the bag. “Can I open them now, Mommy?”

  “Absolutely,” she said with a nod.

  He let go of Olivia and knelt in front of the bag and pointed to the giraffe pictures on the outside of the bag. “Look, Mommy, giraffes!”

  “Yes, you must have mentioned you liked them,” Emily said softly as she rolled her eyes jokingly in Olivia’s direction.

  Henry picked out a package and pointed at the wrapping paper. “More giraffes!” He turned to look at Olivia and showed her. “More giraffes, Olivia!”

  Olivia smiled earnestly now and nodded. “Yes, lots of giraffes.”

  Henry nodded and ripped open the packaging and pulled out a giraffe rucksack. He stared at it with wide and excited eyes. “Bag! A bag like a giraffe!”

  Emily laughed as she saw it. “Yes, look at that.”

  Henry sat back on his bottom and looked at the bag in more detail, examining the straps and then putting his hand over the giraffe print exterior. He looked up at Emily with a wide smile.

  “Do you want me to put your things in your new bag? Maybe you could drink some of your hot chocolate while I do that?” Emily suggested, keen to get Henry to eat or drink at least something.

  With a nod, he handed the bag over to her, then reached for the hot chocolate with both hands and very carefully sipped at it through the travel lid. Two sips done, he placed the cup down again, reached into the bag, and pulled out another present before turning to Olivia. “Why did you buy me presents?”

  “Because you were so brave,” Olivia said softly. She placed her coffee on the table beside Henry’s drink and sat gently on the edge of the bed.

  “Wow.” Henry smiled and then carefully started to open the next present. As the hard rubber giraffe money box came into view, he giggled and pointed to it. “It’s a giraffe!”

  “Almost,” Olivia admitted. “It’s something else as well.”

  Emily was removing things from Henry’s tatty, old Ironman rucksack and putting them into the new giraffe rucksack as she watched the pair interacting. Olivia gently angled the giraffe around and pointed to a slit in the back of the giraffe’s neck.
“Do you know what that is?” she asked. Henry looked at it for a moment before realisation set in and he smiled. “It’s a piggy bank! A giraffe bank!”

  “Exactly.” Olivia smiled.

  “I like it but I don’t have any money to put in it.”

  “Oh, well, how about this?” Olivia reached into her jacket pocket and produced a small handful of coins and held out her palm towards Henry.

  “What’s this one?” Henry asked as he picked up a silver coin.

  “That is fifty pence,” Olivia said. “Put it in your money box.”

  “But it’s your money,” Henry told her seriously.

  “Spare change, you can have it.”

  Henry nodded and put the fifty-pence piece in the money box and then picked two similar looking silver coins. “What are these?”

  “Ten pence,” Olivia said and he dropped them both into the money box.

  Henry looked at the remaining bronze coins. “You can keep them,” he said with disinterest and Olivia laughed out loud.

  “Yes, most people don’t want these,” Olivia admitted and put them back into her pocket.

  Henry looked around his crowded bed and upon discovering there was no space for his money box, handed it over to his mother. Emily took it and smiled at him as he reached into the bag, picked up the final package, and held it up victoriously. “Clothes!”

  “How did you know?” Olivia asked as she held her hand up to prevent the overexcited boy from falling backwards.

  “He’s five,” Emily replied softly. “Guessing wrapped presents is in the job description.”

  Olivia nodded her understanding and looked to Henry again. He was happily ripping open the wrapping paper and then looked at the giraffe hoodie like all of his birthdays had arrived at the same time.

  “Mommy,” he whispered in astonishment as he held up the item of clothing.

  “Oh wow,” Emily enthused. “Look at that.”

  “Mommy, look,” Henry said as he pulled the hood up and showed Emily the ears and horns.

  “Wow,” Emily smiled, happy and relieved to see Henry responding so well after his muted behaviour since waking up. “What do you say?”

  “Thank you,” he turned around to face Olivia. “Thank you, Olivia.”

  “You’re most welcome, Henry,” Olivia said with a smile.

  “There’s one more present,” Emily said as she returned to the bathroom and came out with the giraffe balloon.

  “Balloon!” Henry cried excitedly as he stood on the bed to get a better view of it, Olivia quickly reached up to steady the boy.

  “Sit down, Henry,” Emily said softly as she put the weighted feet of the balloon onto her chair so the giraffe was at a height for him to see it better. He flopped backwards with little care or grace, ending up sitting on Olivia’s knee. He looked at the balloon before looking up at Olivia’s face and giggled.

  “Knock, knock.” Simon stood in the doorway with two large food takeout bags. He nodded at Olivia and Emily in greeting.

  “Hi.” Emily smiled. “Thank you so much.”

  “No problem.” Simon grinned as he entered the room. “You must be Henry?”

  Simon held out his free hand and Henry regarded it for a moment before putting his own small hand into Simon’s and shaking it, all while nervously pressing closer to Olivia.

  “Henry, this is Simon,” Olivia introduced.

  Simon set the bags down on the table. “I heard that there was a really brave boy who just needed some macaroni and cheese?” Henry perked up a little as he saw Simon open one of the bags, remove a polystyrene box and a plastic fork, and place both on the table.

  “And?” Olivia asked.

  “The other thing is here for later.” Simon cunningly passed the bag with the chocolate fondant to Emily with a smile. Olivia popped open the macaroni and cheese box and gestured for Henry to sit back up in bed rather than on her knee. “I didn’t know if you ladies had eaten so I popped to Delphine’s and got a sandwich platter for you,” Simon said as he took a round plastic tray out of the second bag and placed it on the table as well. “Is there anything else?”

  “I don’t think so?” Olivia said as she looked at Emily.

  Emily shook her head. “No, that’s perfect. Thank you so much.”

  “Great, enjoy your lunch,” Simon smiled and then looked at Henry. “Get well soon, Henry, maybe catch you later.” Henry smiled and gave a little wave as Simon left the room.

  Olivia stood up and pushed the trolley closer to Henry so he could easily eat from the tray on the top.

  “Do you want to watch some TV while you eat?” Emily suggested as she picked up the remote control and turned the wall mounted television on; brightly coloured cartoons flickered to life. Henry mindlessly ate as he watched the cartoons and Emily walked around the bed, picking up the sandwiches as she went. She gestured for Olivia to sit on the sofa bed. Olivia sat down and Emily put the sandwich platter between them.

  “He’ll will eat more if he doesn’t know he is actually eating,” she explained and indicated the television. “The distraction helps.”

  “I understand.” Olivia took the lid off of the platter and put it to one side.

  “Thank you, for the gifts and the food.” Emily smiled. “I’ll give you some money, of course.”

  Olivia frowned. “Why?”

  “For the food,” Emily explained as she picked up a sandwich.

  “I don’t need you to do that.”

  Emily took a bite and thought about what she wanted to say as she chewed, wanting to get the words and the meaning absolutely right. “Miss Lewis,” Emily began.

  “Please, call me Olivia.”

  “Olivia,” Emily started again, but quietly so Henry didn’t overhear. “I’m really very grateful for the gifts and the food but what’s the story here?”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand?”

  Emily checked Henry wasn’t listening. “Well, you gave me your card to call you, and I explained that I don’t have time for someone else in my life right now, which you agreed to and said you understood. Then you turn up at the hospital with presents for my son and start buying lunch. I just…I dunno, I want to know what you’re thinking? What are you hoping to achieve with all this? Because I have to tell you that nothing has changed for me. I still have my plate full with Henry. I still don’t have time for anything more. If that’s what this is about?”

  Olivia contemplated Emily’s words. “I know, Henry should absolutely be your priority and I understand that. I’m not hoping to achieve anything untoward. I…I simply felt that he and I connected,” Olivia looked at the boy who was still slowly shovelling gooey macaroni into his mouth. “He is a special boy and when I didn’t know what had happened, I became very concerned. Maybe I overstepped in coming here but it was with good intentions and only to ascertain Henry’s wellbeing and certainly not for anything else.

  “You said you didn’t know anyone in London so I’d like to help you if I can. We may not be friends in the traditional sense but we know of each other and I cannot imagine the stress you’re going through, so if I can help, even to share a coffee, then I’d like to.”

  “Henry was ecstatic to see you,” Emily admitted. “It was like a light switch had been turned on in him. All last night and this morning, he has been very down and very quiet.”

  A small smile spread across Olivia’s face and she picked up sandwich. “I had also been rather quiet, wondering if he was well or not.”

  “You two really hit it off, huh?” Emily smiled.

  “It seems so,” Olivia confessed. “I watched a documentary on giraffes, and I’m seeing the fascination.”

  “Oh, no, not another one!”

  “I won’t be arriving for work with a giraffe rucksack any time soon though.” Olivia deadpanned.

  Emily laughed, surprised by Olivia’s dry wit. “Good, I think you’d be fired.”

  “Unlikely,” Olivia said. “I own the company.”

 
; “Oh yes, you’re a professional piggy bank.” Emily remembered.

  Olivia laughed. “Maybe I should reprint the business cards again.”

  Emily chuckled and regarded Olivia for a few moments. “I’m sorry if I come across a bit standoffish,” she said softly. “I’m just used to being cautious.”

  “Very wise,” Olivia agreed. A vibrating from her jacket pocket caused her to frown and reach in for her mobile phone. She read the screen with a sigh.

  “Problem?” Emily asked.

  “I’m afraid I have to go,” Olivia said. “Work calls.” She picked up a napkin and wiped her fingers.

  “Maybe you’d like to come back and see Henry again?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Tomorrow?” Emily asked casually.

  “Yes, but I…need to look at my schedule.”

  “Well, come by whenever you can, we’ll be here.”

  “Thank you,” Olivia smiled, stood up, and looked at Henry. “Sorry Henry but I have to go back to work now.”

  Henry looked at her with a frown but slowly nodded his head. “Will you come again soon?”

  “Hopefully tomorrow.”

  Olivia turned to Emily. “You have my number if you need me. I—I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks again, for everything,” Emily said with a smile.

  Olivia returned a small smile and left.

  “I like Olivia,” Henry said to his mother as he put a piece of pasta in his mouth and looked up at the television. “And macaroni and cheese.”

  Emily chuckled. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to be in such esteemed company.”

  CHAPTER 15

  “Hey, Henry, can you pull the blanket down a little bit so we can see those plastic tubes?”

  Emily was shocked. “Excuse me?”

  The photographer lowered his camera and gave her a cocky grin. “Well, we don’t want people to think he is just lounging in bed looking a bit pale, we have to show the readers how life and death it was.”

  Emily glanced at her son, who was looking nervously at the man while hugging Tiny closely to his chest.

  “Yeah, that’s perfect, hug the giraffe tighter.”

  “Look, I agreed to a photograph and a little story in the internal magazine, not a sob story photoshoot!” Emily folded her arms across her chest and stood protectively beside Henry’s bed.