Mrs Zoreff was happy to potter about with the indoor plants and read a bit for the afternoon, so she sent Dafna off on her way to see Adam.
CHAPTER 10
The ward was quiet as neither of the men was in their beds. They must still be in the recovery ward or theatre, Dafna thought. She walked to the window. The grassy and shaded courtyard, four floors below was so peaceful, that it would be good for Adam if he were able to go there in a day or so.
She was daydreaming about him when a noise behind her caused her to turn around. The wardsman was wheeling a bed through the doorway, accompanied by a nurse. The patient in the bed had a bandage-wrapped head, but which of the men it was, Dafna couldn't tell from the window. The nurse shook her head at Dafna's raised eyebrows.
She said, "No, love, this one's not yours. Mr Lavan will be about another hour, I think."
It was the longest hour Dafna could remember. But, finally, Adam's bed was wheeled in. Dafna waited while the nurse made sure he would be comfortable and then sat in the chair beside the bed, watching him for any sign of consciousness. She didn't know how to tell if he was 'awake' as his eyes were covered. Nevertheless, she patiently sat beside him, holding his hand gently.
Without knowing how long it took, Dafna realised that he had increased pressure on her hand, and must be aware of her presence beside him.
"Adam," she said softly, "can you hear me?" He squeezed her hand. "It's mid-afternoon, and I'll stay with you until they want me to leave." She paused. "Would you like a drink of water?"
"Yes, please. Just a sip," he answered.
Dafna looked about and found the glass of water with a bent straw in it. She put the straw to his lips and he sucked on it quietly a few times. He pushed the straw out of his mouth with his tongue when he'd had enough.
"Thanks. Have you been here long?" he asked groggily.
"No. But don't try to talk. Just rest now. Sleep if you want."
He nodded carefully once. His hand was once again in Dafna's as she gazed at his lower face below the dressing. Still dark-tanned but with a post-operative pallor. His cheeks seemed to have sunken in a little. Perhaps it was her imagination. He hadn't been eating large meals so maybe this was the result.
After a short time, Dafna could tell by his regular breathing that he was sleeping. Her hand was cramping so she very gently extricated it from Adam's fingers, laying his hand on the sheet, and then covering it with her own. She caressed the back of his hand with her fingers, softly moving them over his skin. His other hand, the left one, was also lying on the sheet, and it was a different colour to his right hand, where the plaster had been removed from his arm. She smiled to herself. Those arms could belong to two different men if you couldn’t see the connection to the same body.
The meal trolley was rolling along the corridor outside, and the gentle clinking of crockery on the trays could be heard in the ward. Dafna looked to Adam, but he hadn't given any indication that he was awake and ready to eat. If he did eat, he would need help. Even Jack, in the next bed, would need help, as no visitors came to sit by his bed. There was no way of knowing if he had gone to sleep, or was just laying there quietly, waiting for someone to come. Dafna wasn't going to be the one to disturb him if he was indeed asleep.
A nurse came into the ward, looked at both the men. "Are they awake and waiting for a meal?" she asked Dafna.
"I don't know. Adam seems to be still asleep and Jack hasn't spoken or moved while I've been here," she said.
The nurse went across to Jack's bed and began to check his blood pressure. He stirred. "That you, Penny?" he asked.
"Yes, it is, Mr Johnson. How are you feeling? Would you like a meal? The girls are bringing them around now."
"Yeah, OK. How will I find everything on the plate, then?"
"There'll be someone here to help you, Mr Johnson. Won't be long."
Dafna spoke up. "I can help you Jack, if you'll let me. Adam is still sleeping at the moment. Would you like that?"
The nurse seemed relieved to have the help. She moved across to Adam and carefully took his blood pressure as well, recording the readings on the charts, before hurrying out to the next ward.
A very cheery lady delivered the dinner trays. She breezed in and breezed out in seconds. The 'meal' was mainly fluids to get the body working again after the anaesthesia. It consisted of a bowl of vegetable soup, (which smelt wonderful to a hungry Dafna), a little orange juice packet, red jelly, and a small bread roll.
She moved across to Jack's bed, touching him lightly on the shoulder so that he knew she was with him, and put the serviette under his chin. He was propped up in bed on the bank of pillows the nurse had arranged.
"What's for tea, then, love?" he asked.
"We're starting with the vegetable soup, Jack. I'll hold the spoon to your lips and you do the rest. OK?"
"Yep, OK. Let's try it, then."
Between them they got through the soup and jelly, and then Dafna left Jack with the orange juice and the roll to manage on his own. She went back to Adam who was now moving his head about listening to her talking with Jack.
"I'm here now, darling. We'll do the same for you. Soup first, and jelly, and then you can help yourself to the orange juice and a bread roll. OK?"
He nodded. "I think I'm hungry."
He hadn't missed the endearment and smiled. He leaned forward to allow Dafna to rearrange his pillows. She pushed him back against them when she'd finished.
"Comfortable?"
"Ken."
"Who's Ken?" asked Jack.
"Ken isn't a person. It's a word meaning 'yes' in another language," Dafna told him with a laugh.
"What language?"
"Hebrew."
"Never heard of it. What's wrong with the Queen's English?" he demanded gruffly.
Jack was like many older Australians who never did come to terms with the swarms of migrants coming to this land, with their own cultures and languages. He expected them to be instant Aussies, with a perfect grasp of the English language, and woe betide any who dared to speak in their own tongues in his presence!
"Don't be such a grouch, Jack!" said Dafna. "He'll speak English to you, don't you fret yourself."
Dafna went on helping Adam with his soup and jelly. When he was ready to try the juice and bread roll, she guided his hand to the tray in front of him and left him to feed himself with these. He sighed and leaned back into the pillows after putting the empty juice container back on the tray. Dafna moved the rolling table away from him, so he could relax.
"Feeling better now, Adam?"
"Much. I needed something like that. You don't have to go just yet, do you?" he asked.
"No, not yet, but soon. You need to rest again. Mum sends her love and best wishes to you. And Mrs Bergman. I'll call your mother tonight when I get home. She'll be anxious about you."
"Thank you." He was getting drowsy again and Dafna knew it would not be long before he slept again. Jack was already asleep.
Adam's hand was again in Dafna's. She held it up to her lips and softly kissed his fingers. She clasped his hand to her heart, sure that he would feel it beating inside her. He pressed her hand with gentle pressure, which soon eased.
Before he finally went to sleep, Dafna stood and leaned over him, placing her hand on his chest. He turned toward her and she touched her lips to his… once, twice, three times.
"Get well soon, darling," she murmured.
As she made her way to the door, she turned as she heard him mutter something… was it 'I love you'? She wouldn't find out as he was already breathing deeply, in sleep.
CHAPTER 11
Dafna phoned Adam's parents and relayed the news that he was back in the ward and OK, although she had no medical report to tell them. The doctor would speak to Adam on his rounds in the morning and they would know more then. Mrs Lavan thanked her for calling and said she would be the one to call the following evening, to save the cost of overseas charges to Dafna.
Her mother
was also waiting to hear about Adam. Dafna told her about Adam and Jack, both with eyes covered, both needing help with their food.
There wasn't much more to say, other than she would go back again the following day to visit. Until then, she wouldn't know if the doctors were pleased with the work they had done and if there would be any problems.
It had been a long, nervous day for Dafna and she was feeling very weary. She talked for a little while with her mother, before deciding she needed to go to bed. Her mother intended to sit up a while longer, reading. Dafna kissed her on the forehead and headed for a shower and bed.
She woke in the early hours of the morning, straining to hear what had woken her. There it was again! A strange pattering and scratching… Possums on the roof. The next few hours were spent with eyes closed, but mind working overtime, thinking about Adam, listening to the possums race about. You could be forgiven for thinking they were running about in army boots, so much noise were they making!
Each time she was near Adam, she knew she wanted it to be that way always. As far as she knew, Adam reciprocated those feelings, but nothing had really happened to cement an understanding. Perhaps he had made a commitment yesterday when he mumbled something as she left him, but not having heard him clearly there was no way of being sure. Maybe he was thinking of her only as a great friend, who was prepared to put herself out for him while he wasn't well, allowing him to recuperate in her house, share her meals, have her look after him. It was just so uncertain; Dafna wriggled and turned in bed, unable to settle. She would have to be the one to move this romance along, she thought. Adam seemed to be a bit reserved, shy maybe. Well, she'd fix that, and the sooner the better.
A tired, but happy Dafna set out for the hospital that day. Over the next few weeks she intended to make certain that Adam knew exactly how she felt about him, and she was equally certain she would find out how he felt about her. It was with determined step that she strode along the hospital corridor to Adam's ward.
He and Jack were sitting in their chairs, talking animatedly together, laughing a little at each other's jokes, when Dafna arrived at the room. At first, they didn't know she was there and she was able to stand and listen to the jocular mood they were in, having fun. Jack and Adam had a common love… fishing. They must have been on the subject for a time, as they were already up to the 'mine was as big as this' stage, with arms outstretched to the length of an imaginary fish, even though neither could see the other's arms! It was this that caused them to laugh.
Dafna decided it was time to join in the conversation. Before she could speak, Adam stopped in mid-sentence, turning his head toward the door. He held his head still, then said "Is that you, nurse? You have a lovely perfume on today. In fact, it's very much like… Dafna, is it you?" he said smiling.
"Yes, dear, I'm here. I've been here for a little while, listening to you two trying to tell the best lies!"
Jack said, "G'day, miss. How are you t'day? He's been waiting for you all morning."
Adam stood up and moved forward to greet her. She walked into his arms and gently, putting her arms around his waist, cuddled up to him. Jack went back to his own bed, picked up a little radio and walked slowly, but steadily from the room, using his hand to feel along the walls and headed for the lounge area.
"You two can have the place to yourselves," he said as he passed through the doorway. "I'll go and listen to music for a while."
"Thanks, Jack," Dafna and Adam said in unison.
Adam still had his arms around Dafna and held her for a long time. Finally, he said, "I'm a bit scared, you know, of how my eyes will be when the dressings come off. The doctor was here this morning, early, and seemed confident enough about the future, but he did warn me that there may be some blurring that will stay with me. We won't know for some days after the 'unveiling'."
"Whatever happens, Adam, I feel sure you'll cope very well. You're quiet, but I know you're strong. How else would you have been brave enough to save me, when you could just as easily have run for your own life that day, knowing what you knew was about to happen!"
"I'm glad you're here with me," he said into her hair.
She tightened her grip on his waist, and, raising her head, was able to reach his lips with her own. She clung to him. He returned her kiss, more passionately than ever before and they swayed together until, overbalancing a bit, Adam leant against the bed for support.
"You make me giddy," he said smiling.
They talked, sitting close together on the edge of the bed, holding hands. It would be some days before the dressings would be taken off and Adam would need to be protected from bright light for a time after that. The doctor was flying out of Sydney to visit other capital cities, but a colleague would be watching Adam's progress until Dr Feldman returned in a month's time. Adam would keep an appointment that had been made for him to see Dr Feldman a month from today. At first, Dr Feldman thought Adam would visit him in Tel Aviv, but Adam had insisted on staying in Australia for the month, as it was important to him to see, really, physically see, Dafna. He didn't want to leave without knowing what she looked like! Later, when he returned to Israel, he would visit the doctor at his clinic for a check-up.
And so the days rolled by, with Dafna coming daily to the hospital, walking with Adam along the corridors and down to the shaded courtyard, where they could sit and talk privately. Both looked forward to the day Adam would be discharged into her care. It seemed a long way off.
A week after the operation, a decision was made to lift the dressings away and allow Adam a chance to open his eyes, in a darkened room, while they examined his eyes. He was warned that he would probably see nothing yet. This was just the first step on his way back to sight.
It was a nervous Adam who sat, fidgeting, while the nurse removed the dressing. She murmured words of encouragement, then stepped back to make way for the doctor.
Adam tried to open his eyes and slowly his eyelids parted. Everything was black. Nothing. The doctor said that this was expected and to be patient. He shone a small light towards Adam's left side and his eyes turned towards it.
"I can see a light there, doctor," he said excitedly. "It's not bright, but it's there!"
"Yes, that's excellent. Let's try the other one," said the doctor.
Again, he shone a light towards Adam, this time to the right side. And again, Adam smiled and said he could see it, too.
"Don't look at the light, Adam, keep looking straight ahead for me," the doctor said as he moved the light about, looking into Adam's eyes.
Adam remained quiet, sitting patiently to hear the result of this examination.
The doctor examined him for a further ten minute or so, then straightened up and asked the nurse to open the venetian blinds a little bit. As the slats tilted to allow some light into the room, Adam was aware of a change in the lighting. It was some minutes later that he became aware of blurred figures moving about the room. He told the doctor that people were moving about and pointed to a person on his left.
The doctor was pleased with this, but wouldn't allow Adam to strain his eyes and requested that a covering be placed across his eyes to relieve them. He explained that it was to protect the healing eyes and that each day Adam would be allowed to uncover them for longer and longer periods of time, until such time as the covering would be taken off permanently. Probably another four or five days would be needed for this to happen. It depended on how quickly the eyes healed.
When Dafna arrived that day to visit Adam, she found him sitting on the bed with a suppressed smile on his lips.
"Soon," he told her, "I'll be allowed home without covers on my eyes. But I must not go out in bright sun without very dark glasses for another few months. But I could see movement today, Dafna. I knew how many people were in the room with me. They were blurred, but they were there!" he finished excitedly.
Interrupted Romance Page 6