Anton's Strength

by R. M. Healy

  He heard a high-pitched scream and turned to where Essie was walking from. He watched in horror as he saw Essie lose her footing in her heels on the icy car park.

  As he tried to run toward her, he cursed as he saw and heard her head impact on the graveled floor. Her eyes were closed, and he touched her cold soft cheeks, "Essie!" He shouted loudly. She didn't react or move in any way, and Anton began to panic.

  "Call an ambulance now!" He said to Frank, who stood in shock. The man followed Anton's order and pulled out his mobile.

  Anton wanted to scoop her up into his arms and pick her off of the cold frosty gravel but worried moving her might cause further injury. What if she'd fractured her skull or broke a bone? Her beautiful face didn't move or react, and he began to really worry.

  "Please, Essie," he pleaded as he gently pressed his fingers against her dainty kneck to feel for a pulse. It seemed perfect, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Slowly, he rolled her body over so she was on her back and saw the wound.

  The cut had begun to bleed lightly on the side of her head, and she had further wounds along with her ear and cheek.

  They were not as urgent as her head wound, and Anton bent down, putting his ear close to her mouth to listen to her breathing. It sounded even, so he took his coat off and pressed it against her head to stop the bleeding.

  "The ambulance is on the way. What can I do?" Frank asked nervously.

  "Go inside, straight to the kitchen, and get me clean dish rags or napkins, a couple of wet ones too."

  As he looked down at her lying on the floor, he remembered how his younger sister looked all those years ago. Just like Esther, she lay with blood pouring from her head, except she never woke up again.

  He didn't know how he would feel if anything serious happened to Essie. He used his steady hand to keep the pressure on her wound and automatically stroked her cheek with his gloved hand, surprised that he was able to move it with such ease despite the pain.

  It was freezing outside, and he debated whether it was worth the risk of carrying her indoors or it was wise staying out here in the cold. She took a deep breath, and her eye's opened widely as she regained consciousness.

  "Stay still, Essie. The ambulance is on its way," Anton said, continuing to stroke her cheek, trying to keep her reassured.

  He'd never felt so grateful and relieved in his entire life. The last few weeks, he'd really begun to think about Essie. A lot.

  "Anton?" Her voice was high-pitched as she said his name in confusion, "What are you doing here? Is this a dream again?"

  As Anton was about to reply to her, her eyes closed, he turned around and was relieved to see Frank was back with the cloths in hand.

  He let out a deep breath as he saw the blood socked onto his cot and switched it over for the cloth. This wasn't any small minor cut, and Anton began to feel guilt creep in that he hadn't managed to catch her.

  The sirens blared loudly. He couldn't take his eyes from Essie’s face. Her dark eyelashes didn't move, and neither did her lips as she lay completely still.

  "We are going to need you to stand back, sir," the paramedic said.

  Anton reluctantly stepped away and let the two paramedics take over. He pulled his mobile out and called his mother.

  "I need Essie's parent's number. Do you have it?" He said urgently as he stared at where Essie lay.

  "Hello to you too! And yes, I have it. Let me just get my book. What do you need it for?" His mother said, more annoyed at Anton's abrupt words.

  "It's Essie. She's been in an accident," his voice was low as he spoke, and he knew he sounded more emotional than he'd intended to.

  "We are going to have to take her to hospital," the male paramedic said without turning away from Essie.

  "You go with her. I will get your father to collect her parents and sister to bring them to the hospital, just please stay with her Anton," his mother put the phone down before he had time to respond.

  It annoyed him that his mother asked him to stay with her. As if he was ever going to leave her.

  "You're going to have to wait outside while we take her in. Someone will be out to you as soon as possible," the nurse said to Anton as he stood in the corridor.

  He nodded to the nurse and ran his hand through his hair as he looked around the waiting room. There weren't many people sitting down. Just an older couple with a little boy and an old greying lady beside him holding a small piece of paper in her hands.

  Anton had texted his mother as soon as he knew what ward they were taking Essie to. He hoped he would look a lot more composed by the time her family arrived.

  "Are you ok young man?" The old lady asked beside Anton. "You look like you need to sit down," she said as her frail hand wrapped around his arm.

  As they sat in the corner of the room, the other couple was laughing at something the little boy had done, unaware of Anton's inner turmoil. He looked down at the tiny old grey-haired lady beside him, her brown coat tatty, much like her old brown leather shoes.

  "Was that woman your wife?" She questioned.

  "No," he thought of the best way to describe his and Essie's relationship, "She works for my parents."

  The old woman frowned as she looked away from him and at the double doors they'd taken Essie.

  "Do you want her to be your wife?" The woman asked.

  "I don't want a wife,” he answered.

  "But you like her, don't you?"

  "Yes. I do."

  He didn't see the point in lying, he did like her, and now she could be in grave danger because he hadn't gotten to her quick enough, like his little sister.

  "So why aren't you together?" The old lady said, looking back at Anton, her blue eyes quizzical.

  "What's with all the questions?" Anton tried not to sound rude, but the last thing he needed was some random woman asking him questions he didn't want to answer.

  "50 years I've been married to my husband," she spoke fondly, smiling at the double doors. "Could have been 60 years, but It took him 10 to pluck up the courage to finally ask me to marry him. His parents had died, and he didn't want to love anyone again. After that, he joined the military and left. But I never gave up on him. Every chance I got, I wrote to him when he was away, in the war."

  Listening keenly, Anton waited for the woman to continue.

  "Even when he came home, it took him two years to finally propose to me. Another two years wasted that we could have spent together."

  While she spoke, she held up the piece of paper he'd seen her looking at earlier. It was a black and white photo, slightly frayed at the edges. A tiny bride in a wedding gown stood next to the giant of a man in a suit, both smiling at each other, deeply in love and clearly ecstatic at that moment.

  "That's the only thing I would change in my life, those few years we didn't see each other," her voice was soft as she ran her thumb over the man's face on the photo.

  "Is it him you are waiting for?" Anton asked, feeling horrible that the woman sat out here alone when her husband was potentially in theatre.

  "Yes. Roger will be fine. He always is. Besides, we have had so many good years together, not to mention our eight children. Three of which will be here soon enough," she chuckled.

  "What about you? How will you feel if something happens to her?" The woman asked.

  How would he feel? He hadn't ever really got to know Essie as much as he'd of liked to.

  She was his teenage crush for many of his adolescent years. He'd made up so many unrealistic and unlikely scenarios in his head when he was younger of how they'd get together and how she'd fall in love with him.

  They’d kissed once, in the corridor of the restaurant when they were teenagers. Anton had caught her off guard, or so she’d said. She’d kissed him back at first, then pushed him away, claiming she wasn’t interested. He'd seen her engagement ring the next day, then turned his attention elsewhere. He never forgot about that kiss, but he had moved on, or so he’d believed.

  After his fathe
r had told him about her divorce, Anton began thinking about her as much as he had when he was a teenager.

  Except for this time, his thoughts had been a lot more sinister and far more sexual. He hadn't considered Essie as a partner. He always knew she was out of his league and that her interest in him would never span past sexual chemistry.

  "It doesn't matter how I feel. As long as she's ok."

  "You will regret it if you don't go for it, young man," she patted him on the leg before standing up. "The fact you're here shows you care. With your handsome looks, I'm sure she won't say no."

  And with that, the woman looked away. At the same time, Anton’s father walked through the door to his left, holding it open for the people behind him.

  It was hard for Anton to not gasp as he saw Essie’s father sitting in a wheelchair. The man looked as if he’d lost half his weight since the last time Anton had seen him over a month ago.

  "Where is she?" Essie's father asked, his voice croaky.

  "The nurse said she's with the doctor. They should be out soon to let us know what's going on," Anton said, trying not to stare at the man in front of him.

  "Frank called me when we were on the way here. He told us what happened," Anthony told Anton.

  "Thank you for being there for my daughter," Essie's mother said, her eyes watery.

  "Please, don't thank me," Anton replied, meaning it. He didn't want them to thank him when she may not even be ok. Looking from Esther's father to his own, he could see his father was unaware of what had happened to Mr. Lee. Why the man seemed so sick. Anton was also curious as to who the other dark-haired man was who was holding onto the wheelchair.

  "Would you like us to stay?" Anthony asked Essie's parents.

  "I want to stay," Anton said firmly. There was no way he was leaving the hospital until he knew Essie was ok. He didn't have to wait long since the nurse came out moments later to let them know Essie's condition.

  Esther needed water. Her mouth was so dry, and she desperately needed a drink. She adjusted herself and immediately felt a sharp pain on the side of her head.

  "Keep still, Essie, I will call the nurse," she heard a deep male voice say. Her eye's slowly adjusted to the light as she opened them and was surprised to see Anton sitting in front of her, his hair askew as he looked at her.

  "Where am I?"

  Besides a lot of machinery and the chair that Anton sat on, the room was completely empty, and the curtain and door were closed.

  As she asked the question, she felt pains all down the side of her head, her shoulder, and hip.

  "The hospital, you had a nasty fall at work," Anton looked expressionless as he looked at her, dull rings around his dark eyes.

  "When?" Her voice sounded groggy as she questioned him. The last thing she remembered was getting into her car and driving to work.

  "This morning, it's around 11 pm now. You fell on the ice in the car park and hit your head. But the doctor said besides concussion and a few nasty bruises and a couple of cuts, you are going to be fine," Anton's smile was tight.

  Then he turned away from her and pulled his mobile out. Esther wondered if she fell this morning, why was he the only one here? As if reading her mind, Anton spoke as he wrote a text on his phone.

  "Your parents only left a couple of hours ago, they were here all day, but your dad was struggling to stay awake. I promised them I'd wait here for you to wake up."

  "Thank you," Esther said as she attempted to move higher on the bed.

  Anton shook his head as he leaned over her and gently used his ungloved hand to hold onto her shoulder. She realized the hospital gown she had worn had slipped down her shoulder.

  His skin touched hers, and she awkwardly coughed. Anton didn't say anything. Instead, he simply pulled the gown back over her shoulder. Her eyes met his, and he stayed completely still as he leaned over her.

  "There will be plenty of time for that when she is better!" A loud voice said from the doorway. The plump nurse looked amused as she had her hands on her hips.

  "So, I am assuming your boyfriends told you what the doctors said. I need to check your blood pressure and do a few little checks, then he can come back in here."

  "Do you want me to stay in here? If not, I will call your parents," Anton asked.

  "I will be ok," Esther said, feeling dazed and still exhausted. Nodding, Anton walked away from her, a grim look on his face as he began to call her family.

  The tests didn't take long, and the nurse informed Esther she would need to stay there overnight just as a precaution. As annoying as it was, Esther knew it was in her best interests.

  When the nurse left the room, Anton took a while to come back, and Esther wondered if he had gone. Just as she was drifting off again, she heard the door open, and he walked in, still expressionless. She could smell the coffee in his hand as he sat back down on the chair beside her. As he let out a long sigh, he put the cup down and looked forward as he spoke.

  "The nurse told me you will be able to leave tomorrow. Someone is going to need to keep an eye on you for a few days. I don't want to be presumptuous, but I don't think it's wise you have your parents look at you for obvious reasons."

  Esther internally cringed as Anton spoke. She didn't want the Romano's to find out about her sick father. It was a family matter, and she didn’t want their pity.

  "So if it's ok with you, my mother would be happy to have you over at our house while you recover," Anton still hadn't looked at her, instead choosing to look into his coffee cup. It wasn't practical to stay at her parent's house, and Esther knew from the pain she was in now when she moved, she would need some help.

  "I will run the project at work, but I will brief you every evening on what's going on,” Anton told her.

  It was annoying that she couldn't do it herself, but what choice did she have? With the pain she was in, she would be stupid to think she could go back to work.

  "I'll think about your mom's offer tonight if that's ok? I don't want to put her out," Esther said honestly.

  "You know my mother, Essie. She adores you. Don't think about any of that. I know you need your rest, so sleep. I'll be here when you wake up," Anton said, leaning back into his chair sipping the hot drink.

  "Thank you, Anton. You can go home now," she said, genuinely thankful she had a familiar face with her.

  Someone taking care of her problems for a change. Anton was the last person she would have expected to be by her bedside, making sure she would be ok. As she struggled to keep her eyes open, she thought she heard him say something.

  "I won't be going anywhere. Not this time."

  Rosa looked at her son, he was fast asleep in the plastic chair beside Esther's bed, his head dropped back against the wall. He seemed so uncomfortable it was inevitable that his neck would be aching today.

  Although Rosa knew her son had a little crush on Esther when he was a teenage boy, she had suspected it was a phase, and his feelings had long since been forgotten. If anything, she’d suspected he disliked Esther and would rather not be around her if he could help it.

  These last few weeks, there had been a shift in both of their attitudes towards each other. Rosa had seen the way Esther looked at her son on Thanksgiving night. It was the same way Rosa had looked at her own husband when she first met him.

  Seeing Anton still in the clothes he left the house in the previous morning and sleeping by her side made Rosa rethink her son's feelings for Esther. No man did that for a woman they didn't care about.

  "They're so cute," the nurse whispered as she walked into the room. "He hasn't left her side since she was admitted."

  Anthony looked from the nurse to Rosa, his eyebrows raised awkwardly. Rosa grinned back. She thought it was beautiful and couldn't wait to see the potential love blossom between them.

  "Who'd of thought it," Anthony said as he shrugged, clearly blind-sighted by the revelation his son was in love with his best employee.

  "Make sure you stick to the tablets ev
ery four hours unless, of course, you are sleeping. You need to get plenty of rest for the next two weeks," the doctor said, writing something on his clipboard.

  Esther attempted to get out of the bed and was grateful when Anton wrapped his hand around her waist and put her arm around his shoulder. Despite the fact she wore a fluffy white dressing gown, she could still feel the heat radiating off Anton.

  "You feeling ok?" He asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

  It was pointless telling him about the pains she felt all up against the one side of her body because he wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyway.

  "Doctor, I need a pushchair just to get her to the car," Anton requested.

  The doctor nodded and turned to the nurse, who quickly left the room.

  "Make sure you keep an eye on her for the first 24 hours," the doctor told Anton before walking away.

  "What are your favorite snacks?"

  Anton's question was utterly random, and Esther frowned, "I have a lot of favorite snacks. Why?"

  Keeping his hand around her waist, he led her back to the bed and sat her down.

  "Because I wanted to buy you some, but as I looked around the shop on my way here, I realized I haven't a clue. And if I am honest, I want to know everything about you, whether you think it relevant or not."

  Esther laughed at his words.

  "Just because I am staying at your house, that does not mean it's an opportunity for you to try and seduce me," she said, laughing at the same time.

  "My main priority is to get you home and into bed, not to have sex with you. Not yet anyway, I want you fit and able when we fuck."

  The young nurse coughed awkwardly, making her presence known as she pushed in a wheelchair, an unamused expression on her face. Esther suspected that she had heard some of their conversations and didn't approve of Anton's words. When Esther and Anton made eye contact, they both smirked at each other.