“Señor Hallow, I’m very sorry for your loss. The nurse here explained the situation to me,” he had Jason’s fathers medical notes in his hand, his eyes glancing down at them as he spoke.
“Your Father had suffered major organ failure due an unforeseen septic infection. We also have the results of the EEG, I’m afraid they are not good.”
Jason stood there, his legs feeling weak again. He could only shake his head in response to the words the doctor was saying.
“The EEG results, I’m afraid, showed no brain activity. We would have been discussing having to make decision to remove him off the vent. I am very sorry for your loss.” He looked at Jason who was still shaking his head in disbelief.
One of the nurses guided him into his father’s unit for the last time and left him there closing the glass door behind them.
Jason stood there looking down on his dad. They had removed all the tubes from him. The room was eerily quiet as all the machines had ceased making their appropriate noises. There was his father, his big strong fearless dad; his hero. This was the man that had taught him how to play football, how to drive. Here was the man who helped him with his homework when he had come home from a hard days’ work. He was gone, but his body still warm to the touch.
Jason kissed his forehead like he had done a thousand times over. He looked like he was asleep. Jason thought he looked quite peaceful, which he was thankful for considering everything that his poor dad had been through. He took his father’s hand and held it tight, not wanting to let go.
“Oh dad, I’m going to miss you. I wanted to tell you about Rebecca.” His lip trembled as he tried to swallow the lump that had built in his throat.
Jason sat on his familiar chair. He was still holding his father’s hand he didn’t want to let go he wasn’t ready. Jason’s other hand held his head as the tears flowed down his checks splashing on the vinyl hospital floor. He would have to go home and tell his mum. And he would have to make arrangements for his father’s funeral. His mum had been through too much already and she would be in no fit state to deal with any of this.
Chapter 14
‘Every Breath You Take’
It had been a month since she had asked Jason to leave. The month proved to be exceptionally hard for Rebecca, in fact. During the first week, it has been her doorbell ringing. When she would check to see who it was, there was no one; nothing and at all hours day and night. She found it unnerving. It became more frequent as the week went on, as did the phone calls.
She had internally hoped the first few were Jason, she hadn’t heard from him since he had left. The second week on the Sunday evening, she had arrived home from being out with Lucy. She had been with her since Friday night. She was only in the door only 5 minutes when the doorbell rang; she had gone to the window to check and as per usual there was no one there.
Although perturbed, she was tired and decided to have an early night for once.
Both she and Lucy’s social life was that of butterflies, they had been out almost every night, at some function or another.
Yes an early night was definitely on the cards, but not before a nice hot shower, she thought.
She turned off all the lights, checked the doors, before heading up. As she went up the stairs she grabbed her phone checking to see if any missed calls.
She desperately wanted there to be, but there were none, her heart sank. She undressed and got into the shower letting the water rush over her, wetting her hair through and through.
It was as she was reaching for her shampoo, that she heard the doorbell go again. Momentarily she thought about going to see who it was but decided not to. She had spent more time running to the window to know there would be no one there. She continued on with her task allowing the bubbles to build into lather, the soapy suds running down her silky skin.
When she finished, she threw a towel around her head it turning it into a turban before reaching for her bath sheet, wrapping it about her body. As she walked out of the bathroom she switched off the light of the en-suite and walking into her bedroom. She stood glued to the spot, as cold fear took hold of her. She opened her mouth to say something. Nothing came out.
There was David lying down against the stack of pillows on her bed. He casually leaned forward, his hands waving, protesting.
“Rebecca, sorry I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just want to talk.”
David now swung his legs round to the floor, standing his hands still moving. She stood there, her legs couldn’t move, but finally her mouth did.
“How… how…how did you get in? What are you doing here?” Rebecca’s face gripped in terror.
Rebecca watched as his hand reached into his pocket as he pulled out his keys.
“You didn’t change the locks.” David said as he jingled the keys slightly and they tingled in the air. “Look B. I only want to talk. I love you. I miss you. Please, you got to give me another chance. Please B, just another chance that’s all I’m asking?”
He spoke while walking towards her, his arms now imploring. She had stood there still dripping with the water from her shower running down her body. Paralyzed with fear, her stomach turned like a washing machine. She felt the vomit rise in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest.
David stopped dead in his tracks. He could see Rebecca was frightened of him. He started to back off slowly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Jesus B, this is a mess and I’ve caused it all.”
David moved back sitting on the bed with the realization of it all. Rebecca watched as he sat there in a daze, staring blankly. Then she saw his face change, turning to anger, he jumped up.
“How could you fuck Jason? Out of all the people in the world! Why did you have to fuck him?” He questioned her, his tone becoming more menacing. “Why him? Why fuck him? Why, why?”
He repeated again and again his tones going from calm to thunderous every time he said it. How did he know? She knew this wasn’t safe; she saw it in his eyes. They were the same as that fateful Saturday night. She didn’t know this person. This guy frightened the life out of her. She knew she had to get away from him.
David’s enraged eyes, like saucers transfixed. Her heart pound louder and faster like it would jump out of her chest. She moved slowly, edging towards the door. Her eyes on him like a deer in headlights. She inched towards the door. She saw him move towards her, as she dived for the door. She was halfway out when he caught hold of her hair, dragging her back towards him as she fought forward.
He yanked her back sharply; she lost her footing as she fell backwards onto the floor in front of him.
She clambered quickly trying to scramble to her feet, fighting him off. She bolted for the door again scrambling as David grabbed and pulled at her. She was petrified, his eyes blazing an inferno of anger. She clawed grabbing the carpet trying to get out the door again. Rebecca could feel David’s full body weight on her, pinning her to the floor.
“B… I only want to talk. Stop, stop, STOP!”
She was wiggling trying to break free, her arms and legs lashing out in desperation, trying to break from his hold. He pushed his full weight on her.
“B stop!” She was now still, petrified cold with fear.
David still pinning her, she was face down on the ground.
“B…I just want to talk. I still love you,” his voice was calm his head by her ear. “I just want to talk please calm down.” he implored. “Please I only want to talk. Look! I’m letting you go,” his hands either side of him.
Rebecca scrambled to the wall she was too far from the door now, she would bide her time until she could make a run for it.
David had his hands partially in the air semi surrendering. “See,” he held his hands aloft. “B…I’m sorry I didn’t want to hurt you,” his eye’s gesturing at the carpet burns she had on her knees.
She hadn’t noticed her blooded red raw knees. The pain hadn’t kicked in yet. Her adrenaline was still streaming through her. She readjusted he
r towel; it had worked itself loose in the scuffle and was ready to fall at any moment. And with the look in his eye, she didn’t trust him.
“B…. Look, I only want to talk, I promise I won’t go near you, honest.”
He gestured for her to sit on the bed. She sat there on the floor hesitant; she didn’t want to go near the bed.
“I’ll stay on the floor; you get comfortable. You can’t stay there. Let me help you up,” his hand reached out to help her up.
She sat there tentative. The burning pain on her knees escalating by the second. It would be better for her on the bed rather than the floor if she had to get out quick. Rebecca took his hand slowly rising to her feet and walked to her bed. ‘OMG what am I doing’ raced through her mind. This is a bad move Rebecca. Her senses were on overdrive.
David guided her to the bed, she slowly sat. David sat on the floor. She heaved a sigh of relief. It was better than him standing above her. It was intimidating. At 6.2ft, he towered over her 5.6ft delicate frame. She was still holding the towel from when she had repositioned it before.
“B, I’ve made some terrible mistakes, over the years. My biggest was never doing right by you. And that’s something I want to…I need to do,” he hung his head as he spoke. “B…you know what I’ve done. I know what I’ve done to you before.”
Rebecca sat there patiently listening to him; his plea was heartfelt as he knelt at her feet. “Why did you do it David why?” She asked him.
His head deep in his hands, she could see his tears; he even had a runny nose. He looked a mess. “B…please,” he was now pleading, his hands clasped together at her knees beseeching her.
It was a pitiful site; her heart lurched at the emotional man before her. She raised her hand and she had to stop herself from stroking his head. She fought the urge to pull him to her for a comforting hug as he sobbed at her feet. She remembered what Lucy had said about giving someone the idea that there was a chance. She had stopped herself in time, as he was now looking up at her with those eyes that had captivated her so many years ago.
“B…we can work this all out…As long as we love each other B, that’s all that matters. Carol always said you were the best thing that ever happened to me. And I really know that now…Honest I do.”
Rebecca looked at him her fear nearly quenched. This was the lovely David she had fallen in love with so many years ago, when he was a nice 19 year old ‘Jack the Lad’.
Where had he been all this time? It was like he had suddenly vanished overnight four years ago. She remembered it well, as she had gone to bed with him one night and had woken with a guy who looked like him but who was a cheating arsehole…
She asked him again compassion in her voice. “Why David, why did you do it?”
“Why the cheating?” He quizzed. “I don’t know B…It was handed to me on a plate.”
“Yes, but did you have to eat so bloody much?” She snapped back at him. “Anyway I wasn’t on about the cheating. God only knows I should be. NO, I’m asking you why you hit me? Not smashing everything, I’m asking you WHY, in the name of God, did you do it? That’s all I want to know and I think after everything you’ve done, it’s the least you could do.”
He was still knelt before her, David’s hands gently resting on her exposed thighs, as he moved in closer to her. His head hung in shame just above her lap.
“I don’t know. I can’t even give you a reason.” He couldn’t even look at her, he felt only shame. “I don’t know why. Can you believe that B? I don’t know why. When I saw you that night Jason brought round the stuff, I nearly died when I saw what I did. I couldn’t believe I had done that.” He choked back his voice faltering. “I don’t remember doing it B. I don’t remember.” His eyes were beseeching for her to believe him. The awful thing was, she did. She could see it written all over his face.
“B, just give me one more chance, please. I understand the marriage thing is too fast after what’s happened but, let’s take one day at a time, yes? I mean …I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We can have the babies, the wedding, the works, whatever you want. You can make the rules. You’ll see, I’ll be the best in the world. I promise, just give me a chance please.”
David could see her shaking her head in refusal. He hung his head and that is when he saw her hand. He looked over at her bedside table.
“Where’s your ring B?”
The atmosphere in the room changed for the worst again. He had risen to his feet and stomped around the bed to her bedside table picking up her glass trinket bowl. It was where she kept the few items she wore, that she would take off before going to bed or shower. His fingers riffled through the contents.
“B, where’s your ring? Did you take it off,” he asked his face dropping. His thoughts were of how happy they once were. “I asked you where your ring was.” David moved towards her, the bowl still in his hand.
Rebecca’s heart thumped in her ears, as the fear took hold again. She sprung up backing away from the bed, bolting like a bobcat towards the door. She had seen the glass trinket bowl being launched across the room. It was the last thing she saw as she ran down the stairs two and three steps at a time. She had reached the bottom in one piece, after jumping down the last three. She ran into the kitchen bumping her elbow on the door frame. Rebecca dived for the draw, pulling it out till it could go no further, she rummaged franticly. She could hear his footsteps following her close behind. The tears pumped out of her eyes. She was petrified her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
“Oh God…Oh God, come on…come on,” she cried.
A handle fell into her hand; she whipped it out of the draw holding it in front of her.
“Don’t come near me David! Or God help me, you touch me again, you better make it good because when I get up, I swear I’ll kill you! I swear, I will!” The steel of the knife’s bladed glinting, as her hand shook uncontrollably.
David stopped dead in his tracks. There was something in her voice that told him she meant every word she had said. His hands semi rose in the air as a surrender gesture and he backed off slightly.
“Rebecca, there’s no need for that. Put the knife down. I told you I wouldn’t hurt you. I didn’t mean to throw your glass thing I dropped it, that’s all.” He tried to reason with her, but she stood firm still holding her arm out with the knife still shaking in the air.
Her eyes were wild with fear. She convinced herself, if he came towards her she would plunge it in him and run as fast as she could.
“B, this isn’t what I wanted; I love you. You and me not being together doesn’t make sense. Nothing makes sense without you. Put the knife down B, I only came here to talk…remember?” David’s voice was calm almost hypnotic, for a second the knife was lowered slightly. “B…my B…” his voice softer now slow and calm. “There will only be you B, always. And always will be, remember the night we met? You were the prettiest girl in the place. Remember, we couldn’t get a cab, and the fog?”
She remembered that night well, like it was only yesterday. The fog had been so thick you couldn’t see your outstretched hand in front of you. They had walked to a cab office as there were none outside the club that night. They had chatted on the way and the conversation flowed very easily between both of them. They had talked nonstop in the cab home.
“Do you remember when I dropped you home? And your mum shouting down, who were you with?” He laughed, “Do you remember B?”
As Rebecca listened, the knife dipped lower. David saw this and started to inch slowly towards her, his hands still midair, he continued. “You and me, B forever; just you and me. B? And the Jason thing I’ll forgive you for that. We’ll work that out, won’t we?”
The mere mention of Jason’s name brought the knife swiftly up in defense
How to Catch Butterflies Page 14