Innocence (27 page)

“That is great, finally they have seen sense, and that was all Sophie wanted. Just a shame what had to occur to get the result, she needed before today,” Ross said.

“Yes…yes,” Calvin agreed.

“Listen, I’m heading to bed, take one of the spare bedrooms and get comfortable, you need to rest to keep your strength up for Sophie and her little one, even if I think you’re getting too involved, but my opinion can wait for another day when emotions aren’t high.”

Calvin looked at Ross as he made his way out the kitchen door. He sat sipping at his coffee, tasting the brandy. Ross was a strong man and had particular opinions on certain matters, and he knew that his involvement with Sophie was only misleading their hearts, or was it?

Chapter Twelve

He woke startled to the sound of a loud bang. He opened his eyes to glance around the room seeing he had fallen asleep in Ross’s middle sitting room. Calvin sat up and gave a full back and arm stretch, feeling stiff in many parts of his body due to falling asleep awkwardly. Calvin stood up and stretched out his body more and made his way into the kitchen where he saw Ross.

“Where the heck have you appeared from?” Ross said mucking.

“Sorry, I went and sat in the sitting room to gather my thoughts and fell asleep,” he informed him.

Calvin reached into his trouser pocket and produced his phone and switched it on.

“How are you feeling?” Ross asked with his head stuck in the fridge rummaging around.

“Not sure, ask me when I have woken up,” he said honestly.

“Well, I can cook you a full English breakfast, if you fancy it. And while I cook you go and help yourself to the shower and freshen up,” Ross suggested.

“Thanks,” he said, grinning at him. “I sincerely appreciate that.”

Calvin heard his phone starting to buzz and whistle at him, informing him he had several messages and missed calls. He swiped his finger across his screen and saw a message from his secretary

Okay Mr. Edwards. Hope all goes well.

Then there were calls from his mum, he would call her in a while and inform her he was okay. He knew she would be worried about him, even at the age of twenty-seven his mum liked to check on him.

“Anything important?” Ross voiced.

“No, not for the moment. I will make all the necessary calls when I have freshened up and am thinking more clearly after a cup of coffee,” he said, scratching his head feeling scruffy.

“I like you’re thinking, my dear friend,” Ross said while loading the island up with sausages, bacon, eggs, and black pudding.

He smiled and liked the idea of having something to eat, as yesterday he ate nothing, well he had breakfast, a slice of toast, and that was it for the day, then with everything that unfolded, eating was the last thing on his mind.

Calvin made his way up to the bathroom. Once he arrived he inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. He stripped off his clothes and entered the large wet room. He stood under the shower head, allowing the warm water to cascade over him, longing for the stresses of yesterday to dissolve, boy was his body stiff and craving to relieve the tension. While the water poured over him he thought about his agenda for the day.

A, call his secretary.

B, call his mum and ask her for Rosalind’s number so he could call to find out how Sophie and the baby were doing.

Yep, sounds like a good plan.

He finished in the shower and walked to the hand basin. He noticed his stubble, liking the rough, but later he would be visiting the hospital. He looked in a cabinet for some scissors to just give it a light trim. He found a new toothbrush and brushed his teeth and gave a swirl of minty mouthwash before gelling his hair, spraying his body, and got dressed. He felt remarkably good considering the lack of sleep.

He made his way downstairs, inhaling the aroma of an English breakfast, all those wonderful smells of bacon and sausages sizzling together.

“Wow, that smell is divine,” Calvin said entering the room.

“Good my friend, you look fresher, coffee,” he said, gliding a mug across the island to him. “Five minutes and it’ll be ready,” he announced.

Calvin then heard the sound of the letter-box. He turned around and headed back into the hallway to retrieve the paper,
Telegraph.
He read the headlines about the local climate and how the weather was predicted to get worse.

“Anything interesting?”

Calvin lifted his head and wagged his brows. He grimaced.

“Enough said.”

Calvin took the bar stool and opened up the paper to read the further headlines while sipping on the strong coffee. “Interesting piece here about the railways,” he mentioned.

“Hope they're not planning on shutting any lines in a few weeks I have trips down to London.”

“You never said.” Calvin glanced up at him.

“Oh, a case I’m working on, driving us crazy, but all in a day’s work. I was going to stay overnight at yours,” Ross mentioned while serving the breakfast up, which smelled truly scrumptious.

“You still can…I’ll be back by then, and if not I’ll get a key cut for you and help yourself,” Calvin remarked.

Ross winked at him. They both dived into the wonderful mouth-watering tastes of Britain.

“Wow, I am truly stuffed, thank you,” he said rubbing his full stomach and using his fingers to wipe the corners of his mouth.

“Anytime, my good friend. Listen I was thinking, if you wanted to stay here while Sophie is in hospital, please do…I mean travelling back and forth from the village will be annoying, so please make yourself comfortable here,” Ross said smiling at him.

“Thank you, I would deeply appreciate that. And thanks for your kind words last night.”

“You mean this morning?” Ross mocked.

“Sorry, this morning. I didn’t know what planet I was on.”

“A guilty one…you would be useless in a trial,” Ross scoffed.

“Thanks for that. But then if I had you working with me, I wouldn’t have any worries.” Calvin winked.

“Like your thinking, my good friend.” Ross laughed. “What have you planned for today?”

“Hospital first and then try and sort a few things out, work, Sophie’s parents, call Mum as she does nothing but worry about me. The last few days have thrown me off course, but my priority is Sophie and the baby.”

He sat thinking over his scenario with Sophie and the baby. He was no fool and understood that they really weren’t his problem, but he wanted to help, he needed to offer her all the support he possibly could. He recognised things were going to be pretty hard for Sophie, in the next few months, and if he could offer her guidance and care, he would.

Ross went to get ready for his day in the office. Calvin called his secretary, making the relevant changes to his working schedule and told her he would be in touch next week, to inform her of the developments.

He then set about calling his mum, having a ten minute conversation and her making sure he was looking after himself.

“Yes, Mum.” He rolled his eyes. “Ross has just filled me with a full English breakfast.”

“Good…you know I worry about you, especially with things being the way they are.”

She then gave him Rosalind’s phone number so he could contact her and apologize for leaving the hospital the way he had last night, but it also had been a time for family and he wasn’t that.

He wrote Rosalind’s number down and set about calling her. He hoped he wasn’t calling at a bad time.

“Hello,” said a sceptical female voice.

“Hello, Mrs. Richards?”

“Speaking.”

“Great,” he said pleased. “It’s Calvin ringing about Sophie and the little one. I apologize sincerely for leaving last night. I wanted to allow you and your husband time with your grandchild and daughter,” he explained.

“Oh, that is fine, Calvin. I had wondered where you had gone. You were more than welcome to come and see them both with us,” she said heartfelt.

“It’s okay, I was tired it had been quite a day,” he added, not wishing to bring it up too much and start an argument and lower the chances of seeing Sophie, if he could.

“I couldn’t agree with you more.”

“How are they both?” He needed to finish this conversation.

“The baby was struggling to breathe so they put her on a breathing machine. She also has an IV line in for antibiotics, and her heart is being monitored. It is quite alarming going in the special unit and seeing such a tiny baby attached to so many noisy machines. I have called them and they say she’s still in the same condition. Sophie, she is still unconscious, but comfortable, although I have to say the sound of the machines is frightening with them both. Are you thinking about visiting?”

“Are you there?”

“No, we are home, came home for some rest and to freshen up. We will be heading back soon. Are you going?” she asked again.

“I would like to see them both,” he said, his stomach somersaulted.

“That’s fine, but say you’re close family, as a friend you’ll not be able to get in,” she explained.

“Of course that is fine. Thank you. And no doubt I will see you both soon,” he said, delighted by the outcome. He never expected such a greeting, but clearly either they were tired or riddled with guilt as he was.

They hung up and Ross came down looking fresher and ready for work. Ross handed him the spare key and then they both left the house. His best friend kindly dropped Calvin at the hospital. He had felt terrible for walking out of the establishment last night without saying a word, but with all the sadness and him blaming himself for what happened, he guessed he hit rock bottom.

He decided to first visit Sophie, he hadn’t seen her since she got rushed into the operating room. Annoyed with himself, he had managed to hang around all that time as the operation took place and then scampered without even saying
goodbye.
Either way, yesterday had been a day from hell, with mixed emotions and so helpless, but now he needed to do what Ross suggested, be the strong one and offer her all the support she needed.

Calvin found his way to the intensive care unit and looked through the glass window of the double doors to the department. He saw a modern, beech wood nurses’ station. He inhaled a deep breath and decided he would gain the courage and lie to get to see Sophie. He had to see Sophie.

He pushed on the door and inhaled, smelling the disinfectant. The place was spotless with cream walls, and he could hear the loud sound of monitors beeping, and breathing machines moving up and down. His stomach was tied in severe knots. Screens were pulled around a few beds with a few visitors looking at the patients, aware they were worried family members. A large lump dominated his throat, fearing they would not allow him in. Aware his heart would shatter into many pieces if they refused him. All he wanted was to see Sophie.

He saw a nurse appear moving around one bed checking the monitors and filling out paperwork.

“Hello there, can I help you?” a female nurse said, appearing from behind him.

He spun quickly seeing the nurses’ station.

“Hi, yeah… I’m looking for Sophie Richards,” he explained.

“And you are to her?” she asked, lifting her head to stare intensely at him.

“Partner…” he said. Bile filled his throat, not believing he lied, but hell, he didn’t care right now.

“Name?”

“Calvin…Calvin Edwards.”

“Lovely. She is in a private room, due to her parents requesting it,” she said.

The nurse walked around the desk to stand by him. “If you wish to follow me,” she said smiling at him.

They turned around and walked off down a tiny corridor with two doors, one to the right and another to the left with chairs placed outside. There was a window overlooking the corridor and the lights above the door one green and another red.

He could feel his heart pounding inside his eardrum, having no idea what he was about to see.

They arrived at the door. The nurse took the handle and turned to him. “Did you come to see her last night when she was transferred to us?” she asked glancing at him.

“No, no I didn’t…it was a very emotional day. Does that make me look bad?” he asked scrunching his nose.

“No, not at all. We all act differently when our loved one’s have been through such an ordeal. Not only that, but afraid to see what became of them,” she said sincere.

“Thanks. I expected to be getting a grilling to be honest.” He grinned.

“No, we’re here to support you as well as give your partner all the twenty-four hour care she requires.”

“Could she come out this perfectly okay?” he needed to ask. His stomach swirled.

“Yes, she could, but there are also chances it might go the other way,” she informed him.

Calvin could hardly breath, not needing and further guilt or complications.

“What you see will be alarming, so prepare yourself,” she said opening the door. “Maria, this is…Calvin Edwards, he’s Miss. Richards’ partner,” she explained.

Calvin saw Maria a large woman, with short dark hair, smile at him.

“Hello there, please come in and don’t be alarmed at all these machines they are only supporting Sophie, she is doing the majority of the work herself,” Maria told him.

He gulped heavily, and then saw Sophie lying on the bed to his left. She was surrounded by monitors and breathing machines hooked up to the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, even asleep and helpless she looked stunning. She laid flat with tubes and IV lines coming out of her and fluid slowly dripping into her.

“Please take a seat,” Maria said, “I am her nurse for the day. I am the one who checks her blood pressure, temperature and that all the machines are working correctly. She is doing great. It is a bit of a shock to see your loved one hooked up to all these noisy machines, but trust me vital. You know the best source of medicine is you talking to her or bringing in her favourite music,” she announced, as she checked Sophie’s pulse.