Instinctual 2 (10 page)

Darla hummed as she worked as she rinsed the sponge for the last time. “There. Doesn’t that look better? I’m sure it feels better. I’ll see about getting you some waterless shampoo that we can brush through your hair when the bandages come off. You’re so pretty!” Placing the sponge on the trolley, Darla grabbed some cosmetics, putting them on the bed as she pushed some of the head bandage higher to gain access to Kate’s eyebrows.

“Now for the final touches.”

Jake likened it to watching an artist at work as foundation was flawlessly applied before some blush and mascara and then some light strokes of eyebrow pencil was applied. Darla stood back and smiled, seemingly pleased with the end result. She clapped like an overexcited school girl.

As Darla packed away her things onto the trolley, taking one last look at her transformed patient, she called out, “See you tomorrow, angel.”

It was an apt moniker for the woman lying on the bed, not only appearance-wise but for the person she was. Too caring and too nice. Always willing to go the extra mile to help others.

Jake kissed her cheek, wishing she’d offer him some kind of reaction to his presence but none came.

At exactly eight o’clock, Jake caught movement and turned to see Robert Fitzpatrick enter carrying an arm full of flowers. The poor man’s face read like a horror story, grief and pain written all over it.

As much as Jake didn’t want to leave and had promised Kate as such, he decided to give Robert some time alone with his daughter.

Chapter Fifteen

Robert faltered at the sight of his baby’s inert, heavily tranquilized body, kept alive by machines. He wondered if she was really in there at all or was it just a case of keeping her heart beating and lungs breathing until such a time where a decision needed to be made about turning off the life support. It wouldn’t happen on his watch. Even if he had to set up an ICU back home at his house in Chicago, he’d do whatever it took to keep his girl with him. There was always hope no matter what doctors said. Miracles did happen. He’d prayed for one, literally.

Placing flowers in an empty vase beside the bed, he added water from the drinking jug that had been placed there, for whatever reason, Robert didn’t know. It’s not as if Kate would be needing any.

Tentatively lowering his head to kiss Kate’s forehead, he lost all control as emotion overwhelmed him and tears flowed like a river. His hands shook as they framed her face, an outpouring of love leaving his heart as he sobbed words that no longer needed to be kept behind the wall of strength he’d erected as a coping mechanism.

“Katie. I love you so much. I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this. If you can hear me, please come back. I can’t stand seeing you like this. You’ve got to fight with everything you have. It’s all up to you now, darling. The doctors have done everything they can.” His fingers shook as he thumbed her closed eyelids before pulling a chair to the edge of the bed and sitting down to hold Kate’s hand. “I swear to you, if someone is responsible for putting you in here, they will pay for it with their life.” It was a promise that he intended on keeping. No one messed with his family and got away with it. Not like this. His thumb rubbed circles on her knuckles as he continued, sniffing between words. “You mother is on her way. In fact, she’ll be here shortly. She’s looking forward to seeing you, Katie-bear, but is sick with worry. You’ve given us quite a scare.”

“Good morning!” offered a voice from the doorway, causing Robert to jump.

The attending nurse walked over to check Kate’s vitals, affording a small smile as she approached.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” said Robert as he moved himself and the chair out of the way to give the nurse access. He noted her name badge read, Maria.

She spoke in broken English but was understandable. “You the girl’s father, yes?”

“Yes, that’s right. How is my daughter doing?”

Looking at the chart for the first time, the nurse didn’t reply straight away as she studied it.

Robert’s lack of patience had him almost ready to ask if the woman had heard him, but then she spoke. “She is very sick. Still no change. We just wait.”

Well, that didn’t tell him much. He knew how ill she was. Couldn’t the nurse give him a bit more to go on?

“How long do you think she’ll be in a coma?” It was really a silly question in all honesty, but he was grabbing at straws.

“We-a keep her in an induced coma for-a two days. We-a turn off machines and see-a if she wake up.”

It would be easier pulling teeth than getting something out of the woman that might resemble hope. Robert nodded, letting the woman do what she had to so he could be alone with his daughter again.

More blood was taken, along with a pulse, and the urine bag was replaced. Robert walked over to the window and looked out while it was taking place, giving his daughter some privacy and leaving her some dignity intact.

“Can I get-a you food or paper?” asked Maria.

Was he hungry? Not really, but he needed something in his stomach even if it was pre-prepared hospital food.

“Sure, a sandwich would be nice, thank you. And a
New York Times
if you have one.” He knew that would be a big ask but it was worth a shot. Preferably anything written in English. A distraction. Anything to try and take his mind off the worrying thoughts bombarding him.

“I see about paper. Be back soon.” With that she was away again, leaving Robert in peace.

Hearing different movement behind him, Rob turned. His eyes were irritated with dried tears staining his cheeks. Jenny dropped her case at the same time Robert rose and they almost ran to each other, embracing desperately, forgetting all else apart from what had brought them to the present moment.

Jenny cried into Rob’s shoulder, wetting his shirt as he held her head fast with one hand, the other crushing her to him, not wanting to let go, ever. His own resolve crumbled, and hearing his wife’s crushing sobs, he let go himself, sharing her heartache, thankful that she was there with him in his arms again, where she belonged.

Jenny moved her face to Robert’s and kissed him briefly, their tears merging, taking comfort from each other’s presence, allowing their grief to be shared. They stood like that for minutes, not needing to speak, the silent connection all that was required.

It was a time of putting aside petty differences to rally together for Kate and offer her all the love and support they could muster, regardless of whether she was conscious or not.

Once they’d composed themselves, Jenny pulled away and turned to her daughter, moving to the bed silently. She too kissed Kate on her forehead and then both cheeks, brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen from beneath the bandage with her fingers, studying her daughter, not having held her face for three years.

“Hey, darling. It’s Mom. You’re not doing so good, huh?”. More tears came. She crumpled on the bed beside Kate, gathering her legs up so she could lie beside her.

Robert rubbed his hand up and down Jenny’s arm in a comforting gesture before gently filling his wife in on the doctor’s latest prognosis.

“She’s hanging in there, Jenny. There’s been no change but being placed in the induced coma is for her benefit. It will allow her body to do nothing but heal. We have to have hope that she’ll get better.”

“Hope is all we have, Rob. It’s just a shock to see our baby like this, away from home in a strange hospital, in such a state, not knowing the outcome.” The sobs grew louder. “I don’t know what would happen if—”

“Shh. It’s okay. She’s strong, honey. She’ll pull through.” He didn’t believe his own words but couldn’t let Jenny know that. Things were as bad as they could get and could go either way at any moment.

Jenny turned, so Robert stooped down to bury his face in her neck as he cried some more, not needing to hide his feelings from her. She’d seen the worst of him and was one of the few people he didn’t need to be strong around. He could be himself. Just having her there by his side was help enough. Even with her own anxiety to deal with, she provided him with comfort just by being present. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before the quiet was broken.

Maria appeared with a newspaper and a packaged sandwich, which she placed on the drawers next to the bed.

Robert didn’t let go of his wife but voiced a quiet, “Thank you.” If he’d known Jenny would turn up so soon after he’d ordered, he would have got one for her. The reserved woman nodded and offered a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I come back in soon to check on Miss Kate.” She sashayed out without another word.

“Are you hungry, honey? When was the last time you ate?” Robert pulled back to look into Jenny’s tired eyes.

“I had food on the flight over and grabbed a coffee at the airport but apart from that I haven’t eaten since leaving Chicago.”

“Here. You have this sandwich.” He let Jenny go and reached for the chicken and cheese sandwich, handing it to her.

“I’m not hungry, Rob, really. I don’t think I could stomach it.”

“Well, you need to eat. We’ll have half each. If I can keep it down, you can, too. Trust me, I have no appetite either, but we’re going to need our strength. I’ll go down to the coffee machine and get us some caffeine.” He squeezed Jenny’s shoulder and headed down the hall, leaving Jenny alone with Kate.

Chapter Sixteen

Deep in Kate’s unconsciousness, sounds wafted into the darkness. Familiar sounds that clung to her awareness and yet she couldn’t quite place them.

A smell. The first hint of anything remotely resembling one of her senses coming to life. Fruity soft notes with a hint of floral undertones. If only she could remember why that smell brought with it feelings of joy and love. She tried to hang onto the morsels of sensation that broke through the barriers of nothingness she was stuck in. A small ounce of comfort in an otherwise uncomfortable world. They teased her. Tickled her as if trying to stir her to life but it was like trying to fight your way through an unmovable void that had you imprisoned in its clutches.

“Darling…Strong, honey…”

The words enveloped her like a warm blanket and even though she didn’t know where they had come from or who had spoken them, they soothed her. She needed more. There was no single direction the sounds had traveled from. Just like the blackness, it was all around her. In her.

Her mind tried to fight the fog, to respond in some way, even if it was just telepathically, but the dark wall was too tough to penetrate.

She hoped the sounds would come again as everything became quiet once more, returning Kate to the noiseless abyss.

Chapter Seventeen

After Robert and Jenny finished their strong coffees, Jenny unpacked a couple of things she’d brought from Chicago for Kate. Personal items from childhood.

She pulled out a worn and well-loved floppy pig that used to be pink but now looked almost white due to the rubbed, weathered fabric. One ear was missing and one button was missing where an eye had been sewn on. It had been Kate’s favorite up until she’d been about ten years old.

As Jenny placed it on the bed next to Kate’s face, Robert voiced his amusement. “I can’t believe you kept that thing! Do you remember how many times we lost it and had to turn the place upside down until we found it? You even had me outside in the dark with the flashlight, climbing up to the treehouse to see if it had been left there.”

Jenny smiled at the memory. “Yes, and it ended up being taken by Roxy the dog, buried for a few days, and then dug up. She brought it back inside, covered in dirt, so proud like she’d actually hunted the pig herself.”

Robert laughed, recalling how Kate had chastised Roxy and not let the pig out of her sight for weeks after that. “I’m surprised the thing survived the washing machine. Maybe that’s how the button eye came off.”

“Haha. I think it was, if I remember correctly. And poor Roxy! She didn’t like us taking it off her. She had claimed it as hers.”

“I loved that dog.”

“She was beautiful. A good friend to Kate.” Jenny then pulled out a photo in a wooden frame of Kate and Roxy sitting side by side in the back garden. Literally in the flower garden. Robert smiled at the photo. Kate had yellow and white daisies tucked into her hair over each ear and had made a daisy chain that she’d placed around Roxy’s neck. Both were grinning madly. Two friends, sharing a special moment. A moment is all it had been too, because in that next second Roxy had rolled on the ground, breaking the daisy chain, chewing the flowers like a new dog toy.

“Those were good times, Jenny.” Rob looked through the photo. He was right back on that day in that moment, wishing he could turn back the clock and freeze time so he could absorb it all again for longer. Take the time to savor it like a fine wine. To etch every smell, sound, and feeling into his bones. A small tear left his eye and trickled down his cheek.