“Kaden’s from a small town on the west coast of New Zealand–Blackball. Strange name isn't it?” Chris raises an eyebrow.
I glanced at him before turning my attention back to his file, hiding the tears still swimming in my eyes, hiding how I felt from Chris.
“I still find the names of places here are weird, so different from the names of places in the North Island which are predominantly Maori names.” My voice cracked and I hated myself for it, for showing the weakness I felt. Standing, I walked to the window and looked out over the base.
“Are you staying Gracie?” Chris’ hands gripped my shoulders and he rolled his strong fingers over the bones.
“Yes, I’m staying. I’m waiting until Brad Myres arrives so I can be the one who tells him what happened to Kaden. I’m hoping Kaden will wake to a familiar face.”
“Okay. I'm going to crash in the staff beds, so I'm here if you need me. We’ll get started in bringing him round at 0800.”
“Sounds good to me, Brad should be here in a few hours.” I ran my fingers up my arm, coming to rest on Chris’s hand, squeezing slightly in a silent gesture that I was okay.
He removed his hands and cold replaced the warmth from his touch. For what felt like forever, I stood watching the base below as it slumbered, humming Cole Swindell's - Middle of a Memory to myself and Kaden.
I watched as the hours passed by and Kaden became restless and anxious. Nurses carried out their duties, doing observations as ordered and making sure the patient was comfortable, or as comfortable as he could be. My presence made them nervous and that was okay, because they need to be giving their best.
Chris arrived at the start of his shift and I noted the new nurse now had a mentor and ditched her iPad.
I watched her as she looked over Kaden and checked his vital signs. She was still a shaking mess, jittery around me. It appeared I intimidated her, so I did my best to relax her, to explain all I could and give her knowledge and advice to help her care for the soldiers who were here. My mind was pre-occupied with Kaden. It worried me that he had taken my heart, it was broken, I was scared and I had a compelling need to love his broken body and soul.
Chris was explaining to the team of nurses the procedure he was readying for when Brad arrived. He stilled at the door, his sharp intake of air had us all feeling compassion for him. We were used to dealing with battered, bruised, broken and blown apart soldiers who transferred through here. Casualties of war, both men and women, we had taken an oath to mend the best we could, but nothing could prepare family for the sight of a critically injured loved one.
We see the pain in their eyes as their heart clenched for the person they loved, lying helpless in a hospital bed. Connected to tubes and monitors. Scarred, disfigured, broken. No longer recognisable as the person who’d left to do their duty, to serve their country.
Chris nodded at me and I gathered Kaden’s hand in mine for reassurance when he awoke. Brad was standing by the window, fear of the unknown in his eyes.
“Ready?” Chris directed his question to me.
“Yes.” I lowered my eyes to the soldier on the bed before me.
“Kaden be strong, come back to us.” I murmured as Chris injected the propofol into the IV bag.
Within moments, Kaden’s fingers reached for the breathing tube. I slipped my hand over his and pulled it away.
“I’ll take care of it.”
His eyes were locked on mine and he gave me the faintest of nods.
My fingers shook ever so slightly as I pulled the tape free from the side of the tube. I deflated the balloon which held the tube in the airway and gently eased it out. I placed the tube on a tray nearby and my new nurse left the room.
Now we waited.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kaden
Her voice folded around me, her touch burned into my skin. I knew she was there, I could feel her, yet I couldn’t see her. It was still so dark. The cold seeped into me. I tried to recall, where I was and why was I locked in this state of limbo? I felt all the cares and worries I once had, they were rushing back with the force of an avalanche.
I felt my body awakening, something scraped at my throat. I had no control over what was happening. Fear of an unknown pierces me. My lungs beg for air as I willed my body to breathe. Why does it seem that I can’t get air into my body?
The pungent smell of bleach was overwhelming, it has taken away the scent of her. Of my baby. I scrunched my eyes at the bright light which was intruding through the dark, attacking my closed eyelids. I felt powerless and heavy. I couldn’t move my hand, my head, no part of my body. My legs and toes felt like lead, no movement there either.
I blinked cautiously in an attempt to open my eyes and see what was around me. Where was I?
As the blinding light slowly subsided, I glanced around at my surroundings. I was in a hospital. No war-torn Iraq now. No sounds of battle, dust or gun powder. No blood. No screaming.
The room was pristine and clean. I was in a typical hospital bed. IV and monitors beeped as if being conducted in an orchestra. The walls were a pale blue colour, the linens a stark white - harsh and heavy.
