‘Yes, please,’ Eleanor replied, willing the swarm of questions to stop buzzing around her head for just a moment.
‘Of course, come with me,’ Helen beckoned, disappearing behind the corner she had been peering round.
Eleanor hurried after her, nodding her thanks to the kind receptionist. The pair walked in silence along the corridor, the only sound coming from the faint beeping of machines and clattering of equipment. Everything seemed to shine and squeak and smell of disinfectant.
‘Here we are. He’s in the bed in the far corner.’ The nurse pointed into one of the wards; a large room with four beds along each side, all filled with a variety of broken and bruised-looking humans. All except Fin’s.
‘Is he …’ she began, unable to hold the questions back any longer. ‘Will he be OK? The man downstairs told me he was in intensive care.’
The nurse smiled and placed her arm reassuringly on to Eleanor’s. ‘He had a nasty accident but he’s through the worst of it. He’s broken a lot of bones and recovery won’t be quick or easy, but he’ll be all right.’
‘OK.’ Eleanor breathed a sigh of relief. ‘OK, good. Thank you.’
‘Pleasure.’ The nurse nodded and then checked her watch. ‘I have to go, but I’ll come and give you an update when Iknow more about when he’ll be coming out. In the meantime, take a seat, or grab a coffee. There’s a Starbucks on the fourth floor.’
‘Sure.’ Eleanor smiled appreciatively and made her way across the ward to Fin’s corner of the room. She’d had enough coffees this morning to last her a lifetime, her anxiety so bad that she’d been unable to stomach anything solid. She settled herself down in the visitor’s chair by the empty bed and took out her phone.
From: Ben Ryans
Hey. How’s it going? Was wondering if you wanted to grab some food tomorrow night or go and see a movie? I miss you. X
I miss you.
Seeing those words written down made the knot in her stomach twist even tighter. She hadn’t told Ben about Fin’s accident yet. She wanted to assess the damage for herself first before worrying anybody unnecessarily. Eleanor was perfectly capable of handling the situation by herself; she’d done it many times before.
Sounds wonderful. I’ll call you tonight to sort out the details? xxx
She paused, her fingers hovering tentatively over the send button. Quickly she added a ‘miss you too’ and fired off the message. It wasn’t that she didn’t mean it, it was that, in all honesty, she wasn’t used to someone being so affectionate and open with their feelings. Oliver was to the point. He was logical and practical, and words of affirmation were saved for special occasions and holidays. Ben, however, was a different story, and it was taking Eleanor a little time to adjust.
‘Eleanor?’ a voice called gently from behind. She jerked up her head and stuffed her phone back into her pocket, turning around to see a different nurse standing there. She was smaller and a little older but had the same tired eyes as Helen.
‘Yes, that’s me.’ Eleanor stood, eager for any news of Fin’s arrival.
‘Helen told me to come and update you. Fin’s out of surgery and in recovery. He’s taking a while to wake up from the anaesthetic but it’s nothing to worry about. I’ll come and let you know when we’re bringing him up.’ She was holding a bag that she handed over to Eleanor. ‘These are his personal effects that we recovered – I didn’t know if you wanted to hold on to them for him. ICU brought them up just now.’
Eleanor took the plastic bag and held it close to her chest. ‘Thank you.’
‘Pleasure.’ The nurse turned and scurried away.
Eleanor sat back down and steadied herself. She could already see the pile of bloodied clothes folded up at the bottom. She reached inside and pulled out his watch, the screen smashed and the hands frozen in position. A cruel reminder of the time of impact forever more. Eleanor placed it on her lap and continued to rummage around, pulling out his wallet, his cracked and lifeless phone, his jeans and finally his coat. She held it close to her, breathing in the smell of his skin, his sweat, his blood.
How could this have happened?
Eleanor held the battered jacket out in front of her and began to refold it neatly. As she did so, she felt something in the inside pocket. Reaching in, she pulled out an envelope. It was crinkled and crumpled but still in one piece. She turned it over.
Eleanor Levy
129 Ursuline Road
London
E18 1HP
Her stomach dropped sickeningly; her hands began to shake so violently that the envelope nearly fell from her hands.
You can’t open it …
But it’s for me.
