He woke up early and went
out for food, guessing correctly that he would be cooking for
Olivia and Julia as well. They sat outside in the sun and Harry
drank strong black filter coffee and regretted her last glass of
wine. She was wearing a pair of sunglasses, and her dark curls were
still slightly tousled from her shower. Her faded cotton shirt
framed her lovely throat and her frayed soft jeans hugged the
contours of her legs and hips. Mike took a deep breath struggled to
stay focussed on the conversation.
“
Who was that
scary Nicola?” Olivia was asking.
“
I know.”
Julia said apologetically, “She seems quite normal and nice when
you’re in work, I’ve actually been enjoying getting to know her.
But she’s a bit scary when she drinks wine and I’m so sorry about
your trousers Harry.”
“
It’s okay, I
felt a bit bad for her. She was so drunk, I mean we were all a bit
tipsy, but she was in a league of her own.”
“
I think
something had upset her.” Mike offered, “Because she wasn’t really
joining in the conversation.”
“
She wanted
to talk to poor Harry.” said Olivia, eating the untouched bacon on
Harry’s plate.
“
Did she give
you any kind of explanation?”
“
Not really,
she was talking about her job mostly, and also her husband, she
just kept talking about how he was definitely the right man for
her.” Harry took a small bite of toast and chewed it slowly. “I’d
be really grateful if someone would get me an aspirin.” she added
ruefully, and decided to spend the day watching box
sets.
Nicola woke up and felt
sick. Her memories of the night were an uncomfortable blur and Jeff
was already out of bed. She followed him into the kitchen and sat
down beside him, glad that Chris was not around. “Hey,” she said
softly.
He held her eyes for a
moment and asked finally, “What happened last night
Nic?”
“
I don’t
know. I felt a bit out my depth. There were lots of new people
there.” she paused, then added regretfully, “I think I made a fool
of myself.” He looked at her in silence, then said finally. “You
kept talking about someone called Harry.”
“
Did I
really?” He nodded, still looking with gentle concern at the woman
he loved. “What did I say.”
“
That she was
beautiful with a surprisingly nice personality.”
“
Was Harry
listening?” she asked, feeling the colour in her cheeks.
“
I don't even
know who Harry is. I just tried to get you home as quickly as
possible.”
Nicola forced down a
glass of water and sat in unhappy silence, she tried to recall the
conversation, but all she could remember was talking about
herself.
Sunday slid by in a
sleepy tangle of DVDs, cups of tea, toast and newspapers. Mike left
the comfortable little house after lunch. He didn't want to leave.
He wanted to hear her laugh and bring her food and drinks while she
stretched out on the sofa. Harry watched him go, trying to gauge
Julia's reaction. Afterwards she let her mind wander back to Chris,
and she wondered how he had spent the weekend. “You’re thinking
about him aren’t you?” Julia sat down on the big sofa beside her
friend and made sure that their legs were touching. She remembered
when she was getting to know Harry, the intense late night
conversations that they had shared as they left their teens and
greeted their twenties. Harry had explained that nobody really
touched her, and especially didn’t touch her legs. So she touched
her as much as she could, and tried to have all their important
conversations at the same eye level.
“
Yes I’m
thinking of him, he’s rather hard to forget.”
“
Harry he
spent the whole night chopping up vegetables, I think it’s safe to
say that he’s thinking about you too.”
Harry looked at her and
smiled ruefully, “It’s not that simple for me.”
“
Harry you’re
a lovely woman, men notice that.”
“
Thank you.”
Harry said softly, and smiled her thanks when Julia poured out some
more coffee.
Chris was looking at one
of his oldest friends in speechless surprise. Nicola was telling
him about the party, carefully editing her own level of
drunkenness. “You met Harry?” he asked again, shifting positing on
the hard kitchen chair.
“
I'm sure it
was her, small and beautiful with long dark hair and this fantastic
base note to her voice.”
“
That's her,”
he paused, and added tentatively, “what did you talk
about?”
“
I'm not
sure, I was quite drunk.” He nodded, and poured himself a cup of
coffee. He cared about Nicola far too much to get angry, but he
didn't sleep well wondering what she might have said.
Chapter
four
Harry however, slept very
well until 3am when Belinda called her. “Sorry about this Harry, I
acknowledge that this conversation is not keeping with trust
policy. The problem is that the blood results have gone down again.
I know it’s not your responsibility, but can I ask you to come in
with me?”
“
Of course.”
she said sleepily, she had been dreaming about Chris, and she
really wanted to close her eyes and see if she could find him
again.
“
Thank you so
much.” Belinda’s relief was obvious, “Would you like a lift?” Harry
accepted then transferred out of bed. Her unhappy adolescence in
school that made no concession to her disability had taught her how
to wash and dress at speed, and she was pulling on her soft boots
when Belinda knocked on the door. “Do you need assistance?” the
older woman asked awkwardly, leading the way to her surprisingly
sporty black car.
“
No I'm
fine.” Harry said, hoping her self-consciousness wasn't too
obvious. She pulled out her transfer board, and moved with the
practice of many years. “Now if you can put my chair in the boot
then I'm ready to go.”
Belinda explained that
the system was now displaying no blood results whatsoever. They ran
through a list of explanations and stopped in the surprisingly full
staff car park. The IT portacabin was cold and silent and Harry
looked wistfully at the coffee machine and wondered if Belinda
would ever reply to the email she had sent explaining that she
couldn't access the machine from her chair. Then she immersed
herself in the system until it grew light outside and the results
started to reappear.
Olivia called her at
seven, the concern palpable in her voice. “I'm okay.” Harry told
her, “I'll just have an early night.” She ended the call, relieved
that her friend would be able to reach her by four, all she need
was some caffeine and she would start to feel almost
normal.
Mike arrived at 8 and
blinked at her while his adrenaline rush faded. “Do you always get
in so early?” she asked, amused and surprised in equal measure.
Mike nodded awkwardly and filled up the coffee machine. He waited
until the first cup ran through and handed it to her.
“
Thank you.”
she said gratefully, her tired smile catching at his heart. “I’ve
been desperate for you to get here.”
“
Why on earth
didn’t you call me?” he asked, wishing that he could in some small
way ride in to her rescue.
“
Don’t be
silly honey.” She turned her attention back to the screen, and the
time slid past in a long tiring welter of equations and angry phone
calls. Belinda retreated into her paperwork and Harry and Mike
fought with the system.
“
Shall I
present your data at the training meeting?” Belinda
asked.
Harry was sorry to note
that she was still as formal as ever, she had hoped that their long
morning together might have made their relationship easier. “Yes
thank you.” She said, smiling as convincingly as she could and
stifling her disappointment.
“
I will of
course acknowledge entirely that it is not my own work.” Belinda
added stiffly.
“
I really
don’t mind.” Harry told her honestly. She enjoyed her job, and she
knew she was pretty good at it. But the thought of looking at
Chris’ jawline and those glorious shoulders, had been the only
thing cheering her up all morning. She forced her eyes back to the
elusive data and worked until lunch time, when Mike brought her
favourite sandwich from the canteen.
Chris couldn’t
concentrate in the meeting. His mind ran anxiously through all the
possible reasons that she would have to send her apologies. He
realised that he still knew nothing about why she needed to use a
wheelchair and he wondered how he could ask her. If she was unwell,
was she getting proper care? If she had been hurt was she getting
the right therapy? He left the elegant room in silence and worked
distractedly through his outpatient clinic. For the first time in
his career, he took advantage of a cancellation to walk to the IT
suite. He tucked in his shirt and straightened his tie, then he
pressed the buzzer and Mike opened the door with an expression of
muted hostility.
“
Can I help
you?” the smaller man asked coolly.
“
I’ve got a
message for Harry,” he said, as formally as he could. Adding
hopefully “it’s from Mr Patel.”
“
I can pass
it on for you.” Mike shifted his generous bulk so that he blocked
more of the doorway.
“
I’d like to
tell her personally.” Chris waited patiently for him to back down,
he had learned his skills fighting with the charge nurses in
casualty, and he was good at this game.
“
Okay,” Mike
said finally, and led the way to the row of computers where Harry
was sitting. Chris pushed his hands into his pockets and hungrily
drank in the sight of her. She was pointing out some figures on the
screen, and her hand was clearly trembling. She shifted her
delicate frame and used both hands to pick up her coffee mug. His
surge of protective tenderness caught him by surprise, and his
heart lifted when he saw the relief in her expressive eyes, until
he realised that Julia was standing beside him.
She stepped forward and
gently took the coffee mug out of her tired hands. “I think Mike
can take it from here.” she said protectively.
“
Could you
give me a hand with my chair?” Harry asked lightly, unable to look
at Chris.
“
Yes of
course.” Julia said, keeping her tone as casual as that used by her
friend. When Harry had been a student she had withdrawn onto her
sofa when her strength and co-ordination deteriorated. Since she
had started working, her fierce independence had usually tided her
through situations, especially when she was out in public, and
Julia realised she had no idea how to manoeuvre a wheelchair. She
took the handles then quickly understood that it was far harder
than she anticipated.
Chris couldn't help
stepping forward, when Julia knocked her painfully into a printer.
He pushed her carefully into the corridor and reluctantly
relinquished control. Harry thanked him, and he noted the
embarrassed flush on her dainty throat. He wanted to walk out with
them and carry her into the car, but he guessed that she would not
accept that, and that she would find it intolerable. Slowly he
walked back to his office fighting the loneliness he had carried
since adolescence.
Harry closed her eyes and
thought longingly of her sofa. She took a deep breath when they
reached the car park and tried to gather her strength. Silently
Julia pulled out the transfer board and realised how easily Harry
normally handled the practicalities of her paralysis. A group of
construction workers looked curiously across the grey puddles of
the tarmac and she took a sigh of relief when Harry was in the car.
Gently Belinda took the board from her tired hands and slid it back
into place her wheelchair, then she helped her friend find a
comfortable position.
“
I can't
believe Chris was there.” She took a deep breath and closed her
eyes to block out the world for a moment.
“
I know honey
I'm sorry.” Julia reached across her delicate frame and fastened
her seat belt, then she carefully closed the door. Harry opened her
eyes and smiled at her friend as she climbed into her own
seat.
“
At least
I've got you. Thank you so much for getting me out of
there.”
“
I bashed
your arm.” Julia said wretchedly.
“
The point is
you left work early and you're taking me home.”
“
I would
always leave early if you asked me to.” Julia told her. She wanted
to add that Belinda had no right to make her work as hard as she
did, but she knew that this was the wrong moment to mention Harry’s
vulnerability.
Finally, finally Harry
was in her house, she rubbed the back of her neck and exhaled in
relief. “Do you want to choose a box set for us?” Julia asked,
pouring her out of glass of water and picking up the
post.
Harry grinned at her and
arched an eyebrow, “I haven't forgotten your date with that
interesting paramedic.” she said firmly, “You've got me home, I can
take it from here.”
“
I’d rather
be with you.” Julia said softly, but Harry persuaded her friend to
go and get ready for her date. Then she slowly pulled off her
clothes and made her tired way into the shower.