“Ready to go home?”
“Born ready,” I answered.
He laughed. “I’ve a prescription here for you. These tablets are only to be taken as you need them. When you get a headache, take them, Noah. No trying to hold out and hoping it goes away. You take the medication. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted him. “I’m not a fan of taking tablets, but I’ll do it. You have my word.”
“Good. You’ll come back in six weeks’ time to outpatients for a check-up, and we’ll decide then when your next check-up should be. But if everything is well with you, I’m thinking six months from that day.”
I bobbed my head. “Sounds good to me.”
“As I said yesterday” – he looked at me and my mother – “any double vision, dizziness or signs that you might be having one of your bad headaches, you come straight into Casualty. No exceptions.”
“She will,” Mum answered. “The three of us will make sure of it.”
And that was the God’s honest truth.
I thanked the doctor, and it turned out my mum had brought him chocolates, a bottle of wine and a thank-you card, which caught him off guard. He assured her he was just doing his job in taking care of me, and Mum reminded him that by “just doing his job” he had saved her child’s life. He accepted the gifts with thanks, told me to take care of myself, and said his goodbyes and that I was free to leave.
Dad caught the doctor in the hallway, thanked him and shook his hand before venturing inside my room. “Ready to go?” He rubbed his hands together. “All of your things are packed into the boot of the car.”
I grabbed my crutches as Mum straightened down the back of my dress.
“Let’s blow this joint!”
My parents laughed as we left the room and said goodbye to the many nurses we’d come to know by name. Mum had gotten them gifts too. We wished them all the best as we left the hospital with smiles on our faces. Dad didn’t want me walking far, so Mum and I sat and waited at the entrance while he hurried to retrieve the car. When he pulled up, he helped me into the passenger side while Mum hopped in the back.
I drummed my fingers on the dashboard, making Dad laugh as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Let’s go home!”
Mum reached over and squeezed Dad’s shoulder, a moment passing between them that brought a smile to my face. As we drove we talked, and I tried to figure out how to work the new phone my parents had bought me. It was an iPhone, like Elliot’s. I had been an Apple user back in 2015 but things had really changed, and I found myself playing around with it to get accustomed to it.
I jumped when the phone rang and Elliot’s name appeared on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” he yawned. “Are ye still at the hospital?”
“Nope, I’m free! Freeedddoooommmm!”
Elliot’s laughter was masked by my parents’ as they shook their heads, amused.
“I’m on my way to my parents’,” I said. “You go home and sleep. D’you hear me?”
I could almost hear the pout in his voice as he said, “But I wanna see ye.”
“You can see me later, after you sleep. Come by – Mum’s making a pasta bake for dinner tonight.”
“I’d argue with ye, but I’m feckin’ knackered.”
I chuckled. “Sleep. I’ll see you later.”
“I love ye, sasanach.”
“I love you too, paddy.”
When the call ended, I relaxed for the rest of the drive home. When we finally got inside the house, everything was still the same, much to my relief.
“Thank God,” I breathed as I hobbled over to the flower-filled vase on the coffee table and admired it. “I was so worried that everything would have changed.”
“Like your mother would allow that,” Dad joked.
We spent the entire morning sorting through the clothes I had there that definitely did not fit me any more, and would go to a charity shop. I helped my mum rearrange my room until I was happy with the placement of everything. I whiled away the rest of the day watching films, reading some of a book, and constantly checking my phone to see if Elliot had texted me. He was asleep – he had just come off a night watch – so there wasn’t a chance in hell that I was calling him and waking him up.
He needed his rest, and when five o’clock rolled by, so did I.
I went upstairs intending to nap for an hour – two at most – but when I felt soft touches on my cheek, I groaned and flicked my eyes open for a moment to find that my room was coated in darkness. I was tired and couldn’t fully rouse myself from my sleep. I didn’t want to.
“No,” his voice murmured, sounding far away like in a dream. “Rest. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow, okay?”
I hummed in response.
“I love you, green eyes.”
“Love you too.”
I felt lips brush against mine, then the sound of a door clicking shut. I fell back asleep in seconds but awoke when I heard a car horn honking. I reached up, rubbed my eyes and stretched. I relaxed for a second, then quickly darted upright when I thought of Elliot.
I frowned.
I lifted a hand to my lips and wondered if I’d been dreaming of him or if I’d really missed him when he stopped by. I grabbed my phone and clicked on a text I saw he sent me.
I stopped by, but you were snoring and looked so cute and peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you up. I had dinner with your parents then came home so you could rest. See you first thing tomorrow. I can’t wait. Love you.
I covered my face in annoyance, I’d have to wait until tomorrow morning to see him now. I checked the time and saw that it was only half nine. I lay back on my
