Chapter 9

About half an hour after he had gone Sharri came back in.

“Sorry I was gone for a bit, I went home to change while the doctor was with you. How did it go.”

“It looks like I’m going to be blind for a time, it may heal itself, it may not.”

“Oh Karen I’m so sorry, but you don’t look like you’re blind, you looked like you were looking at me as I came in.”

I explained to Sharri what the problem was and how it may resolve itself in time. Then I had to go through everything else the doctor had told me. She stayed with me all evening, helped me with my first meal since waking and just made me happy to be with a friendly fa ... human being.

After she left I slept fitfully waking screaming or crying several times reliving the attack.

The next morning I was moved to a private room, the hospital couldn’t discharge me yet but I kept waking the other patients on the ward during the night.

I was in the hospital for another month. It was sheer hell to start with, almost like trying to learn to walk again. My muscles had wasted away while I was out of it and I had to work hard to build them up and I had to learn to walk with my new white stick.

Sharri came to visit me every day after work and stayed most of the evening. I loved having her company and looked forward to her visits every day, but I was a little bit worried, she was spending so much of her time with me it couldn’t be good for her relationship with Jack.

I tried to tell her several times that she should be spending her evenings with him instead, all I ever got was a non-committal response from Sharri.

Then came the day that I could go home. Of course I didn’t have a home to go to, Sharri had said I could stay with her until I found a flat of my own.

Apparently I was relatively well off, when we first bought the house we had taken out life insurance for Richard as he was the wage earner back then. I hadn’t thought that would the insurance would pay out anything, after all he took his own life. He was even in jail at the time for gods sake. While I was recovering somebody from the insurance company had visited me in hospital and told me about the transfer into my bank account. I also got some compensation for my injuries. The two together was a tidy sum and would mean if I was careful I would be comfortably well off for the time being.

Obviously I was a bit worried that I would be intruding even more on her time with Jack. That was when Sharri eventually told me that they had split up.

“Oh god I’m sorry Sharri. When did this happen.”

“Well it was months ago. I had fallen in love with someone else, I couldn’t help it and have never acted on it as they were in a relationship at the time, but it didn’t help a relationship that had already run it’s course. Jack moved in with an older woman and seems to be very happy. I can’t say I’m glad it’s over, but I’m not sad about it either.”

“Well babe, when I’m up on my feet properly we will have to go out on the town and see who we can find for you. Unless of course you’ve hooked up with this someone else.” I teased her.

“Why just me, maybe we will find someone for you.”

My face fell and the tears started flowing again. Yet again Sharri held me while I cried my heart out.

“I’m sorry love, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s not your fault Sharri, I’ve only just lost the only man I have ever loved. I know he wasn’t good to me so don’t say it. He was still my man and I loved him even at the end.”

“Also I don’t think I could go through it again. Richard was kind and loving at first before the drinking. If I get involved with someone again how would I know he wouldn’t be the same. I mean how could you really know when you got together with Jack that he wouldn’t be like that.”

“I guess you just have to trust.”

“I don’t think I could trust like that again.” My tears were back again.

“Oh Sharri,” I sobbed, “You can’t be willing to put up with me like this all day. I’d better find somewhere else to stay.”

She hugged me tightly to her.

“You are not going all noble on me girl. I’m your friend and I’m going to help you. Anyway you can’t look after yourself yet. You need to take your time and get well first.”