Chapter 14

Fiona reached the hospital at half past eleven. She was directed to Hank's room to find a small bright eyed and smiling woman already there.

"Barbara?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes and you must be Fiona. Don't worry. I'm just off. Give me a ring later."

She turned back to Hank and gently kissed his forehead. "Be a good boy," she said. "I'll be back again tomorrow."

She picked up a light coat, squeezed Fiona's hand as she passed and was gone.

Fiona looked at Hank and felt like crying. His face was badly bruised and his mouth and lips swollen and cut. His hands were on top of the blankets and there was a tent over his legs. He was looking at her almost apologetically.

She moved forward and took his hand, her eyes never leaving his. She bent over and kissed his forehead.

"You poor thing," she whispered. "I hate to see you like this."

Hank gave her the vestige of a smile although his eyes were full of pleasure. To have smiled more would have hurt as he had already discovered.

"But you look lovely," he murmured back keeping lip movement to a minimum.

She smiled at him and sat on the edge of the bed without letting go of his hand. "Thank you. Does it hurt?"

"It did when I came to but they've knocked me semi-unconscious so it's not too bad now. Just feel a bit ga-ga."

"Where does it hurt? Your leg chiefly, I imagine."

"Yes but my ribs and the back of my head were quite sore too. So's my bum." He smiled as best he could.

Fiona merely nodded but was secretly relieved that he had feeling in his bottom and legs. That indicated that his nerves had not been damaged.

"Can you remember what happened?"

"Not really. I remember being up the tree but nothing after that."

She nodded. She did not know whether to try and tell him from the third hand information she had and decided against it.

"The important thing is that you're alive and not permanently damaged."

"It's still a bore but thank you for coming to see me. I gather Barbara told you."

"Yes, bless her heart."

"What about the children?"

She started to tell him about the arrangements she had made but half way through, with a happy look on his face, he drifted off to sleep. Fiona smiled fondly and stayed just as she was. She was thrilled that he was so pleased to see her and at the trouble she had taken to make herself available. She looked again at his face and winced at the damage to it but at least it was superficial. She was able to study it more closely than she ever had before and she admired his broad forehead, his thick eyebrows (no grey there yet), his straight nose and his square determined chin.

"Funny," she thought, "I've never thought of him as determined or aggressive but with a face like that he's clearly not someone to trifle with. All I've ever seen is warm, friendly and mostly laughing eyes. I suppose that someone who got to where he did has to be pretty tough and determined and yet with me he's been nothing but gentle and compassionate."

She sat there still holding his hand and letting her mind roam. A nurse stuck her head round the door.

"Fast asleep," Fiona whispered.

The nurse smiled, nodded and disappeared.

An hour or so later Hank woke. He looked blearily round and then focussed on her. His eyes lit up and he squeezed her hand.

"Still here?"

She smiled back. "Until you chuck me out."

"You'll be here for a long time."

"Good," she replied still smiling.

For a long minute they maintained their gaze. At last Hank said, "Go on telling me."

She continued where she had left off. Their eyes never left each other's. Finally, she tailed off and shrugged her shoulders. "So here I am and I'll be in and out until I know what they plan to do with you and how I can help."

"That's very sweet of you but it's not necessary. I'm sure the school will see that I'm all right."

"I'm sure they will but Barbara won't be able to pay you full time attention."

"Of course not but I wouldn't expect her to."

"But I can and will certainly for the next week and we can plan for after that."

"I'd like that," he whispered and fell asleep again.

He was woken for lunch but was so woozy that Fiona had to feed him. She found herself rather enjoying it. After lunch he fell asleep again.

The Winstons came in, saw that he was asleep and said that they would come back tomorrow. Betty gently kissed his forehead before they left. Fiona marvelled at the way Hank was loved by people.

Later in the afternoon Hank's mobile rang. Fiona answered it noting that it was Grace.

"Oh!" said Grace rather uncertainly. "Have I got the wrong number?"