Storming The Keep
Out of the window the world seemed vast, from great height everything could be rendered insignificant like cars toylike people busy like ants travelling through a neat row of houses and beyond, miles upon miles of green. It somehow didn't register as reality as a peculiar sensation of detachment rose up, as far as she could tell she was real, she could feel pain, but nothing else she could comprehend. It was her ordeal, her trial as such. She knew she'd been buried alive, that much she remembered. But she hadn't been told anything else even after all the wounds had healed leaving tiny white scars.
She wasn't able to leave.
She was at her hospital where she worked, where she knew beds were scarce, yet somehow she had a private room.
Despite a permanent feeling of fuzziness there was a wrongness to the situation . She didnt know how she'd got there, but she was glad she had.
A light knock came at the door, in stepped her doctor a nice if permanently jumpy man, stress of so many wounded must be getting to him.
Behind him another face she recognised.
"HARRY!"
A happiness bubbled at her breast replacing the non feeling.
He sat by her on the little window ledge.
"Thank you, you may go" he said to the doctor. What a jumpy little man.
Looking out on the scene,
"looks like a little kingdom out there Em."
She looked into his blue eyes there was an uneasiness in them, they seemed less prone to joy he avoided her eyes. that was the last thing she wanted. She kept quiet until the doctor left. a familiar click signalling his exit.
"Harry, the silence here is killing me, they wont tell me anything , people come with tea and sympathy. That door's locked and my charts aren't here. What aren't they telling me? am I dying? have I gone mad? I feel so fuzzy I want to know."
He took her hand glancing at the door, you've been here over two months, I know they wouldn't want to overwhelm you but I cant believe they've not told you a blessed thing."
Calmly.
"Overwhelm me Harry, anything is better than limbo." Her green eyes widened as he began.
"You have nowhere to go back to. I dug you out of your house myself, you have some things at my Mam's house. Another raid took your family a day later." He spoke slowly and deliberately making sure she understood.
"Em, You're not alone in the world, you have me, but I cant stay in the country long."
He stroked her cheek as she sat there expressionless, she seemed so small. He tried to pull her in to lend comfort.
She resisted:
"Don't! or I think I'll cry, I just know I don't want to stay here." Harry wrapped his arm around her.
"There's nothing wrong with crying Emily if you need to." Kissing her head as she wept into his chest. "There, I'm sorry I don't have a hanky. I can get you out today though Em, I brought a friend, he's found somewhere for you to live, it's about 15 miles away. I promise you, you'll be ok. Can he come in?
She straightened up, wiped her face and nodded.
Harry signalled Tom through the window who stepped in after seeming to have had an argument with the door. With gentle compassion he introduced himself to the wide eyes patient:
"Hello Emily, my name is Tom, I am here to take you to a new home. You gave Harry quite a fright, We can't be having that he's my mate, he bowed with an irritatingly charming gesture proffering his hand to Emily.
"Your carriage awaits milady . they escorted her to wheelchair with Harry's coat across her knees.
as they passed through the doorway the doctor tried to stop them, barring the door, protesting:
"My patient needs treatment. she cant just leave, she's damaged."
Ooof wrong choice of words. last thing they needed was a punch up in a hospital.
Tom Patted Harry's Shoulder for once being a steadying influence. "Meet you in the van I'll sort this. He firmly blocked the doctor's path. Once the two were out of earshot.
"We're all damaged , we all wake up with nightmares, funny how war does that. I'll tell you something she was never going to get better alone in that room."
"Are you a-
He cut the doctor off.
"Oh don't play that card. I saw the drugs on that chart, I also saw the photographs in the paper, let's be honest with each other Doc, she's a charming, pretty, wide eyed thing with no relatives to fight her corner. She's got public sympathy. She's your ticket to running a private clinic and colossal amounts of funding. I know I wouldn't want to let go of my meal ticket."
The Doctor Paled:
"how dare you! you don't know what you're talking about."
with no small hint of malice Tom Smiled.
"Don't I? I've not told Harry because I know he'd murder you then regret it for the rest of his life. Let me make this clear, I have the files, I have digital back up's at a separate location. How do you think we found her? A lot of smoke and mirrors but we managed it. So here's the deal. You sign that chit releasing her, I don't kill you, you get to keep your job and we take her home and start repairing the damage you've created."
He pushed the frightened doctor against the wall putting his face close to the other so that there was certainty that Tom meant every threat.
"I think you're getting the easier end of this bargain. Are you going to sign?"
The terrified doctor nodded.
"It wasn't going to be forever." He signed the papers.
Tom snatched it away.
Pleasure doing business with you.
He joined the other two in the van. Emily had changed into the clothes theyd brought her. he flung the paperwork at Harry.
All legal and above board.
Emily, I'm glad you've changed. Before we go home, I reckon tea at Chez Joe's. They have a vague dress code that doesn't involve hospital gowns.
She laughed a little before melancholy filled her. Funny even that made her smile, the wrongness was evaporating.
"Tea sounds wonderful."