In Sickness

“George? Why are you still here?”

“Oh, hey Simon.” With a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, George waved at his wife’s hospital bed. “You know what Katie’s like. She doesn’t like to be alone.”

Simon tried to smile back, but it was impossible not to notice the dark circles round George’s eyes. “Yeah, I know mate. How long have you been here?”

“Oh, it’s okay. The nurses don’t mind me staying past visiting hours-” As George looked round the room, at the door out to where the nurses were busy doing their rounds, Simon realised his eyes weren’t focusing properly.

“That wasn’t what I was asking mate. When did you last go home?” Those were definitely the same clothes George had been wearing the day before, when Simon had popped in after work to check on them. The stuffy room was starting to smell, human musk finally beating out over the disinfectant reek.

“I… I can’t remember. I don’t like being in the house, not at the moment.”

It broke Simon’s heart to see his old friend like this, and not for the first time since the accident he felt his blood run cold. Only a month ago we were round their house playing bridge, he thought. How quickly the world can change.

“Do you want to come back to ours? The spare room’s free at the moment. Get your head down for a few hours, if you want.” The spare room wasn’t free, but a quick text and his useless brother-in-law could be tossed out for a day or two. George was far more desperate, and important, than that waste of space.

“I don’t want to leave her. The doctors said she might wake up soon. I need to be here, just in case.”

“Alright mate. Do you want me to get you a fresh set of clothes?”

“Hmm.”

Simon had heard what the doctors had said; he couldn’t blame George for being distracted. “Tell you what, if you give me your keys I’ll go round before I go to work. I’ll grab you a change of clothes, get your toothbrush and stuff as well, then I can bring them round at lunchtime. How’s that sound?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s… that would be good. Thanks. How’s it going at work? Did we get the bid in for that job?”

“You shouldn’t be worrying about that right now. But yes, we did. It’s looking pretty good, don’t worry yourself about it.” Actually it had been a complete disaster, what with George being the team lead and knowing everything. Even with a contract that size on the line though, no-one had had the heart to try and pry all the details out of George in the days after the accident.

“I should be back by the end of next week-”

“Take as long as you need pal. We’re not going anywhere. Besides, it means Sam has to get off her arse and do something for once.” Even if most of what she does is ask if Katie has died yet, before stringing off the death stats for head-wound coma victims. For God’s sake. Of all the people due a car accident, she tops my list. Behind George’s back Simon ran his hands down his face. That wasn’t him thinking. It was the past four days catching up with him.

And that’s just how I feel. No wonder George looks like a zombie. More than once Simon had woken in a cold sweat, dreaming that it was his wife that lay in intensive care instead. ‘In sickness and in health’ was a nice phrase, but they seriously underplayed how hard ‘in sickness’ really was.

There was a soft knock at the door and George was on his feet, trying to flatten his hair down. A host to the end, even though there was no etiquette for how to welcome people into your wife’s coma ward.

“Morning.” The delicate tones of a female voice were a welcome relief to Simon, who’d never been any good at handling emotional stuff.

“Morning Lucy,” George said, going forward to give her a peck on the cheek. Simon caught the face she pulled as George got close, but she was sympathetic enough to give him a quick hug as well, despite the smell.

“I brought new flowers, and breakfast for you as well. Sorry Simon, I didn’t realise you’d be here, otherwise I’d have brought you something as well.”

“Don’t worry about it. I ate before I came out.” He made a mental note to grab something from the cafe on the way out. Waking up an hour early to come and visit the hospital before work didn’t leave much time for breakfast.

“I’ll grab more pastries next time anyway, just in case,” Lucy said with her usual grin. Even against the drab grey walls she was a ray of light. “Come on George, get that down you.”

With George settled in the more comfortable chair by the window Lucy went to sorting through her bag, which left her close enough to Simon for them to whisper to each other.

“How long has he been here?”

“Not sure even he knows at this stage.”

“Poor soul. He needs to go home.”

“I’ve offered him a bed at our place, and I’m going to go round to his and get him some clean clothes.”

“Good. He’ll feel better after freshening up. Have the doctors said anything?”

Simon hissed a breath in through his teeth and peered over at George, but the man was absorbed in his breakfast. He didn’t have the capacity to think about more than one thing at once. I’m surprised he can eat without falling off the chair. “They’ve said the next few days are the crucial ones. If she’s not conscious by the end of the week, then… her chances aren’t looking good.”

“Okay.” For such a flighty woman, Simon was impressed with how grounded Lucy was being now. Her and Katie had been at university together, Simon dimly recalled; she was certainly in most of the wedding photos that still littered George and Katie’s mantelpiece. Until a few days ago Simon had only met her a couple of times, and then only at parties. Now he couldn’t imagine going through this without her help.

“How long are you staying this morning? Only I’ve got to go to work, and if I’m going via their house…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be here as long as I can, although I think Katie’s sister was going to come by today as well. We can take care of them. Just make sure you’re looking after yourself as well, okay?” She started rubbing his arm, an over-bearing mother focusing on the last person in the room who needed mothering. Or maybe it’s just because I’m the easiest to care for. It’s not my wife on life-support, after all.

“I will do.”

George was finishing up his food, and finally looked a little more focused. Figuring they should take advantage of that, Simon gave Lucy a quick smile before taking a seat near his old friend. As soon as he sat down his back was complaining, a hangover from spending so long yesterday sat on these damned solid plastic torture devices. We do what we have to for friends though.

“Sam got in trouble with Jason again yesterday,” Simon said.

“Yeah? What for now?” Though he settled back and looked interested, every now and then George’s eyes would dart back to the bed.

“Stealing the coffee.”

“Ooh, she got caught?”

“Yeah. At last.” It was mindless drivel, but what else do you talk about to someone’s whose world is collapsing? Mindless petty office dramas, something frivolous for a good gossip, occasionally over-exaggerated or embellished. Forget George, Simon thought, I don’t think I can handle anything more serious than that. There weren’t many stories before he’d be down to reminiscing though, and he wasn’t sure if that would help or hurt. He was banking on Lucy being able to save the conversation.

As it happened, Katie did.

Just as Simon was wrapping up the story of the mystery car in the office car park- a tale doing the rounds for a second time- Katie stirred in her bed.

All three of them were on their feet in an instant. George was at her side, gripping her hand and talking softly to her, while Lucy had the sense to go out into the corridor and call a nurse. In a numb shock, Simon found he couldn’t do anything but stand and gape.

The next five minutes were a blur of emotion. Machines were checked, some were deactivated, and a countless stream of measurements and tests were done on Katie, leant up on her pillow. The poor woman, looking more bewildered than worried, was skeletal, but her eyes were bright once more. The bandage was left on her head for now, with the nurses deciding to leave it until all her visitors had gone.

At last, in a break in the medicinal work, Katie could finally greet her guests.

“Hello Lucy,” she croaked, before being helped to another sip of water. Lucy leant down and gave Katie a big wet kiss on the cheek. Some words passed between them, too quietly for Simon to make out, and both the women grinned as they parted.

“Hello Simon,” Katie said to him in turn.

“Hey. How are you feeling?” She was awake, and alive, but there was an edge to the nurses that still worried him. What if something comes back from all those tests? I don’t think George can cope with going through this again.

“Sleepy,” Katie replied with a dozy smile. “Thanks for coming.”

“That’s no problem.” Of course he liked her, she was a nice enough girl, but Simon had really been there for George. He shuffled a little awkwardly, feeling called out, and turned to George.

Everyone in the room waited with baited breaths as Katie turned to her husband, still kneeling at her side and clutching her hand. He gave her the biggest grin ever, his eyes still streaming. “Hey,” he all but blubbed.

Katie frowned at him, pulling her eyebrows down from under the bandages.

“Who are you?” she asked.