Skip to main content

Chapter 16 -Gary and Libby

I twist my fingers together as I sit silently in the hospital bed. Gary's gone to fetch Ethan, so I've been left here on my own. I groan inwardly and my ribs sing in pain in response. Ouch. Gary's been gone nearly an hour and I'm bored stiff. I want to go home. I hate it here. No-one will let me do anything, they won't even let me shower. I've been sat here, thrust up on a machine for this and a machine for that and fed the most awful food in this disgustingly uncomfortable bed and all I want to do is go home. Or at least speak to someone. Ethan. I want to see Ethan. I haven't felt his tiny arms around my neck in too long.
A sudden sickening feeling clenches my stomach suddenly. If that car had come ten seconds later I would have had Ethan in my arms too...Quickly, I shake my head, dismissing the thought from my mind and turning my attention back to pushing away my cuticles. Oh where are you Gary?

"Mumma!!"
I look up quickly as I hear the movement of the heave hospital door and the all too familiar voice of a toddler.
"Mumma!!" Ethan exclaims once more, clapping the palms of his little hands together so wildly he almost topples out of Gary's firm hold.
"Hello Baby boy!" I grin, ruffling his once hair as Gary leans over to kiss me briskly on the lips, before sitting down on the bedside chair and setting Ethan on his knee.
"I missed you!" I carry on, "Have you been good for Grandma?" And I can't help but grin as I look at the two year old in front of me. God I love him so much.
"I have!" Ethan grins proudly, turning to face Gary as he uses a small finger to point at his own chest. "I've been good!"
"Good boy!" I chuckle, catching Gary's eye as he too grins at the toddler on his knee.
"My mum sends her love." Gary smiles eventually.
I simply nod in response. "Tell her thank you. I'd do it myself if I was allowed." I roll my eyes as I fished the sentence.
"Oi."
I don't need to look at Gary to know he's raised his eyebrow at me.
"You've been in a car accident Libby. You've had surgery. If it was up to me I'd have you in here for two weeks, not too days."
"That's because you're a cruel man." I deadpan. To which Gary throws his head back, laughing hysterically and startling Ethan in the process.
"Oh sorry mate.." Gary chuckles, placing a hand behind Ethan's back and stroking rhytmically as his face begins to redden. "Eh. It's okay look!"
"Mumma!" Ethan screws his hands into fists and then opens them again, leaking in my direction. "I wa' mummaaaa!"
"Eh." Gary's tone becomes more serious as he lowers his face to Ethan's. "If you sit in bed next to mummy, do you promise to he very good and very still? Because mummy is poorly at the moment Ethe."
I want to roll my eyes at Gary's statement, but I refrain.
"P-womise." The toddler nods quickly, gazing expectantly at Gary. 'Daddy I p-womise!"
"Good lad." Gary smiles proudly as hec reaches over and pulls the white linen duvet back a little, exposing the matching sterile white sheet, before slowly, he lowers Ethan down so he's sat next to me.

"Hello beautiful." I grin, wrapping my arm around the toddler to keep him secure on the bed, and it's as I feel the physical contact between us, I feel the overwhelming urge to cry. Shit. Not here. Not now. I'm fine. I shake my head slightly to dismiss the tears. Look, I'm fine. I've got Ethan, and Gary. Ill be fine. We'll be fine.
"Munma?" Ethan furrows his tiny brow as he attempts to clamber to his feet on the bed, resting his lips against my ear. "...Addy...an...ou"
"What?" I turn towards Ethan, giggling at the feeling of his breath and the unformed words against my ear. "I can't hear you babe."
"Noooo!" Ethan groans, pressing the palms of his tiny hands against his eyes. "Noo!"
"Hey!" I giggle again, pulling his hands away. "Tell me again."
Ethan shakes his head viciously in response, crashing back down onto the bed.
"Ethan careful." Gary says warily. "Gently around mummy ye?" He pulls Ethan back into an upright position so he's once again sad beside me on the bed.
"When is Mumma come ho-me?" The toddler looks expectantly towards Gary.
"Soon." Gary smiles calmly, running his fingers though Ethan's hair. "Soon ok."

"Ye." I scoff, narrowing my gaze at Gary. "Not soon enough."
"Seriously Libby?" Gary's eyes widen in exasperation. "What do you want me to do about it?"
I shrug in response. I don't really have an argument here. "I'm going stir crazy..." I mutter as Ethan crawls to the end of the be and occupies himself with railing.
"I know Libby." Gary groans, "I know baby I do, I want you home too."
"No you didn't." Shit where did that come from?
"Jesus are you for real?" Gary sits back in the bedside chair.
"No." I shake my head quickly. "I'm sorry."
"Good." Gary grunts.

We sit in silence for what feels like hours, before I decide to lie down under the covers. However the sharp pain in my abdomen forces a small cry from my lips.
"You okay?" Gary's arms are around me immediately, pulling me against him as he adjusts the pillows behind me.
"Ye." I grunt in response. "Ye thanks."
"Here you go.." He pulls the covers back over my body, leaving his hand against my temple, his long fingers stroking back and forth.
"Mm-h." I murmur. "Sorry for being an arse."
"Hey..." Gary breathes, lowering his lips to mine. "It's okay, it's fine. I love you."
"I love you too." I mutter.
"I'm going to take Ethan back to my mums. Ill be back soon okay?"
"Mm-h"
"Come on monster." Gary groans, lifting Ethan high into the air. "Wave bye bye to mummy. She needs to sleep."
Ethan squeals in delight as Gary lowers him down so he can plant a wet kiss against my cheek.
"Bye bye Mumma, l-ove oo."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter 65 -Gary and Libby ~ The End.

I shower lazily, stretching muscles i didnt even know i had under the wide head of the chrome rainfall faucet. I lather the peach and mango shower gel into my skin, the aroma making both myself, and our bathroom for the week, smell like the rest of the island. -Luscious and summery. When i turn, allowing the water to splatter against my shoulders and ease the stiffness of the muscles there, a familiar silhouette is shadowing the frosted glass to the shower door. I smile; "Youre not a big fan of privacy, are you?" "With you? Naked? Never." The sleazy reply comes over the sound of the cascade of water and my smile slips into grin. I turn, only to cease the flow of water and the silence that descends is the same quietly charged silence that has become so common between us. "Throw me a towel." "Not a chance," I watch as Gary moves out of sight, away towards the mirrors above the sinks."Come out and get it." "Gary dont be an arse...

Chapter 43 -Gary and Libby

I sit with Luke, and a strong mug of black coffee, around my dining room table, sifting through an uncountable amount of papers. Its getting on for ten and we chat as we work, the reassuring gurgle from Ethans baby monitor lessening the potentially harsh silence each time we fall quiet. "This is obscene." Luke lets out a disgruntled sigh, throwing his Biro down and watching it drown in the sea of documentation. Nodding in agreement, my eyes slipping in and out of focus, my exhaustion gripping me, as i glance up at the clock. 10.07pm  Gary should be back any minute. From whatever gig hes doing tonight. Hes been out so much lately and im sick of being on my own, and so now im sat here, half asleep and working with Luke at ten past ten on a Tuesday. "Maybe we should call it a night?" I offer, quietly eager to get Luke gone so i can go to bed, but right on cue, the baby monitor broadcasts a shrill scream from my sleeping son, preventing me from hearing my desired a...

Chapter 37- Gary and Libby

"Lib.. Libby?.." Im lulled gently from my cocoon of comforting sleep. "Libby.." Reluctantly, my lids draw back to the unwelcome blade of sun slicing through the car window. I squint, confused. Oh. Yeah. "Lib.." Gary carries on, and im half aware hes helping me out of my seat belt. "Come on baby, we're here." I nod in answer, but dont move. I dont want to move. I dont want to ever have to move, because if i do, i know that i have to face up to the darkening reality which lies behind the cold, harsh and unwelcoming doors of Manchester Royal Infirmary. "Im scared." "I know baby, come on." Gary brings the back of my hand to his lips briefly in a comforting gesture before slipping out of the car. I watch in the rear-view mirror as he makes his way hurriedly round to my door and swings it open. I dont move. "Libby." Lowering my gaze, i begin to chip off flakes of the newly applied red nail varnish, flicking it d...