"What kind of idiot drinks an entire bottle of children's calpol?" Alice muttered to herself as she shuffled through the long bright corridors of the Royal Infirmary towards ward 8. She tried hard to breathe normally but it wasn't easy, everything about hospitals made Alice slightly nauseous but the smell made her stomach turn entirely. Which she thought was especially unfair, just because Eva had been made to throw up, why should she have to as well? But nevermind. The thing that annoyed Alice most about hospitals was the visiting hours. She knew it made sense in terms of the hospital functioning with the purpose to get these people better, but it really pissed her off that she couldn't see her friend whenever she wanted.
The fluorescent lights were especially bright in this part of the hospital, and the light pouring through the widows that replaced walls in most of this ward certainly didn't help. At least the walls weren't that awful puke green colour though Alice thought, as she looked down at the city. Snow had been falling for a few days now, and it dusted the roofs of every building in the city. From up here it looked quite beautiful. There were even bets on it being a white christmas, they were getting pretty close to the big day now afterall. Even the hospital was showing it's festive side, slightly. Alice could have swore she saw a porter wearing a christmas hat as he wheeled a young man in a wheelchair past her by reception.
Eva had to hate this, she loved christmas. Yet here she was, all cooped up for a night, away from christmas trees, and tinsel, and Bea's infamous hot chocolate that even Alice had to admit was pretty amazing. Christmas was her favourite time of year, and now Alice came to think about it, the porter was probably the most festive person she'd seen today.
Ward 8, here we go.
Alice brought her shirt over her mouth for a second and took some deep breaths, a moment's respite for her somersaulting stomach.
The low tone of the buzzer sounded as Alice pressed it, and a bored geordie voice came out of the panel on the wall, "Can I help you darlin'?"
She could see the nurse who was answering the buzzer through the window in the door, her bottle-tanned face standing out against the bleakness of everything else around her. She began to tap her nails on the counter, and Alice realised she hadn't yet spoken.
"Yeah, sorry. I'm here to visit Eva Moreau? Evelyne?"
"Evelyne Moreau is it?"
"Yeah that's her, blonde, little bit goofy?"
"Aye pet."
Alice saw saw a hot pink nail land on the green button on the desk and she pulled the door open.
This ward was even less christmassy than the rest of the hospital. Alice didn't mind it, she wasn't one for all the decorations. People always fought over them and within a month of everyone spending hours and so much money buying and putting them up, they were back down again, and shoved away into a secret corner of the house for a whole year. She just didn't see the point.
Alice approached the nurse behind the desk, who managed to look less impressed up close than she did through the window.
"Room 5 pet." She answered before Alice could even ask. "I'd warn you though, she's been a morgey so and so since they brought her up. You'd think she was seriously wounded."
Alice smiled, "Yeah, sounds like her. Room 5?"
"Aye, good luck cheering her up." The nurse gave a half hearted smile and turned back to her paperwork.
Room 5 was in the middle of a small side corridor off from the main ward. It was a four person room, but there was only one other girl sharing it with Eva. She saw her first as she came round the corner into the room, her head angles towards the door in her sleep. Her twisted braids fell to her chest and as Alice moved further into the room she could see streaks of purple and blue hair interspersed with the black. Alice needed to speak to when she woke up. Besides her incredible hair, she probably had some hilarious stories of Eva adjusting to being bed bound, and with another night facing the blonde, Alice knew this girl was one she should make friends with.
"Alice!" Eva beamed from across the room before realising her roommate was fast asleep. "Sorry" she whispered, and motioned frantically for Alice to join her at her bedside.
Her blonde hair had been scraped back into a ponytail, and hints of black were still on her lips from the procedure. Alice couldn't help but try wipe some of the residue away with her thumb, but to no avail.
"Don't worry about it, they said it'll come off when it's ready." Eva pulled Alice's hand away, and held it on the bed, stroking her thumb over the back of Alice's hand.
"You're such an idiot." Alice's gaze was stern enough to melt the grin from Eva's face.
"I know, I'm sorry." Eva muttered, lowering her head slightly, her other hand playing with the gown she was wearing since being treated.
"Go on then," Alice smirked a little, "what's it like, having your stomach pumped?"
"Oh my god Ali I'm never doing it again I swear, it's fucking awful."
"Good, you absolute moron! What on earth possessed you?!" Alice pulled her hand from underneath Eva's, her voice raised.
"Would you believe it was a dare?" Eva asked sheepishly. Alice turned her head away. Of course it was a dare. Of course Eva would down a bottle of medication on a dare. The only thing saving Eva from an earful of Alice's opinions on this dare was the sleeping girl by the door.
Alice took a deep breath. "Who's your roommate?"
Eva smiled. "She's called Ashleigh, she really nice actually. I'm quite lucky. She doesn't snore or anything."
"Well there's a bonus." Alice snarked.
"Hey!" Alice felt a hand on hers again, she looked back to see Eva looking stern this time, "Be nice to me, I'm in hospital." Eva cracked a smile. Alice rolled her eyes. "And they don't seem to know the meaning of christmas!" A small thud and the ripple of the bedsheet let Alice know Eva was trying to stamp her foot on the bed. "They don't even have tinsel Ali!"
"Come on man, you'll be out tomorrow!" Alice tried to soften her voice.
"Maybe not." The sheepish tone was back in Eva's voice as she rightly anticipated a rise in Alice's volume.
"What do you mean, 'maybe not'?"
"Well, I had a bit of a weird reaction to the procedure, nothing bad or anything, but depending on how I am tonight, they might need to keep me in one more night. I was going to tell you but you know, I knew you'd be mad."
"I'm not mad." Alice hushed herself again, "we're just worried Eva. It's weird not having you in the flat. Bea's holding off making gingerbread until you're back but Darius is getting antsy about it."
"Oh no please don't make them until I'm back!" Eva tilted her chin upwards and let her face fall into a frown so she could stare at Alice through puppy dog eyes. The readhead held her gaze for a moment before crumbling.
"I'll tell Darius to be a grown up for one more day until you're back." She pulled out her phone and began to type out a text to Bea whilst she remembered.
"Thank you Ali," Eva beamed.
"Miss Evelyne Moreau?" A voice called from behind Alice. A nurse stood in the doorway with a wheelchair, his broad shoulders and tal frame made him look slightly more menacing than his soft voice suggested he was.
"Why does she need that?" Panic rose in Alice's voice. How badly exactly did Eva react to the procedure?
"She doesn't" he chuckled back, "but it's a bit of a slow day and she seems to like it."
Alice raised an eyebrow as Eva skipped past her and hopped into the chair, looking up at the large frame towering about her.
"And where per-chance are we going this fine day good sir?" Eva was putting on her hilariously bad posh- English accent. Though she made a good point.
"Yeah, where are you taking her?" Alice stood, hoping she could come with them, but the nurse shook his head.
"Just for some tests love. Sit yourself down, she'll be back soon."
Alice nodded as Eva was wheeled away, doing her best royal wave. Alice took her seat again and pulled out her phone.
"You aright there?" a hoarse voice croaked from across the room. Alice spun in her chair to see Eva's roommate staring back at her. "She's probably gone to the toilet," she smiled, "always up and down."
The worry Alice felt before began to creep in again, "has she been cleaning?"
Ashleigh rolled her eyes, moving her braids behind her shoulder and leaning forwards towards Alice. "It's all she ever does. I swear she's organised and reorganised her draws that many times since she got here. Does she do that a lot?"
Alice gulped as she nodded. Ashleigh must have been able to see the worry in her eyes because the smile on her face was much more comforting that it had been when she first woke up.
"Are you alright, should you be talking?" Alice asked, noticing the way Ashleigh's voice cracked when she spoke.
"Oh, yeah, don't worry." She waved a dismissive hand, "it's just since the surgery, won't last." She motioned for Alice to come sit by her bed, which she did.
Once by her bedside, it was hard for Alice not to focus on the freckles that danced along her cheekbones and nose. And her deep brown eyes, so warm they seemed to bring their own comforting heat into the room. No wonder Eva didn't mind being in here longer, Alice thought, her roommate was beautiful.
"She really misses christmas doesn't she?" a hoarse voice suddenly brought Alice back into the room. Alice followed Ashleigh's gaze to Eva's bed, where little hand made christmas trees had been stuck with blutac to the side of her bedside draws. Alice couldn't believe she hadn't noticed them before but it made her miss Eva more somehow. She was telling the truth when she said the flat wasn't right without her, the whole truth was it didn't really feel like home without her there. Looking at the handmade ornaments let Alice know Eva missed being home as much as Alice missed having her there, and Bea and Darius, of course.
The words left Alice's mouth before she'd even finished forming the idea.
"If I come back tonight, will you let me in?"
"What?" Ashleigh's mouth curled up in surprise, "you're not allowed back at night!" Her warm eyes seemed tinted for a moment with curiosity, "What are you planning?"
Alice beamed, she hadn't said no yet. "Well, we know Eva misses christmas."
"Yeah, it's all she ever talks about. Should have seen her when the snow started to fall." Ashleigh tutted but Alice only laughed. Eva was like a small child every time she saw snow, she would jump continuously on the spot until someone agreed to go out and play with her.
It must really be killing her not to be outside in it.
"Exactly," Alice grinned, eager to finish explaining before Eva came back. "So what if we decorate the room for her, nothing major. Just some fake snow, tinsel, maybe a tree with some lights."
"Oh, so nothing major." Ashleigh deadpanned. Alice really was starting to like this girl.
"Is that a yes?"
She seemed to mull it over for a moment before a smile cracked across her face, "it's a yes."
Excitement spread through Alice, her heart started racing a little bit as the girl opposite her held her gaze.
"Nice one," she nodded, "it's a deal."