Chapter Ten

Beep beep, beep beep.

Sacha pulls off his beeper clipped to his trousers.

"What is it?" Eddi is immediately on alert.

His face literally lights up as he looks at her. He's barely containing his happiness.

"What is it? What's happened?"

"Luc's awake."

"A-awake? He's awake?" and for a moment she is speechless. "How is he?"

"How should I know? I think it's about time we go and see him don't you?"

With that they both rise from their seats, albeit Eddi more timidly so, and taking hold of her hand they make their way back to AAU, each mind containing different thoughts. Sacha's struck by how this will all be a great shock for Luc, Eddi on the other hand is struggling with the concept of what this will mean for Luc and her future and how the hell is she going to be able to leave him…again.

….

"Okay Luc, nice and easy now," encourages Michael. "Don't want to risk further damage. It was a bugger trying to keep you alive the first time. You don't make life easy for yourself do you?"

"I could say the same about you Michael," Luc croaks. "When have you ever taken the easy route when the complex one is much more rewarding?"

"Touché. I see you haven't lost your sharp wit."

"No, but from my bouts of dizziness and the numbness in my leg, I gather I have lost a rather large quantity of blood."

"That you sure have my friend. At one stage we thought we lost you. If it weren't for a very talented surgeon you wouldn't be speaking to me now."

"Ah, John Hunter's still alive then?"

"On second thoughts maybe I shouldn't have tried so hard," says Michael with that cheeky boy smile of his. Next minute his demeanour turns serious, joking aside as his professionalism kicks in. "You say you have numbness in your leg?"

"Only a slight tingle, but that's to be expected."

"Nonetheless I'd like to keep an eye on it. Apart from the dizziness and numbness do you feel anything else?"

"Thirsty."

"Seriously Luc."

"I'm feeling seriously thirsty."

Michael sighs in expiration, but knowing Luc the way he does he knows that if there is something seriously wrong with him Luc would be the one to spot it, he's not stupid after all.

"Alright, alright, but if you need anything or have any questions just let me know."

Michael is about to walk off when he is stopped by the patient.

"There is, erm, well one question." He gazes down at his hand before returning his eyes to lock onto Michael's, hope shining in his pupils, the first spark to be seen within months of agony. "Di-did someone come and visit me? Speak to me while I was unconscious?"

Michael raises his eyebrows.

"It's just that at times, when I was semi-conscious, I heard distorted noises, someone's voice. A woman's voice. Di-did she, did she…"

Something catches the corner of Michael's eye as he briefly looks over to his right before focusing back onto the man speaking.

"Why don't you take a look for yourself," Michael hints.

At this Luc frowns and his mouth tightens slightly as he tries to figure out what Michael is trying to tell him. A little eye movement from the man himself and Luc finally looks in the direction.

He can't breathe. The air has literally been taken from him and he starts to question if what he's seeing is true or just an illusion from the pain medication. Walking towards him is the woman that's turned his life upside down from day one. The very same woman he thought he'd never see again. It's also the woman he tried to run from but only ended up running back to.

It can't be an illusion can it? Luc asks himself. Life wouldn't be so cruel and just when he's about to pass it off as trickery of the mind or simply a dream she speaks standing not a foot away from the bed, Michael nowhere in sight.

"Hello Luc," she smiles.

"Eddi," he whispers, finally letting go of the breath he had been holding.