"I asked you or you where a relative of hers?" the nurse repeated. "Her son or perhaps even her grandson?"
"Son? Grandson? No I'm her boyfriend!" Dempsey answered with some hesitation. Was he technical still her boyfriend? He asked himself. They even hadn't had a chance to discuss that either.
"Her boyfriend? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, at least I thought I was"
"Sorry Sir, that I'm a little surprised but are you not a little too old to be her boyfriend? Not that's my business but ...."
"Too old? She's 10 years younger. I don't have a problem with that"
"10 years younger?" the nurse walked back to the desk and opened the file again. "But here stands that the lady, who just died, was 87 years old!" and then realising something she turned around to where Dempsey was still standing.
"I'm afraid I made a mistake. I'm so sorry. The name of the woman who died at room number 13 was also Mrs. Makepeace. I have been on holiday for 4 weeks and my sift started only 30 minutes ago. I guess it's a fall of mistaken identity here. Haven't met the new patients today. I'm so sorry." She picked up another file from the desk.
"We moved the other Mrs. Makepeace to another room. One with 3 other patients. She asked for that. Let me see, room 17"
Dempsey thought that he had turned from hell into heaven. He felt suddenly so happy and so relieved. Harry was still alive. She wasn't dead! He enveloped the nurse around her waist, whispered "thank you' to her, put a kiss on her cheek and run away leaving the nurse behind in total shock.
He ran into room number 13, took the box from the bedside cabinet, hardly knocked another nurse down who was entering the room when he left the room again and run up to room number 17. He took a deep breath to control his breathing and pushed the door open. Four heads turned around at him but he had only eyes for one woman. Lying in her bed in the far end of the room near the window. He gave her a big smile and got the brightest smile he had ever seen of her in return.
"You are here!" Harry called out.
Dempsey leaned over to her to put a kiss on her cheek.
"Oh boy. It's so good to see you!" he whispered to her.
Harry frowned her eyebrows. She didn't understand his mood at that moment only that he acted very strange. If he had expected that he would never see her again.
"Here this is for you" he said when he handed her the chocolate box.
"For me?"
"Yes for you. Don't you have any plans to open it?" he asked when he saw that she looked at the box if she couldn't believe her eyes.
When she had wrapped the paper of the box and opened it she was even more surprised.
"Your favourites" he added.
"You still remember?"
"Of course I do. Eh Harry....about eh....." Dempsey felt a little uncomfortable but Harry reached her left hand out to him and put a finger to his lips.
"Let's forget it. Okay? You are here and that's all that counts for me. I hoped so that you should turn up today. I have some wonderful news to tell you!"
"You have? About what?"
"Well first there is this room. No private room anymore, finally some other people to talk to. I really thought I became nuts in that room. Felt so lonely there. Still have no idea why my father existed on it"
Dempsey took Harry's left hand in his and started with his thumb to stroke the top of it.
"I guess, he thought that would be the best for you"
"Why didn't he asked me first?"
"I have no idea" and to distracted her he added: "What was the other news you wanted to tell me?"
"Oh yeah. They told me this morning that when there's a place available tomorrow in the rehabilitation centre, they will transport me to it!" her eyes glowed when she had said that.
"That's great" he joined her: "How will they do that?"
"With an ambulance I guess"
Harry nodded her head. Not knowing exactly how to say it but with a little hesitation in her voice she followed: "Will you come to accompany me to it? I'll leave here around 10"
"Of course I will"
"Thanks"
"He, what's the matter?" He saw her eyes suddenly changing from glowing till brimming when he put a finger under her skin to push her head up.
"I'm a little scared. Scared for what will follow there"
"Sweetheart, I understand that. But you don't need to be scared. When you're there, they'll start to work on your health. Much more then they could do here. It wouldn't be easy for you, but you need to have faith in it"
"Do you have faith in it? That I'll ever be able to walk again?" she said with a small voice.
"Of course I have. Let's take it one step after an other okay?" he smiled at her.
The next hour Dempsey set next to Harry's bed. They talked about a lot of things but both of them avoided to speak about the things that bordered them the most. Both too afraid to hurt the other again and to ruin the good relationship they had with each other at the moment and that could turn into another argument within seconds.
When the clock turned to half past 5 Dempsey found it really hard to let Harry alone again, but he had promised Chas to be back on time to start the surveillance with Dave later that night.
"I'm really sorry. But I have to go"
"Where are you going? You can eat here in the hospital and come back later. Will you do that?"
"I can't Harry"
"Why not?" disappointed she looked at him when he put his chair back in the corner of the room.
Dempsey had already thought about what to say to Harry when she would asked him about it.
"It's no big deal, I still have a jetlag and want to sleep a little more so I can be with you tomorrow morning"
"Dempsey! You never had problems with a lack on sleep before! The less sleep you had, the better you functioned!"
"That was then Harry. I'm 2 years older now"
"Come on Dempsey. I don't believe you!"
"Oh great. What do you think then that I'll do tonight?" he asked curious to know what she was thinking he was up to.
"I don't know" she defended herself: "Could be anything but not sleeping. Maybe partying?"
Only the thought of that he could go out, having a good time with god knows whom and that she was doomed to stay in that damned hospital bed made her almost cry again.
Seeing what the answer he had given, did to her, he wanted that he could tell her the real truth.
That he had to work, but he couldn't. He had given Chas and Spikings his word not to tell Harry anything about it yet. And he wanted to keep that promise and don't want to lose his job because of it.
"Harry, I'm promise you, I'm not going out to party! But now I really have to run"
He kissed Harry on the cheek, greeted the other three ladies in the room an was gone.
Immediately after his disappearance, the three other women in the room wanted to hear everything from Harry about that good looking guy that had appeared at her bed. Harry didn't say much. And although she knew that he hadn't tell her the truth about the upcoming night, she was so proud that Dempsey was hers. She looked forward to tomorrow when she should take a following step on her way to recovery.