"Stitches out today," Lee informed Lucy as he watched her eat her cereal, it was about the only thing he could get her to eat.
"Yeah," Lucy sighed as she ate another spoonful. It meant going out and she wasn't sure if she was ready to go out yet, down the same street.
"I'll stick by you. Don't worry and fresh air would do you some good," he smiled as Lucy nodded her head. They had been more relaxed since Lucy had had her breakdown the other day although she still had nightmares and he stayed with her until she fell asleep, "and Tim's back tomorrow."
"Yeah," she uttered with a nervous smile as Lee smiled back. He knew she was nervous but they needed to get out at some point and a hospital appointment was good as any excuse. Plus, he was going to be there by her side, "I'm going to get ready."
"Ok," Lee replied as he watched her walk out of the kitchen.
Walking into her bedroom Lucy sat on the edge of her bed. She was nervous and frightened but as Lee said it would possibly do her some good to get out of the flat for the day. Lucy was beginning to get bored at looking at the same four walls all the time. Plus, she was running out of things to do and at some point she needed to get back to work and she was fed up of having to answer her parents' phone calls every two seconds.
Lucy's confidence had grown in the past couple of days, Lee had reminded her every day that she was worth it, that he cared, that she was loved and that in no way possible was she a disappointment. So, her thoughts about that were slowly beginning to ebb away from her mind but a few still remained.
Her ankle was better and the pain in her arm had nearly stopped, although her ribs still ached painfully whenever she stretched too much or breathed too heavily. The only feeling that remained completely was that she could still feel and smell him, it still made her feel sick and yet she refused to give her statement to the police. Lee hoped Tim would get through to her tomorrow.
Sighing she decided that she would have to get on with it and began getting dressed. Deciding to wear jeans and a t-shirt with a cardigan to go on top. She didn't want to reveal too much of herself. Once dressed she made her way out to the living room where Lee was waiting for her, their jackets in his hands.
"You ready?" He asked as Lucy took a deep breath before nodding her head, "c'mon then."
As soon as they had left the building Lucy had wrapped her arm around Lee's and kept her body as close as she possibly could to him. Lee didn't mind as he slipped his arm from hers to rest around her waist, it made her feel more secure as they walked down the street. When they passed the alley Lucy buried her head into his shoulder, not wanting to set sight on the dark passage between two buildings.
They got to the hospital quickly enough, both of them sitting down on the blue plastic chairs. Lee was surprised when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. That was slightly odd, Tim was on a plane, Wendy and Geoffrey didn't have his mobile number and Lucy was sat next to him.
"I'm going to take this over there," he informed her as he pointed to a small corner, which allowed Lee to keep an eye on Lucy and for her to make sure he was there. He could see that Lucy was slightly scared by the prospect of being left alone but nodded her head anyway.
"Hello?" Lee asked down the phone as he watched Lucy from where he was standing, she was fiddling with her fingers and kept an eye on whoever walked past.
"Lee?" He hadn't heard the voice that was speaking to him for a while.
"Yes? What do you want?" He muttered as Lucy's eyes met his and he gave her weak smile.
"Is Lucy ok?" Well, that was slightly unexpected.
"She's ok. How do you know anyway?"
"I've been out of the country for a while and when I got back I saw it in the paper," was the explanation he received down the phone. How on earth did he get his number anyway? "Tim gave me your number." That explained that then.
"Yeah she's fine. Bit bruised but otherwise she's fine," he didn't want to say that she was in a terrible state but getting better. He couldn't say that, it would be unfair on Lucy and she was better, even if it was a little bit.
"Oh good. Send her my love," he wasn't going to, "and I'll see you two around at some point."
"Yeah bye," Lee really wanted for the conversation to end, he didn't like the man.
"And Lee."
"Yeah?"
"It was good speaking to you," yeah sure mate.
"You too," Lee lied as he hung up his phone, putting it back in his pocket before making her way back towards Lucy who looked relieved that he was returning. He wasn't going to tell her who was on the phone, she didn't need to know.
"Who was it?" Lucy questioned, curiosity in her eyes.
"Nothing important. Just one of those sale calls," he lied as Lucy nodded her head. She seemed to believe it anyway, "told them where to stick their free gas boiler servicing," Lucy chuckled at that which in return Lee smiled. She hadn't laughed for a while.
"Where was that then?"
"Up their arse," he muttered just as Lucy's name was called out, she was smiling and Lee hadn't found a sight better than that in his life.
"So, it was no one important on the phone?" Lucy questioned again as she took hold of Lee's hand, the pair of them making their way towards the nurses.
"It was no one," Lee reassured her. It was no one important anyway.
Little did he know he'd just spoken to Lucy's attacker…