Starting Over
Falling!
Peter just watched, horrified, as Satine fell further and further away from him. He thought she was never going to stop. Suddenly, she reached the balcony and landed with a massive thud. The noise jolted Peter out of his trance and he rushed down the stairs and to Satine. When he reached her she was sprawled out on the cold concrete, her eyes closed. The grey concrete was turning red from where she had cracked her head. Luckily, she was still breathing but it was very shallow and laboured. Peter knew there wasn't much time. After checking for neck or spinal injuries, he gathered her up in his arms and made his way gingerly back inside, down the stairs and out the front door. Calling on his way to the maid, telling her where he was going.
Christian and James walked slowly along the pavement towards their house. Christian had hoped he would catch up with James and ask him about this thing between him and Satine. James's work was nearer to home so Christian had to leave earlier to catch him up. 'So...What's this thing between you and Satine then?' Christian asked casually. 'I think you'd better ask Satine. If it were me I'd rather hear it from my wife.' 'But you're my brother.' 'Trust me.' James told him. By now they had reached the front door. They let themselves in and removed their winter coats and hats. 'Satine. Satine!' Christian called. 'Ah, Lilly, where's Satine?' He asked to the passing maid. 'Oh, Master Christian! It was absolutely awful. I saw it all I did.' 'What did you see?' 'And look at the floor! What a mess. I'll have to clean that up before the Master gets home.' Christian and James looked down. There was a trail of blood all the way along the hall and up the stairs. 'What did you see?' Christian asked for a second time. 'When she fell. I told your brother. I told him someone would get hurt one day.' 'Where did she fall?' Christian had panic in his voice. 'Onto the balcony from the flat roof above the kitchen. I was bringing in the washing when they appeared. They seemed to talk for a bit then he went back inside and reappeared with a book. He showed it to her and then just as they were about to come back inside, she slipped and fell.' Christian gulped. 'He's taken her to the hospital.' Christian didn't need telling twice. He ran out the door, forgetting to pick up his coat.
'Mr Helington?' Peter looked up. He was sitting on an uncomfortable seat in a hospital corridor. Standing over him was a doctor wearing a white coat and a stethescope around his neck. 'Yes? How is she?' 'How do you know Satine?' 'She's my sister-in-law. I'm training to be a doctor so you can be as tough as you like.' 'Ok. Well, as you know she had a bad fall. She was bleeding quite badly from the head. Fortunately, we managed to stop it but I'm afraid she lost quite a lot of blood. She is alive but barely. If we keep pumping liquids in and bring her blood levels back up to normal then she may have a chance. We also don't know the damage that has been done mentally. At the moment it is wait and see. ' 'Thank you.' 'Is her husband here?' 'Um...' 'Peter!' He looked up to see Christian flying towards him. 'How is she?' 'Are you the husband?' The doctor asked. 'Yes, I'm Christian. Please tell me she's alive.' 'She's alive.' 'Oh good!' 'But it's not looking too good.' Christian sank down into a chair, tears welling up in his eyes. 'C-can I see her?' 'Of course.' The doctor led the two of them down the corridor and through a series of doors. In front of them, along another corridor, was a ward but before it were a series of single rooms. The doctor opened one of them. Christian peered around it to see Satine lying on a bed, a bandage around her head. Her eyes were still closed and now her breathing had nearly returned to normal. 'I'll leave you to it.' The doctor lightly touched Christian's shoulder and then walked off. 'I think I'm going to go too.' Peter said. 'Ok, thanks.' Christian watched Satine for a few minutes before going in and sitting on a chair by the bed. He picked up her hand and held it up to his face before bursting into tears.
It had been three days and Satine hadn't woken up yet. Every now and then she would squeeze Christian's hand but nothing more. He was getting quite worried now as was the doctor. He now wasn't sure how much damage had taken place. Visiting hours began at 11 and ended at 5. Every morning Christian would be outside and he refused to leave until they had to practically drag him out. It was 10.55 when the door to Satine's room opened. For the first time, she opened her eyes. 'Hello, Missy.' An elderly gentleman shuffled towards her bed. 'Hello.' Satine smiled at him sleepily. 'You gave that husband of yours quite a scare. He comes in here every morning on the dot of 10.59 and sits with you all day.' 'I know. I could sense him here. He has a very calming presence.' 'The doors have opened. I'd better get going.' 'Bye.' 'See ya, Missy.' And he left. Satine smiled to herself and closed her eyes again. She heard the door open and footsteps come over to the bed. The chair lightly scraped the floor as Christian pushed it back in order for him to sit down. He opened up a newspaper that he had bought with him and began to read it, never once letting go of Satine's hand. 'Just cos my eyes are closed, it doesn't mean I'm asleep.' Satine croaked. 'You can still speak to me.' Christian dropped his newspaper on the floor and started to hug her and kiss her all over. 'It also doesn't mean that I am completely pain-free. Ow!' 'Sorry.' Christian apologised. 'I'm just so happy you're awake.' 'Me too.' Satine smiled at him. 'Ah, Satine, I see you're awake. I'm Dr Hanac. How are you feeling now?' 'All right I suppose. When can I go home?' Satine asked, silently hoping it would be soon. She hated being stuck in a hospital bed. She preferred to be nursed at home by loved ones. 'Well, you have only just woken up so we need to observe you but if everything is alright you can go home....' Satine braced herself. '...tomorrow.' 'Tomorrow?' She squeaked. 'Yes, now I must be getting on.' Dr Hananc chuckled and left. Satine grinned at Christian and threw her arms around him. 'I'm coming home!'
Peter just watched, horrified, as Satine fell further and further away from him. He thought she was never going to stop. Suddenly, she reached the balcony and landed with a massive thud. The noise jolted Peter out of his trance and he rushed down the stairs and to Satine. When he reached her she was sprawled out on the cold concrete, her eyes closed. The grey concrete was turning red from where she had cracked her head. Luckily, she was still breathing but it was very shallow and laboured. Peter knew there wasn't much time. After checking for neck or spinal injuries, he gathered her up in his arms and made his way gingerly back inside, down the stairs and out the front door. Calling on his way to the maid, telling her where he was going.
Christian and James walked slowly along the pavement towards their house. Christian had hoped he would catch up with James and ask him about this thing between him and Satine. James's work was nearer to home so Christian had to leave earlier to catch him up. 'So...What's this thing between you and Satine then?' Christian asked casually. 'I think you'd better ask Satine. If it were me I'd rather hear it from my wife.' 'But you're my brother.' 'Trust me.' James told him. By now they had reached the front door. They let themselves in and removed their winter coats and hats. 'Satine. Satine!' Christian called. 'Ah, Lilly, where's Satine?' He asked to the passing maid. 'Oh, Master Christian! It was absolutely awful. I saw it all I did.' 'What did you see?' 'And look at the floor! What a mess. I'll have to clean that up before the Master gets home.' Christian and James looked down. There was a trail of blood all the way along the hall and up the stairs. 'What did you see?' Christian asked for a second time. 'When she fell. I told your brother. I told him someone would get hurt one day.' 'Where did she fall?' Christian had panic in his voice. 'Onto the balcony from the flat roof above the kitchen. I was bringing in the washing when they appeared. They seemed to talk for a bit then he went back inside and reappeared with a book. He showed it to her and then just as they were about to come back inside, she slipped and fell.' Christian gulped. 'He's taken her to the hospital.' Christian didn't need telling twice. He ran out the door, forgetting to pick up his coat.
'Mr Helington?' Peter looked up. He was sitting on an uncomfortable seat in a hospital corridor. Standing over him was a doctor wearing a white coat and a stethescope around his neck. 'Yes? How is she?' 'How do you know Satine?' 'She's my sister-in-law. I'm training to be a doctor so you can be as tough as you like.' 'Ok. Well, as you know she had a bad fall. She was bleeding quite badly from the head. Fortunately, we managed to stop it but I'm afraid she lost quite a lot of blood. She is alive but barely. If we keep pumping liquids in and bring her blood levels back up to normal then she may have a chance. We also don't know the damage that has been done mentally. At the moment it is wait and see. ' 'Thank you.' 'Is her husband here?' 'Um...' 'Peter!' He looked up to see Christian flying towards him. 'How is she?' 'Are you the husband?' The doctor asked. 'Yes, I'm Christian. Please tell me she's alive.' 'She's alive.' 'Oh good!' 'But it's not looking too good.' Christian sank down into a chair, tears welling up in his eyes. 'C-can I see her?' 'Of course.' The doctor led the two of them down the corridor and through a series of doors. In front of them, along another corridor, was a ward but before it were a series of single rooms. The doctor opened one of them. Christian peered around it to see Satine lying on a bed, a bandage around her head. Her eyes were still closed and now her breathing had nearly returned to normal. 'I'll leave you to it.' The doctor lightly touched Christian's shoulder and then walked off. 'I think I'm going to go too.' Peter said. 'Ok, thanks.' Christian watched Satine for a few minutes before going in and sitting on a chair by the bed. He picked up her hand and held it up to his face before bursting into tears.
It had been three days and Satine hadn't woken up yet. Every now and then she would squeeze Christian's hand but nothing more. He was getting quite worried now as was the doctor. He now wasn't sure how much damage had taken place. Visiting hours began at 11 and ended at 5. Every morning Christian would be outside and he refused to leave until they had to practically drag him out. It was 10.55 when the door to Satine's room opened. For the first time, she opened her eyes. 'Hello, Missy.' An elderly gentleman shuffled towards her bed. 'Hello.' Satine smiled at him sleepily. 'You gave that husband of yours quite a scare. He comes in here every morning on the dot of 10.59 and sits with you all day.' 'I know. I could sense him here. He has a very calming presence.' 'The doors have opened. I'd better get going.' 'Bye.' 'See ya, Missy.' And he left. Satine smiled to herself and closed her eyes again. She heard the door open and footsteps come over to the bed. The chair lightly scraped the floor as Christian pushed it back in order for him to sit down. He opened up a newspaper that he had bought with him and began to read it, never once letting go of Satine's hand. 'Just cos my eyes are closed, it doesn't mean I'm asleep.' Satine croaked. 'You can still speak to me.' Christian dropped his newspaper on the floor and started to hug her and kiss her all over. 'It also doesn't mean that I am completely pain-free. Ow!' 'Sorry.' Christian apologised. 'I'm just so happy you're awake.' 'Me too.' Satine smiled at him. 'Ah, Satine, I see you're awake. I'm Dr Hanac. How are you feeling now?' 'All right I suppose. When can I go home?' Satine asked, silently hoping it would be soon. She hated being stuck in a hospital bed. She preferred to be nursed at home by loved ones. 'Well, you have only just woken up so we need to observe you but if everything is alright you can go home....' Satine braced herself. '...tomorrow.' 'Tomorrow?' She squeaked. 'Yes, now I must be getting on.' Dr Hananc chuckled and left. Satine grinned at Christian and threw her arms around him. 'I'm coming home!'
