Terry walked alongside Bruce through the hospital corridors. They passed
countless worried parents visiting their children with minor burns. The
entire hospital seemed to be taken up by Milton Hill School students and
their families.
"Where is she?" Bruce asked.
"Intensive care." Terry replied shortly.
"Are you still angry with me?" Bruce asked.
"Am I angry that you went in to see her and accused her of deliberately coming between us you mean?" Terry asked. "Or am I angry that you stayed in her dressing room and the entire reason that she went back into that inferno was to look for you?"
"Both." Bruce replied. Terry stopped outside a window and look into the room inside.
"I'm not angry." Terry said. "It could have been a lot worse. The doctors hope that she will regain consciousness soon." They looked into the intensive care unit. They could see Lark lying motionless on a bed, with a thousand wires attaching her to bleeping and whirring machines. Both of her legs were incarcerated in special bandages to help her broken bones to heal quickly.
"What did they say as the diagnosis?" Bruce asked.
"Broken legs and minor burns." Terry replied. "But she inhaled a lot of poisonous fumes, they don't know what effect these will have on her."
"Effect?" Bruce asked, not taking his eyes off of Lark.
"Breathing problems, lung disease, or effects on her brain." Terry replied. "Are you going in then?"
Bruce paused for a moment before opening the door and walking in. Terry sat down outside the room and smiled to himself. Bruce walked over to where Lark lay and regarded her for a moment before placing a bunch of flowers by her bed. There were flowers, boxes of chocolates and teddy bears in one corner, where the matron had put them out of the way. It seemed that lots of people wished for Lark to get better.
"Hello." Bruce said awkwardly, sitting down next to Lark. "I know you can't hear me, but I have a few things to say. Things that I wouldn't say to your face because.well because I guess I'm too proud. Terry told me that you went back into the building to save me. I want to thank you for that. I also want to apologise for the things I said. I was in a bad mood and needed someone to take that out on, normally my dog bears the brunt of my fowl temper.
Anyway, I just came to say that I'm sorry and I do want you to get better. I'm really apologising for what I said about not wanting a granddaughter. You shocked me when you told me that I have a son. Being shut away for so long, I guess I'm not really in touch with my emotions. If you will take me, I'd love to try to be your grandfather. I'm not promising that I'll be any good, but I do promise I won't make you clean my false teeth or empty my bed pan." He chuckled at his own joke.
"And I thought you were am amazing actress. You really reminded me of your grandmother when you were up on that stage.I hope you will find it in your heart to tell me about the family I never knew. I.don't really know why I am telling you all this. Probably because you can't hear me and hold me to any promises that I make." He took Lark's limp hand in his own, wrinkly one. "I hope that we can learn to get along. From what I hear you inherited my nose for a crime and my stubbornness, I think we could clash personality wise. I just hope that you won't leave me just after telling me that I have a family. I always wanted a family." Bruce finished and sighed. He remained sitting with Lark, not quite knowing what to say to someone who couldn't hear him. Suddenly he felt Lark squeeze his hand.
He looked down. Her eyes were open and she was smiling. "That was really beautiful. Truly poetic!" She said.
"You, you set me up?" Stammered Bruce.
"Actually I did." Terry was leaning against the doorframe and smiling.
"But how, why?" Bruce asked.
"I spoke to the matron here this morning and asked her to do me this favour. She told Lark about it too and Lark agreed." Terry said. "Lark was never unconscious, and there are no life threatening illnesses caused by the fumes."
"Really?" Bruce asked Lark.
"Just two broken legs, a few burns and a headache." Lark smiled.
"Well, I'll be going." Bruce said awkwardly walking towards the door. "Why did you do it McGinnis?" He whispered to Terry in the doorway.
"Because I knew you would tell her how you really felt if you thought she couldn't hear you." Terry said.
Bruce chuckled, shook his head despairingly and walked out. Terry shut the door behind him, leaving them alone.
"Thank you." Lark said. Terry walked over and took up Bruce's seat.
"I knew he would talk." Terry said.
"No. For saving my life. God, it sounds even more cliché when I actually say it." Lark laughed.
"Don't worry about it." Terry said. "How are you feeling?"
"A little shaken up." Lark admitted.
"Well you're bound to. You had a rough ride back there." Terry soothed.
"Not about the accident." Lark said. "I haven't told any of the nurses, but someone else was down there with me."
"Who?" Terry asked.
"McCracken. I tried to get her to come out with me but she wouldn't, and then she confessed. She was Dracula's Nemesis Terry." Lark whispered.
"Miss McCracken, but why?" Terry asked.
"She was getting the sack, so she didn't want anyone else taking up her vacated position. She thought that if this show went really wrong then Milton Hill would just drop drama as a subject and never do another play again." Lark said.
"It all makes sense now. I'll get Mr Wayne to alert the authorities." Terry said.
"It wasn't her fault. She was insane." Lark said.
"I know. Did she hurt you?" Terry asked.
Lark nodded. "Not badly. But she gave me one hell of a headache, she's stronger than she looks."
"I'm sure." Terry stroked her hair relaxingly. "So anyway, what did the doctors say?"
"My legs are pretty badly broken. Nothing they can't fix but I'll have to put all sports on hold for a month and then have physiotherapy to bring me back slowly." Lark said. "The burns will heal quick enough and I'm taking medicine and injections to combat the toxins I inhaled from the smoke."
"I'm glad." Terry said. "I was worried about you."
"How's Dana?" Lark asked.
"She's at home, making more of her broken arm than necessary. Apparently she can barely do anything by herself."
"A good excuse to get your own personal slave." Lark laughed. "So why aren't you over there now dressed as her butler?" She joked.
"I'm not sure. I have a lot to think about." Terry said seriously. Lark stopped smiling and looked at him questioningly.
"Well whatever you are confused about, don't loose Dana." She said finally. "We all need someone to look after us in this world."
Terry simply nodded. Lark smiled and propped herself up on her pillows. "Come on then. I may be an invalid but I can still eat chocolates and grapes!" She pointed to the pile of flowers, teddies and chocolates. "I want to at least enjoy what my fans and admirers send me."
An hour or so later Terry left the hospital, full up from eating chocolates and grapes. Lark and Terry had had fun guessing what the chocolate flavours were and had found a fun game to play with grapes, involving balancing them on your nose before eating them. Lark had been extremely good at this.
When Terry got home he found Dana waiting for him. "Where were you?" She asked.
"Hello Dana, how are you?" Terry joked.
"I'm serious Terry. I've been trying to contact you for over an hour. Mr Wayne said you weren't with him, you mother didn't know where you were." Dana said.
"I was at the hospital visiting Lark." Terry said.
"Oh of course, Lark!" Dana said. "I notice you spent longer visiting her than you did me."
"Well she was more seriously injured." Terry protested. "And she went through a lot."
"So did I!" Dana replied. "If you remember I was the one who plummeted to the stage and broke her arm and got concussion. And I'm your girlfriend." She added.
"I'm sorry." Terry replied. "I didn't realise."
"Well, I just hope that you remember who your girlfriend is." Dana said, settling herself on his couch. "My arm really hurts. I don't suppose you have any ice cream?"
"Vanilla." Terry offered.
"Great." Dana said, watching Terry get it for her. "Could you throw some chocolate sauce on that? And marshmallows would be great if you had any. A cherry on top would just be perfect."
Terry sighed as he obeyed Dana's demands. Somehow being with Lark when she was injured was more fun than being with Dana.
"Where is she?" Bruce asked.
"Intensive care." Terry replied shortly.
"Are you still angry with me?" Bruce asked.
"Am I angry that you went in to see her and accused her of deliberately coming between us you mean?" Terry asked. "Or am I angry that you stayed in her dressing room and the entire reason that she went back into that inferno was to look for you?"
"Both." Bruce replied. Terry stopped outside a window and look into the room inside.
"I'm not angry." Terry said. "It could have been a lot worse. The doctors hope that she will regain consciousness soon." They looked into the intensive care unit. They could see Lark lying motionless on a bed, with a thousand wires attaching her to bleeping and whirring machines. Both of her legs were incarcerated in special bandages to help her broken bones to heal quickly.
"What did they say as the diagnosis?" Bruce asked.
"Broken legs and minor burns." Terry replied. "But she inhaled a lot of poisonous fumes, they don't know what effect these will have on her."
"Effect?" Bruce asked, not taking his eyes off of Lark.
"Breathing problems, lung disease, or effects on her brain." Terry replied. "Are you going in then?"
Bruce paused for a moment before opening the door and walking in. Terry sat down outside the room and smiled to himself. Bruce walked over to where Lark lay and regarded her for a moment before placing a bunch of flowers by her bed. There were flowers, boxes of chocolates and teddy bears in one corner, where the matron had put them out of the way. It seemed that lots of people wished for Lark to get better.
"Hello." Bruce said awkwardly, sitting down next to Lark. "I know you can't hear me, but I have a few things to say. Things that I wouldn't say to your face because.well because I guess I'm too proud. Terry told me that you went back into the building to save me. I want to thank you for that. I also want to apologise for the things I said. I was in a bad mood and needed someone to take that out on, normally my dog bears the brunt of my fowl temper.
Anyway, I just came to say that I'm sorry and I do want you to get better. I'm really apologising for what I said about not wanting a granddaughter. You shocked me when you told me that I have a son. Being shut away for so long, I guess I'm not really in touch with my emotions. If you will take me, I'd love to try to be your grandfather. I'm not promising that I'll be any good, but I do promise I won't make you clean my false teeth or empty my bed pan." He chuckled at his own joke.
"And I thought you were am amazing actress. You really reminded me of your grandmother when you were up on that stage.I hope you will find it in your heart to tell me about the family I never knew. I.don't really know why I am telling you all this. Probably because you can't hear me and hold me to any promises that I make." He took Lark's limp hand in his own, wrinkly one. "I hope that we can learn to get along. From what I hear you inherited my nose for a crime and my stubbornness, I think we could clash personality wise. I just hope that you won't leave me just after telling me that I have a family. I always wanted a family." Bruce finished and sighed. He remained sitting with Lark, not quite knowing what to say to someone who couldn't hear him. Suddenly he felt Lark squeeze his hand.
He looked down. Her eyes were open and she was smiling. "That was really beautiful. Truly poetic!" She said.
"You, you set me up?" Stammered Bruce.
"Actually I did." Terry was leaning against the doorframe and smiling.
"But how, why?" Bruce asked.
"I spoke to the matron here this morning and asked her to do me this favour. She told Lark about it too and Lark agreed." Terry said. "Lark was never unconscious, and there are no life threatening illnesses caused by the fumes."
"Really?" Bruce asked Lark.
"Just two broken legs, a few burns and a headache." Lark smiled.
"Well, I'll be going." Bruce said awkwardly walking towards the door. "Why did you do it McGinnis?" He whispered to Terry in the doorway.
"Because I knew you would tell her how you really felt if you thought she couldn't hear you." Terry said.
Bruce chuckled, shook his head despairingly and walked out. Terry shut the door behind him, leaving them alone.
"Thank you." Lark said. Terry walked over and took up Bruce's seat.
"I knew he would talk." Terry said.
"No. For saving my life. God, it sounds even more cliché when I actually say it." Lark laughed.
"Don't worry about it." Terry said. "How are you feeling?"
"A little shaken up." Lark admitted.
"Well you're bound to. You had a rough ride back there." Terry soothed.
"Not about the accident." Lark said. "I haven't told any of the nurses, but someone else was down there with me."
"Who?" Terry asked.
"McCracken. I tried to get her to come out with me but she wouldn't, and then she confessed. She was Dracula's Nemesis Terry." Lark whispered.
"Miss McCracken, but why?" Terry asked.
"She was getting the sack, so she didn't want anyone else taking up her vacated position. She thought that if this show went really wrong then Milton Hill would just drop drama as a subject and never do another play again." Lark said.
"It all makes sense now. I'll get Mr Wayne to alert the authorities." Terry said.
"It wasn't her fault. She was insane." Lark said.
"I know. Did she hurt you?" Terry asked.
Lark nodded. "Not badly. But she gave me one hell of a headache, she's stronger than she looks."
"I'm sure." Terry stroked her hair relaxingly. "So anyway, what did the doctors say?"
"My legs are pretty badly broken. Nothing they can't fix but I'll have to put all sports on hold for a month and then have physiotherapy to bring me back slowly." Lark said. "The burns will heal quick enough and I'm taking medicine and injections to combat the toxins I inhaled from the smoke."
"I'm glad." Terry said. "I was worried about you."
"How's Dana?" Lark asked.
"She's at home, making more of her broken arm than necessary. Apparently she can barely do anything by herself."
"A good excuse to get your own personal slave." Lark laughed. "So why aren't you over there now dressed as her butler?" She joked.
"I'm not sure. I have a lot to think about." Terry said seriously. Lark stopped smiling and looked at him questioningly.
"Well whatever you are confused about, don't loose Dana." She said finally. "We all need someone to look after us in this world."
Terry simply nodded. Lark smiled and propped herself up on her pillows. "Come on then. I may be an invalid but I can still eat chocolates and grapes!" She pointed to the pile of flowers, teddies and chocolates. "I want to at least enjoy what my fans and admirers send me."
An hour or so later Terry left the hospital, full up from eating chocolates and grapes. Lark and Terry had had fun guessing what the chocolate flavours were and had found a fun game to play with grapes, involving balancing them on your nose before eating them. Lark had been extremely good at this.
When Terry got home he found Dana waiting for him. "Where were you?" She asked.
"Hello Dana, how are you?" Terry joked.
"I'm serious Terry. I've been trying to contact you for over an hour. Mr Wayne said you weren't with him, you mother didn't know where you were." Dana said.
"I was at the hospital visiting Lark." Terry said.
"Oh of course, Lark!" Dana said. "I notice you spent longer visiting her than you did me."
"Well she was more seriously injured." Terry protested. "And she went through a lot."
"So did I!" Dana replied. "If you remember I was the one who plummeted to the stage and broke her arm and got concussion. And I'm your girlfriend." She added.
"I'm sorry." Terry replied. "I didn't realise."
"Well, I just hope that you remember who your girlfriend is." Dana said, settling herself on his couch. "My arm really hurts. I don't suppose you have any ice cream?"
"Vanilla." Terry offered.
"Great." Dana said, watching Terry get it for her. "Could you throw some chocolate sauce on that? And marshmallows would be great if you had any. A cherry on top would just be perfect."
Terry sighed as he obeyed Dana's demands. Somehow being with Lark when she was injured was more fun than being with Dana.
